Todd Bowles Leaning Toward Keeping Starters Out In Jacksonville
August 11th, 2024
Plan for starters.
As things stand now less than 24 hours after the Bucs won their first worthless preseason game, Bucs starters won’t get a dress rehearsal until the Bucs host the Dolphins at home Aug. 23 to end the preseason.
That’s what Todd Bowles said this morning in his day-after presser at One Buc Palace.
“Depending on how much work we get in Jacksonville during the practice week, I’m leaning towards the third game because we’ll have two weeks to get ready for the game,” Bowles said.
Of course, the Bucs have two joint practices against the Jags this week in Jacksonville.
“We’ll see how much practice the ‘ones’ [first team will] get,” Bowles said. “They’ll have the day [before the game] off, so they’ll get a lot of work that week.
“Depending on how much work they get, they’ll probably sit [at Jacksonville]. If they don’t, then some of them will play a little more. I’m leaning towards the third game where everybody plays.”
So there you have it. Bowles pretty much knows who will start on both sides of the ball. No need for them to get beat up when they don’t have to. It’s a long season.
Second-string guys and those fighting for a spot on the final-53, those guys need the work. So Bowles will oblige them.
August 11th, 2024 at 11:41 am
We can run that same exact rotation back from last night. Game 3 is the tune up tho, and we’d still have 2 weeks between the end of the preseason and start of the regular season(I think).
August 11th, 2024 at 11:42 am
If the ones scrimmage 2 days each vs Jags and Fins, they might only go a series at most in the Miami game.
August 11th, 2024 at 11:43 am
Smart man. Lots of teams get derailed by preseason injuries. The older vers don’t need the exposure to some future warehouse worker fighting to make the roster.
August 11th, 2024 at 11:45 am
GOOD WITH THE DECISION
Bucs have a lot of depth. Lot’s to evaluate. Let’s make sure we keep the best 52.
BTW, That was a super fun game to watch.
August 11th, 2024 at 11:46 am
This is how most teams are going to handle the 3 preseason games going forward. Evaluate the rookies and UDFA in the first two games. Starters get their reps in inter-team scrimmages and then a dress rehearsal in the third and final game.
August 11th, 2024 at 12:00 pm
I guess I’m old school or just old, I don’t agree with this decision but I’m not the coach. I think they need game time continuity to be ready for the first game we will see I’m the type of person that believes the harder you work the more you win.
August 11th, 2024 at 12:02 pm
Players and coaches have said repeatedly the scrimmages are better than preseason games for starters. Let them get the work in during the week and the depth/young players play on the weekend to evaluate the back end of the roster.
August 11th, 2024 at 12:19 pm
We only have one game at home. Might as well give the hometown fans something to cheer about. If you’re going to play your starters only one game, there’s no place like home.
August 11th, 2024 at 12:27 pm
I don’t like this decision with a new OC. Oh well.
August 11th, 2024 at 12:28 pm
I wouldn’t play Evans or David at all.
August 11th, 2024 at 12:29 pm
Did the people who don’t think we have any depth at ILB pay any attention to JJ Russell, Vi Jones, & DeLoach last night? If so, honest opinion what’d ya think?
August 11th, 2024 at 12:36 pm
Joe “worthless preseason game”
How about meaningless preseason game. More accurate ” I’m sure bubble players find value in preseason games” and less negativity. Asking for a friend.
August 11th, 2024 at 12:54 pm
The O looked smooth in and out of the huddle. Nice to see. Clear communication, solid routes, no blunders. Let’s keep it up.
August 11th, 2024 at 12:56 pm
I completely agree with the strategy I don’t want our starters playing in worthless games I’ve seen too many injuries my NFL watching experience to have that unnecessary risk. Keep training up the back ups and build that depth, baby.
August 11th, 2024 at 1:30 pm
Plenty of time for the defense to hone that tradition of giving up opening drive touchdowns to the opponent, while the offense locks down the capability of punting to finish their opening drives.
August 11th, 2024 at 4:12 pm
Dave, all sunshine, take a happy pill dude.
August 11th, 2024 at 4:23 pm
I am happy. Who would recognize the Bucs if they ever started fast?
August 11th, 2024 at 4:37 pm
@Dude Ill bite. JJ Russell played really well last night. Almost studly actually. He and Merriweather were the two best defenders when they played in my opinon. If I were SirVocea I’d get back on the field sooner than later or else JJ may be the 3rd LB before we know it. That’s how good he was.
Vi Jones was a good tackler but a mixed bag in coverage. He is fighting for a PS spot with Kalen and he’s got the upper hand at this point unless the Bucs want to go younger at the position (Vi is 26). Speaking of Kalen Deloach he was invisible in his first game action. He only had 15 snaps so maybe more game time will allow him opportunity to showcase his skill but his first game action was a total dud.
August 11th, 2024 at 4:48 pm
My concern is that our 1st team offense has a history of starting games S-L-O-W. I’m glad that Trask & Wolford & Irving & Tucker & Palmer & McMillan & Durham & Culp got a lot of work last night, but they won’t be the ones starting Game 1. I don’t care about Evans or Godwin or Wirfs playing because we know exactly what they have to give, but I’m not at all sure at this point about the rest of our starting lineup. And yes, that includes Baker; he needs to be the field general who gets this team energized right from the git-go.
August 11th, 2024 at 4:56 pm
Just rewatched the Bengals first drive. It’s encouraging that we still can’t cover a slant. And, at least we also still can’t stop a third and 17.
Lots of coaching material on that drive. Hopefully coaching this ensues.
August 11th, 2024 at 5:03 pm
I’m just a fan but I would strongly advise Todd to make the game against the Jags to be his dress rehersal so his team can be as healthy as possible against the Commodores.
August 11th, 2024 at 5:20 pm
The majority of teams played their starters this weekend — and now ‘Big Balls’ Bowles is coming up with excuses to not play his starters next week.
It’s a new offense, a number of new starters, but something could go wrong so let’s just stay in our nerf shell and that way nothing bad happens.
Says everything about Todd, and his mindset, it’s not about what can we do to get better to make sure we’re ready to go – it’s what could go wrong and lets make sure we focus on that.
It’s unbelievable, Todd acting like this team wasn’t 4-7 last year before getting one of the luckiest streaks ever in terms of hitting teams that were on a losing streak when the Bucs played them. The NFC South isn’t going to be the cupcake division this year again, you’re not going to win it by just showing up.
August 11th, 2024 at 5:58 pm
I actually have a problem with this. I get holding them out in the first game. That’s pretty much every year.
But the starters need to get at least two games to gel. Holding them out like this could hurt their out-of-the-gate performance. Play them at least one quarter. Let them dip their toes.
3 Preseason games are a bad idea. Before, the starters got the first and last games off anyway. I don’t see how this cannot hurt the team, at least at first.
Hope I’m wrong though.
August 11th, 2024 at 6:00 pm
Upon considering…if I were Bowles, I would play the starters the first half this week…then that gives and injuries an extra week to heal.
August 11th, 2024 at 6:53 pm
I would maybe play the 1s for maybe 2 series each then put the backups in. Then give them at least a full quarter(maybe 2) in game 3. Let them get hit with the lights on and the crowds, but that’s me.
August 11th, 2024 at 7:18 pm
At least give them a series. It’s a new offense they need the continuity.
August 11th, 2024 at 8:27 pm
The middle OL guys will play a lot, Palmer and the rookie wideout will play a lot, Irving and the Syracuse kid will play a lot, Durham and Culp will play a lot, Trask will play a lot. The other guys playing a lot is pretty unneeded, imo.
August 11th, 2024 at 8:33 pm
All offseason I’ve been believing that Todd is evolving and transforming.
But what I saw yesterday was eerily similar to what we’ve seen the last two seasons with Todd as head coach.
The slow starts on both sides of the ball. Can’t cover a slant. Can’t stop a 3rd and 17. Can’t score on offense to open the game. Not even a FG. Can’t sack a QB even with the so called genius blitz schemes. 4th and short in Bengals territory in a preseason game and Todd calls for the 51yd FG, so of course Chase misses it.
#AsToddMayNotBeEvolvingAfterAll
August 12th, 2024 at 1:34 am
Dave Pear, what little I saw (Bucs website kept glitching during the first hald for me), Defense was really goid, considering it was backups and camp meat. Bowles never shows his regular season stuff in preseason.
On offense, I suspect it was all about evaluation and experience. I don’t think winning was even that important.
Also, I thought I heard the Bengals played their starters against our number twos. We still won.
August 12th, 2024 at 3:46 am
Hope you’re right Bonz. Still it would be nice to see an opening drive offensive TD once more this decade while not making the same maddening mistakes on defense.
August 12th, 2024 at 4:08 am
Many teams surprised me with how many starters were played so far. I can understand Joe Burrows and some of the others. Home team and Joe didn’t play last year due to injury. I am with Coach Bowles. We do have joint practices with the Jags this week. See how it goes, and then the last preseason game play some veterans against the Dolphins for one quarter. By that time they will know their full roster too.