Todd Bowles: Without Tristan Wirfs Bucs May Not Be Able To Run Hurry-Up
December 8th, 2022
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
It sure smells like to Joe that Bucs coach Todd Bowles is actually looking for reasons not to use an offense his team runs so well.
Bowles, doesn’t want a fast-paced offense because he believes players — including dudes on special teams — get too gassed late in the season. Bowles is convinced this is why the Bucs lost to the Rams in the playoffs.
(Joe is not disputing Bowles’ contention, but Joe is of the mind you have to weigh all factors including how a team played more football within a year’s time than most teams and how awful your offense is when not running a hurry-up. Saving guys for late in the season might be putting the cart before the horse. If you have yet to clinch a playoff berth, no coach should be worried about dudes’ stamina in January because you may not get there. What’s the point of having fresh legs in January if you don’t have games? Sort of like ending regulation tied with two timeouts in your back pocket.)
Then, when the Bucs lost to the Browns in the “Mistake by the Lake” last month, Bowles allowed the clock to run down on the Bucs final drive.
Why didn’t he want to run a hurry-up? He was scared the master of the two-minute offense, Tom Brady, who at that time only had two picks, would throw an interception.
Now Bowles has another reason to stay away from a hurry-up offense: Tristan Wirfs is hurt.
That’s right, Bowles said the Bucs have run more hurry-up in past games. Bowles cited three games, two losses and one near-loss as an example, almost like he’s trying to discredit the effectiveness of a hurry-up.
Then Bowles said that with Wirfs out, it limits how the Bucs can push the ball quickly.
“Well, we’ve done that,” Bowles responded when asked about running more hurry-up. “We’ve done that sometimes this year. We have it in our arsenal – we’ve done it quite a few times. We’ve done it against either Carolina or Pittsburgh, we’ve done it against Atlanta.
“We have it, it’s just about certain guys being able to do certain things. We’re down a tackle or so, so that’s exposing a lot of things, too. You’ve got to be selective in some of the things you do.”
Remember: Wirfs did not play Monday night, yet Brady was able to engineer two long touchdown drives in the final 5:21 to win the game.
So help Joe out here, please. Joe counts three reasons Bowles has cited for not running an offense that entering the Cleveland game was in the top-five in the NFL in touchdowns and yards.
1. His team gets too gassed when the offense runs no-risk-it; no-biscuit.
2. The greatest quarterback of all time might throw a pick.
3. Tristan Wirfs is hurt.
Didn’t the Bucs use a sort of a hurry-up offense in the second half of the playoff loss to the Rams when the Bucs rallied and tied the game late? Wirfs was hurt and never played in that game.
Joe isn’t sure he’s seen a coach actually look for reasons not to run an offense his team thrives in.
December 8th, 2022 at 12:12 am
It’s like he wants to get fired.
December 8th, 2022 at 12:14 am
This guy’d reasoning is on par with Lovie Smith. Not a compliment.
December 8th, 2022 at 12:16 am
Seems like he rather lose his way MORE than win by any means(within the rules). Hope he holds himself accountable
December 8th, 2022 at 12:19 am
Joe please do an article on Bucs’ success with the hurry-up. Just to illustrate the point. We all have seen the games, but could you put this in context? Just a bit of number crushing nothing too serious
December 8th, 2022 at 12:20 am
DUHHHHH…
Run the Hurry-Up until you can take a 2 score lead, then you slow it down and let players rest. Then run Hurry-Up again if you need to.
December 8th, 2022 at 12:25 am
You sound angry Joe.
Vlad is angry too and blames the Glazers for letting it get this far.
The emporer has no clothes
December 8th, 2022 at 12:29 am
THATS SAD!
December 8th, 2022 at 12:33 am
Captain Toilet Bowles strikes again! And this sh!t stinks!
December 8th, 2022 at 12:35 am
Vlad is right. The Glazers may be slow to react sometimes, like they were when Mike Smith was mailing it in and allowing teams to boat race the Bucs D game after game to start that 5-11 2018 season but they did finally force Koetter to axe the dude. Have they done anything behind the scenes to motivate Bowels? You would think they would have called him in for a chat at least. The Glazer lads are not idiots, they see what we fans see so they must know that Bowels and Leftwich have cost the Bucs the Browns, Steelers and likely the Packer game through this stubbornness. 9-3 reflects this teams player talent level a lot better than 6-6 though the coaching is at a level similar to that found in New Orleans (4-9) or Denver (3-10). so I guess that is why the Buccos are a mediocre 6-6.
December 8th, 2022 at 1:02 am
I believe I predicted 6-11.
Suddenly not so far fetched
December 8th, 2022 at 1:03 am
I have a different interpretation. Listen to the actual press conference. Bowles never said definitively the hurry up is or is not going to part of the game plan nor should he, he simply gave a vague answer. What do you expect him to say, “ we are going to run hurry up the first , second, fourth ands 6th drives , so SF plan accordingly….next question…..”
Many coaching staffs get cut ups of opponents press conferences, blog articles, interviews with coaches, players, front office people, etc. looking for any bits of information that may help them allocate preparation time during the limited practice time they get prior to the game. It’s why if you listen to other teams press conferences, it’s hard to even know what team they represent without seeing the logo behind them.
The best coaches always are wishy washy with answers to the media on strategies, and injuries and personnel moves. I realize media needs to ask the questions, but they should expect either a non answer or a deceptive answer.
December 8th, 2022 at 1:04 am
I am one of the ones who has zero confidence in coach Bowles on your poll you put out earlier. he was awful in New York and is awful here. Saying Brady can’t run the no huddle is infuriating. This man needs to be relieved of all duties asap. It is a matter of time till he screws up royally again. he lost the Rams game last year in the playoffs and lost the Browns gaame because he cannot manage clock then he lied about it by saying he thought Brady would throw a pick. BOWLES IS A FRAUD!
December 8th, 2022 at 1:08 am
No, just frustrated. Thinking the Bucs are p!ssing away their last chance to chase greatness in a long, long time.
December 8th, 2022 at 2:00 am
I don’t think he should be doing anything his twisted mind is coming up with. We had a pretty good offense last season so why do we think he should mess with it at all? Leftwitch is too predictable but we usually got 30 points last season. Tom seems to like his play calls, too, and I haven’t seen him “bear hug” Bowles…
December 8th, 2022 at 2:04 am
I actually want Brady to leave next year because of this coaching staff (and the celeb stuff but another story for another time.) I said it when they were hired em, ” Is this @ w0k333 hiring?” And of course this season w/o BA just proved me right, most of these dudes were hired as a PR (w0k333) stunt. BA clearly made a mistake here. Bowles, to include the lesser coaches around the league continue to prove every Sunday how incompetent they are (this clock management stuff I am seeing is unreal). This obsession he has with with making excuses for not going with the O that works is crazy, immature and pathetic. And hear is an interesting take, I wonder if the rift between BA and Brady was about this coaching staff? Hmmmmmm? Maybe Brady saw this coming?!
December 8th, 2022 at 2:05 am
If he only had a brain.
We need a Head Coach.
December 8th, 2022 at 2:12 am
@HC Grover
LOL good one man. Sean Payton sounds like a dream right now.
December 8th, 2022 at 2:15 am
correction
Sean Payton with a rookie QB maybe a Will Levis from Kentucky or Grayson McCall from CC. With us more than likely being a wildcard team at worst, we aint getting a good draft pick, so I dont see how Young is even a possibly.
December 8th, 2022 at 2:26 am
I’m sorry, wha? Brady just ran hurry up without Wirfs. Any offense can run hurry up. Josh Wells can’t run hurry up? Joe JAG backup can run hurry up, as they are trained to do.
December 8th, 2022 at 2:38 am
Bowels is a a** clown! I couldn’t believe he said that after what Brady did Monday without Wirfs!
December 8th, 2022 at 3:24 am
He has to be playing his cards close to make a comment like that. Unless he truly is a the a@@hat most of us believe him to be.
December 8th, 2022 at 3:43 am
Damn idiot. Work on the conditioning of your players, coach. Problem solved.
December 8th, 2022 at 3:48 am
— PAYTON IS UNDER CONTRACT WITH THE SAINTS
— SAINTS WOULD NEVER TRADE HIM TO US
— PAYTON IS NOT AN OPTION
can we all please stop mentioning his name?
December 8th, 2022 at 5:49 am
This stooge of a coach should be terminated, asap.
December 8th, 2022 at 5:53 am
IMO, there is a reason hurryup offenses are used sparingly. I watched Peyton
Manning run the hurryup offense and jump out to a 21 point lead in Denver in what looked like a blowout. Then the bottom dropped out and Denver struggled
to score and the opponent steadily imposed their will and Denver lost the game.
So my take is to fix our underperforming offense ,three and outs are killing us.
Mix up the playcalling and distribute the ball to all our weapons on offense,
move the chains, and finish drives.
December 8th, 2022 at 6:19 am
He better come out in the hurry up and this is just a bait & switch or this guy is clearly trying to sabotage the season. What’s the word I’m looking for? There it is, MORON!
December 8th, 2022 at 6:36 am
“You’ve got to be selective in some of the things you do.”
So basically he’s passing up dinner at Bern’s Steakhouse for a dog sh!# sandwich. Good selection.
And remember, we had THREE POINTS with 5 minutes to go last week. Dog sh!# sandwich.
December 8th, 2022 at 6:45 am
Doesn’t your defense get gassed with the offense going three and out almost every posession? This seems ridiculous to me
December 8th, 2022 at 6:47 am
Todd has wet dreams about George Allen and Billy Kilmer
December 8th, 2022 at 7:17 am
Yah. Agree. Hope he is just making a comment like this to throw off 49ers when they know dang well the hurry up is our bread and better. Cause in slow motion leftwich gets to run the same stupid play after same stupid play. I would Love to see leftwich’s game play card. Is there like 10 plays on it and then some doodles he drew while coming up with these same 10 plays
If not , and bowles really is speaking “knowledge” then it is reason #55 for glazers to fire him asap. Some guys are just better coordinators then head coaches. And his demeanor “no fire” makes me want to jump off st pete bridge.
December 8th, 2022 at 7:35 am
For Really smart man he sounds completely ludicrous with some of the comments he makes. It’s like he wants to be crucified by people. Maybe he doesn’t want to get fired?
December 8th, 2022 at 7:38 am
“No, no logic”
– Lefty
December 8th, 2022 at 7:43 am
Its a circle
Todd why dont we run more hurry-up?
If we run it all the time guys will get gassed.
Ok, not all the time but just more.
We already run it at times.
Ok but how about a little more?
If we run it all the time guys will get gassed.
December 8th, 2022 at 7:52 am
His explanations are becoming intolerable. The guy is not looking for ways to win, but rather for ways not to lose. That’s not the mind set of a winning NFL coach. He seems like a great guy, but please Glazers can we get an offensive minded coach who can use the great talent on this team to better effect? Please?
December 8th, 2022 at 8:06 am
Translation “I don’t want to win games or be a head coach next year.” Bowles
Pathetic
Well, Bowles has accomplished what no other coach in Buc’s history has accomplished: my dad and I both want him gone before the first season is complete. Hell, I don’t even think Leeman Bennett got that result.
December 8th, 2022 at 8:17 am
I wanted Bowles to succeed I really did. He’s a great man but he’s a terrible head coach. Glazers and Licht made a terrible mistake. He’s a dinosaur in an age of supercomputers. He is so inept at overseeing a modern offense and it’s killing this team.
He and BL do the exact same thing week after week after week and it’s failed miserably. It took 2 miracle finishes for us not to be sitting 4-8 right now. Until he’s relieved of his duties this team can not overcome his incompetence. That’s the reality.
December 8th, 2022 at 8:18 am
Ugh. This guy man! Whatever it takes for this O to be stuck in the mud
December 8th, 2022 at 8:24 am
The Bucs head coach is an idiot.
December 8th, 2022 at 8:34 am
When you focus heavily on “not doing” This is what happens – you get the negative results you didn’t want – Look at our loses – negative attracts negative and POSITIVE ATTRACTS POSITIVE
December 8th, 2022 at 8:46 am
Ocala … ‘The Bucs head coach is an idiot.’
Not hardly. But him being dual-hatted … with BL being his OC … has pretty much sealed his fate I’m afraid.
Fans compare him to BA, but do it on an apples-to-apples basis. Imagine IF BA had been dual-hatted as the OC when he arrived in 2019 and had to game plan & call all the plays. THEN imagine that his DC was Mike Smith instead of Todd Bowles. Do you honestly believe that we would’ve won the Super Bowl in 2020?
BA had done that in Arizona & he learned it doesn’t work very well WITHOUT a very strong counterpart. His first 2 years he had Bowles as his DC & the Cards did quite well. His 3rd year he still did even better with a new DC but a big part of that was that the offense played lights-out & the defense hung in there (few changes). Then the bottom fell out in 2016 & 2017 when the Cards’ offense struggled. Sound familiar?
December 8th, 2022 at 8:50 am
Ocala … Fans compare Todd Bowles to BA, but need to do it on an apples-to-apples basis. Imagine IF BA had been dual-hatted as the OC when he arrived in 2019 and had to game plan & call all the plays. THEN imagine that his DC was Mike Smith instead of Todd Bowles. Do you honestly believe that we would’ve won the Super Bowl in 2020?
December 8th, 2022 at 8:52 am
BA was dual-hatted in Arizona & he learned it doesn’t work very well WITHOUT a very strong counterpart. His first 2 years he had Bowles as his DC & the Cards did quite well. His 3rd year he still did even better with a new DC but a big part of that was that the offense played lights-out & the defense hung in there (few changes). Then the bottom fell out in 2016 & 2017 when the Cards’ offense struggled. Sound familiar?
December 8th, 2022 at 8:53 am
Todd Bowles being dual-hatted … with BL being his OC … has is definitely not a successful organizational strategy.
December 8th, 2022 at 8:53 am
If he weren’t incompetent, he might be saying these things to hide the hurry up strategy.
But he’s incompetent and won’t use it until it’s too late (Rams and Saints were Brady miracles.)
Ask him about his post-coaching career plans. He is so done.
December 8th, 2022 at 8:55 am
Schiano did the same thing his last year
December 8th, 2022 at 9:23 am
Worst head coach in the NFL. Flush him!
December 8th, 2022 at 9:38 am
Run some hurry up here and there in the first 3 3/4 quarters to confuse defenses and put some f#cking points on the board.
December 8th, 2022 at 9:42 am
I think to Bowles credit, we don’t necessarily need the hurry up. I like that they took more shots downfield Monday night. They’re going to start hitting them if they’ll stick w it. It would be nice to throw the hurry up in for a couple plays during a drive and then go to a conventional huddle. It keeps the defense off balance. I can’t stand his statements about let’s keep pounding the ball. What’s the definition of insanity- doing the same thing and expecting different results especially against the 49er defense this weekend.
December 8th, 2022 at 9:42 am
I will say it again, Tampa Bay has to have the worst fans. And Heydude what is a woke hiring??? I mean come on is that where we’re at as fans?? I understand people are frustrated but I just don’t think the offense is good, maybe it’s BL maybe it’s the line, maybe it’s Brady, or all the above.
December 8th, 2022 at 10:18 am
If anyone remembers the Barry Switzer led Cowboys that won a 3rd ring with Troy and Emmitt despite the coaching staff… well, that’s the Bucs hope this season. Can they win despite many injuries and bad coaching?
December 8th, 2022 at 10:39 am
@DR- he could have promoted someone to DC if being dual hatted is too much of a challenge. But he didn’t.
Bowles is stubborn, and afraid to be aggressive on offense. It’s clearer and clearer every single week. I think he’s a great DC, but he’s in over his head as a HC.
Playing not to lose, rarely results in a win. We are wasting away the last year of the goat.
December 8th, 2022 at 12:18 pm
He is so terrible
He’s a dinosaur and needs to be put out to pasture
December 8th, 2022 at 4:30 pm
This is another perfect reason why Bowles should be packing his bags or at least be demoted to defensive coordinator!!! In this league, to be a Winning team, you have to use everything that works for you!! And use the things that work the best, the most!!
Bowles could easily mix hurry-up with a run game. He just hates TB12 calling plays.
Seems to me, to win you go with what works!! THAT’S WHAT WINNING COACHES DO!!
Maybe the defense wouldn’t be so gassed if Bowles didn’t play so much soft zone, especially on 3rd and long!!
December 8th, 2022 at 5:11 pm
Info, 100% Bowels does NOT want Brady calling offensive plays. It’s his team and he’ll take everyone down with him. Probably because of the arse whipping he gave him during his stint at the Jets. He blames Brady for his 1st HC failure.
December 8th, 2022 at 6:11 pm
I have never seen a head coach make up so many excuses!! At least head coaches that are successful!!!! NO MORE EXCUSES COACH!!! TIME TO HOLD YOURSELF RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR RESULTS!!!
December 8th, 2022 at 6:34 pm
T-REX, I get it DINOSAUR, pun intended.
December 8th, 2022 at 6:37 pm
Sure, lets give Nick Bosa plenty of time to catch his breath between plays. That should really help our back up RT.
December 9th, 2022 at 2:20 am
Agree 100% with sasquatch Says…Bowles is sounding alot like a Lovie Smith clone.