Todd Bowles Blasted As “Meathead”
November 9th, 2023
A former Bucs quarterback with a national platform has a major beef with Todd Bowles — as a defensive mind.
That’s how bad it’s getting for the Tampa Bay head coach and noted defensive guru. Savvy pundits are questioning his ability adjust defensively.
Has Bowles earned the daggers? After Sunday’s Houston Horror, Joe doesn’t know what to believe.
Making game picks today on PFT PM, ex-Bucs QB and Patriots assistant coach Chris Simms threw darts at Bowles as he picked the Titans to beat the Bucs on Sunday at The Licht House.
“The Buccaneers always overplay the run. Right? That’s one of my problems with Todd Bowles,” Simms said.
“I mean even last week, I had a joke in my podcast; Todd Bowles was playing run defense in the third quarter [against Houston] and we’re already 300 passing yards in [by Houston] — like he was playing the ’93 Cowboys and Emmitt Smith.
“And he’s still got eight guys at the line of scrimmage, ‘Like, they might run it all over us still.’ No, they’re not, Todd. They’re throwing all over you, adjust.
“And I just think he’s a meathead that way, and their defensive coaches there to where they’re going to go all-in and worry about the running game all that — and they’re going to leave some opportunities for Will Levis in the passing game like we’ve seen. I’m going to go Titans 20-17.”
Simms is accurate when he says Bowles goes all-in to stop the run, much more than most defenses.
His mindset is to force teams into pass-rush situations, so Bowles can force turnovers. That worked incredibly well when Bowles had a beastly pass rush and a ferocious run-stuffing unit.
Nowadays, he has neither.
As for Sunday, Joe expects Bowles to sell-out to stop freakish Titans running back Derrick Henry, who has been on a three-game tear against good defenses — Baltimore, Atlanta and Pittsburgh.
Henry has 51 carries for 273 yards and 2 touchdowns in those games — about 5.4 yards per carry.
November 9th, 2023 at 4:51 pm
LMAO
November 9th, 2023 at 4:52 pm
The man is history…unless he puts in Trask and Trask turns out to be a superstar…which is about 30% chance?
Get the kid developing while we can…because you DO NOT want Mayfield as a backup next year.
November 9th, 2023 at 5:06 pm
“noted defensive guru”…. Sorry, not in this planet!
November 9th, 2023 at 5:17 pm
Bowles and Canales remind me of Bubba and Forest Gump.
November 9th, 2023 at 5:18 pm
Todd thinks a halftime adjustment, is changing the location where he stands on the sideline.
November 9th, 2023 at 5:24 pm
Yep, Bubba and Forest Gump. They plan on buying a shrimping boat soon.
November 9th, 2023 at 5:24 pm
We actually had 7 in coverage a lot and still couldn’t cover anyone
November 9th, 2023 at 5:25 pm
“Trask turns out to be a superstar…which is about 30% chance?”
HA! Bonzai seems to think superstar franchise quarterbacks grow on trees. Try more like a 3% chance.
November 9th, 2023 at 5:32 pm
Momma always said: ‘forest, stupid is as stupid does’.
November 9th, 2023 at 5:34 pm
I got that rookie titans QB throwing for 5 td’s and 600 yards. Easy as ABC, 1,2,3.
November 9th, 2023 at 5:39 pm
In time, we’ll fondly remember Coach Bowles as Leeman Bennett’s long-lost brother.
November 9th, 2023 at 5:43 pm
Bubba and Forrest Gump were way more successful in their endeavors than Bowles and Canales are. (At least Forrest was anyway)
November 9th, 2023 at 5:43 pm
A “defensive mind” is a terrible thing to waste.
November 9th, 2023 at 6:01 pm
Get ready for the Tennessee Two Step to be performed all over our Buc loving a**es!
November 9th, 2023 at 6:02 pm
When back to back rookies have career days…. What the?
November 9th, 2023 at 6:10 pm
Stack the box to stop Henry, and that Muscle mayo-in-coffee will light the Buc DB’s up.
I didn’t like Bowles coming into this season but I gave him an honest shot. Once again, he has proven my analysis is correct.
November 9th, 2023 at 6:11 pm
FORMER defensive guru – There, I corrected it for you! Game is currently passing him by, making his ancient defense obsolete!….
November 9th, 2023 at 6:14 pm
I’m tired of dumping on him. Before all this I didn’t want him to be our coach not last year either. He’s a good dude I guess but I just don’t him steering the ship or sinking it anymore. Got to admit it is pretty stupid to stack the big box against a team linking up in the pass game with a rookie
November 9th, 2023 at 6:18 pm
Statistically Insignificant Reader Says:
November 9th, 2023 at 5:17 pm
Bowles and Canales remind me of Bubba and Forest Gump.
Let’s just see what Lt. Dan has to say about your comment hahaha. . .
November 9th, 2023 at 6:18 pm
Bonzai. He was history before the season began. Guess you hadn’t been paying attention until Houston We Have a Problem.
November 9th, 2023 at 6:21 pm
run forest run!… hmm.
November 9th, 2023 at 6:30 pm
BONZAI: Stop dreamer about Trask because it’s never going to happen. Don’t get me wrong, I like the kid too, but Baker is better.
November 9th, 2023 at 6:44 pm
WOW! He almost sounds as mad as we are…
Great speech!
I don’t know much at all about football plays but it all sounds true to me. Is it?
November 9th, 2023 at 7:09 pm
Wyomingjoe, are you related to Baker?
November 9th, 2023 at 7:13 pm
How on earth could we know what Trask can do in real game time situations? We’ve never seen him. Baker is a mediocre QB at best, the front office needs better then average.
November 9th, 2023 at 7:15 pm
Coaches like a runaway Shrimp boat. Is it to much to ask to just play good quality professional football? GO BUCS
November 9th, 2023 at 7:19 pm
Even THO I appreciate Chris simms giving a spleen to play for the bucs , he is dead wrong ! The bucs GM might be a little bit of a meat head and I’m OK with that cause I like Jayson but what toilet bowl has is SHAT FOR BRAINS ! CAN SOMEONE PLEASE PHOTOSHOP A GIANT SMILING POOP EMOJI ON TOP OF TOILET BOWLS SHOULDERS ? PLEASE ? I WOULD BUT AM OLD & DONT KNOW THAT TYPE OF WITCHCRAFT..PLEASE AND THANK YOU
November 9th, 2023 at 7:22 pm
Bowles’ defense is not like a box of chocolates, you always know what you’re going to get – crap.
November 9th, 2023 at 7:25 pm
Baker squeaked by Trask how is he much better. Ones never been given an honest chance and the other keeps fooling teams until they finally realize he’s hit his ceiling and then jettison him
November 9th, 2023 at 7:27 pm
“How on earth could we know what Trask can do in real game time situations?”
That’s like saying how can we know what Kellen Mond is if we’ve never seen him in live action…Matt Corall? Those QBs are gaurenteed cruddy NFL quarterbacks even though they’ve never officially played in the regular season.
Point being after 3 years and 2 lost QB competitions (to Gabbert and Mayfield) you start to get some hints and the odds are stacked against you.
November 9th, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Plus Trask was not a highly sought after draft prospect….Licht reached for him in the 2d round when he could’ve waited till the 3rd or 4th round.
November 9th, 2023 at 7:58 pm
Our rush defense sucks too, so…..
November 9th, 2023 at 8:06 pm
Somehow many of you believe if you change the QB the Bucs will win more. Evan’s, Godwin, Wirfs, Baker etc. didn’t all of a sudden forget how to play the game. The HC is sabotaging this team and the sad part is he has no idea he is. What HC in his right mind hires a green OC after going from one of the top offensive teams in the league to mid level in one season when he’s taken over the helm? He changed the whole philosophy of an offense that was built for scoring and he’s paying the price. One word comes to mind CLUELESS!!!
November 9th, 2023 at 8:09 pm
We are going to the SUPER BOWL!!!!!
November 9th, 2023 at 8:32 pm
Tbb3,
Trask has never won the job. Backup in HS, college backup then injuries led to his playing , Bucs two years lost to gabbert then Mayfield.
That’s a hard charger seize the reins type of guy!
November 9th, 2023 at 8:33 pm
This feels like the Lovie Smith days….
November 9th, 2023 at 8:33 pm
NE Fan Says:
November 9th, 2023 at 8:06 pm
Somehow many of you believe if you change the QB the Bucs will win more. Evan’s, Godwin, Wirfs, Baker etc. didn’t all of a sudden forget how to play the game. The HC is sabotaging this team and the sad part is he has no idea he is. What HC in his right mind hires a green OC after going from one of the top offensive teams in the league to mid level in one season when he’s taken over the helm? He changed the whole philosophy of an offense that was built for scoring and he’s paying the price. One word comes to mind CLUELESS!!!
^^^^^
And how’s Belichick’s offense been doing without Tom Brady? Worse than Todd Bowles offense??? One word comes to mind CLUELESS!!!
November 9th, 2023 at 8:40 pm
Bowles is a dinosaur and should only be coaching if they ban the forward pass.
Lightning look like arse too.
Dark times in CHampa Bay.
November 9th, 2023 at 8:50 pm
Wonder if Simms stands by his prediction of Green Bay at the 3 Seed and the Giants at 7?
November 9th, 2023 at 8:56 pm
Don’t know if he’s a meathead or just a lousy coach. Either way he needs to go ASAP.
November 9th, 2023 at 9:29 pm
He’s a good guy, but honestly, why is he still here? We need a serious oil change of coaches.
November 9th, 2023 at 9:33 pm
Lt. Dan: Do you have ANY idea how it feels to NOT be able to stop the run…. you Rooster lollipoping rectal divot?????
November 9th, 2023 at 9:42 pm
There isn’t a coaching staff in the league that would have significantly better results with this unit.
By the end of the year, maybe we’d have won 3-5 more games only to get stomped out in the playoffs with a better coaching unit.
We’re losing games we should win to inferior teams, but we’d still get bullied by the powerhouses of the league regardless of coaching.
November 9th, 2023 at 9:44 pm
Harbaugh
November 9th, 2023 at 9:45 pm
I liked Bowles and the hiring of Canales but all this has to end. The O-line hasn’t jelled quick enough, terrible defense through at least 6 games. Point all you want at scoring D before they tanked and if you let a team{Falcons} move into position to win with a FG scoring D means zilch. This team lacks a hard ass edge, Jensen provided that on the offense. No one on D has shown that. And they have coached players out of position all year on the D. PLUS last game with no kicker should have given the Bucs a GUARANTEED 35 yard line start at the least, but again, penalties. I see a totally un-focused, undisciplined team, someone has to kick them in the britches hard. Now we are working threw salary cap issues as well, Light did a good job with that but need some balls in this team
November 9th, 2023 at 9:46 pm
Save the season – cut Bowles loose!
November 9th, 2023 at 10:03 pm
“The Meathead”! Man that is an excellent nickname for the HC!. I remember the “All in the Family” where Archie first used that name on his son in law, Mike Stivic. He said you’re a meathead, dead from the neck up! I think from now on I will refer to Coach Bowles simply as “The Meathead” until the Bucs actually win a few games (unlikely) or he get his parting gifts in early January (almost guaranteed).
November 9th, 2023 at 10:11 pm
Pablo, I agree, I’m posting something else to some dick HS bedwetter, lmao, stole that from someone. I disagree in D, dont know what they were doing on final drive but i’m down with them for season, great effort, David much like Evans, 10 yr guys, tough desions, GO BUCS
Dave ur an idiot
huge loss, deflating, season changing
In a hole now. Sad to see teams disappointment
Oh well, get yourself up and get back in the race
Go Bucs, Dav u suc and STFU, get a job where u have to wk instead of posting BS
November 9th, 2023 at 10:13 pm
I can’t believe there are people, after what we watched vs. the Texans, that have decided that the topic is that Kyle Trask needs to start.
WTF does that have to do with anything? I have nothing against the kid, but give me a break.
November 9th, 2023 at 10:18 pm
I didn’t read most of these comments, so is BM the problem? WTF
Haven’t heard that from many that know the game.
You know, “Everytime i find myself flat on my face, I get thyself up and get back in the race”, u guys suck
GO BUCS, I think they’re starting to gel, LMAO, Oh Well
November 9th, 2023 at 10:23 pm
The Trask fanbois need to give it up. Team is going nowhere with him this srason. This team could easily be 5-3 or better now if not for some boneheaded play calling and unnecessary penalties. As it is we still have about a 1/3 chance of making the playoffs according to the odds, and the real chance is probably better than that, so it’s not nearly time to jump ship for this season. What they need is to call plays on offense that aren’t predictable as hell, call plays on defense that take into account the situation of the game, and stop committing penalties that blow up half the offensive possessions. Had they done those things so far, they’d be 6-2 as we speak. There’s still time to right this ship but they really have to get started this week. If the record hasn’t improved in the next 2 or 3 weeks it’d be a different story, but at this point we still have a good chance and it’d be ridiculously dumb to waive the white flag right now. What we need to see is that the coaches have the stones to make the right choices and not stick with what their ego says. Some of their plans were good but much of it isn’t fitting the reality of where the team is at: they need to adjust.
November 9th, 2023 at 10:25 pm
Dave ur an idiot
huge loss, deflating, season changing
In a hole now. Sad to see teams disappointment
Oh well, get yourself up and get back in the race
Go Bucs, Dav u suc and STFU, get a job where u have to wk instead of posting BS
November 9th, 2023 at 10:25 pm
We don’t have the personnel, no amount of coaching will fix that. Interior line is below average, QB IS average, mebbe a hair above. RB below average, D-line, with the exception of Vita, WAY below average. Secondary….meh. I’m wondering what the Glazers expected Bowles to achieve
November 9th, 2023 at 10:30 pm
Trask never won the starting job in HS or in college,but was outstanding once given the opportunity. No other UF QB has EVER carved up the SEC like Trask did. Mayfield and this coaching staff won’t be here next spring. Trask should get some experience for the Bucs in preparation for next season. As for wining the division?……Why? The best we could hope for would be one and done. I don’t want to be drafting 20th. I don’t want to tank either. Play to win, but play everybody so we can see who can actually contribute.
November 9th, 2023 at 11:10 pm
Well you win by running the ball … according to Todd Bowles 1970 edition of the Coaches Handbook, so it only makes since that you’ll win if you stop the run. DUH!
November 9th, 2023 at 11:11 pm
Now the Bears have as many wins as the Bucs – which keeps the #1 overall pick talk alive since the Bucs get to play the Panthers twice still. So if the Panthers can take those games, the Bucs will be in good shape. Will still have to find the Giants and Pats some wins, but the Bucs are already up to #8 in the draft order!
November 9th, 2023 at 11:18 pm
Still waiting on the Article that says Bowles has been fired and HC replacement options. The Eagles offensive coordinator looks like he may be a decent candidate.
November 9th, 2023 at 11:25 pm
Panthers are winning the tank for #1 battle
Hey! Panthers are 2 easy wins for the Bucs. Maybe we can squeak into the playoffs and then get routed again?
November 9th, 2023 at 11:32 pm
you know coach and players are reading this bowles roast-athon…
there’s gotta be some locker room banter about the mega pre thanksgiving roast of the biggest turkey in town…
people are really getting on coach……..it’s serious
#LetsTalkTurkey 🙂
November 9th, 2023 at 11:35 pm
what if:
derrick henry has a breakout game a breakout game and scampers for over 200 yards and 2 tds…
and runs into the end zone on one play carrying carlton davis on his back, piggyback style, like a pup in a napsack…then what
November 9th, 2023 at 11:46 pm
We’ll roast Carlton Davis next week and give coach a break.
November 10th, 2023 at 12:01 am
This is what Bowles ball is all about, and we saw it coming. Its a scoring league. We pay premium for a defensive roster of part time players. Vea plays half the snaps. Davis and Dean take plays off and manage to injure themselves for a quarter of the season. Shaq disappears. 45 is regressing. Pushed around and bullied by physical teams. LVD and Winfield are small injuries away from the whole defense collapsing. Paper Tiger defense-all growl and no bite. Its a shame that LVD and ME13 put their bodies on the line last week just for Bowles to blow it off as a clunker.
November 10th, 2023 at 12:15 am
clunk·er
/ˈkləNGkər/
nounINFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN
an old, run-down vehicle or machine.
“old clunkers are the primary source of pollution”
Similar:
jalopy
lemon
rustbucket
bucket of bolts
hooptie
crate
a thing that is totally unsuccessful.
“novel after novel and not a clunker among them”
Similar:
failure
flop
bust
dud
turkey
November 10th, 2023 at 12:29 am
Rod, do not forget about the Cards, maybe they beat the ATL this week but they really have no motivation to win either, they might sit Murray to protect him if thy want to flip QBs again……. Also the Bears winning is actually a win for their road to a number 1 overall as they own the Panthers’ #1 pick from the Bryce Young trade. I do not see the Giants winning again to be honest either. A bit too early to strategize the Bucs plan to use the Meathead’s poor head coaching skills to find a way to that #1 but perhaps if nothing changes with the Bucs then in a few weeks when the Bucs have just lost to the Colts to go 3-8 we can see who has 3 or fewer wins……
November 10th, 2023 at 1:58 am
“No, they’re not, Todd.”
November 10th, 2023 at 2:00 am
You can forget about that top 5 pick pipedream…
The top 5 worst teams in the NFL are next level bad…the Bucs won’t be picking there unless your benching starters which won’t happen.
November 10th, 2023 at 4:40 am
What a clown show LMAOOOOO
November 10th, 2023 at 6:18 am
Todd Bowles= XFL HC
All I ever heard was from Brady haters was, “he’s not that good, it’s the system”…
Now everyone sees from New England to Tampa Bay that Brady “Is” the system…
He made alot of people look good over the years…
As for Todd, I was done with him the moment he sat our starters in the final game of the season against the Falcons last year willingly taking an L; I didn’t see the point of “resting the starters” we struggled the entire year and needed a win to build momentum going into the playoffs, instead we came out stale and God our @ss kicked…He’s not a good HC period!…
November 10th, 2023 at 7:03 am
Wonder if we can convince Sapp to go and Blast Simms? Geez! I wish he would just go away.
BTW will ya look at the size of Veas Cankles!!!
I don’t think my thighs were ever that big!
Go Bucs!
November 10th, 2023 at 7:05 am
Jack no argument here. I’ve lost faith in Belichick the day he sat Malcolm Butler and lost the 2017 SB because Butler had an argument with Matt Patricia. Same story different team, average QB, shatty oline and coach that is defense minded first. That being said I wouldn’t put my money on the Bucs if they played the Pat’s, Bowles would make Mac Jones look like Joe Montana by the end of that game.
Side not, watching Total Access this AM, the highlights were Stroud torching Davis for 4 TD’s. Stroud is in for an awakening this week against the Bengals D. If I were Vrabel I’d be telling Willy boy to throw at Davis at all cost, he STINKS!!!
November 10th, 2023 at 8:49 am
NE Fan Says:
November 9th, 2023 at 8:06 pm
Somehow many of you believe if you change the QB the Bucs will win more. Evan’s, Godwin, Wirfs, Baker etc. didn’t all of a sudden forget how to play the game. The HC is sabotaging this team and the sad part is he has no idea he is. What HC in his right mind hires a green OC after going from one of the top offensive teams in the league to mid level in one season when he’s taken over the helm? He changed the whole philosophy of an offense that was built for scoring and he’s paying the price. One word comes to mind CLUELESS!!!
^^^^^
And how’s Belichick’s offense been doing without Tom Brady? Worse than Todd Bowles offense??? One word comes to mind CLUELESS!!!
________
Jack Clark. NE are doing worse because not only is Brady gone, but Edelman, Gronk, and a bunch of probowlers on defense. They got a bunch of Jags now.
As for the Bucs, they are still nearly as talented as the 2020 and 2021 Bucs. Bowles lost the NFC championship. Bowles weighed down the 2022 team and is weighing down the 2023 team. Yes Brady declined in 2022 from top 3 to top 10, but in 2023 Baker has been good at just outside top 10. Difference is between Arians No Risk it No Biscuit and Bowles Playing safe and trying not to lose.
November 10th, 2023 at 8:55 am
Also with Bowles, every time he tries not to score at end of quarter with less than a minute and timeouts, he’s losing potential 3 to 7 points.
Every time he punts near midfield, he’s potential losing 3 to 7 points.
Every time he declines to go for it at 4 and 1 or 2. There goes a potential 3 to 7 points.
Every game where he’s trying to slow down the game and run out the clock, the offense is losing about 2 series a game.
Bowles is taking about 2 to 5 series away from the offense each game. That’s a major reason why they haven’t been scoring as much in 2022 and 2023.
November 10th, 2023 at 9:22 am
BradyGronk@ same as 2022 only he is probably the only coach in the history of the game to take the ball out if Brady’s hands in crunch time.
November 10th, 2023 at 1:32 pm
Bowles is so awful to watch coach. Saw him with jets and seeing him now. I could just cry. All this talent wasted two years in a row by yet ANOTHER incompetent coach hired by the glazers. Except gruden and arians THEY SUCK AT HIRING COACHES! We all KNEW BOWLES WOULD STINK LIKE A BAG OF BUTTHOLES AND WE WERE ALL FORCED TO PUT OUR NOSES IN THAT BAG BY THE GLAZERS!
November 10th, 2023 at 1:41 pm
NE Fan. Yeah not many coaches would have taken the ball out of Brady’s hand as often as Bowles did last year.
But that’s Bowles style, to take away the ball from the offense to benefit his defense. That’s how he gets these weird stats like giving up tons of passing yardage but not much points. So he gives the appearance that the defense is great when it really isn’t, although the 2020 defense was great.
November 10th, 2023 at 1:54 pm
Finally, someone has the guts to point out that Bowles is living 30 years in the past. He hasn’t been able to adjust his defense to the opponent’s shifting offensive strategy. He is very one dimensional. The Bucs offense did their part in the final 5 minutes of the Texans game. However, the defense fell flat, under Bowles’ direction and allowed a rookie QB to drive the Texans down in 2 minutes for a touchdown to seal the victory for Houston. Bowles is a pathetic caricature of something he can never be – a leader and a good head coach. Sad to say, I am only watching the Bucs to see if Bowles makes it to the end of the season or if he gets canned before the end of regular season. In 2024, I hope the Bucs start looking for a long term solution at QB, too, after they find a better prospect for Heach Coach. Go Bucs.
November 10th, 2023 at 2:20 pm
This on “The Pewter Plank” says it all:
“There seems to be a reliance on sticking to the plan and avoiding improvisation, but it’s clearly not working.”
November 10th, 2023 at 6:07 pm
Meathead is such a great insult. Very few words convey the exact same thing.
November 10th, 2023 at 6:19 pm
The sky is falling, The sky is falling, The sky is falling!!