Todd Bowles Said Bucs Matched Up Well With Lions
October 15th, 2023
Head coach Todd Bowles.
Is Joe off base here or not?
Joe is a pattern and trends guy. (Maybe that comes from Joe’s meager wagering budget?)
Joe thinks and believes the results back up that the Bucs just don’t match up well with physical teams dating back to last season.
The Bucs went to San Francisco last year and got the snot knocked out of them. There may not be a more physical team than the 49ers. Then in the playoffs, the physical Cowboys slapped the Bucs around pretty good. Same result.
Fast-forward to this year. The Bucs played Philadelphia, a very physical team, and got curb-stomped. Then the Bucs played the Lions, a team very much built like the Eagles. Everyone saw what happened today.
So Joe thinks a physical team, a bruising team, is the Bucs’ kryptonite. The proof is in the proverbial pudding.
Joe asked Bucs coach Todd Bowles about this after the game. Let’s just say Bowles did not share Joe’s analysis.
“I thought our squad matched up pretty good today,” Bowles said. “I thought we made a lot of mistakes and we looked like we came off a bye week.
“We don’t compare who we play or how we play. I think each game is different. I do think we have a good football team.
“I think we are young. I think it felt like we came off a bye week. We looked sluggish and we played like that.”
Joe understands what Bowles is saying. And he is right in the sense the Bucs were very much in the ballgame at halftime trailing by just one score.
Joe can holler and stomp about how bad the offense was but at some point you have to doff your cap to the Lions’ defense. They made plays and executed. The Bucs offense did not.
It just seems odd to Joe that in the past eight games or so, whenever the Bucs face a team tough in the trenches and physical all around, the Bucs shat themselves.
Until the Bucs prove otherwise, Joe does not expect them to beat bruising teams. Too much evidence suggests the opposite will happen.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:05 pm
The QB could not hit wide open guys for TDs…..Case closed.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:06 pm
Didn’t 58% think the Bucs were going to win?
Sluggish, that’s great.
Big question marks here.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:06 pm
Not going anywhere this year. Trade old dudes and contract whiners for picks and reload. This team is 8-9 and wins the South again at best.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:14 pm
Honestly it looked like the offense was still on the bye week. Baker has got to hit those deep balls to Palmer. I won’t blame him for the wide wide open ME13 that would have bin a 90 plus yard TD. BATTED balls suck especially when they get intercepted. ME13s has to caught those easy passes man. CG14 came to play that was about it. The play calling on O has to be better and man the defense needs to cover receivers better to. When your punter is the player of the game that’s terrible but at least he’s booming kicks
October 15th, 2023 at 9:14 pm
Great protection today from a stout team. Baker didn’t make the throws
October 15th, 2023 at 9:16 pm
The Bucs are an average team that can beat inferior teams and lose to better teams. With out division and schedule that will lead to 8-10 victories and a first round exit in the playoffs if we can win the NFCS
October 15th, 2023 at 9:17 pm
You have a major downgrade not just from Tom Brady but from Jameis Winston at the QB position. You have RBs that couldn’t start at some high schools in the country.
You can’t beat the good NFL defenses without talent. Period.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:20 pm
The Bucs TALENT matches up with the Lions just not the coaching…
Canales has to come up with something better than his JV high school roll out plays and forcing a balanced approach with the worst running backs in the league.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:20 pm
You are the same guy that called Jameis Winston America’s QQ.
So yeah, you’re a tad off base.
Todd Bowles is 1000% the problem and the numbers don’t lie.
Please name just one truly big time win over a quality playoff caliber team under his reign.
I’ll hold my breath as I wait……
October 15th, 2023 at 9:21 pm
QB*
October 15th, 2023 at 9:22 pm
Bowles must have watching a different game.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:26 pm
He is a idiot and this team will never be a good team with him in charge.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:27 pm
Bowles waving the white flag and giving up with 10 minutes left, punting on 4th and 2, when he knew the defense was gassed, is inexcusable. The Bucs were definitely not matched with the Lions when it comes to coaching, that’s for sure.
If we want to be positive, we can point out that Ryan Neal personally screwed up on both of the TDs the defense gave up – not to mention another 3rd down play late in the game where. He needs to be benched, he stinks. But if he doesn’t personally allow both TDs, it’s a different game.
Then on offense, Mayfield was garbage today. The two overthrown deep bombs should have been two TDs. Score on those, and it’s a completely different game.
Both of those are fair obverservations – doesn’t mean the Bucs would have won had it played out differently, but it does mean that while it felt like a blowout, you can make a case that it was those two players that changed the game.
But, then again, you could say the Bucs are 1-2 in their 3 games, getting blown out twice in that span, and the teams they beat are a combined 6-12.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:28 pm
Being physical is what I think makes the good teams great. I just don’t see the Lions as that team. I know this will sound like a homer but the Bucs are a better team then the Lions. Nothing today made me feel like the Bucs got dominated. I think the Bucs beat the Bucs with the bad play calling, bad passes, dropped balls and the horrendous run game. By week 13-14 the Bucs will either be really scary or the wheels came off.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:29 pm
Well Todd, if you don’t want your team to look sleepy and sluggish, maybe lead by example. I know that means stepping out of your comfort zone, but being an NFL head coach sometimes requires a little energy and fire. How they spend that bye week and how prepared they step onto that field is your responsibility.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:29 pm
Three missed opportunities would have made all the difference. Baker missed. He’ll do better next time. The Lions are good but the Bucs weren’t outmatched.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:29 pm
Seattle?
October 15th, 2023 at 9:31 pm
Game of inches, Baker needed a few more inches on the batter interception and a few less inches on those long passes to Trey Palmer, I have been waiting to see that speed, maybe instead of hanging out at OU, he should been hanging out with the young receivers
October 15th, 2023 at 9:35 pm
That’s Bull spit and he knows it.
This game was just like the eagles game. Score said it wasn’t a blowout but it was a blowout. Dude needs to stop trying to blow smoke up our rear ends.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:37 pm
At times, I was tempted to think the teams are closer than the score indicated, but the Lions had clear superiority in key areas. Yes, more physical. Deeper. Everyone was hoping Goff would revert, but he was fine. Campbell has done a good job turning the Lions around.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:37 pm
Lions D is great, but WR1 cant keep dropping catchable balls. WR1b (Godwin – 14) is outplaying WR1a (Evans – 13) and it’s showing when QB1 keeps throwing and WR1a/ME13 keeps dropping them. Throw to WR1b (Godwin). He can catch AND run….. 14 not 13
October 15th, 2023 at 9:38 pm
Did anyone ask about what happened to Todd “Big Balls” Bowles? Because today he had tiny shrunken balls.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:39 pm
@Rod Munch this doesn’t barely happen but, I agree with you 100% when it comes to Bowles today. Punting that ball on 4th and 2 was a joke and I would think folks on or tied to the team thought it was a crap move
October 15th, 2023 at 9:41 pm
Yup. We “ matched up well”. They were Ken and we were Barbie. Perfect match. Momma said there would be days like this. It’s not the end of the world. Lots of football left. Let’s just hope it was a real learning moment for Bowles and Canales. If Bowles and his team can’t coach up a zone defense then get away from it for a while! That soft zone D gave up nearly everything thrown at it. Very high percentage of uncontested catches. When you keep getting burned playing off the ball, play man.When our best rhythm on O is when we play hurry up, let’s not wait until the end of the game to use it.It is not rocket science to see when something isn’t working. Stop being so afraid to at least TRY to find something that works. The fans won’t be pissed. No excuse for what we put on the field today. Maybe LVD and Chris should attend the next coaches meeting and see if they can’t Jack them up? They both came to play!
October 15th, 2023 at 9:43 pm
Matched up well? It certainly didn’t look like it.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:45 pm
@Joe I guess we can hang our hat on that lone win over a Seattle team that lost in the wild card round with Gene Smith at QB.
If we go on to a losing record again this year, do you see Bowles staying as the HC???
October 15th, 2023 at 9:45 pm
Lions receivers were making the tough catches and Goff was lighting it up
October 15th, 2023 at 9:55 pm
Toilet bowl was fine today. This game was all on Baker.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:56 pm
# Fire Todd “Toilet” Bowles
October 15th, 2023 at 9:57 pm
I told Y’all the Real Baker shows up against good teams. He’s a scrub. Anyone who watched camp is shocked that Trask isn’t playing. He had the way better camp, more tds, less picks and a higher completion percentage.
Theses dumb coaches get it in their head that they need a “locker room guy” to lead the team. No. No you do not. You need and accurate QB who hits wide open targets. Baker has never been, nor will he ever be a franchise QB.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:57 pm
Two Baker batted balls one resulted in a pick missing wide open Mike E. Baker lead NFL in batted balls. He can’t accurately throw long ball over D line due to his height.
October 15th, 2023 at 9:58 pm
You can’t defeat any good team if you can’t throw long balls to keep the defense from stacking up in the box.
October 15th, 2023 at 10:04 pm
They lose against tough teams because they are weak up front on the middle of the O line. Defenders reaching up to swat at passes need to be planted in the turf. The defense held the Lions to 20 points. They did their job.
October 15th, 2023 at 10:09 pm
Baker is the modern day Fitzpatrick, good for a few games and then the real Baker shows up, but what do you expect the head coach is the same way.
Check both of their track records
October 15th, 2023 at 10:14 pm
Let’s at least wait for a Falcons home loss before the official panic button gets hit. Till then if the Bucs are 4-2 heading into the Bills currently losing to the Tyrod Taylor Giants then we’ll be ok.
October 15th, 2023 at 10:16 pm
I think we have the talent to do better , much better , IMHO , the defense , again , played great , Detroit was averaging almost 27 points a game, We held them to 20 , our offensive line just keeps getting better and better and We actually out rushed Detroit ! Our backs continue to improve and had some really good gains , Detroits highly vaunted defense was pretty much neutralized, our line kept the rush off Mayfield’s back , giving up just one sack, our kicking game was ,again, outstanding , they scored our only points and kept the Lions backed up with booming punts and great coverage, but, our pass offense was inadequate, that was the biggest difference between us and them, Detroit successfully stretched the field , first horizontally , attacking the sidelines and then , after having successfully stretched the field horizontally, they started attacking us over the middle and then stretching the field deep, we never got past the dinks and dunks stage and it showed , we only converted on third down twice, and only connected on passes over twenty yards once when ,multiple times , we had receivers open deep and could have scored but failed to connect with them, we also had multiple pass attempts tipped, one resulting in an interception and Detroits first points, this weakness is not going to get any better as all the other teams have our tapes and will quickly see the same things , if this is not corrected, it’s going to be a very long and disappointing season.
October 15th, 2023 at 10:23 pm
Like last year, the coaching worked against an offense that needed an edge this week from wherever they can get it. They didn’t get it from coaching/play-calls, that’s for sure, like: with minutes left in the 3rd Qtr, running fricken Vaughn up the fricken middle twice in a fricken row, just when Baker started to connect with Evans and Godwin.
How dumb-a$$ed can you get?
The fans know how: by not going for it on 4th; and you know which time that was.
And, do the coaches ever mention the penalties-at-key-times
between games to the players at all?
October 15th, 2023 at 10:43 pm
No coach other than Chucky has survived consecutive losing seasons since Team Glazer bought the team.
October 15th, 2023 at 11:11 pm
The bottom line is Baker missed 3 passes that would have accounted for 21 points. Throw in evans penalty and instead of 7 we came away with 3. That’s 24 points best case instead we came away with 3pts.
It’s just one game and we have plenty of time to get better with those kinds of plays. Just keep working hard in practice and it will come eventually.
Evans is not a HOFer. In big games he’s a no show and drops the ball way too much. He is still a great dude though. High character teammate.
October 15th, 2023 at 11:51 pm
Todd is just absolutely putrid as a HC!
That’s been established over the years…
October 16th, 2023 at 2:47 am
You can’t overthrow to the same guy twice
October 16th, 2023 at 4:56 am
JD Still … Excellent analysis & I was with you right up until the last sentence. The tape will show IMO that our Bucs’ defense is very hard to beat UNLESS (1) your offense can wear them down; (2) your QB plays exceptionally well; and (3) you get several chunk plays to convert critical 3rd-and-longs. Detroit did exactly that yesterday by deviating from their ‘standard’ game plan (they went heavy passing & Goff delivered … over 68% completions & 2 passing TDs).
There are several teams we can’t match up well with, but Lions aren’t one of them. Our defense played good enough to win far as I’m concerned. The Bucs OLine played good enough to win (pass protection was quite good against a stout Lions’ DLine). Our play calling sucked (we had far too many wasted plays). And Baker was meh yesterday, especially in critical situations. Thankfully the Saints, Falcons & Panthers all lost this week & the Bucs still lead the pack. Bring on the Falcons.
October 16th, 2023 at 6:57 am
I don’t what game Bowles was at. The Lions thumped the Bucs handily, 20-6. Bucs never came close to scoring a TD, and the defense got worn down, finally giving up big play after big play. In what coaching manual is that ‘matching up well’ ? Bucs are good enough to beat the really bad teams, but they in fact are out-coached, out-played, and out-matched by the good teams.
October 16th, 2023 at 7:33 am
Damn Bowles coaching to keep the game close, so that he could say we matched up well with the Lions.
October 16th, 2023 at 8:46 am
Canales and Bowles need to coach the team about the referees. I’ll say it until I’m hoarse. Canales need to knock off the 1st down run-up-the-middle while he’s at it. I’m not speaking about BM as this was only game 5!! This may be the Lions’ year. They’ve never won a SB. (Correct me if I’m wrong.) D and ST played well. There’s no jinx or anything wrong with the original unis. They’re Floridian. BTW, the Bucs are 3-2 and lead the Division, you fake fans. Boy, do you come out of the rancid woodwork.
October 16th, 2023 at 9:40 am
I thought the eyeball test revealed 2 pretty even teams. That batted ball pick instead of a 90 yard TD to Mike was a 10 point swing and completely changes the complexion of the game if that goes our way. Could have been 13-17 going into that final drive. I thought the defense played well and just missed on some tipped ball picks. I thought the offense had opportunities but Baker was just a little off on the deep balls.
Rough loss but I don’t feel like we were bullied and outclassed like we were against the Eagles. Sometimes you play a good team and the ball (and some calls) don’t bounce your way. Now if we could get a run game going I could really move on from the loss and feel good…
October 16th, 2023 at 11:13 am
The problem is Bowles let his guys go off and goof off during the bye. They should have taken the time to prepare and make adjustments. The players and coaches have all offseason to vacation, screw off with the media, etc. I clearly remember Brady and these guys using the bye week to improve during their superbowl year. I could be wrong, but when I saw BM on college game day and doing all of the interviews, that is a big red flag. BM needs to buckle down and not get caught up in the BS. The greats do the work to win and that means sacrificing personal time.
October 16th, 2023 at 9:08 pm
“I think we are young. I think it felt like we came off a bye week.
Ok Bowles so you wanted to go the youth route and more you’re blaming youth for you not preparing your team. Your team is full of young seasoned veterans.
Do we have more than one offensive rookie starter? Do we have more than two rookie starters? Can’t believe people were saying they are totally confident in Bowles