Confidence “Fading”
November 28th, 2023
Not much hope left.
At 4-7 there is no way to spin it. Bucs coach Todd Bowles may not think his team is “snowballing” but the Bucs sure are not a good team.
The offense plods along trying to be a power running team (no, Joe cannot get excited by the suddenly alive running game because the Colts run defense is a sieve — pound the ball like that against Carolina and Joe will think differently).
When the Bucs, almost out of desperation each week, start throwing to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, this offense hums. But they’d rather score 19 points and beat their chest after the game that they are a running team. Knock yourself out, man.
Why can fans see this but guys getting paid seven figures a year cannot? Joe doesn’t give a damn what the coaches may want to do. They should be crafting plays and gameplans based on what works.
Make it make sense.
Meanwhile, areas of the team Joe once thought were a strength are now a weaknesses. In six of the last seven games (all losses), the once stout Bucs defense has coughed up at least 380 yards of offense.
Want to know why the Bucs aren’t winning? There you go.
Jenna Laine of ESPN thinks the Bucs, despite only being one game behind the division-leading Dixie Chicks, are seeing hopes of a playoff berth evaporating by the week.
… the Bucs have been far too inconsistent. A rash of injuries, blown coverages and missed tackles on defense and offensive scoring struggles don’t evoke confidence in another late-season turnaround.
Well, when your defensive-minded head coach can’t get the defense to turn around, that’s not good for the team or Bowles’ job security.
And since the Bucs are so bullheaded about being a power-running team (and failing week after week), it allows teams to get a head start and grab leads. If your defense is rotten, it’s difficult to play catch-up football.
Then there are the boneheaded mistakes the Bucs litter the field with week after week. It’s just sad.
Joe isn’t giving up on a playoff berth. But you know what, when Joe heard yesterday morning the Stinking Panthers canned coach Frank Reich, Joe immediately thought this is the very type of game the Bucs find a way to lose.
And that’s what bad teams do: find ways to lose.
The Bucs may not be snowballing but they sure are losing.
November 28th, 2023 at 7:41 am
You may not have given up on a playoff berth yet Joe, but I have. Be willing to bet that most Bucs’ fans have too. This assortment of players is playing some terrible football. and doesn’t deserve to be in the playoffs.
Given the current (and projected?) state of the Bucs, backing in to the playoffs would actually be like trying to put out a grease fire by throwing gasoline on it. Everyone now knows this team isn’t capable of winning the Super Bowl, so all a playoff spot would do is put more money in the Glazers’ pockets. We’d be drafting a lot further down the pecking order, and our chances of improving this roster through the draft would thus be decreased. And oh ya, Glazers would probably opt to keep this coaching staff for yet another year, thus saving them even more money. A true win-win situation, but not for us Bucs’ fans.
November 28th, 2023 at 7:43 am
Boxer has confidence in Bowles to begin with so it was always going to end this way. I was thinking about replacing him even when we were winning
November 28th, 2023 at 7:47 am
If the Bucs lose to the Panthers, the first overall pick is in sight…
November 28th, 2023 at 7:47 am
Outside of a brief 2-3 year stretch with the Goat, this franchise has done nothing but lose, and many times in an embarrassing fashion. People mistake a short, albeit fun, championship run with the ability to build a winning organization.
November 28th, 2023 at 7:48 am
Not that I want them to lose to the Panthers. As my son would say, and is acceptable on these here comment boards, “bleep the Panthers!”
November 28th, 2023 at 7:48 am
NFC South: Where suck is rewarded.
This team is still in a strong position for a Top 3 draft pick.
Bowles has lost the team, it is clear. They have *zero* juice beyond train wreck juice. We are witnessing some terrible football.
Big changes coming as we play out the season. What’s next? The kiss of death “vote of confidence” from the Glazers?
Let us face it: Buc fans have been here before.
November 28th, 2023 at 7:49 am
Why would anyone want the Bucs to make the playoffs? Then bowles stays and we watch this mess again. They shouldn’t even let teams with losing records in the dance. They won a few beginning of year because they won the turnover battle by alot. Then teams started shaking the early season rust and the Bucs hardly stand a chance. Bowles shoulda been canned after playing under 500 with Brady. He’ll never do better without Brady. Not sure why anyone thought that
November 28th, 2023 at 7:51 am
Make the Glazers feel fan frustration in their wallets. It is the only way to get their attention. Continuing to pay for the privilege of watching a bad football team is insane. A near empty stadium speaks volumes.
November 28th, 2023 at 7:56 am
why would it not to the Glazer Family do not allow Todd to take the integrity of the orinization down! I can not believe he is still tslking about this wont snow ball is he watching the games he is coaching it is a fuul blown snow storm now. He said we are only one game out thats only because of the division he obviously take the low bar approach which is an insult to the fans! I would never call for a mans job but hearing him yesterday he is not the coach this team needs.
November 28th, 2023 at 7:56 am
Bowles is a good DC. He can’t handle all of the responsibilities of the HC and the DC at the same time however. I’m sure that some in the Glazer circle realize this. We’ll be well under .500% on Black Monday so Bowles will be on the chopping block.
November 28th, 2023 at 8:00 am
why would it not to the Glazer Family do not allow Todd to take the integrity of the organization down! I can not believe he is still talking about this won’t snow ball is he watching the games he is coaching it is a full blown snow storm now. He said we are only one game out thats only because of the division he obviously take the low bar approach which is an insult to the fans! I would never call for a mans job but hearing him yesterday he is not the coach this team needs.
November 28th, 2023 at 8:01 am
PLAYOFFS? I just hope we can win another game!
November 28th, 2023 at 8:04 am
I don’t want the short term gratification of making the playoffs only to get absolutely curb stomped by a better team, and then sitting there on draft night while teams with the same record pick 10 slots ahead of us. No thanks.
It’s time to call this season what it is, we have a bunch of dead cap room and are down an all pro center. We still have a few pieces who are part of the long term plan (Wirfs, Winfield, Vea, Dean, Kancey, Diaby, Goedeke, White) along with multiple young guys wo still have upside like Hall, Mauch, Palmer, Hainsey, Otton, and McCullum. With a small cleaning of house next year we should be able to add a few difference makers in free agency if we get the right coach.
November 28th, 2023 at 8:05 am
I will have confidence when the Bucs hire a new head coach and that head coach says something like: “I don’t know what kind of team we will have. I need to analyze the last 3 years of tape to see where our strengths and weaknesses lie. Once I determine what we do well on each side of the ball, and on special teams, I will figure out how to capitalize on our strengths and eliminate our weaknesses. Then, and only then, will I know what kind of team we have.”
November 28th, 2023 at 8:08 am
Fire the coach replace the quarterback, rinse and repeat. It’s a Bucs Life!!
November 28th, 2023 at 8:19 am
WillieG,
That’s EXACTLY what this fan wants to hear from a new coach.
November 28th, 2023 at 8:19 am
My confidence is not fading. I never had any.
November 28th, 2023 at 8:23 am
This division being this bad is a curse. Every other 4-7 team has accepted reality. Not the Bucs. Instead, we the fans are still being subjected to playoff updates, and the looming spectre of another wasted season with Bowles, just because he sneaked into the dance with a 6-11 record. Yikes.
November 28th, 2023 at 8:24 am
I said before the season the D would falter with bowls style of play.
Can’t expect them to be saviors when the offense sucks out loud. They tired….they hurt….they pissed they have to be on the field.
November 28th, 2023 at 8:30 am
The worst part about this is not this season or even last…..it’s that they callously threw away the good mojo tommy brought to town and inserted resentment to try and motivate the team for this year. Talk about one of the most colossal screw ups in sports history. Sheez. Lovie sucks.
November 28th, 2023 at 8:31 am
Hey Joe, can you ask Carlton Davis if he still thinks “We’re gonna wreck sh– without Tom Brady”? 😆 Thanks
November 28th, 2023 at 8:39 am
I did notice some signs from Bowles that he might fear for his job security. A couple times he was spotted pumping his fist and trying to encourage his defense on the sideline. Of course, he did it in the most Bowles way possible; low energy.
November 28th, 2023 at 8:46 am
Bowles has the look of a man who has not eaten a chips ahoy cookie in a year. Time to move on.
November 28th, 2023 at 8:47 am
Boss says:
Sheez. Lovie sucks.
I feel you Boss. Lovie and Bowel Movement are so alike I get them confused too.
November 28th, 2023 at 8:56 am
Bubby Says
“Outside of a brief 2-3 year stretch with the Goat, this franchise has done nothing but lose, and many times in an embarrassing fashion. People mistake a short, albeit fun, championship run with the ability to build a winning organization.”
Two runs.
And the first run of goodness lasted about 6-8 years.
November 28th, 2023 at 8:58 am
What confidence????
November 28th, 2023 at 8:58 am
“Why would anyone want the Bucs to make the playoffs?”
Darin- Because I’m a fan, that’s why. You can’t control anything else. I would much rather watch them make a run than see more of the same…or worse. Good teams/organizations find ways to win. You don’t need to draft in the top 10 every year to do that.
November 28th, 2023 at 9:01 am
Use the TEs & RBs more in the passing game….bring Godwin in for shorter passes early…..Run rarely on 1st down and never in the red zone
November 28th, 2023 at 9:02 am
Not fading…
FADED
November 28th, 2023 at 9:23 am
I honestly do not know what the answer to the defense is. Part of me wonders if they are losing on purpose to get a coaching change.
I do like the 3-4 though. After years of Tampa 2, it has been a refreshing change that resulted in a championship.
But…a new coach will possibly bring us back to a 4-3, depending on who the DC will be. One thing I do miss about 4-3 is that the defensive line was more exciting to watch…at least in the good years.
So far as offense, I much prefer a passing one. I don’t think we will ever get a good running game unless we find an Alstott type to pound the line into submission, joined with a finesse guy.
That said…I think the league is more of a passing one these days. Having a QB who can scramble would be cool, but unless he is a quality pocket guy, I think being mobile is useless.
Clearly, I have never believed in Mayfield, but there are moments his pocket awareness impresses me. Honestly, though, that’s about all that does.
To those who claim the Bucs cannot develop a quarterback, I say this:
It takes patience to actually develop a QB. That means putting up with some bad until he overcomes weaknesses, if he can…and that would mean fan patience. It’s something Bucs fans are not known for.
But also, I don’t see an older coach risking it. A coach already in or near retirement years probably will be looking to quicker success. So age will play a roll. But what is the oldest we should consider? Maybe…60? For a healthy guy?
It’s important because if we get a coach who can develop QBs, we’ll need him to be capable of coaching for an extended stretch…at least 5, maybe 7 years.
Assuming he is good enough.
I’m not really concerned with the offensive line. This one isn’t the best, but it flashes. I think it is a quality center and one more player from becoming great, and I trust Licht to fix it.
Devin White.
I actually like him. Yeah, I know, he has weaknesses. Every player does. But I like him. I think he is better than anyone we’ve had (except David) at the position in a long time. I think he can dominate with the right defense.
But, I suspect it won’t be with Tampa. I think this may be his last year in Tampa…unless the new DC insists on keeping him.
I also think Lavante David retires after this year…which means ILB will be completely vacant.
November 28th, 2023 at 9:27 am
You guys are scaring me with the rush to draft a QB in the first round. Lynch traded away 3 first rounders for a loser and was saved by the LUCK of Mr. Irrlevant that last pick in the draft.
Have we not learned from history. FAMEIS JAMEIS!!! Can’t miss. Isn’t really a man child with no character. And again the two SB winning QB’s for the Bucs came in the 6th and 9th rounds!
Bottom line….WHO do you trust right now to draft a QB in the first round? I admire and respect Licht who like all GM’s has his hits and misses…JW is one of the BIGGEST misses in Bucs history. What would the THREE good players the Bucs could have secured be contributing today?
So WHO is going to make the selection? First get the coach. To get somebody like Harbaugh $$$ are not going to be the problem. It’s CONTROL of the roster.
Harbaugh or whomever is up next should TOTALLY determine personnel decisions for the next couple of years…ESPECIALLY at QB.
Harbaugh won 70% of his game in College and the NFL. He played QB 14 years in the NFL. If they get somebody like Harbaugh let HIM determine the future of the QB position. He at least freaking understands the job.
November 28th, 2023 at 9:31 am
Joe says that the coaching staff cannot see things that all of us fans can.. Well I know a thing or 2 that even stubborn coach like Bowles could see:
How about a billboard that basically says: “Fire Todd Bowles yesterday!” on Dale Mabry or perhaps have a plane fly a banner with that trailing behind it before and during a ball game at RJS? Billboards and banners have been used before here in FL to criticize coaches and owners; back when Hugh Culverhouse was still around he floated the idea of playing games in Orlando because his Buc team was drawing about 25 or 30K for any home game which was not against Chicago or Green Bay. A local station: “93 The Power Pig” put up a sign on a billboard which said “Screw Hugh” with a metallic screw replacing the word screw. Up in Gainesville almost 20 years back, “Fire Ron Zook” banners and signs were all the rage and that was when the Gators were going 7-5 instead of winning the nominal 10+ wins Gator nation expected from their team during a dozen years with Spurrier. The Glazers would notice such signs as well though threatening to cancel season tickets would get their attention as well.
In a nutshell; if one was to look up stubborn/stubbornness in a dictionary they would likely find photos of Lovie Smith, SpongeBob Leftwich and Todd Bowles as illustrative examples. The only question about Bowles is if his stubborn streak is due to a huge ego or total ineptitude as most think of when they think about Leftwich.
November 28th, 2023 at 9:33 am
Bucsfanman Says:
“Because I’m a fan, that’s why. You can’t control anything else. I would much rather watch them make a run than see more of the same…or worse. Good teams/organizations find ways to win. You don’t need to draft in the top 10 every year to do that.”
We’ve picked top 10 once in the last 8 years.
Fans want what is best for the team, right?
Kind of like when the team is up by once score in the last minute of a game…a RB can run out of bounds and stop the clock, or stay inbounds so the clock keeps running. Yes…stopping the clock gives us a chance to score…maybe…but the smart, best thing for the team is to keep the clock running to keep the other team from scoring, right?
Same thing. Winning costs us draft picks, but it also helps a team like the Panthers improve it’s draft position…a team in our division. Even if the traded their first pick away, we can hurt them in later rounds by losing against them now.
So, it’s a matter of perspective. Win now, hurt ourselves in more than one way…or lose now and help ourselves in multiple ways.
November 28th, 2023 at 9:34 am
All I Want For Christmas is a new coach and coaches
November 28th, 2023 at 9:40 am
stpetebucfan, I also want Harbaugh.
It would have many benefits:
His winning percentage rocks.
He has shown patience with young QBs.
He is in his 60s, maybe even 60? That means he still has a good amount of coaching left in him.
He would demand job security.
He would be another splash hire, resulting in a bunch of prime time games.
Getting him to come here would be the hard part. Having a high pick would help. Also, college is currently not treating him well, so he might finally consider such a move.
November 28th, 2023 at 9:52 am
Bonzai
Glad to agree with you again! He’s 59 which does beg D.R.’s question can he relate to young guys? Watching interviews of them they appear as if they would eat nails for him and assistants all love him.
You raise the biggest point. What could lure Harbaugh from his Alma Mater?
Great point! He’s whipped Ohio State three years in a row, nothing left to prove there…if he wins a National Title IMHO he’ll be easy pickings except for the MASSIVE competition from other needy NFL and college teams. IE He’ll be able to write his own check.
Again only my opinion but I think WINNERS like Harbaugh enjoy new challenges. What better time to come to the Bucs when nothing will be expected of them next year even though they play in a crappy division.
The ONE thing I believe is certain. Harbaugh will no come to Tampa without total roster control. JL survived Lovie and Harbaugh is far better than Lovie especially working with QB’s.
People want Lion’s OC Ben Johnson and he is the most coveted head coaching candidate in the NFL right now. I’m OK with that I respect him. But I do not want Licht making a QB pick in the first round and I’m not sure I feel that much better about Johnson.
November 28th, 2023 at 10:06 am
Bonzai- I hear what you’re saying but the draft is an absolute crapshoot. It’s “the devil that you know”. THIS team should be vying for a playoff spot. Next year is just that, NEXT year.
November 28th, 2023 at 10:24 am
LAST 7 WEEK WIN/LOSS COMPARISON
BUCS:
L, L, L, L, W, L, L
CARDINALS:
L, L, L, L, W, L, L
PANTHERS
L, L, W, L, L, L, L
PATRIOTS
L, L, W, L, L, L, L
Our W-L record looks like one of the worst teams in the NFL because we are one of the worst teams in the NFL.
November 28th, 2023 at 10:55 am
Tanking is for losers
Sure, you can get a better draft pick, but you also breed a losing mentality.
Future head coach options see a losing mentality and want nothing of it.
I like Harbaugh too, he’s a winner.
Winners don’t want anything to do with losers.
I personally think he would rather coach a team full of players who battled for wins and ended up with the #14 pick, than a team full of losers with the #1 pick
November 28th, 2023 at 11:47 am
What’s the highest pick a playoff team has ever landed without trading? Top 10 pick AND be in the playoffs?!
November 28th, 2023 at 12:01 pm
GP
“I personally think he would rather coach a team full of players who battled for wins and ended up with the #14 pick, than a team full of losers with the #1 pick”
AMEN!
November 28th, 2023 at 12:32 pm
For those who are wise and actually knows football, confidence in Todd Bowels is non-existent!
November 28th, 2023 at 12:33 pm
Given enough time, Todd has ruined his own defense. What a genius.
What schemes is he running that’s so difficult to understand?… It’s football.
We ain’t building a “Space Shuttle”
November 28th, 2023 at 1:31 pm
We have seen enough losing football to know that when the team consistently find new ways of losing, that the coach walks the plank. EVERYBODY is making mistakes. This is a clear accountability issue that doesnt resolve until lots of guys lose their jobs. You can lay all of that blame at the feet of Todd Bowles.
November 28th, 2023 at 2:10 pm
Spbf.
Yep. Licht has to go.
For real this time.
November 28th, 2023 at 4:17 pm
It’s clear to me that Bowles has lost at least half the lockeroom at this point- ESPECIALLY on defense… and he’s a uh, defensive coach…
November 28th, 2023 at 4:41 pm
Frank Smith, offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins. I think he is doing a great job in Miami bringing them back from the pits of hell
November 28th, 2023 at 5:00 pm
Yeah I see the locker room gone. What I also see gone is toughness. Just plain mean ass toughness and an absolute REFUSAL to be beat. That is gone, it left with the QB, of all people. It also left with the center too. Arians had a bit of that. Harbaugh has that. A smart football player we want, yes, but toughness needs to be at the heart of this team, both offense and especially defense. The draft is a crap-shoot, injuries, etc all play a role. Don’t fire Bowles, wait till end of season but start looking for a replacement 2 weeks ago. It’s a shame, part of this Bowles did inherit, cap issues, Jenson gone, all that stuff, but I don’t see any heart in this team except for a few, certainly none on D.
November 28th, 2023 at 6:22 pm
Lots of armchairs coaches commenting, The owners have a lot of candidates to choose from, Get your resume ready and show them howits done.
November 28th, 2023 at 6:23 pm
Lots of armchairs coaches c
ommenting, The owners have a lot of candidates to choose from, Get your resume ready and show them howits done.
November 28th, 2023 at 6:58 pm
I as a fan know how close we are in this crappy division, to still somehow win the south! And am rooting for that, cause I’m a fan and a playoff game, win or lose is fun to watch ur team in the post season! BUT If somehow we screw up Sunday and lose to a 1-9 team, then it’s time to tank royally and get the highest pick in draft as possible and right this ship for the future!