Todd Bowles: Bucs Have The Answers
November 13th, 2023
Professor.
A lot is being made of how Bucs coach Todd Bowles held a defense-only meeting this week to sort of have an Airing of Grievances.
And no, it’s not (yet) Festivus season. But Bowles wanted to have a defense-only meeting where they broke down film together and Bowles wanted to hear straight from players what they thought was wrong and what they thought would allow them to play to their capabilities.
Bowles encouraged everyone to speak up. All views not only were welcome but were considered constructive criticism.
It sure looked like the meeting of minds paid off yesterday as the Bucs held the Titans out of the end zone for a 20-6 Bucs win to pull Tampa Bay within a half-game of first place in the NFC South.
Bowles has a lot of faith in his defenders. And he said after the game the Bucs defense is basically an open-book exam. The team has all the answers.
It just needs to find them before the exam week ends.
“Like I told them, the answers to the test are in the room with us together,” Bowles said. “We have all our answers, we just got to play mistake-free football.
“We understand how we [have] to play. We know how we [have] to play. Today everybody made plays.”
Now, can the Bucs ace the next test?
The Bucs travel to Santa Clara on Sunday to face the 49ers. It’s one thing to beat the terrible Titans. It’s a whole ‘nother animal to beat San Francisco in their own crib. Joe suspects the Bucs will have one of their hardest tests of the season.
The Bucs have only beaten one team currently with a winning record. That was Minnesota on opening day.
November 13th, 2023 at 5:17 am
The disconnect has to be that there is no single defensive coordinator. Bowles has no coaching tree. He can’t even pick one of his assistants, and give him the responsibility, and name of D.C.. Let that man call the defense on Sundays, and perhaps get a H.C. job in the future like Bowles himself. A good head coach finds other coaches better then himself who just need the chance with the title, but not on Bowles staff. A D.C. trying to prove himself would’ve had his finger on the pulse of his defense already. Todd’s doing to much, that’s why he’s out of touch with his defenders. Feel happy about beating a bad Tenn team. Todd is still not the coach to take us where we want to go.
November 13th, 2023 at 5:30 am
Glad they had the meeting with the defense. Other than the furious pass rush ,Bowles finally let Deane play mostly man coverage and he was largely responsible for holding
Deandre Hopkins to a 36 % catch rate and pretty much shut him down at the
at the end of the game.
November 13th, 2023 at 5:48 am
Sometimes the Defenders play so far downfield they might as well go to the goal line and protect from there
November 13th, 2023 at 5:56 am
The best defense against the 49ers is to have an effective offense- 3 and outs spell disaster vs a team that’s loaded offensively.
Pressure Purdy and disrupt the receiving routes.
Will someone be able to cover Kittle?
November 13th, 2023 at 5:57 am
Let’s see how quickly you forget the answers. He’s just not a good HC.
November 13th, 2023 at 5:59 am
Well said , Hodad
Well said
November 13th, 2023 at 6:15 am
49ers next will be the measuring stick on Bowles coaching ability.
November 13th, 2023 at 6:19 am
Yesterday proves nothing. Other than this team will finish .500 at best.
If it took 9 games for Bowles to figure out that what he was preaching wasn’t working, then he’d just be a bad coach. Bowles can’t see that Devin White’s best use is rushing the QB? That Dean is better at man than zone? Maybe it goes deeper. Maybe he can’t motivate.
They were unprepared for every loss. A random win over a reeling team like TN with a rookie QB is hardly anything to base a lot of confidence on.
Go beat SF at its stadium. Then win the one after that. And guess what? All you’ve done is match a 3 game L streak with a 3 game W streak. That makes you .500 in the last 6 games.
So, the hole is deep, Bowles. You’ve got a lot of climbing to do. Prove you’re not gone. Win the next 4.
November 13th, 2023 at 6:28 am
The better question is why did it take 4 losses in a row to finally have this so called meeting. Should have been done weeks ago.
November 13th, 2023 at 6:38 am
Did the players school the HC on how the team shuld play defense? Did the players ask to blitz more and switch from zone coverage to man to man throughout the game? Did the players ask for more rotation on the defensive line? Did the players sugggest lining up Vita Vea on the edge? All of these adjustments were made and apparently after the views of the players addressed.
HC is lost. Turn over the defense to Lavonte David as player/coach.
As an aside I was happy to see Tom Moore on the sidelines with Canales.
November 13th, 2023 at 6:58 am
When is the offense going to meet?
November 13th, 2023 at 7:18 am
Clueless Todd waited too long. Next week is a guaranteed loss. I don’t get this guy at all. The best leaders always ask for their employees opinions. Why so late in the season. Why not do this in the offseason? Getting everyone to buy in is a so critical in today’s culture.
November 13th, 2023 at 7:28 am
So do I fire Todd Bowles so we can get back to being competitive with above average teams.
November 13th, 2023 at 7:35 am
Bowles … ‘We have all our answers, we just got to play mistake-free football.’
Mistake-free football? Not only is that a very high standard, but it’s an impossible standard. With 11 guys on your side of the LOS trying to counter & negate what the 11 guys on the other side are trying to do, someone will always screw up. It’s only a question of how many screw up and whether their screw-ups impact the play.
Got a hunch that Todd recognized that, and that’s why Neal only got 21 snaps (33%) while Delaney increased to 37 snaps (57%). Also why JTS decreased to 24 snaps (38%) while Diaby increased to 27 snaps (43%). Also nice to see Kancey getting a lot more snaps (46 snaps for 73%). Reducing Shaq to 31 snaps (49%) might have also helped in keeping him fresher … he had a nice game (1 sack, 2 QB Hits, 1 TFL & 3 tackles).
November 13th, 2023 at 7:38 am
Put grannies iPad back on her night stand and go pull them weeds in the garden 40 yr old bum sorry for my grandson’s negativity he’s daddy left him
November 13th, 2023 at 7:46 am
Mebbe Canales should follow suit. However, it’s gradual but it looks like he and the O are adapting to each other. And it sure is nice to read that White got off his lazy butt, and earned a paycheck! LVD already is akin to a player-coach. He’s been doing it for awhile. Get lost, whiners! Bucs, watch out for the refs next weekend. 10.5 underdogs? Refs will be on them like stink on poop!
November 13th, 2023 at 7:51 am
Bowles is ALWAYS swinging when the pitch has already crossed the plate. Does ANYBODY anywhere believe this guy is going to not have another losing season when this one is in the books? That’ll make it what 6 losing seasons in a row as HC?
Until he and his awful staff are gone then u should celebrate each win u get because a whole bunch of losses always follows a Bowles W.
His track record is there for the world to marvel at.
November 13th, 2023 at 7:53 am
All of a sudden we have the answers?
We just beat a really bad team, and still weren’t fundamentally sound ( dropped passes and dropped int’s), for starters.
Let’s talk again next Monday. See what answer remains.
November 13th, 2023 at 8:16 am
A win against a worse team. This week we play a better team for a probable loss. Beat the Niners at home and then brag. A win there would show real prospects.
November 13th, 2023 at 8:21 am
Idk how good the titans O-line is but man Levi’s was under pressure the whole game. IF and it’s a monsterous IF we can get that kind of pressure on B. Purdy we will actually have a chance. Now that they have C. young that defense is serious. Like it wasn’t before. This will be a tough one.
November 13th, 2023 at 8:27 am
Can’t believe it took him this long to strategize with his own players. Equally unbelievable that he needed feedback from players to realize they were being misused.
I’ll believe this team has turned a corner if they play with that same aggressive approach for the remainder of the season. SF is most likely a loss, and that’s fine as long as the Bucs make it difficult for them.
November 13th, 2023 at 8:40 am
Very telling … Bowles has managed this defense for five years and D meeting was needed to figure things out ! Bowles has got to go ! Sneaking into the playoffs again just to get embarrassed is pitiful ! Come on Glazers !
November 13th, 2023 at 9:00 am
Dallas cowboys have yet to defeat a winning team. Miami dolphins have yet to defeat a winning team. Buccaneers have defeated one winning team.
November 13th, 2023 at 9:05 am
People worried about the niners I am not in that camp we have baker Mayfield the last game we played tom brady was immobile and couldn’t move around to make a play I like our chances bakers ends with 50+yds rushing and a few tds from busted coverage..McCaffrey never been a problem for the bucs we always hold him in check
November 13th, 2023 at 9:07 am
Don’t go out giving everyone hand jobs just yet, 49ers up next in CA, let the circle jerk begin “if” you believe in flying pigs and hell freezing over to pull off this upcoming miracle
November 13th, 2023 at 9:08 am
Don’t go out giving everyone h jobs just yet, 49ers up next in CA, let the circle begin “if” you believe in flying pigs and hell freezing over to pull off this upcoming miracle on the road
November 13th, 2023 at 9:25 am
Why this isnt done on both sides is beyond me. This isn’t college. These are pros getting paid to win. Of course they should have a say in a gameplan.
November 13th, 2023 at 10:33 am
If I had any faith in this team and coach Bowles whatsoever, I would be going to the game against the niners.
But I don’t.
November 13th, 2023 at 10:36 am
How did Minnesota have a winning record on opening day?
November 13th, 2023 at 11:04 am
So now the BUCS have an epiphany for beating a very bad team with a rookie QB,,,,, come on man! Bowles is totally unhinged.
November 13th, 2023 at 11:07 am
They came together and simplified a gameplan against a simplified offense and it worked. Should have that meeting at least 4 more times against the NFC south opponents, and we will be in business.
November 13th, 2023 at 11:30 am
“The Bucs travel to Santa Clara on Sunday to face the 49ers. It’s one thing to beat the terrible Titans. It’s a whole ‘nother animal to beat San Francisco in their own crib. Joe suspects the Bucs will have one of their hardest tests of the season.”
😂😂😂😂 Totally agree. I’m sure there will be no “answers” available for how to defend against creative offenses that do things we never seen before like Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers until after the game is over! Haha