Todd Bowles Punts On Formal Quarterback Call
August 20th, 2023
Todd Bowles was not naming a starting quarterback this morning during a chat with local reporters.
The head coach wouldn’t play Baker Mayfield last night behind a backup offensive line, he said again today, but he was willing to entrust the body of quarterback Kyle Trask behind that group after No. 3 QB John Wolford injured his neck in the game.
Bowles praised the poise, mobility and growth of Trask, as he displayed last night against the Jets in his finest showing as a professional athlete.
Keep studying and learning the offense is what Bowles said he wants from his quarterbacks this week.
Joe would bet quite a few bucks that a starting QB announcement comes prior to Saturday’s final preseason game against the Ravens.
August 20th, 2023 at 9:28 am
He wont say anything as he’s trying to hide the fact he ‘s been lying this whole time. I mean. Isn’t it obvious? Baker starts Pre-Season game 1. Sits game 2 along with the rest of the starters. This isnt Rocket Science.
August 20th, 2023 at 9:29 am
One foot on the dock
and
One foot on the boat
August 20th, 2023 at 9:29 am
If Mayfield had taken some of those same hits that Trask took behind our O-line of scrubs, the decision would probably have been made for him.
August 20th, 2023 at 9:31 am
Replay the training camp bullet points from JBF
Hopefully Bowles will let Canneles make the call
August 20th, 2023 at 9:32 am
Todd Bowles is simply out of his depth as a head coach, and we should be expecting his fifth and last consecutive losing season in that capacity. His blandness will lose the locker room by week 6. Every game is ugly. Sad.
August 20th, 2023 at 9:32 am
Trask looked great! No way I thought we would beat the Jets
August 20th, 2023 at 9:33 am
I get it bowels HC job depends on getting this question right.
August 20th, 2023 at 9:36 am
Can we just punt Todd right now?
I feel so bad for the players having to follow this clown show
August 20th, 2023 at 9:38 am
The definition of “great “ certainly has changed, lol…
August 20th, 2023 at 9:48 am
Blowes is a horrible head coach. He won’t make it through the full season. Canales if he shows he can run the offense,will be the next head coach.
August 20th, 2023 at 9:48 am
Todd Bowles is a genuinely awesome person and an excellent defensive coordinator. As a head coach he’s just not good. He’s handled this fake QB competition terribly and isn’t doing what’s in the best interest of the Bucs, just trying to save his HC gig. In the absolutely best case scenario this team could win 8 games but that won’t be happening. Look at Bakers career and Bowles HC career if you want to know what will happen this season. This offensive line is going to be really, really bad too. Team needs after this inevitably awful season – QB, RB, C, LG, RT, DE, MLB, OLB, DT and head coach.
August 20th, 2023 at 9:48 am
Joe! He can’t name Baker the starter before the game because Trask has outplayed Baker in both games. All he can do is hope Baker has a great game. That’s IF he wants to name Baker the starter
August 20th, 2023 at 10:00 am
Folks we are seeing a
Lovie Dirk part 2
August 20th, 2023 at 10:16 am
It is no wonder that the coach appears so tight lipped in interviews. He speaks out of both sides of his mouth.
August 20th, 2023 at 10:19 am
So JL says this is the first real true QB competition we’ve had this off-season. Dave Canales says the main deciding factor will be ability to take care of the football and turnovers. We wait this long into preseason and still haven’t named a Starter yet…
Trask also seemed to perform a bit better in TC, had a streak of like 7 turnover-less practices while Baker was throwing INT’s and mishandling Center/QB snap exchanges. amounting in way more turnovers than Trask. Trask performed beautifully here in this game – under drops by receivers and bad O-Line play and backfield penetration. Baker doesn’t even play this game. Apparently “they (KT and BM) played under same O-Line” last week against Steelers per Bowles. I could go on, but I’ll refrain….
What a sham and mishandling.
If you knew the QB competition would be decided by who is outwardly the best natural Leader and the guy (not player) the locker room gravitated towards, then just say that. And this was realized weeks ago, so why continue the charade of a true “QB competition”.
You – the Bucs – laid out the QB competition deciders yourself and called it a competition and none of this matches up with anything. I like Bowles, but this is awful on many different fronts 👎
Trask never had a chance even if he progressed (and boy has he) and outplayed Baker. And I’m an FSU fan saying this. Trask got a hose job here. But I couldn’t be happier for Trask and how he performed last night under the circumstances and situation….and even his demeanor at the post-game PC!
August 20th, 2023 at 10:29 am
Let’s call it like this trask threw a wrench in the competition! He performed better Todd wanted to just hand out a position based on personality (that get you beat) now he need baker to help him save face! To me the fact you can obviously see the growth they did trask an injustice with the last coaching staff
August 20th, 2023 at 10:36 am
Bowles doesn’t worry about the body of 6 ft 5 in Kyle Trask who has proven he can take big hits and not get injured, and also proven that he can juke sackers and tacklers by stepping up in the pocket and scrambling out of the pocket. Mayfield can scramble out of the pocket, but he can’t step up in the pocket without getting killed by defenders. Mayfield has a history of bad injury, and he’s 5 in shorter and about 35 pounds lighter than Trask and cannot take any hits from big defenders.
One can read exactly the opposite meaning into Bowles’ decision to not bring in Mayfield in the fourth quarter that JBF and the Trask-haters are saying … it could just as easily be that he knows that Mayfield cannot take the hits against a quality defensive front seven, and that he already lost his no. 3 quarterback and that if Mayfield got hurt he’s down to just one quarterback with little game reps.
If it were slam dunk and predetermined that Mayfield is the starter, then he would have said so by now. At some point this week, Bowles, Canales, and Light are going to sit down and discuss all the strengths and weaknesses of both guys and make a group decision. Bowles cannot afford to make a decision that overrides the other two guys – that takes way too much risk upon himself, especially given his mostly defensive coaching experience. If Canales and Light want Trask, that’s the starter.
August 20th, 2023 at 10:40 am
High school football coach
August 20th, 2023 at 10:45 am
@Duane
Sorry but that just doesnt make sense to me. All offseason we’ve heard that Bowles kept his job because he didnt “have his guys” coaching. No chance the rookie OC will have any sway over Bowles’s QB decision Licht might have an opinion but he’s not going to override the HC. Bowles will get his guy at QB and he wont have any excuses once he gets fired after this season.
August 20th, 2023 at 10:45 am
Get back to reality guys. Baker is just better than Trask. Plus Trask easily could have had two interceptions last night. He’s not bad, but he’s not, as some of you mentioned in this post, great. Baker has had his ups and downs that’s for sure, but he has also shown greatness. And none of you can take that away from him. Let’s hope that greatness emerges this season for the Bucs.
August 20th, 2023 at 10:54 am
Baker Mayfield week 1 stat line :
24-31 – 346 yards – 4 TD – 1 INT
Bucs win 38-27
August 20th, 2023 at 10:56 am
Lying, in its newly defined ambiguity, is the current communication norm. For instance, politicians now deem a lie to be far less intransigently defined by claiming the truth to be a fabric far more pliable than previously accepted. Think elastic.
The counterbalance, in the memory of Gertrude Stein, would claim a lie is a lie is a lie.
Although I find Ms. Stein more in touch with lunacy than sanity, I’ll side with her when defining Todd Bowles.
With reference to the quarterback ‘competition,’ Bowles lied, lied and lied some more. We football fans might not define intelligence, but our loyalty to our favorite team (go Bucs!) is unassailable. So why the Big Lie? Was it a feeble attempt to fool us?
If Bowles thinks he’s the smartest man in the room he must realize that would make him the room’s sole occupant.
Senator Bowles, anybody?
August 20th, 2023 at 10:59 am
“Baker has had his ups and downs that’s for sure, but he has also shown greatness“
————————
Greatness WHERE?? He has one season where his team went 11-5 and got eliminated in the first round of the playoffs… THAT’S greatness? It’s a stretch to me even people say that Baker is trying to revive his career. Revive what? You have to actually be great first. Baker has 1 good season surrounded by completely mediocrity. THAT is who he is and after this season will continue to be.
I’m not pro-Trask. I just know that Baker isn’t it. 27 other GM’s think so too, it’s foolish not to figure our what we have in the younger player with upside. It’s a win-win. If Trask is bad we get a top pick and a franchise player… if he’s great then we have a QB for the future.
Playing Mayfield is only good for Bowles’ head coaching gig, not the future of the franchise.
August 20th, 2023 at 10:59 am
I was behind Bowles at first, but this has dragged out too long.
What’s going to happen during the game when quick, rapid changes need to be made?
This is a foreshadow of slow, too little, too late decisions he will make during the games.
August 20th, 2023 at 11:03 am
Ok I get it everyone wants Bowles to be fired. He’s a horrible loser and should be run out of town ASAP. But no one has come up with his replacement. Huh? How many quality NFL caliber head coaches are sitting at home washing their cars waiting for the Glazers to call? None! They don’t grow on trees. A quality NFL head coach is very rare anymore. Come on all you guys who do you replace him with? He’d be dead meat with you Bucs fans even before he stepped onto the field. Leftwich is available. Let’s give him a try.
August 20th, 2023 at 11:07 am
Voice of Truth: I think Bowles is going to be playing for his job during the first 4 weeks of the season. If the Bucs are 2-2 and competitive, well then the fight goes on. If the Bucs are 1-3 or 0-4 and looking every bit of a 4-13 club, well then the Glazers have a decision. They could just let Bowles stay at the helm and lose a lot of games and pick in the top 4 or 5 in next spring’s draft. They could also launch him in the bye as many ownership groups in the NFL would and have an interim coach finish the season. The prob with this is what happened in Carolina last year; they were actually 6-6 after launching Rhule, not quite good enough to catch the Bucs but they did move from a likely top 2 or 3 pick with Rhule to picking at #9. They still got their franchise qb but it cost them big time to move up with Chicago whereas sticking with Rhule gets them competing with Houston and Chicago for the top slot. Does Licht and team Glazer want to go down the same path?
August 20th, 2023 at 11:14 am
Just throwing this out there. Maybe, Jim Harbaugh?
August 20th, 2023 at 11:15 am
Baker will be the starter. Bucs will win the NFC. Tampa Bay gets 3rd Superbowl win.
August 20th, 2023 at 11:33 am
Yet another reason why Bowles is a below average coach. Every other team in the NFL has named their starter. Not sure what game he’s playing but it’s a dumb one. Everyone knows it’s mayfield but he’ll have a short least if things go south. Trask has shown to be serviceable against backups so far. Gonna be a long year guys.
August 20th, 2023 at 11:34 am
Mayfield starts and if he sucks then Trask will play the rest of the season after the bye
August 20th, 2023 at 11:40 am
No matter who the QB is they’ll still have Bowles hanging around their neck like a stone. Really respect Todd as a DC but I’ve not seen anything to indicate he isn’t in over his head as the HC.
August 20th, 2023 at 11:41 am
Get real. Tampa Bay will be fortunate to make the playoffs. Sitting Mayfield can only mean one thing. He will be named the starter this week. I’m a Trask supporter and I believe that he will be a starter in the future. However it will probably be with another team. He definitely showed up on practice and on the field. Mayfields experience is the coaches deciding factor.
August 20th, 2023 at 11:42 am
I like to read some of the comments on this board,especially the one that says that trask outplayed Baker in both games 😂. well for one Baker obviously out played
him in the first game, and Baker didn’t play last night. Trask played okay probably the best game I’ve seen him play haven’t said that he still only put 13 points on the board and had one touchdown that should have been interception. Bakers the starter I only hope this offensive line can improve, the run blocking us horrific.
August 20th, 2023 at 11:48 am
Can you imagine the crowd week one when Baker starts chanting we want Trask. It’s not rocket science.
August 20th, 2023 at 11:48 am
Rocky Dugan, seriously? We heard that garbage last year with Leftwich. By all means, let’s keep mediocrity because you don’t think the Glazers can find a better coach. He’s proven he is out of his element as a head coach. As much as I like Arians, he screwed this team by stepping down when he did and left the Bucs in the lurch. Darn, this feels like the old Keystone Kops days. 🙁
August 20th, 2023 at 11:49 am
Spot on Dave, he is a dead man walking but picking Baker just illustrates his short sightedness
The Glazers have never launched anyone mid season so I think we are in it to the bitter end with him
5 wins, maybe 6 – top ten pick and hopefully plenty of cap space…
August 20th, 2023 at 11:50 am
Could they be handling this any worse. Whatever Qb they have in won’t have any game time speed action with starters. I guess that’s a smart approach.
August 20th, 2023 at 12:05 pm
If Baker starts and gets benched for bad play, he will have a hissy-fit and ask to be traded.
That might be the best thing for the Bucs, he won’t be around to get in the way.
If the Bucs go looking for unemployed QBs, they should get 2. Baker walking will leave another hole to fill.
I notice Canales has said much yet, probably hiding in the film room.
Trask was almost lights out last night 20 of 28 with three drops and two throw away balls is damn near perfect.
August 20th, 2023 at 12:19 pm
People are blaming Bowles for the QB competition. This is Licht’s agenda, and they must have put a timeline on Bowles for when he is allowed to announce the starter.
August 20th, 2023 at 12:23 pm
People show you who they are.
Mayfield has a track record as to who he is.
Trask has a history of having played second fiddle until needed. He has then excelled.
No matter what decision Bowes makes, the quarterbacks will show you who they are.
August 20th, 2023 at 12:27 pm
Fire Bowles and Armstrong yesterday
August 20th, 2023 at 12:51 pm
Mayfield will bring back rhe Ray Jay Boo Birds when hed takes the dive.
August 20th, 2023 at 12:59 pm
Action speak louder than words! Pretty easy to read between the lines.
August 20th, 2023 at 1:11 pm
Let me say I think bowels is a really good DC. we don’t win a SB without him calling plays and smashing thru 3 hall of fame QBs that year in Bree’s, Rodgers and mahomie but that’s where I stop. I don’t like him 1 bit as a head coach. His decision to start baker over trask just cements his abilities to do what’s best for the franchise as complete trash and incompetence. He thinks he has a better shot keeping his job with baker than trask and yes the logic is there but the only way trask gets the experience he needs is to be in the game learning from it. Literally the only edge baker has is his playing experience being able to make oline adj. and go thru his progression which trask needs to learn but can’t get that on the practice field. He needs real game action and there’s only one way to get that
August 20th, 2023 at 1:31 pm
OK who is in charge of this QB stuff? Is it HC/DC Bowles, Licht< or Canales? It seems all over the board on this. Isn;t this the HC job?
August 20th, 2023 at 1:39 pm
Some of these comments get more & more humorous as time marches on. Love how some commenters feed off others, and whip themselves into a frenzy over nothing.
Suppose for a second that the Glazers listened to some of you and fired Todd Bowles tomorrow. So then we just lost our head coach AND our defensive coordinator. This TWO key positions must be filled virtually overnight, since Game 1 (Sep 10th) is only 3 weeks away.
In case none of you have noticed, this defense has been quite successful & is rather unique (as a hybrid 3-4?). Seems to me like the veteran defenders are very dedicated to Todd Bowles as their DC, and the youngsters seem to really develop well under his tutelage. And any new HC we bring in at this VERY late date wouldn’t have a prayer of having a successful season.
Some have offered up that we should promote Dave Canales. Seriously? He has yet to call Play 1 in a real game. And the only reason he’s our OC is because Todd Bowles hired him. Ya, the same HC Todd Bowles that some of you propose firing. Wow, talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.
August 20th, 2023 at 1:43 pm
RichieRich … You got it right. Trask played his best game and only managed to put up 13 points! As many of you accused Baker of doing, Trask dink ‘n dunked his way down the field, got lucky on the TD (interception) and did all that against mostly 3rd and 4th stringers. Let Trask play the first quarter against the Ravens first team next week so we can all see what he can really do. Trask lovers… be careful about wishing that your man is the starter this year because if he fails miserably, he’s done as a starter for a long, long time.
August 20th, 2023 at 1:45 pm
feels like lovie smith part 2
August 20th, 2023 at 1:56 pm
I THINK IT’S LEGIT
Trask played an entire game and played great. He carved up the defense, converted 3rd downs, and didn’t turn the ball over. He did it with the 2-3 stringers. If dudes weren’t dropping balls, he would have had a better game.
I think this caught TB by surprise. It’s a competition.
August 20th, 2023 at 2:02 pm
Those of you who keep spewing the lie that Trask’s TD pass should have been intercepted are just exposing yourselves as haters. That pass was perfect. It sailed over both defenders, no defender touched it, and it dropped right into Palmer’s right hand – he should have used both hands so he bobbled the ball before securing it. Look at the video. It’s crystal clear.
August 20th, 2023 at 2:02 pm
13 points is looking like what to expect from this offense given the human sieve of an offensive line. As has been said before, Joe Montana would be the second coming of Mark Sanchez behind these matadors. Bowles better have the defense playing like it’s the 1999 NFC champ game against the Rams to have a chance in any game.
August 20th, 2023 at 2:26 pm
Trask only got 13 points? What about all the missed field goals from Blank man? Don’t say field goals aren’t important. Tom Brady had lead the ball down the field for the kicker to win multiple times. Not comparing Trask to the goat, but he got the team to field range multiple times just for the kicker to fail.
August 20th, 2023 at 2:29 pm
Whoever is the starter, I hope he balls out.
I suspect he’ll have 4 games to “prove it” before Door #2 opens.
August 20th, 2023 at 2:30 pm
DefenseRules You are completely right and I can’t believe some comments on here. I do think we need a more mobile HC, though. 🙂
August 20th, 2023 at 2:32 pm
GUS… I looked at the video. The pass should have been intercepted. Stop lying about Mayfield and I’ll stop telling the truth about Trask.
August 20th, 2023 at 2:32 pm
DR they can see it coming. But, Bowles will start Mayfield and we prolly go 0-3 in to Nola to be slaughtered by the dang stinkin Stainks. UGGGGH! What a horrible fate. We are stuck with both of them. Hope for best but plan for worst. Only a couple weeks til the real tell with the Vikes. Odds are Bucs +6.5 right now and we are projected to finish at the bottom of NFC South. The Bears I see as a possible but not probable close game win if we get some breaks.
August 20th, 2023 at 3:01 pm
Mayfield will never lead the Bucs to the playoffs or a winning record. He’s a charismatic salesman and telemarketer. It’s all a facade. The regular season will expose him again as nothing but a below average QB that we know he is. When he fails we can see what the Bucs have in Trask before having to make any major decisions… like drafting an OL in the first vs a QB in 2024.
BTW not rooting for his failure or to be right. Baker has just shown us who he is already. A losing QB on his 4th team in 6 years.
We don’t know what Trask can be. He’s got way more upside.
August 20th, 2023 at 3:04 pm
“Gus Says:
August 20th, 2023 at 2:02 pm
Those of you who keep spewing the lie that Trask’s TD pass should have been intercepted are just exposing yourselves as haters. That pass was perfect. It sailed over both defenders, no defender touched it, and it dropped right into Palmer’s right hand – he should have used both hands so he bobbled the ball before securing it. Look at the video. It’s crystal clear.”
The defenders were in between Palmer and Trask, so it should have come down slightly beyond Palmer, he had to reach back for it. A better defender would have batted it away or picked it. I suppose it’s also possible Palmer didn’t adjust to it quite correctly, dunno. But you CAN’T say it was a perfect pass, because it was anything but
August 20th, 2023 at 3:18 pm
Todd Bowles is a football genius, and a true DC.
He even tries to stymie his own offense, lol
August 20th, 2023 at 3:20 pm
What’s the point of telling the Vikings who the Bucs are starting? I mean they’d have to have an IQ in the single digits to not know the answer, but I don’t see what purpose it does the Bucs to publicly announce anything. All it’s going to do is rile up all the super annoying Florida fanbois, while serving no other purpose.
August 20th, 2023 at 3:38 pm
The Trask TD pass was a perfect throw. He threw him open. Just like Brady.
August 20th, 2023 at 3:43 pm
Trask looked better against the pre season Jets than Brady looked most of last year. I know it’s not a real comparison, but…..
August 20th, 2023 at 4:20 pm
Bowles job is on the line, going with BM is the logical choice. Let the veteran QB deal with all the kinks early in the season, find the right OL combination, etc. If he plays well, great. If he doesn’t, Bowles gets a proverbial second chance at his HC career if Trask enters and plays lights out. Bowles is hedging his bets, gettin two swings at this season.
August 20th, 2023 at 4:54 pm
Upon rewatching this game, we had an invisible player. It was Luck, and I hope he stays on the team.
August 20th, 2023 at 4:58 pm
Aaron Roger praised Trask after the game fo his performance and pin point accuracy.
Todd B. can pick Baker as his qb but he will go down with Baker as 6 other coaches did.
August 20th, 2023 at 5:26 pm
If the Bucs care at all about the future, they will start Trask and let him develop. It’s a damn travesty that he’s been on the team this long and has just now been given any kind of opportunity to develop. If they bench him another year, that’s just criminal.
August 20th, 2023 at 5:27 pm
WyomingJoe Says:
August 20th, 2023 at 1:43 pm
RichieRich … You got it right. Trask played his best game and only managed to put up 13 points! As many of you accused Baker of doing, Trask dink ‘n dunked his way down the field.”
LOL. Which game where you watching ? Din and dunk on 36 yard pass on his 2 yard line out of the end zone to Jarrett with Jets up 13 to 6 in 4th qtr. with only 7 minuted left in the game.
You called that dink and dunk. Trask had no reason risk his great night up to that point with that risky throw.
Would your garbage qb do that ?
August 20th, 2023 at 6:29 pm
The first 4 games of the season, alternate the qb who starts After the 4 games the qb who played the best should be the starter if he continues to play well. Hey with Bakers injury history, it may become Trask soon anyway. All bs aside, Trask looked dam good last night. The kid made some sweet throws.
August 20th, 2023 at 6:53 pm
A Charmin-soft OL and inability to run the ball will doom most QBs. It was Brady’s skittishness and dogged determination to get the ball out (and not hang in the pocket) that contributed to last year’s putrid output—and that was the GOAT! Yeah, this is a new system and 12 is long gone—but unless the OL and RB1 step it up, Baker will be throwing off of his @ss. All things being equal, I loved how Trask played last night. The kid is developing. He’s getting better.
August 20th, 2023 at 11:14 pm
The defense won this game. The story of the preseason is not Trask and not Mayfield. It is Trey, the kid from Nebraska. 6th round pick. How did this kid, a five star recruit in high school last this long? If this is not a mirage, the Buccaneers could have the best receiving core in the NFL.
August 21st, 2023 at 3:30 am
Even if Bowles/Canales know who it will be we wont’t know till the week before the Vikes.
We already have been told multiple times. Maybe Ira is correct. Either way we will root for the Bucs.
Go Bucs!
August 21st, 2023 at 5:56 am
Tbbucs3 says about Bowels: High School coach.
Sorry I don’t agree with that, he is more like a peewee football coach. We are doomed this year because number one we didn’t have money to get quality players. And all this talk about Caleb scares me ,with flashes of Jameis, that keeps popping up