A Peek Inside Todd Bowles’ Influence On The Offense
March 14th, 2024
Former Bucs playcaller Dave Canales gets candid.
Head coach Todd Bowles is no micromanager when it comes to his offensive coordinators. But the Bowles influence on the offense is real.
Consider what ex-Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales said in an exclusive sitdown with Joe.
Devotees of the Ira Kaufman Podcast already heard the comments from Canales (45 minute mark), but perhaps they didn’t sink in. Speaking about former Bucs co-offensive-line coaches Joe Gilbert and Harold Goodwin, Bowles’ assistant head coach the past two seasons, Canales said they helped him translate Bowles and understand what he he wants from the Tampa Bay offense.
“They covered me. They had my back,” Canales said of Gilbert and Goodwin.
“From the time I got [to Tampa], these were guys who were helping me make the transition into working for Todd Bowles. ‘[Bowles] really likes this. He’s really looking for this. When he says this, he’s telling you. When he says it like this, he’s making a suggestion.'”
Joe was highly intrigued by the Canales share. Bowles is a clear communicator, a direct guy. It sounds like Bowles was trying to influence the offense while not coming off as a dictator and respecting the autonomy of his handpicked playcaller at the same time. That’s a difficult task.
It makes Joe wonder who will new Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen lean on to best understand Bowles now that Goodwin and Gilbert work for Canales with the Panthers. Or will that not be necessary?
March 14th, 2024 at 1:51 pm
Strange because in an early blog, it was stated that Bowles was hands off and let him do what he wanted.
March 14th, 2024 at 1:53 pm
“I hate having different ‘levels’ of run blocking, that always pissed me as a DC. For now on, I want just one level of run blocking. The RB can figure it out from there.”
March 14th, 2024 at 1:54 pm
They’ll have good communication I bet this season we have a big surge from our offense
March 14th, 2024 at 1:59 pm
Hands off doesn’t mean the O & D don’t game plan/ coordinate & work together including half time adjustments.
In game calls like 4th & 1 are still made by the HC for example
^^mtn^^
Since ’76
March 14th, 2024 at 2:12 pm
You can’t be COMPLETELY hands off as the HC. Im sure he suggests things in game like lets run it down their throat or the backup CB is really struggling etc. He would be dumb not to. As far as THROW MIKE THE DAMN BALL, that aint happening.
March 14th, 2024 at 2:13 pm
This explains a lot. Prior to Canales starting the season, I would have guessed Canales was a pass happy coordinator. I could never figure out why Canales insisted to pound the run game when they were being stopped every 1st and 2nd down. It now makes sense, Bowles was the one who wanted to pound the run game to wear down the opponent’s defense – Canales just went a long with it.
March 14th, 2024 at 2:17 pm
Or could it be that Goodwin and Gilbert were trying to influence the offense and were using Bowles as the scapegoat? Notice they are no longer with the organization. I believe that Arians said in the past that if Goodwin had his way all they would do is run the ball.
March 14th, 2024 at 2:20 pm
“t sounds like Bowles was trying to influence the offense”
all you have to do is look at play calls on 1st and 2nd between lefty and canales and see it was still todds offense.
I do not expect that to change.
makes no sende to spend all your coin on 2 WRs and QB and not use them one 1st and 2nd much. they’re all runs or quick passes behind the LOS. Maybe he is trying to get the speedster the ball.
If anything they might shop CG….or maybe they should if they are not going to use him.
March 14th, 2024 at 2:22 pm
it’s the whole reason canales got a HC gig…he succeeded in spit of lovie.
also the reason you can expect the same from the new OC
March 14th, 2024 at 2:41 pm
At least Coen is not a green-as-grass playcaller like Canales was.
Liam also has experience being completely “in charge” of the offensive side of the ball – in charge of telling all his assistance what he wants and how he wants them to coach. In charge of offensive game planning. In charge of in-game adjustments….
Canales had to figure out all that stuff on the fly.
Assuming we shore up the OLine – I expect the Bucs offense in 2024 to be better right out the gate than what we saw for most of last year.
March 14th, 2024 at 2:42 pm
People calling Bowles “Lovie” are racist. There can be more than one defensive minded black head coach in Bucs history. It’s tiring.
March 14th, 2024 at 2:45 pm
Can’t afford Godwin after his contract ends this year. Do you
1) Let.him play it, go FA and get a compensatory pick
2) Trade him before the trade deadline if the Bucs aren’t in the hunt for the division title
3) Trade him for a draft pick before/during the draft or
4) Re-sign him only under a team friendly deal?
I don’t know, but lean towards #3 or #2 if you can’t get what you want in this year’s draft (a second rd pick). That may be too high in a deep WR class.
March 14th, 2024 at 2:47 pm
All any of us want to know is who is responsible for the runs up the middle on first downs. With the weakest interior OL in the NFL and completely predictable play calling. Who wants to take credit for that?
March 14th, 2024 at 2:56 pm
Tony Dungy Jr…
March 14th, 2024 at 3:05 pm
Eagles will have two wide outs making $25 mil+ starting next year, doesn’t seem to be an impediment to them
March 14th, 2024 at 3:06 pm
Marine Buc Says:
March 14th, 2024 at 2:56 pm
Tony Dungy Jr…
———-
Dungy is a HOFer. Took a terrible franchise, turned it into a SB team.
Bowles was handed a SB winning team, and only a couple of years later had his players celebrating a 13 points loss to the 49ers.
Bowles isn’t even remotely in the same league as Dungy.
March 14th, 2024 at 3:10 pm
Thad Lewis probably has a decent idea about what Todd means. I don’t think it’s an issue.
March 14th, 2024 at 3:11 pm
Bucs Guy Says:
March 14th, 2024 at 2:45 pm
Can’t afford Godwin after his contract ends this year.
———-
Depends on Godwin – he needs to step up and have a big year, and look healthy. Godwin was still good last year, and still got over 1000 yards – but seems to have lost a little something from his peak. I really like Godwin, and I hope the Bucs keep him, but for him to get another huge deal, I think he’s going to have to show he’s fully back to where he was – and I think he’ll get there, by the end of last year he was looking a lot better than the start of the year.
But I also wouldn’t be shocked if the Bucs sign him to a new deal to free up cap space as he’s a $27m hit this year. But it depends on what Godwin is wants – if he’s looking for more than that $20m/year number, because if he is, that will be a hard sell for the Bucs, I think.
March 14th, 2024 at 3:19 pm
@ Rod
Stay focused big guy.
We are discussing a head coach’s influence on the offense.
We are not comparing the coaches resumes…
Therefore – like I said – Tony Dungy Jr.
March 14th, 2024 at 3:22 pm
What would Les Steckel do?
^^mtn^^
Since ’76
March 14th, 2024 at 3:48 pm
Marine Buc – Fair enough.
March 14th, 2024 at 4:00 pm
I think that is a bad formula… the head coach should be involved in everything, and when they were 4-7, their shoddy offense was going to get him fired.
I don’t believe that is how he operates any more.
I suspect that Godwin sat down with Bowles and it was then that Bowles directed Canales to be more aggressive, because Bowles is as aggressive as you can be on defense. It paid off and led to the wins.
March 14th, 2024 at 4:25 pm
They will let him play out his contract. They did it to Evans, they’ll do it to Godwin. Be about the going rate if he was playing on the tag. Bucs can afford it. Wouldn’t be surprised if they draft his replacement this April.
March 14th, 2024 at 4:38 pm
CyberDillemma … ‘Or could it be that Goodwin and Gilbert were trying to influence the offense and were using Bowles as the scapegoat?’
B-I-N-G-O !!! Congrats on being the only one not to swallow the party line. Goodwin & Gilbert were both Arians’ guys. They didn’t have any more experience working FOR Todd Bowles than Canales did. And Canales, being a newbie, bought into the ‘This is what our defensive-minded HC wants’ hook, line & sinker it looks like.
Gross stereotyping IMO. Todd Bowles’ Jets ran the ball on only 42.2% of their plays over his 4-year tenure as HC. They were actually incredibly consistent in the amount they ran the ball despite what their record was:
o 2015 (10-6): 448 runs – 1074 plays … 41.7% run/pass
o 2016 (5-11): 418 runs – 1003 plays … 41.7% run/pass
o 2017 (5-11): 427 runs – 984 plays … 43.4% run/pass
o 2018 (4-12): 410 runs – 971 plays … 42.2% run/pass
Bowles actually ran the ball only slightly more as HC of the Bucs (37.4% run/pass) than Arians did in his 3 years as Bucs HC (35.9% run/pass).
o 2022 (8-9): 386 runs – 1159 plays … 33.3% run/pass
o 2023 (9-8): 439 runs – 1047 plays … 41.9% run/pass
Between Goodwin & Gilbert, I suspect that Goodwin was the one pushing using the run game more (after all he was the Run Game Coordinator). Goodwin was also BA’s OC (probably more in name than in actuality) out in Arizona from 2013-2018. On checking, BA’s Cardinals ran the ball on 39.9% of their plays over that 5-year period, varying from a high of 43.4% to a low of 36.7%. Not very different IMO from what Todd Bowles’ teams have run it.
March 14th, 2024 at 4:38 pm
Experience is overrated and plus Coen isnt even that experienced as an NFL play caller…he never called plays for the Rams and was just a figurehead OC
And he lead a mediocre Kentucky offense for years….from a resume standpoint theres not much reason to be excited about this guy other than the McVay association
March 14th, 2024 at 4:45 pm
@ Rod
“Dungy is a HOFer. Took a terrible franchise, turned it into a SB team.”
I agree 100%.
Bucs were a laughing stock until Dungy took over.
However – offense was not his strong suit.
There was strong speculation that he fought long and hard to keep Trent Dilfer as his starting QB and it was one of the reasons he was fired and replaced by Gruden…
Luckily for Dungy he ended up in Indy with Payton Manning and Marvin Harrison.
March 14th, 2024 at 4:46 pm
AlabamaBucsFan considering Canales himself told Panthers media he was going to be stubborn running the ball so much some would be surprised/disgusted, I think it’s fair to say he plans on running the ball a lot, directly contradicting your argument that it was Bowles’ fault. Stop using Bowles as your catch all boogeyman
March 14th, 2024 at 4:47 pm
Pretty sure he called all the plays when Baker started. McVay handed him the keys at that point IIRC.
Also, DCs won’t know his tendencies ….. advantage Coen
He did alot at Kentucky considering what he had to work with
^^mtn^^
Since ’76
March 14th, 2024 at 4:51 pm
Waiting to hear the news… Mariah DelPercio hired as Bucs assistant OC.
March 14th, 2024 at 4:59 pm
@BucaneroJim
She probably knows quite a bit about coaching
^^mtn^^
Since ’76
March 14th, 2024 at 5:12 pm
Dungy also had Dunn and Alstott.
March 14th, 2024 at 5:29 pm
Just lock Bowels in the closet on game day. In fact lock him up for game planning too.
In fact don’t let him on the practice field when zone coverage reps are happening.
March 14th, 2024 at 8:16 pm
I think come is going to do whatever he wants
March 14th, 2024 at 8:46 pm
Marine Buc.,
Mif you had been here, it would have been obvious why Dungry was fired.
He brought a winning attitude to the team. He made them behave as proffesioals. We owe him alot.
Buuut
We had a DOMINATING defense. Sapp, Rice, Brooks, Nickerson, Lynch, Barber.
That team should have won 2-3 SuperBowls.
But I have NEVER SEEN ANY COACH CHOKE HIS OFFENSE DOWN LIKE TONY DUNGY.
It was horrible. He was afraid to throw the ball in the playoffs.
3rd and 7? Run. On their 5 ? Run 3 times and kick.
Fans in the stands were going crazy! It realy was so bad, that the Glazers had to fire a really beloved coach- except in important games. He drove all of us crazy.
It was sttongly rumored that when Indy hired him- he was politely requested to leave Peyton and the offense alone.
Great man. Great coach. But noone questioned why he was fired at the time.
Took “playing not to lose” to insane degrees.
March 15th, 2024 at 1:37 am
Capt Tim for the win. Hammer hit head on nail, or something like that – perfectly said.
March 15th, 2024 at 11:31 am
Hey Alabama, you say this like it is a bad thing?
“It now makes sense, Bowles was the one who wanted to pound the run game to wear down the opponent’s defense”
So did Nick Saban never make sense and pound the Alabama run game to wear down any Alabama opponent team’s Defense?
Asking for this Kirby Smart Dawgs Fan…
GO!!!!!DAWGS!!!!!
GO!!!!!BUCS!!!!!