Report: Todd Bowles Doesn’t Appear To Be On Shaky Ground (Byron Leftwich Is Another Matter)
December 15th, 2022
Seems safe.
So it is 10 days before Christmas and a handful of coaches are looking around the corner for the grim reaper.
Each year at least a half-dozen coaches are replaced on Black Monday, the day after the final regular season game. Often, it’s coaches who, naturally, had a disappointing season.
There is no other way to slice it: The Bucs have had a disappointing 2022. No team with this talent should be this bad. When that happens, people who sign checks want answers and often that leads to coaches’ address changes.
Plugged in Dan Graziano of BSPN isn’t hearing any whispers that Bucs coach Todd Bowles is on the griddle. And just looking at Team Glazer’s history, they have never canned a coach after one year. So just based on that alone, Bowles appears safe.
However, Graziano does believe if Bowles returns in 2023, there will be changes to the coaching staff.
… … The Tampa situation is especially interesting because of all the unknowns around Tom Brady. If he decides he wants to stay in Tampa (and they decide they want to keep him), he could have some input in what happens with the offensive coaching staff. If he retires or decides to play elsewhere, the decisions about how to build the offense could be much different, depending on whom the Bucs get to play quarterback.
Just to remind folks what a truly horrid job failing Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich has done this season, a team with Tom Brady, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin is averaging (17.2 points a game) less than the 2014 Bucs offense (17.3 points a game) led by ill-suited Marcus Arroyo with Stewart McClown and Mike Glennon at quarterback.
Yes, an offense with brutal quarterbacks for a team that was trying to tank (and succeeded!) had a better offense than what the Bucs have now.
Joe has no earthly idea how the Bucs could remotely think of bringing Leftwich back unless the Bucs plan to tank for Caleb Williams.
December 15th, 2022 at 4:07 am
Not surprised, but somewhat disappointed. I don’t think this team will go far with Bowles. It’ll probably get worse next year, but we’ll see. I certainly hope I am wrong. I want to win the superbowl every year of course or have a realistic chance. So I won’t wish I’ll on anyone that reps the Bucs. It is absolutely apparent that Lefty is a dead man walking. He’s going to get thrown under the bus for sure.
December 15th, 2022 at 4:53 am
If we go 2-2 or worse the rest of the way and we keep Bowles, I am gonna be totally bummed for next year unless Brady agrees to stay. If Brady stays, I’m thinking that he will go out of his mind to prove that this putrid year was a fluke and I trust him a heck of a lot more than I do our current coaching staff.
December 15th, 2022 at 4:56 am
Wake up! Knock knock Glazers and Licht…..these clowns need to be tossed aside. I’ll give Bowles his credit as a DC with great players (they make them look good)…but the rest? Nope!
I dont know what the solution is after firing them….im kind of drained and worn out on this bs
December 15th, 2022 at 5:05 am
If Brady wants to bolt in mid game at this point, I would understand….this coaching, this management, players checking out (remember that “team only” meeting? we seemed to give up after that)….too many in charge are asleep!!! Not Brady though, he’s still a beast.
December 15th, 2022 at 5:06 am
Joe: There is simply no way a team with this talent should be this bad.
You’re kidding, right Joe. This is NOT a talented team. Look no further than the O line. After Wirfs, nothing. Our only viable TE is a rookie. Our best RB is a rookie. At WR, Evans is our best and Godwin is just now coming around to 80%. Julio, a bust. Gage, a bust. Permian, a bust. Miller – Brady has under thrown him all year, hasn’t once put a ball up field.
On D, JTS, a bust. Gholston, done. Vita, part timer. Hicks, ok. Hate to say it, but LVD looks like he’s at the end. D White, up and down. Davis, injured. Winfield, injured. Dean, up and down. Ryan, solid when he plays. Edward’s, better off the bench.
Our best players are Succup and the punter from GA.
And face it, Brady has never had both feet in the boat this season. He’s missing guys, under or over throwing guys. And he can’t move. So please, stop with this, “all this talent”. It’s just not there.
December 15th, 2022 at 5:14 am
It seems no matter if the talk is about a game and how bad the Bucs played or the season and how bad they look over all The Blame lands on Brady and Leftwich. WHY?
Bowles is the HC!!! He can make a change
Bowles is the Defensive Guru Ummm Ya the Defense is not playing great either
Soooo WHY does he get a Pass???
Bowles doesn’t not have the ability to be a HC shown in NY and now here
We don’t need 2-3 seasons of this mediocre play to know that ….
Hey Glazers FANS PAY THE BILL give them something to cheer about
And give Bowles an Uber ride to Houston
December 15th, 2022 at 5:23 am
Todd Monken, OC
December 15th, 2022 at 6:04 am
Dan Graziano … ‘If he (Brady) decides he wants to stay in Tampa (and they decide they want to keep him), he could have some input in what happens with the offensive coaching staff.’
The parentheses actually says it all IMO. The only way Brady decides to sign up for another year here (ASSUMING he doesn’t retire of course) is if no one else will have him. You don’t BUILD a team around a 46-year-old QB who’ll only be with you, more than likely, for 1 year. It’s time for the Bucs to move on too.
Brady’s best days have passed. The GOAT ship needs to gracefully sail off into the sunset. Bucs have enough problems already lined up for next year without adding another $25-$35 mil problem without adding another statue to Tom Brady. Oh wait, that IS Tom Brady. His immobility is killing us. We’ve already shown that we can’t protect him, to buy him the time necessary to push the ball downfield via the intermediate & deep pass. The result? Short pass after short pass. Without an effective running game, you can’t sustain drives like that.
The Bucs are the oldest team in the NFL. We face a daunting task rebuilding with just our standard draft picks AND a mountain of debt (salary CAP-wise). The Panthers & Falcons have already started down that road (by dumping several high-priced vets); the Bucs & Saints are about to follow. As the Mandalorians say … ‘This is the way’.
December 15th, 2022 at 6:37 am
I guess its tank time 2023! 2-15.
December 15th, 2022 at 6:39 am
It isn’t happening because the Glazers are gutless. Pure and simple. They would rather go back to being a sorry team than grow a set and fire a lousy coach. Don’t want to make waves, after all. Make them pay.
December 15th, 2022 at 6:40 am
IF somehow they got Caleb Williams we would still flop with these coaches. If they can’t get it done with Brady I don’t see how they can get it done with a rookie. We already drafted one and he’s sitting on the bench for the past couple of years, what’s with that ? And why do I have visions of Jameis Winston, when I hear Caleb Williams name. We need both coaches changed
December 15th, 2022 at 6:45 am
Im just ready to lose the rest of the games, fire the two, and get this rebuild going…we got a SB out of it, but we’re in cap hell and need to move on.
December 15th, 2022 at 7:02 am
It’s been media malpractice how no one has asked Brady or his coaches about his dramatic weight loss. Yes, this isn’t a little weight loss. This is a very, very noticeable decline in weight from him. It’s been noticeable since training camp. I’m absolutely flummoxed how no one has asked him and the coaches about it. That could play into the reason why he’s been reluctant to take big hits.
December 15th, 2022 at 7:10 am
I think Bowles is the main problem. I think he’s the one applying the brakes to the offense. He coaches to not lose. No risk it, don’t want no biscuit.
December 15th, 2022 at 7:21 am
So DR, you have stats a mobile QB could do better in this offense? Jackson, Murray, Fields
(Many times), Huntley all running QB’s struggling to get on the field. I.agree you cannot rebuild around Brady but make NO mistake if he plays next season Bucs will wish they had him. For whatever reason you have a h@#d on for Bowels. This is a mirror of the Jets team, he is as much the problem if not more than BL. He knows nothing about how an offense should be run and after last week and this season I question his DC capabilities.
December 15th, 2022 at 7:21 am
LT first round…move Donovan to LG…QB 2nd (Bo Nix)…trade the rest away for next years picks after that or something, i dont know. We’re in cap hell and cant retain what we have….let them go!
December 15th, 2022 at 7:23 am
Fire Blowes, this is his team. I don’t know what your watching but his defense sucks. They got their doors blown off last week. If San Fran wanted to they could have put up 60 points. F this guy, he is terrible.
December 15th, 2022 at 7:26 am
The issue with Bowles is when you put too much on his plate he begins to fail. If he concentrated exclusively on the defense we wouldn’t be in this boat. His head coaching ability suffers with multi-tasking. I think this was also magnified in New York. Another glairing problem is his offensive coordinator stinks, so he shifts attention to that and problems just continue to hang around, linger and populate through the whole team. This is what we are experiencing now with an ownership group in place that refuses to make a coaching change in mid-stream. It is frustrating to see the stench mediocrity permeate throughout the season without introducing a fix.
December 15th, 2022 at 7:32 am
Bowles is ultimate responsible for this team.
He should be let go, along with this entire staff.
December 15th, 2022 at 7:46 am
The crazy part is Evans is still only a couple hundred away from another 1k season.
December 15th, 2022 at 7:57 am
Glazers are have some Big decisions to make, hopefully they do it sooner rather than later……. The Zombies are not hard to hopefully they will eliminate them
December 15th, 2022 at 8:09 am
Todd Bowles will lead us back to the lost decade. He is horrible as a HC. If the Glazers want another decade of empty seats each Sunday, then keeping Bowles will accomplish that.
December 15th, 2022 at 8:17 am
Evan’s will get his 1000 Brady will make sure of it that is unless Blows and leftnut don’t want him to.
December 15th, 2022 at 8:21 am
He’s safe if Brady says he’s safe. If Brady leaves. Then Bowles is safe too to ensure the high draft pick. Bring on the rebuild. Cynical as heck, but it would work. He can’t win WITH Brady. You get Brady off the team and….top 5 pick is practically guaranteed.
December 15th, 2022 at 8:36 am
Keith Armstrong too. I don’t think he factors much into the best part of our ST’s either currently – which is our Kicker and Punter putting toe to ball. Minus Deven Thompkins this past week, our coverage units and the rest of our ST’s has been pretty bad his entire tenure.
Armstrong and Leftwich have to go. Also, Bowles needs a big-time and proficient Asst. HC and game/time clock management person. Otherwise, I don’t see him succeeding.
I thought Leftwich would be gone weeks ago too, but I just felt there was no way w/ Bruce Arians’ RoH induction ceremony on horizon and those being his guys and hand-pitched guy. That would’ve soured it all. Bruce won a great deal of games and helped bring a Lombardi. Didn’t think they would mess w/ all that until after the Season.
December 15th, 2022 at 8:50 am
Hard to believe they bring Bowles back if he doesn’t win the division. That’s the least he should be able to do to keep his job.
December 15th, 2022 at 9:21 am
Bowles doesn’t have the mental mentality to run a team. Seems like every game the offense fails (because Leftwich has the same problem as bowles) and Bowles tries to not lose with all he knows, defense.. and then we lose. He has no tricks, no schemes, and no balls. I really like the guy but only as a defensive coach. I say Brady retires after this year and we shld some how get Grop a ho or Matt Ryan or just stick with Trask which is probably what happens. The 2 Super Bowls we’ve won has been with a good defense and a vet QB. Take Brady if he stays but I’m betting he retires. ✌️
December 15th, 2022 at 9:50 am
Even if Leftie gets blown away in a tornado today, Brady is gone from here as a player. He needs to get away from the smell of the fallout of this season.
Tanking for Caleb won’t work because the Texans are already signing him. We do need to activate Trask, just so he can be seen on the sideline. It would also be nice to know if he in any way resembles a future for the franchise.
December 15th, 2022 at 10:39 am
This would be the kind of stupid move the Glazers would do. Yes, Leftwhich needs to be gone. So does Bowles. He is terrible and there is more than enough evidence already that he will never be a good HC. The Glazers just love wasting Fans time.
December 15th, 2022 at 10:41 am
Dumb Dumb Dumb
Bowles should go with Leftwich. They are both awful.
December 15th, 2022 at 10:44 am
Richard Williams was only given one year. 1-15
December 15th, 2022 at 10:44 am
Another similarity to that 2014 season is we have the same style of cowardly anti scoring head coach. I’m convinced the run up the gut to start every game is all on Bowles. He wants the fight to go 12 rounds with no flashy knockouts.
December 15th, 2022 at 10:45 am
Maybe it was Williamson. Long time ago and very forgetable
December 15th, 2022 at 10:46 am
both need to go……. leffty and todd… this team will not win another season under these two , and their to predicible , no imagination in skeems on the field …….
December 15th, 2022 at 10:47 am
He might have had one or two games as interim coach, but I forget who he replaced.
December 15th, 2022 at 11:05 am
Keeping Bowles will cost the Glazers millions in revenue. I won’t spend another dime as long as that loser is employed with the Bucs. I am sure a lot of people feel the same.
December 15th, 2022 at 11:20 am
I hate that teams that SUCK think they’re a QB away from being good. We’ve got TB and we suck. If he doesn’t return next year we need to build the trenches in the draft and get quicker in all skill positions and roll with Trask for the year. If we suck again then get our QB in that next draft and give him a chance to be successful with pieces in place.
December 15th, 2022 at 12:01 pm
Bowles should have been canned a while ago. Anyone who gives tom brady his worst year as a pro, should be relearning the game from scratch, starting from his local high school team lmao. Im sure he can get a job there just because his resume.
December 15th, 2022 at 12:35 pm
Get rid of these NFL coaches whose players won’t play hard for them.
This season’s Buc team has played uninspired and is playing not just down to the level of competition but below it.
No confidence that this offense can score points or that the defense can handle even sub-par quarterbacks. Defensive line doesn’t impress at all and linebackers aren’t strong enough.
Bowles is defensive coach but only Winfield and their other safety can make tackles. There is no one on the Buc defense that is intimidating or can hit hard.
Arm tackling high, just not aggressive players.
Training techniques must be bad because Bucs get so many injured players.
December 15th, 2022 at 3:09 pm
I am not a Left-over Sand-wich fan, but… There is one huge counter argument in his defense. Our O-line is a disaster and we have immobile pocket passer for a QB. If you watch other teams, big plays are made every week by QB improv. The O-lines are “good” for KC, Philly, Buffalo, Dallas… but wouldn’t those offenses unravel if the QBs relied on timing and a clean pocket? Yes, they would. So it is entirely possible that the entire staff is back, with Brady, next year… and major investments in the O-line and a return of Wirfs and Jensen. Healthy DBs would help too.
December 16th, 2022 at 9:26 am
Is Leftwich slyly acting out revenge/disappointment for being passed over or not considered for Buccs headcoach, even after highly talked a out for Jags HC position staying with Buccs?