A Pete Carroll-Todd Bowles Clash
August 23rd, 2023
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, mentor to Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales.
Todd Bowles wants his players to stop thinking about Tom Brady, last year and anything that isn’t the here and now.
Bowles sent that message on the recent Below The Surface episode produced by the Buccaneers. It has scene showing Bowles addressing the 2023 team early in training camp saying, “Last year’s gone, guys. We don’t need to talk about last year, any person or anybody. That just keeps us in the past.”
Joe gets the message. And why would Bowles want his team looking back to a season with an 8-10 record? But it sure seems like Bowles was targeting Tom Brady, and he doesn’t want Brady greatness memories in his teams’ collective heads.
Joe was intrigued, in part, because that Bowles take sort of clashed with a philosophy Seahawks coach Pete Carroll shared on latest The Richard Sherman Podcast.
With Carroll’s 14-year assistant, Dave Canales, now the Bucs’ playcaller, Joe is more dialed into the ways of Carroll. And Carroll is all about embracing past success with his current players.
“I don’t think of it as, ‘That’s yesteryear.’ I think of it as it’s an illustration of what you could become,” Carroll said. “It’s motivation, inspiration for these guys to know that the connection was real and it stays on and it lasts. But they got to do everything they can to be part of it, though.”
Joe thought the clash in approach was noteworthy.
As for Canales, Joe can’t wait to see how his injection of energy and open-mindedness — much different than that of Bucs’ Super Bowl playcaller Byron Leftwich — impacts the team.
Carroll described his program, and it sounded a lot like Canales.
“This is about hardass, hardball, kickass football. And if you ain’t that way, if it doesn’t mean something to you, and that deep, deep sense in your heart, then this isn’t the right place for you. But yeah, we’re going to have a good time doing it,” Carroll said.
August 23rd, 2023 at 8:27 am
Ummmmm, shall we compare their career records as an indicator of who may be considered correct??? Hahahahahahahahahahaha
Toad is toast
August 23rd, 2023 at 8:34 am
Bowles & Carroll…..the difference between chicken salad & chicken $hit.
August 23rd, 2023 at 8:36 am
Bowles has a history of losing. Carroll has a history of winning.
Take your cues from Carroll, not Bowles.
August 23rd, 2023 at 8:36 am
One of these guys is a successful and competent head coach…. the other is Todd Bowles.
August 23rd, 2023 at 8:38 am
“Bucs’ Super Bowl playcaller Byron Leftwich”
😂😂😂 You’re the best Joe
August 23rd, 2023 at 8:53 am
Bowles doesn’t want people to remember Brady because he wants people to forget how he chased Brady out of the game.
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:10 am
Perfectly reasonable to leave the past behind. They have a current group of players with new playbooks and a schedule ahead to prep for… the Super Bowl season is years ago. That’s fun for fans, but professionals need to focus on today.
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:16 am
Voice of Truth Says:
August 23rd, 2023 at 8:27 am
Ummmmm, shall we compare their career records as an indicator of who may be considered correct??? Hahahahahahahahahahaha
Toad is toast
__<<<<<<____
Sure. Let's compare their records, clown. Carroll was head coach of the Patriots and the Jets and he was fired from both before going to USC and cheating his way into prominence. He wasn't a great coach by any means at any level until he ended up in Seattle… and even that took time.
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:18 am
Let’s see – a proven, successful, championship head coach or a losing failure. Who to listen to?
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:23 am
Parsing their language makes for a headline, but not reality. Obviously coaches can’t control what a player thinks. I’m sure the pleasant memories of Brady are bouncing around in the heads of both players on offense and defense. And there’s nothing wrong with that. And I really don’t think it will affect their play moving forward one way or the other. Nothingburger.
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:29 am
It sounds to me like Bowles is basically saying that this is a different team and it is necessary to turn the page. Brady is not coming through the door – so get last year’s taste out of your mouth and move forward. That is not to say, don’t take what you learned either from Tom or anybody else – if you are in the building, it has nothing to do with Tom, but everything to do with your commitment to being a professional football player. Bowles played, many of the coaches played, they draw from that experience and everyday those guys walk in the building, there are HOF’s and two Lombardi trophies that they should strive to make it three, the past will not get it, only the current/future players at OBP
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:35 am
Remember last season
You will soon enough
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:42 am
One coach is awake on GameDay the other is asleep
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:47 am
I didn’t know you guys did misleading clickbait headlines like this.
Joe doesn’t. Colors clash, philosophies clash, as is the case here. Nothing here is misleading. –Joe
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:54 am
I so wish Pete Carroll was our coach instead…
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:59 am
Or maybe it’s forget last year cause BRADY was GD.cheat Bowles & Mayfield sure are not cheats I never liked brady after him &belichek cheat scandles 2 cheaters suck he probably cheated his way to the bucs so forget the biggest goat cheat of all time!!!!! & back u r new non cheating qb
August 23rd, 2023 at 10:02 am
U can always support the Seahawks instead it sounds like u r not a bucs fan anyway.mr. buccaneer banzai says Seattle is west look on a map if u r smart enough to read1
August 23rd, 2023 at 10:07 am
& if Brady was really so great how the hell did he loose 10 games /plz I wud have retired from being a cheat after he cheated his way tfo his last super bowl How does anyone brag up or support to a friggin CHEATER
August 23rd, 2023 at 10:17 am
Bowles doesn’t want anyone looking back at the 2022 season because Mayfield was terrible.
August 23rd, 2023 at 10:47 am
Stuart…take a Valium and relax.
As far as coaches having different philosophies…it’s kinda like those old 1980’s Tire Kingdom commercials. I think the guys name was Stanley Haynes. He was kinda gruff and always had a big cigar in his hand. He said “(slashing hands left to right) on some tires the treads go this way! (Slashing hands right to left) on some tires the treads go that way! Don’t make no difference!”
Personaly, I don’t care if the Bucs take the field wearing tutus with giant rainbows tattoos across their butts as long as they win.
August 23rd, 2023 at 10:56 am
Definitely agree BL was an issue last season, but his comment to the sideline reporter prior to the start of the Wk17 Carolina game was something along the lines of “screw it… we’re done playing conservative, we’re letting it rip today”. Seems to suggest he maybe was being held back by a certain HC and he eventually said “F#@k it!!” Brady was 34-45 for 432yds and Evans went off for 10-207yds 3TD’s. Curious if we’ll ever know the true story about last season.
August 23rd, 2023 at 10:59 am
Let’s be honest, the players hear “blah, blah, blah,” from both speeches.
Why does everything in sports have to include a motivational speech? Players have to be so tired of speeches.
Practice, prepare, play, improve. Do it with passion … there’s your speech
August 23rd, 2023 at 11:02 am
There is a reason Carroll has been in Seattle for so long; he is a winner in almost all ways.
There is a reason Hot Toddie took all of the lights out of the EXIT signs; he is a loser in almost all ways and doesn’t want to see the road out of town.
He might be on the next bus after Duh Baker, if he is the QB we have always seen. From what Baker said he is what he is and no damn OC will change it.
August 23rd, 2023 at 11:15 am
Damn, little Stewie Lynch needs a binky asap. Hey Stu, you forgot to add “Hey Brady win a REAL ring”. Lol
Anyway, it’s understandable for Bowles to want players to get the bad taste of last year out of their mouths and look at today and the future. Also Carroll wanting to remember what worked in the past and try to replicate that winning formula makes sense to me as well. I don’t think the two philosophies “clash” as much as they are 2 pieces that work together. Remember and do what worked, throw out or don’t dwell on the bad stuff in the past (but hopefully learn from it, and that’s the coaches’ job).
One part of the past our Bucs should remember (at least the ones who were here in 2020-21) is that feeling of confidence that they can beat anybody. Maybe some of that came from having Brady under center, but he didn’t play defense or ST. Not long ago the Eagles won the SB with Wentz at QB most of the year then Foles winning the big game at the end. (And that was against Brady who put up 33 points and threw a SB record 505 yards). Neither of them are in the same class as Brady, but you could argue that Mayfield is at least as good as they were.
As Jim Carrey once said, “So you’re saying I have a chance?”
August 23rd, 2023 at 11:24 am
Joe,
I think the clash is Bowles wants to move forward and not long for the past glories or focus on past failures. While Carroll moves forward but uses the past as a motivator of how great a team has been in the past. Similar to the discussions of the “Brady Effect” that Tom set a standard that every player, staff and team as a whole should emulate for success. Bowles stance has seemed that he wasn’t a fan of discussing anything that has come before. The issue is the old saying: “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.“
I prefer Carroll’s approach and if you did a poll on who would you rather have as the Bucs coach, Bowles or Carroll, I’m sure Carroll would win in a landslide.
August 23rd, 2023 at 11:25 am
Trolls are out today,
August 23rd, 2023 at 1:34 pm
Dont be to harsh on Bowles and Mayfield this early. Give them at least 3 games to prove their worth. If after 3 games we are 0-3 then it’s time to put up billboards for Bowles and Mayfield to be fired.
August 23rd, 2023 at 1:43 pm
Joe … ‘Joe gets the message. And why would Bowles want his team looking back to a season with an 8-10 record? But it sure seems like Bowles was targeting Tom Brady’.
Sure does seem like you’re reading stuff between the lines again Joe that isn’t there. Why not just take what Todd Bowles said at face value? Yesterday’s gone; focus on today, but keep an eye on tomorrow.
I will give you credit though: it triggered the anti-Bowles crowd. Can’t help but wonder if that was the intent (hey, I’m just speculating between the lines too).
August 23rd, 2023 at 2:07 pm
brandon^^^^? why wasnt pete carroll a good coach befor usc and while he cheated? That’s the dumbest take on this thread?? are you a coach?
August 23rd, 2023 at 4:06 pm
The difference is Tom Brady got most of the credit, while in Seattle it was a collective effort. So, it would be foolish to embrace last year or the years before when you don’t have that 1 player on the team. With Seattle, their whole culture is about the team. So, the motivation for them is to recreate that culture of team-first mentality with the new guys. It’s like Belicheat’s philosophy – be there for the guy next to you.
August 23rd, 2023 at 5:53 pm
He will have to score at leat 30 a game to overcome the Bowles game plan and blunders.
August 23rd, 2023 at 8:14 pm
Interesting take.
Really instead of different approaches of Pete Carroll and Todd Bowles, one could change the article to:
Different approaches of Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick.
I am guessing then that the comments in section might be a lot different.
I tend to believe that there are lots of ways to win in the NFL.
Not only with play calling etc, but with how a coach handles his staff and players.