Ironic Internal Praise For Bucs Fighting To Final Second
January 29th, 2024
By now, everyone who really cares about the Buccaneers knows that Todd Bowles passed on calling timeout last week when Detroit had a 4th-and-12 play upcoming with 36 seconds remaining on the Tampa Bay 32 yard line.
Game over. Bucs lose by one score, 31-23 in the divisional playoffs.
Bowles twice said he didn’t call timeout because the Bucs had no chance to win.
One day later, in a twist of irony that sparked bouts of diarrhea at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters, Bucs assistant general manager John Spytek was on the Buccaneers Radio Network praising the fight of the Tampa Bay offense through the entire season.
Even when the team struggled, per Spytek, “guys just never game in. There was always an energy and a fight there.”
Then Spytek mentioned the Bucs’ trip to Buffalo in October.
“It was a really had environment to play in. We end up getting a drive put together at the very end when we were kind of counted out the whole game and get within a Hail Mary, a really close Hail Mary of winning that game,” Spytek said.
Joe nearly choked on a Hooters curly fry. For those how don’t remember, after a Bills punt, the Bucs got the ball at their 20 yard line with 21 seconds on the clock and no timeouts.
Four plays later (plus a five-yard penalty on the Bills) Baker Mayfield threw a Hail Mary that bounced in the end zone. Chris Godwin was right at the spot and open, but he turned to the ball a quarter-second too late. Tight end Cade Otton was interfered with badly on the play at the 1 yard line and no penalty was called.
It’s just wild to Joe that Spytek was out there lauding the fight in the Bills game right after Bowles denied his team a chance to fight with even more time than it had in Buffalo.
January 29th, 2024 at 8:59 am
What gets me most is Bowles doubling down that it was the right move. OK you got swept up in the moment and didn’t realize the Lions made a dumb move. But don’t act like it was the right thing not to call a timeout.
This guy seems to prefer to lie even when it’s more difficult. Can’t wait till he’s gone (someday).
January 29th, 2024 at 9:01 am
Inexcusable mindset against the Lions
January 29th, 2024 at 9:02 am
Indeed, interesting he didn’t use the Detroit game as a reference to not giving up. Little damage control being done there?
January 29th, 2024 at 9:05 am
I agree. Some fans seem to support Bowles on this just because the TV broadcast at the time did not make a deal.
My best guess is that the Bucs thought they used their last time out. But it was given back earlier because of the penalty.
The Bucs time management guy blew it and Bowles never knew it. That is 99 percent on the time management guy and then 100 percent also on Bowles. He should remove that guy before next season for that error.
Is there a possibility Bowles was just saving his guy in the media? And behind the scenes at some point, we will see someone let go?
By the way, who are the primary guy’s responsible for that besides Bowles?
January 29th, 2024 at 9:12 am
Maybe coaches Jeff Kastl, Joey Fitzgerald, David Raih, or Keith Tandy has that duty during the game.
I mean the Bucs listed 28 people on their coaching staff last year.
January 29th, 2024 at 9:24 am
Don’t forget Texas. The times Bowles does use timeouts, he uses them to lose. Bowles needs to study end of game strategy or hire a coach that assists with decision making.
January 29th, 2024 at 9:39 am
HOF coach in the making.
January 29th, 2024 at 9:41 am
Bowles’ words, not Joe’s — “prolonging the obvious.” so I quit. ANYONE who has ever snapped a chin strap know this is just BULLSPIT.
January 29th, 2024 at 9:45 am
Game mismanagement at the end of the half and the end of the game is Todds’ biggest weakness bar none and must be addressed.
January 29th, 2024 at 9:46 am
Ask Greg Schiano about that and see what his response is.
January 29th, 2024 at 9:46 am
The way they were playing? Lions would have targeted Zyon and scored a TD. The game was over. get over it.
January 29th, 2024 at 9:55 am
The game is over when the clock says :00 and sometimes not even then , job of a coach is to prolong the game and exhaust all possible means to win, even if the odds are 10,000-1.
January 29th, 2024 at 9:59 am
I’m shocked one of the players didn’t call time out. What’s he going to do about it at that point? I’m sorry, not sorry, he should be fired for that alone. All the other reasons just justifies it more. I suspect (I have no way of knowing) that bowels was told preseason that this year was a gimme for him and he’d be safe. We’ll see how much love the owners give him next season. He just makes too many stupid mistakes at crucial times. Go ahead and put me down for 17 no confidence votes for next season.
January 29th, 2024 at 10:02 am
And the job of some fans is to keep crying they got beat fair and square and blame somebody.
January 29th, 2024 at 10:18 am
It’s weak. This whole “glorious loss” mentality is freaking weak. It starts with Bud Licht.
January 29th, 2024 at 10:19 am
We’re still on this? Jesus, lets move on already.
January 29th, 2024 at 10:20 am
Joe says “ It’s just wild to Joe that Spytek was out there lauding the fight in the Bills game right after Bowles denied his team a chance to fight with even more time than it had in Buffalo.”
This is the same head coach that Joe said should apologize. Yet Joe gives him a B+ and admonishes his majority of readers who disapprove of Bowles. Says we should look in the mirror. Well Joe, Bowles isn’t the only one that needs to apologize.
Yes, a B+ performance for the season. The team overachieved. Joe doesn’t run approval polls here, only confidence polls. Big, big difference. –Joe
January 29th, 2024 at 10:25 am
yes, lets cling to our participation trophy and move on
January 29th, 2024 at 10:37 am
For Gods sake.
Does anyone believe calling that time out would have allowed us to score twice?
Just Couch coaching at it worst.
Thats why coaches always drag out the end of games, with meaningless timeouts.
Just so they dont have to answer to the” Id play to the last second” armchair squad.
I admired Bowles for acknowleding that the game was over, and ending it.
All the”screw around another 10 minutes, futile calling every last time out, always reeked of poor gamesmanship to me.
January 29th, 2024 at 10:46 am
Time management has been an issue before and the philosophy behind some decisions make zero sense to me. Take last night’s game with Detroit and San Fran.
Detroit needed. 10 points to tie, so 2 possessions. I get the “desire” to get 2 TDs but to do that you still need 2 possessions and time was running out. Detroit still had all 3 timeouts. As soon as they got into makeable FG range you need to assess the time remaining. They had more than enough time and TOs in the bank to get the FG and save the TD to tie (or win on a 2 point try) for last.
The reason is simple……if you get a defensive stop and the 49ers punt and pin you deep on your last possession of the game, you would have more time left and you can’t kick a 70 yard FG if you can’t move the ball but you can throw a Hail Mary.
Detroit burned up so much clock (and a timeout) trying desperately to get that TD first instead of taking the FG that they had no choice but to try the on-side kick.
So many coaches get the “big eye” when their offense gets inside the 40 or 30 and want that 7 points first and “hope” they can get the FG later.
Dan Campbell has done a helluva job and his style of nearly always going for it on 4th down has worked for the most part (and it’s become the analytically trendy thing to do) but you live by the sword, you die by the sword.
January 29th, 2024 at 10:47 am
Bosch Says:
January 29th, 2024 at 10:20 am
Joe says “ It’s just wild to Joe that Spytek was out there lauding the fight in the Bills game right after Bowles denied his team a chance to fight with even more time than it had in Buffalo.”
This is the same head coach that Joe said should apologize. Yet Joe gives him a B+ and admonishes his majority of readers who disapprove of Bowles. Says we should look in the mirror. Well Joe, Bowles isn’t the only one that needs to apologize.
Yes, a B+ performance for the season. The team overachieved. Joe doesn’t run approval polls here, only confidence polls. Big, big difference. –Joe
–
I would have given a low ‘C’ for the year, until his decision to not “delay the inevitable”.
To me, that’s kinda like failing the final exam.
That’s a failing grade for the year and grounds for removal from the program.
IMHO
January 29th, 2024 at 10:53 am
I just don’t get fans who give him a pass for quitting on the team with time on the clock, regardless of how much time.
Did anyone watch the 9ers/Lions game?
That’s a good example of not quitting till time ran out.
January 29th, 2024 at 11:06 am
Joe, do you really think Bowles and or staff was aware that the Lions had really screwed up? It happened in a span of 60 seconds when everyone knew Lions COULD run out the clock. Shouldn’t have been an option so easy to see how was likely missed. A few did notice based on posts right after game, but guessing it wasn’t many and obviously not anyone on Bucs staff. Were you one of those few?
January 29th, 2024 at 11:18 am
Do you guys know what spell check is?
January 29th, 2024 at 11:22 am
Joe. Confidence – approval. Big big difference huh? Well the two go and I hand. I am not going to have confidence in someone I disapprove of and I am not going to approve of someone I have no confidence in. Just saying big difference doesn’t make it so. You didn’t even try to explain or back up your statement
By the way, when are you going to apologize for offending your loyal readers? Don’t think you offended them? The proof is in the posts.
January 29th, 2024 at 11:41 am
The horse is dead. Our season is over. Move on!!!!
January 29th, 2024 at 12:12 pm
Capt Tim
Would you concede that there might have been one chance of a bad snap
On a FG attempt, or maybe even a block?
January 29th, 2024 at 12:15 pm
Show Me the TDs Says:
January 29th, 2024 at 11:41 am
The horse is dead. Our season is over. Move on!!!!
This is moving on, TDs. You see, next season is over too if Bowels remains head coach. Now, if you are saying we should all just forget about Buccaneer football until he is no longer head coach, you may have a valid point.
January 29th, 2024 at 12:41 pm
Spytek just pointed out why this game was so hard to swallow. IF the team had this “never give up” attitude then why just give up at the end? I’m not denying Bowles his credit for this season, but damn.
January 29th, 2024 at 12:44 pm
After watching Detroit not kick a field goal in the 4th qt being down by 10 late in the 4 th needing 2 scores. I flashbacked to them and TB messing up at the end of the game last week. They are not going to the SB nor are we. If you’re the HC, you have to put your players in a position to tie or win the game, if you can. That’s what you get paid to do!!!!
January 29th, 2024 at 1:17 pm
FIRE TODD BOWLES.
This is not English class. If you don’t like it don’t read it. Don’t need spelling police here. FO.
January 29th, 2024 at 1:21 pm
Why prolong the obvious? Fire the lying disingenuous quitter.
January 29th, 2024 at 1:45 pm
Hey Buccaneers!!! Thanks for a great season!!! It was fun and you certainly gave us plenty to keep it interesting. Looking forward to next year. Go Bucs!!!
So DBS……guessing you don’t know how to use spell check. It’s ok.