Did Todd Bowles Forget About A Tight End?
January 17th, 2023
Todd Bowles’ defense Monday night sure seemed like the character “Sgt. Schultz” in the 1960s campy sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes.”
The lummox/village idiot of the show was the POW camp’s sergeant, “Sgt. Schultz.” Whenever he noticed contraband of some sort in the prisoners’ barracks, he would turn his head and say to American POW officer Col. Hogan, “I know nothing — NOTHING!”
That seemed to be Bowles tonight. He forgot his defense had to cover the tight end.
Dallas tight end Dalton Schultz ate the Bucs alive in the first half with four catches on four targets for 59 yards and two touchdowns. Even rookie fourth-round pick tight end Jake Ferguson had a 34-yard catch-and-run.
Schultz ended up with 95 yards on seven catches with eight targets. He had two touchdowns.
Schultz — the tight end — was wide-arse open any time he wanted to be. It was sick. It really was as if the Bucs forget that a tight end was allowed to catch a ball.
The defense was poorly prepared, that was very apparent. For the Bucs to come out on national television and for the defense to get torn up as it did in the first half is absolutely shameful. And that is on Bowles.
The season is over. There will be many changes. The Bucs have a lot of free agents, not even counting Tom Brady. Surely, the team will have a new offensive coordinator in a few weeks, no? Joe simply cannot fathom how the team could even contemplate much less justify bringing failed Byron Leftwich back.
Meanwhile, Bowles might have to brush up on how to defend tight ends. No more of the Sgt. Schultz defense — “I know nothing — NOTHING!”
January 17th, 2023 at 1:41 am
What a defensive coach he is!
January 17th, 2023 at 1:55 am
Well if we’re talking about rebuilding, be careful what we wish for. I don’t want another 2009 Raheem/Dominick era starting up again (10 year rebuild)
January 17th, 2023 at 1:57 am
I hope the consolation prize for the loss is a new head coach.
January 17th, 2023 at 2:01 am
The biggest question I want answered is why BA abandoned ship at the last minute. It was the undoing of this season.
January 17th, 2023 at 2:09 am
Joe – next season is toast. Why not keep the dynamic duo to add a 1-16 season to their resume? Don’t invest in FAs. Trade all 2023 draft picks for 2024 picks, Bucs coul parlay the first pick in the draft with who knows how many first and secon rounders. Seriously. They have nothing to play for next year. They are toast.
January 17th, 2023 at 2:12 am
There was probably an opportunity in this past offseason for the Bucs to consider a deal for Schultz, before Dallas committed to him. I was among several in here clamoring for them to replace Gronk with a legit TE along those lines. If not Schultz, then at least someone. Instead, they went for Otton/Kieft and….Kyle Rudolph.
As for this game, I want the explanation from Bowles as to how on earth Schultz and those other receivers were so wide open, so many times. Dumb.
Someone is always torching the Bowles defense.
January 17th, 2023 at 2:14 am
Brady had never lost to the Falcons, never lost the Cowboys, and never had a losing season.
Bowles and Leftwich were able to change all those things in just a single season.
Also, it’s worth noting, that this was the first time in Brady’s career that he had to deal with really bad coaches running things.
If that’s not an ad to go give up a 1st to get Payton, nothing is.
January 17th, 2023 at 2:16 am
Chop- I have no idea why BA did that but I agree with it being the undoing. What irony! Gruden was kicked out of the ROH for suggesting they could —— —- ——. Yet with BA, they are actually doing it.
January 17th, 2023 at 2:20 am
Get off the Sean Payton kick. He is a punk.
January 17th, 2023 at 2:35 am
He needs to name a full time D coordinator.
January 17th, 2023 at 3:00 am
Glazer’s should put the team up for sale. Let someone else run it. Glazer’s track record for success hasn’t been great. Too many poor coaching hires.
January 17th, 2023 at 4:20 am
As I tells many times, Todd is an inconsistent Defensive coach. He is a high risk aggressive coach. So, he sometimes has excellent games but also has terrible games like this one.
January 17th, 2023 at 4:29 am
@Steele. The OC was scheming people open. It’s something Leftwich doesn’t know how to do
January 17th, 2023 at 5:18 am
“”Brady had never lost to the Falcons, never lost the Cowboys, and never had a losing season.
Bowles and Leftwich were able to change all those things in just a single season.”
Naled it Rod.
January 17th, 2023 at 5:53 am
This entire season has been as if Todd were trying, begging, to be fired.
January 17th, 2023 at 7:35 am
Yes, here it comes. I’been watching for 60 years and watched Brady since he was a Jr at Mi. Does that make me an expert? Of course not. BUT i am not an egotistical, arrogent, bone headed so called head coach. Don’t know if anyone remembers but last week, said to double their best receiver and bump the tight end just enough to disrupt their timing. I can’t recall receivers being that wide open. It was like shooting fish in a barrell.. I’m just surprised Dak didn’t have 600 yds passing. Like i said, i’m a die-hard Brady fan but i went to bed at half-time. I also sid last week that even the great Tom Brady can’t overcome Heckle and Jeckle, two coaches that couldn’t stick their finger up their arse if they used both hands
January 17th, 2023 at 7:38 am
What happens if brady returns?
January 17th, 2023 at 7:48 am
Joe, more like the 3 stooges. That game was either going to be a close squeak it out game or a blow out, Bucs fans got the ladder.
DR, we haven’t heard from you yet, I assume you’re trying to manipulate the stats to somehow save face for Toilet Bowls. Don’t waste your time, mission impossible.
Glazers are keeping Bowles??? Isn’t it easier to light a bonfire in the middle of RJ and dump wheel barrels of money in it?
Freaking clown show!!!
January 17th, 2023 at 7:50 am
BA DID THIS!!!! Off with his head.
January 17th, 2023 at 8:47 am
If Brady returns? Yes, get him a half decent run game and not make a 45 year old quarterback throw 50 times per game. That’d make a huge difference.
January 17th, 2023 at 9:03 am
Remember the beginning of the season Toilet Bowls said he want to keep Tom fresh and not throw as much? 66 freaking times last.nihht.
January 17th, 2023 at 9:09 am
There is plenty of blame and excuses to go around. Some very good vets jumped ship before this season began. Why? There were so many injuries this season. Why? Coincidence? Or poor preseason prep. Brady leaving. Brady not leaving. Brady being divorced. Brady losing mega bucks on bitcoin crazy speculation. Brady’s wife divorcing him (because he was making stupid decisions?). The offense loaded with older players, especially pass receivers past their prime. Bad luck on nagging injuries to older players. And of course poor coaching talent. The whole organization dry rotted from within.
January 17th, 2023 at 9:10 am
what bowles forgot was to get a good OC and a good QB. Brady just sucks. Finally we can get rid of him (but still have a 35 million dollar cap hit next year. Owch)
January 17th, 2023 at 9:12 am
Let’s be real. Brady was way off his game this whole season. He had some nice moments but there were so many lousy throws all season.
January 17th, 2023 at 9:21 am
I will say this, McCarthy is not highly thought of by most as a great coach, and he out-coached Bowles my a mile
January 17th, 2023 at 9:26 am
Ya the guy you want leading your ship, sits stoic on the sidelines while his team huddles around Gage getting strapped to a stretcher. McCarthy was more concerned than Bowels. A real team leader.
Frank & Will, remember to put your teeth in before you go out. The man threw almost 900 passes this year, a few are going to be off. Dbgs
January 17th, 2023 at 10:51 am
If the Glazers were competent they would let go of the entire coaching staff.
January 17th, 2023 at 10:59 am
Fire Todd Bowles.
Won’t happen, but it should.
He is not a good head coach. Lovie 2.0
January 17th, 2023 at 11:12 am
The defense was offensive as in insulting to us, and as in allowing the Cowboys all the offense they wanted.
Sad.
Pathetic.
The Bucs were a joke last nite.
January 17th, 2023 at 11:27 am
The Glazers can’t be afraid of the SJWs.
Fire turd bowles and let the new coach fire everybody else.
January 17th, 2023 at 4:13 pm
The modern football fan is a study in delusion. A generation who grew up on Madden thinks it’s as simple as just remembering there’s a tight end on the other team. Did your opponents “forget” about Gronk during the Super Bowl run? Schultz is a damn good tight end, and the Cowboys are a good football team. Most of you probably never played at any level above JV. Years of ESPN saying “you might want to cover that guy” has made the ignorant masses think coaches and players are stupid and is simple as remembering to cover him. The number of moving parts on a football team would overwhelm most fans. There are matchup issues, coverage errors (humans just like you play the game), and most importantly, the calls of the other team whose goal is to win. Sometimes, a defense, through no fault of their own, end up trying to cover up with a blanket that’s too small-pull it up your toes are exposed, cover your belly and your back is exposed. Fans are well within their bounds to be upset about losing and criticize. It’s intellectually pathetic though to more than imply the coaches and players are too stupid and the fix is easy.