Bucs At The Breaking Point
November 29th, 2023
Todd Bowles
It seems folks at the four-letter are on the same scent as Joe. And it’s a particularly foul odor.
Joe half-jokingly noted yesterday that when news broke of Stinking Panthers owner David Tepper canning Frank Reich, Joe smelled a gambling opportunity.
At the time, the Bucs were a 5 1/2-point favorite. In the post-Bucco Bruce Arians era, the Bucs always seem to play down to lesser opponents. And given the fact the Bucs offense isn’t that explosive and the “keep it close” mentality begets keeping an opponent in the game, the table seemed to be set for a savvy short-term investment.
(Moments after Joe posted that story, the line dropped to Bucs +4.5. So Joe wasn’t alone in his theory.)
Well, it seems the BSPN NFL insiders gang of Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano are of the same mind. First, Graziano typed gamblers should be paying attention to the Stinking Panthers-Bucs game.
Hey, we saw the Raiders spring to life after a midseason coaching change earlier this season, and the Colts won their first game after firing Reich last year. The firing of a coach during a season can act as a shock to the system (even if it’s temporary) that either energizes or refocuses players enough to deliver improved short-term performance. With Baker Mayfield banged up and the Bucs not exactly red hot themselves, I’m watching to see whether Carolina adds to the trend.
Fowler later typed, in so many words, all hell could break loose if the Bucs drop this game.
Lose this one, and the wheels could fall off.
Why is Joe scared of Sunday’s game? Well, see above. Also, anyone remember last year?
Just days after Tepper booted former Carolina coach Matt Rhule, the Bucs played at Carolina and the Stinking Panthers fully embarrassed the Bucs holding them to a lone field goal in a 21-3 upset.
“This Joe” has a really, really bad feeling about this game.
November 29th, 2023 at 10:33 am
No one believes that Bowles could ever lead the Bucs to the Super Bowl…..so what’s the point in keeping him as HC for another day?
November 29th, 2023 at 10:38 am
We will lose. We will let another rookie qb look like Brady in his prime.
Hurts me to type this but I’m actually taking the $bet on Carolina. Our Bucs have burnt me all year. Coach sucks. Mayfield sucks
We are wasting our talent
Todd has destroyed this team. Arians left and did all he good and Todd blew it
November 29th, 2023 at 10:38 am
The fans at this game will need gas masks because both teams stink to hig heaven.
November 29th, 2023 at 10:39 am
Everybody in here is screaming for the firing of the head coach. I have a question for all the sexual intellectuals in here. Who, on this coaching staff, do you want to step up and replace him? Filling the job from the outside is not an option at
mid-season.
November 29th, 2023 at 10:40 am
As much as I hate to say it, winning these meaningless games is not a good thing. This season is toast. The schemes and/or product put on the field is not worth watching. Win and we might get stuck in football purgatory with a lesser draft pick and a D A$$ coach followed by years of mediocrity. Its time to scrub the facility clean.
November 29th, 2023 at 10:42 am
@Morgus the Magnificient
I am not taking any sides here, because Coach Bowles has a bad record and the team doesn’t look to go anywhere.
But following your argument each season 30 Head coaches should be fired, I think is way more complex than that.
Bowles despite who likes him or not , was the HC of a team who had to pay the bills of a three year party, no one would have survived this one, there is not much talent around, with the exception of 5/6 players, a QB who is not the answer, no running game, and players likewise CDIII, Dean even Barret, who look quite comfortable, maybe I am not bieng fair with Shaq.
November 29th, 2023 at 10:42 am
This team is treading water at this point, and short-term best case scenario is between 7 and 9 win total for this season.
That win total MAY be enough for Coaches to keep jobs and net the team a pick between 10-18 in the draft. This would be a worst-case scenario for the long-term. Bowels won’t take this team anywhere further than a first round playoff loss, but will manage to eek out seasons with 6 to 9 wins, which would continue the treading water.
So should the Bucs lose to the Panthers, it may sting a bit, but I don’t think it would be such a bad thing.
I’ve never wanted to see the team lose individual games before, but I think this may be the time I root against short-term success for the better opportunity of long-term success.
November 29th, 2023 at 10:44 am
The Bucs will win this game. BANK IT!
November 29th, 2023 at 10:48 am
If they lose this one the wheels HAVE fallen off!
November 29th, 2023 at 10:56 am
Even Old Clueless knows he’s getting fired. If they bring him back, Light has to go, too. He can stay for now….even though he completely blew the Devin White pick. Never draft horse lover again. Crazy red flag.
November 29th, 2023 at 10:59 am
Wheels are already off. This team is done. They quit a long time ago.
No more HC that can’t motivate. No more wooden Indians. Bring in a screamer. Bring in a brawler.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:01 am
The Bucs will win this game as Carolina really does have a young and weak roster.
After this win, will we see the public return of Jason Licht?
When the Bucs are winning Licht is all over social media and doing interviews boasting how his roster is winning.
When Bucs are playing bad and losing it is like he has vanished off of the face of the earth.
I think recently I saw his face on the side of a milk carton.
On Monday, after the Bucs beat the Panthers Licht will be out celebrating like they just won the Superbowl.
While Licht is still living off the glory of his one year Superbowl win his Bucs are falling apart and spiralling downward.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:05 am
If the Bucs can’t beat a 1-10 Panthers team who just fired their head coach then we need to start interviewing Eric Bieneimy ASAP to be our next head coach and make him an offer he can’t refuse.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:10 am
‘it’s a particularly foul odor.’
That foul odor is the smell of Bowels as HC stinking up the joint!
November 29th, 2023 at 11:15 am
What’s the real difference between picking at #5 and picking at #20? How much of a higher percentage chance do you have of getting your franchise QB? Using historical data, I’m gonna suggest there’s no better odds either way.
Fabs are obsessed with picks, every damn year – but history shows the draft to be a crapshoot and little more.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:15 am
Always try to win. Tanking is for permanent losers.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:21 am
“Lose this one, and the wheels could fall off.”
I’ve been reading that for weeks. Hate to break it to you, the wheels are already off.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:22 am
Start Trask and we might have a chance. Baker was nothing special prior to being injured.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:30 am
@UKBuccaneer – “Fans are obsessed with picks, every damn year – but history shows the draft to be a crapshoot and little more.”
So true, lad! Today’s “Morning Cup of Joe” links to an article that says: “In the 2021 draft Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and Trey Lance went top three, in order, with Justin Fields falling to 11.”
2 of those top 3 picks are busts, as is Justin Fields at 11, as well as Mac Jones at 15. So, of the 5 first-round QBs in 2021, 4 are busts. 😮
November 29th, 2023 at 11:38 am
Wheels may not be off yet but this team is down like four flat tires.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:40 am
Say what you want about the panthers. But at least we know their owner has a pair. He knows his team is bleeding. So, why not let them bleed out for the year and get the no 1 pick? If the Glazers had a pair, they would do the deed now and fire Bowles.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:45 am
The Glazers might be forced to fire Bowles early if Sunday goes down in flames.
We simply cannot lose to a 1-10 team with no HC.
Not making a HC move after such a loss would be unforgiveable.
Licht could see his head on the block as well if this keeps up.
Time to cut the drift wood!
November 29th, 2023 at 11:45 am
People just want a head on a platter.
If you really believe Todd Bowles is worse than Lovie Smith and Leeman Bennett combined, then you want him to finish the season. Better draft pick.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:50 am
“Forced?” LOL By who, Roger Goodell? The Glazers own the team.
November 29th, 2023 at 12:18 pm
Joe Says: “Better draft pick.”
Joe that’s what I keep saying Bowles is the tank.
November 29th, 2023 at 12:19 pm
Hey Joe, since you’re patrolling the comments (which is cool to see; love the interactions), are you aware that a fb site is copying/pasting your articles and passing them off as their own (they deftly remove your third-person references)?
November 29th, 2023 at 12:45 pm
No. LOL What is this site?
Joe did see that a local site lifted quotes Joe had on Sunday.
Thanks for the tip. 🙂
November 29th, 2023 at 1:01 pm
“Tampa Bay Buccaneers Fan HQ”
They’re doing the same with all the local Bucs outlets, even the newspaper.
November 29th, 2023 at 1:28 pm
The last time Bowles faced a rookie QB his defense gave up 470 passing yards and 5 TD.
November 29th, 2023 at 2:01 pm
I am sure Baker has it in his head that he has to play beyond the pale this week.
That is usually when he blows it. If he has three turnovers and no points in the first half, they should leave him in the locker room.
Hot Toddie has to make big changes if he is even going to make it to the end of the season. He will not be back, and I hope Licht has been on the horn looking for someone, almost anyone, else.
November 29th, 2023 at 3:56 pm
Yeah, I got a bad feeling. About any HC change or any Back Up QB starting his first game against the Bucs. Historically for the yrs after SB1 and despite SB2 with Brady the Bucs lose games they should EASILY win…you LIKE that? And sporadically win against good teams.
November 29th, 2023 at 4:09 pm
I actually think we might win…but it’s a game I do not want to win. If we lose, it hurts the Panthers more.
November 29th, 2023 at 6:35 pm
The wheels were off after the loss to the Falcons. Now they’re just skidding on a wheel-less husk.
November 29th, 2023 at 7:36 pm
Couldn’t find a website for that, only a Facebook page that sells stuff. But it did like to “FanReCap” which cuts and pastes articles for all teams. At least they link to all the stories.
Thanks for the tip.
November 29th, 2023 at 8:55 pm
Sadly bowels will be til end of year. Especially considering he’s the DC and HC. Had we had a DC also then it’s easy to fire Bowels. But not when our HC is also the DC. We’d be short staffed big time.
November 29th, 2023 at 8:56 pm
BucsMarley
I don’t like when others are flat out slandered.
Baker doesn’t suck.
Todd is a good guy, but I
think he’s happier in defense, than HC.
These are human beings who are trying to their hardest. They don’t want to lose.
That said, I can’t figure why the Glazers don’t bring in a bigger running back a la Lenny B. to complement White. They’re not givng Mayfield and the offense what they need.
But they’re a class organization and
well find a way.
Bless you any way and you have great passion about the Bucs.
JoeBuc makes some really good points. We can’t let these Panthers sneak up on us with some genius new coach. But word is the new owner of the Panthers after he bought from Richardson hasn’t made tge best decisions.
Rose S.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:28 pm
Last year the Panthers fired their and got rid of Baker Mayfield as their starting Quarterback.
The very next game after that an interim head coach and rookie Quarterback PJ Walker defeated the Bucs.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:29 pm
Last year the Panthers fired their head coach and got rid of Baker Mayfield as their starting Quarterback.
The very next game after that an interim head coach and rookie Quarterback PJ Walker defeated the Bucs.
November 30th, 2023 at 8:27 am
Jack Clark I agree with your head coaching choice. Eric Bienamy is an offensive talent.
November 30th, 2023 at 12:24 pm
Bowels need to take his ball and go home…. Please
November 30th, 2023 at 1:53 pm
This season is lost. Only next year to look forward and the firing of Todd Bowles.