Todd Bowles And Readiness

August 28th, 2023

Camp Cupcake might have gotten more frosting and a cherry on top this year.

After the Bucs won the Super Bowl, then-head coach Bucco Bruce Arians said he would pound the snot out of his team in training camp to ready them for the season. Joe presumes the goal was to shake the Super Bowl partying out of them.

However, Arians found himself midway into August 2021 running what he called “Camp Cupcake” because NFL rules have limited how hard coaches can push players in training camp.

Enter Todd Bowles. He did a great job readying the Bucs last season through a not-so-tough training camp and Tampa Bay opened the season with road wins at Dallas and New Orleans.

This summer, Joe thinks Bowles got even easier on his team.

Mike Evans and Lavonte David didn’t sniff any preseason snaps. The plan for two joint practices against the Jets turned into just one, and Bowles put the team in shorts and t-shirts the following day for a very light session. There were other underwear football practices, too, when the Bucs could have been in pads.

Joe thought more about this last week when 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was on KNBR-AM radio noting his team’s Wednesday practice was their first of the summer not in pads.

Joe is not knocking Bowles’ preparation for the season. Joe has a ton of faith after how well the Bucs defense and run game opened 2022 against a good Dallas team. Still, it’s always worth looking deeper into how the Bucs have readied themselves.

Former Bucs guard Ian Beckles (1990-1996) was barking on his podcast early this month appalled that the Bucs let Joe Tryon-Shoyinka sit out preseason games, among others.

Relatively speaking, it was a light summer for the Bucs’ starters. Joe’s eager to see if that’s a factor — good or bad.

29 Responses to “Todd Bowles And Readiness”

  1. Bee Says:

    If he starts to say things like we’re “Minnesota ready” then we’re doomed. Lol

  2. NJbucs23 Says:

    No team practices hard anymore. Hell the Eagles have the camp cupcake of them all. Now they have 2 weeks to prepare to opening weekend. Which basically means a 4 day weekend coming up.

    Teams don’t hit anymore, so basically the first 4 weeks in the regular season will always be ugly.

  3. Casual Observer Says:

    Both QBs look pretty good and ready. Just hope Bowles’ string on Mayfield isn’t too long. If he fails (unlikely) in early games, Trask should get a chance.

  4. Buc4evr Says:

    Too late to worry about it now, they just better focus on Minnesota. Hope the D can give Cousins payback this year.

  5. Jack Burton Mercer Says:

    I’ll agree on JTS. He needed the field work.

    We will see what happens in two weeks. I’m hoping Bowles was right. I remember Perkins put them through three-a-days a few times and the team was spent halfway through the season. I don’t know what the right balance is but I hope it is this.

  6. Jp09 Says:

    The defense and offense looked ready on the first series against the Ravens back ups…

    If there is one thing this team needs to figure out, it is how to start games without going 3 & out on offense or giving up points on the defensive side of the ball.

  7. Marine Buc Says:

    The Bucs were smart this preseason – plus we had a ton of rookies and second year players who needed the extra reps and some game film to study…

  8. zzbucs Says:

    Well, You want players to play and not get injured, so is a thin line HC have to deal with….
    I like Ian Beckles, but he´s ego is as big as the sun……Tons of negativity, sometimes he is right and sometimes he is not……
    Just because he played so many years doesn´t make him right…..

  9. Divis Says:

    Johnny Wilson to the Bucs to take up the mantle once Evans retires in Tampa.

  10. Brandon Says:

    Pretty sure none of the know-nothings commenting have any idea what JTS needed. He looked very good in the little bit of action from the Ravens game, nearly getting a sack of Johnson after he chased him out of the pocket and tripped him up for a 2 yard gain.

  11. ModHairKen Says:

    The tough guy methods of days gone past don’t work. Why get so keyed up to be mid-season ready by week one when there will be 4 months of games? The key is to have them knowledgeable and in condition. I don’t see how that is done by beating the snot out of them.

  12. frozenbuc Says:

    “how well the Bucs defense and run game opened 2022”

    Yeah but they finished horribly – the weak training camp catching up to them?

  13. Boss Says:

    bowels and readiness in the same sentence..

    LOL

    made me chuckle. carry on..

  14. Crickett Baker Says:

    So far, the only time I respected Todd was in his preparation for the Munich game. It really worked out compared to how the SeeBirds prepared. So he MAY be good at something this year, as well. To me, the preseason games have been exciting, which is a far cry from last year already.

  15. BucU Says:

    Where’s Kancey? He’s been out for weeks with this calf injury. He’s so far behind now he’s gonna be worthless this season. Russell Gage Jr.

  16. Duane Says:

    Today’s game is played by world class athletes that dont need an 8 week program to get back in shape. Its a modern day miracle that 300 lb kids can run around in the Florida sun and not go to the hospital. Simulating a collision that involves both of your own players is likely not a wise thing to do. The successful coaches in this league teach the game, and maximize their talent by putting them in the best position. You put yourself behind in the limited time you have by emphasizing toes on the line, and form tackling. Develope your new offense. Make sure the new defensive guys know where they have to be, and start the season healthy and on the same page. I cant fault Bowles for doing this. I can easily wait a couple weeks and fault him for in game and in seasons decisions I dont agree with. LFG.

  17. Duane Says:

    Food for thought- Camp Cupcake may be the moniker given to the less physical style of training camp, but with today’s technology, these kids likely put in way more hours in class and film study than the old timers did.

  18. Super chicken Says:

    Pick ya poison!!!!! Last season you cried about hamstring injuries but year he’s to easy C’mon Man!!!! Let the season play out!!!GO BUCS!!!

  19. big nuts Says:

    i hope BA gets fired that guy is a bum trying to hire split tails to do man’s work joke

  20. Jeff Says:

    Team’s healthy and ready to roll. Also, practicing much smarter on offense than ever before. New OC seems to have a clue.

  21. Upstate NY BUC Says:

    Don’t know about anyone else, but #45 looked lost once again in pass coverage! Clueless!!! Bowles better have some type of solution for this or this could be a long year….Go Bucs!

  22. Gerald Says:

    Mayfield will put a strangle hold on the Qb position and become the leader the Bucs need him to be. Mayfield and Canales will thrive together!

  23. Rod Munch Says:

    We’re a long ways away from Ray Perkins three-a-days. But the whole NFL is soft as they market mainly to women and trans now.

  24. Reality BucFan Says:

    We Nowhere near Ready Our starters did not look. Good against the backups for Baltimore so… Believe what you want…. should have blown them out…

  25. 74 Bucs Fan Says:

    Rod Munch – you ok? Some tough comments lately.

  26. Irishmist Says:

    With all the injuries the 49ers have had the last few years, I’m not sure their way is any better.

  27. Rod Munch Says:

    74 Bucs Fan – Uh, can you cupcakes get some new material?

  28. garro Says:

    Joe you are being very kind to Bowles on the easy camp thing.
    While it is true that the NFLPA and Goodell have turned camp into a dance party. It has shown up in sloppy fundamental football early in the season.
    Piss poor tackling and penalties for starters.

    Go Bucs!

  29. Douglas Hennig Says:

    Die hard Jets fan here. Have seen plenty of Bowles. The record doesn’t lie…he’s a coordinator. Not a coach. He’s a bad head coach and his teams are consistently outworked, out schemed…outeverythinged

    Bowles Record as NFL Head Coach since January 3rd 2016 is

    22-45. That’s putrid