Five Things
October 4th, 2024
This one will sting for Joe for quite some time.
Liam Coen (Todd Bowles?) Needs A Sitdown With Nick Saban
After seeing the Bucs offense choke away what would have been a statement victory last night, Joe couldn’t help but think of Nick Saban.
You could argue that Saban, the former Alabama and LSU coach, was the greatest college football coach in history. Bill Belicheat has said Saban, a close friend, is the best assistant coach he ever had.
So after watching the Bucs offense gag in crunch time, Joe immediately thought of a story that Saban often told about the most important thing he ever learned as a football coach. It came when he was a 15-year old quarterback.
His high school team was in the West Virginia state playoffs. Down by a touchdown, late, it was fourth down deep in the opponent’s territory. Timeout.
Saban walked to the sideline to talk to his coach. Saban had play-calling responsibilities. He was smart about football even back then. Saban asked his coach what he should call.
Here is Saban’s recollection of what his coach told him:
“‘You have the fastest guy in the state playing left halfback,'” Saban’s coach told him. “‘You’ve got a three-time All-State guy playing split end. Make sure one of those two guys gets the ball. And I really don’t care what play you call.’
“This is my first coaching lesson I ever learned. When you get in critical situations in the game, don’t think of plays, think of players.”
The play that Saban called was a fake to the left halfback and a corner pass to the split end. Touchdown. Saban’s team wins.
Last night the Bucs tried “plays” when they needed them, not players.
The Bucs have a Hall of Fame receiver in Mike Evans. They have a Pro Bowl receiver who is having a career year, it seems, in Chris Godwin. When the Bucs just needed a first down to seal the win, they got really stupid.
First down: Hand the ball off to one of the worst running backs in the NFL over the past 37 games. Oh, but he had one good run last night. Whoop-tee-do! Loss of three.
Second down: Bucky Irving runs left for seven. All right. But wait, a holding penalty on rookie center Graham Barton. Now it’s second-and-23.
Second down redux: Screen pass to White for a loss of two. Third-and-25.
Third down: Irving to the left for a yard.
Fourth down: Punt.
If the Bucs had just ordered Baker Mayfield to take three knees instead, they might have still had a chance to kick a 55-yard field goal. But with one of the league’s worst rushing games and a chance to polish the game off with two excellent receivers having awesome nights, they went with the rotten run game to win it).
Madness! That’s as bad as Dave Canales calling three runs up the middle.
That was a critical situation. Joe can’t remember if it was first or second down but Evans was all by himself behind the defense. He could have walked in for a touchdown. But instead, you prefer the guys who make up one of the league’s worst rushing offenses? WHY???
Joe is absolutely speechless.
Yes, It Was The Offense
Joe has half, maybe more, of Bucs fandom outraged. Yes, Joe blames the offense. Here’s why.
Even though Todd Bowles’ defense was a near-complete trainwreck last night, the Bucs still had the lead until one second left. Still had the lead when the offense had two possessions within field goal ranges late in the fourth quarter.
On the last possession, with just one first down, the game is over. With either possession, just one field goal the game is over. Even with the horrible defense.
The Bucs offense that was lights out in the first half had just two field goals in the entire second half. Two field goals. When you start settling for field goals and the other team is scoring touchdowns right and left, it becomes simple math. You aren’t going to win.
Was the defense bad? Come on! But you know what, in two of Atlanta’s final three possessions in the fourth quarter, the Bucs defense got off the field unscathed — yet the offense couldn’t take advantage.
Shame on Liam Coen or Todd Bowles (or someone sitting high above in the coaches’ box) who ordered the Bucs offense to go full-blown turtle. That may just cost the Bucs a playoff berth.
Joe Won’t Kill The Rookies
The Bucs have some good rookies. But tonight, rookie inexperience blew up in the Bucs’ faces.
Joe is not saying the two horrendous mistakes the Bucs made on offense was strictly due to rookie inexperience. But you can’t convince Joe it wasn’t, either.
Joe generally gives rookies a pass. Rookies play like rookies because they are rookies. Rarely does any team have a rookie so good he plays like a seasoned veteran.
In the Bucs’ second-last possession, it appeared the Bucs were about to put the finishing touches on the game with a touchdown or a field goal when rookie running back Bucky Irving fumbled on the Atlanta-25 with 2:50 remaining — on a first-down run after gaining 7 yards.
While that may have killed the Bucs in the long run, it didn’t kill them in the short run. On the ensuing Dixie Chicks possession, old man Lavonte David got a pick. Whew.
On the final Bucs possession, Irving had a seven-yard gain when the Bucs were hit with a killer penalty. Rookie center Graham Barton got busted for holding.
That turned out to be the dagger.
Did the Bucs lose strictly because two rookies made major mistakes? Joe can’t go there. But Joe also cannot dismiss how it was rookies, not veterans, who made those awful mistakes.
Bucs beating Bucs.
509 Points
Memo to national NFL pundits: Time to put the Todd Bowles-is-a-defensive-guru to bed. For good.
Is Bowles a good defensive coach? Not really. Oh, he has great moments. Special moments. The Eagles game a week ago is an example that Bowles can craft and call a top-shelf defensive gameplan.
Bowles’ plan to take down the mighty Chiefs in the 2020 Super Bowl will go down in history as one of the greatest defensive performances ever.
But dammit, really good defensive coaches don’t let quarterbacks like Kirk Cousins with a bum leg throw for 509 yards. Joe is just about fed up with Bowles’ indifference to sacks from edge rushers and taking pass rushers the Bucs draft and turning them into Alterraun Verners.
Here are stats from the Bucs’ starting edge rushers last night: YaYa Diaby had two quarterback hits and no sacks. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka had one quarterback hit and no sacks. Kirk Cousins dropped back to pass 62 times and it’s not like he’s mobile.
Think if the Bucs had a pair of decent edge rushers Cousins would have scalded their defense for 509 yards?
Name a drafted edge rusher Bowles has developed. There’s a good reason the answer is “none.” Joe thinks Bowles screws these kids up constantly having them drop back in pass coverage rather than using them solely for the reason they were drafted: rushing the passer.
Joe saw, at least once, Chris Braswell trying to guard Kyle Pitts on a Pitts reception. Don’t think offensive coordinators have to wipe the drool off their microphones when they see a mismatch like that?
You really believe JTS and Braswell were drafted in the first- and second-rounds, respectively, to be the next Jamel Dean?
Maybe if Bowles used his edge rushers as edge rushers and not as E.J. Biggers clones, Kirk Cousins wouldn’t have been able to eat two Varsity hot dogs before throwing most of his passes Thursday night.
Joe doesn’t want to hear about injuries. Other NFL teams have less defensive talent than what the Bucs had on the field Thursday night.
Joe checked on the Stinking Panthers. They have trash for talent. They don’t have a Vita Vea. They don’t have a Lavonte David. And hell, Joe would argue they don’t have a Zyon McCollum, yet the most passing yards Carolina has allowed this year is 276.
Bowles’ defense only has one game in which it it gave up less passing yards than the Stinking Panthers’ worst game this year.
All kinds of defenses have injuries like the Bucs and they don’t lay down for 509 yards!
Bowles on Thursday joined the likes of 21st-Century rotten Bucs defensive coordinators/head coaches who bent over for opposing quarterbacks: Greg Schiano, Lovie Smith and Mike Smith.
Ladies and gentlemen, please offer a warm welcome to the newest member of the club, Todd Bowles.
Joe is done with folks trying to suggest Bowles is the modern day version of Dick LeBeau.
Bowles defenses have become too wildly inconsitent for Joe’s taste. Throw in that Bowles doesn’t seem to value an edge rush, and Joe just cannot put Bowles in the hierarchy of defensive gurus.
Not after last night’s debacle.
The Football Gods Will Be Angry
One reason Joe is so angry with how the Bucs lost last night is that the Bucs were handed so many gifts to win the game. Now the football gods likely have been angered because the Bucs tore up their gifts and threw them behind the trailer down by the river.
Here were the gifts:
* Logan Hall: Not one sack — which is a gift all its own — but two sacks from Hall. Two! And the Bucs threw those away.
* Younghoe Koo: The strong Atlanta kicker missed three field goals. His first miss was waived off for a penalty and the subsequent re-kick was also missed. Later, Tavierre Thomas blocked one of his field goals.
* Baker Mayfield had a perfect, needle-threading pass to Sterling Shepard for a four-yard touchdown. If that pass was six inches either way, it’s incomplete or picked.
Every one of those gifts was flushed thanks to how the offense choked late in the game (twice). When you anger the football gods by trashing their generosity, evil is likely to befall you.
October 4th, 2024 at 5:11 am
I knew it happened.
That’s why I went to bed at half time.
October 4th, 2024 at 5:32 am
That game is on Bowles…..Atlanta went for it on 4th downs multiple times, Bowles played conservative. He can’t help but get conservative in clutch moments. Remember the Cleveland game, we took the game out of Brady’s hands and ultimately lose. He’s not wired to go out and win the game, he’s wired to “not lose”. Bucs will perpetually be a 9-8 team under Bowles. No different than White won’t be anything more than avg as a runner. The body of work on Bowles is you’ll hover around.500.
October 4th, 2024 at 5:52 am
Right on Bobby M! We are seeing the same thing over and over again as Bucs fans. It sees like every year Bowels will call an idiotic game like this: 2022 was the Cleveland game you referenced where he was afraid TB12 would throw a pick. Last year that debacle in Houston comes to mind where his D was a disgrace and now this embarrassment. Not only did Bowels call schemes which allowed 509 yards in the air but I am betting that he probably had a hand in the Bucs going turtle in the second half. I think I will have to start calling the Bucs HC “Turtle Todd”. It is about the nicest thing I can think to describe or call him as anything else which defines what I think of the HC would definitely get me run if I posted it. Memo to Turtle Todd: quick making excuses and make adjustments. Do the Bucs have to be 4-7 again for you to realize that Britt is a liability? Every time the fans begin to believe in this team, Turtle Todd manages to lose a winnable game and although the refs missed a crucial face mask on Bucky, this loss is on Turtle Todd. I hope the Glazers have taken notice.
October 4th, 2024 at 5:52 am
This is why Brady was so demanding.
Lackadaisical attitude in the regular season.
In the playoffs, you can’t take games for granted or you’re going to lose.
Its not the won/lost record, It’s about the lost opportunities.
There is a very tough middle of the season and the last game is the Saints.
October 4th, 2024 at 6:06 am
God Damn 1 second. I don’t have a problem with the runs late, you need to kill the clock. They couldn’t get to cousins, they blitzed Atlanta picked it up, the played coverage and none of the front four could get there. Also how about the punter that kick can not go into the end zone. This one could really hurt in the long run. as the Bucs approach the toughest part of their schedule.
October 4th, 2024 at 6:11 am
I tell you three times:
KJ52 cannot cover.
KJ52 cannot cover.
KJ52 cannot cover.
So zone blitz or play the third-stringer or Something!
October 4th, 2024 at 6:17 am
britt was a full on disaster in the middle of the field with tykee getting werked pretty good too…
and dean kept covid spacing all night like we were still in the heart of the pandemic…
the britt blueprint is now officially out there for derek carr and the league…coach is gonna have to do something…
late 4th quarter we went full on “yuccaneers” like it was the old days…causing me to roll over in bed and pass out shortly after the sad & disappointing ending…
the bucs blew it – but i’m guessing they simply didn’t deserve it…
then again the offense came to a screeching hault in the 2nd half and the defense looked pretty sloppy – a lot of missing tackles – a lot – a whole lot…
maybe the short week just caught up with them as the game wore on…
as well as it being a short week, intense heat can be very draining…the 10 day mini bye might be a full refresh for the boys…
they had ample opps to seal the deal in the 4th and once again tip toed thru the tulips late in the game…
add in a few errors on offense, defense and with coaching decisions, and it was a late game recipe for disaster…
even with all that went on, i felt like we still had the game in the bag – then i blinked and was like “what happened, wtf just happened”
October 4th, 2024 at 6:18 am
Losing a game to the great Raheem… See his face first thing in the AM brought back horrible memories.
October 4th, 2024 at 6:29 am
You would have never seen this from the great Monte Kiffin. Us Buc fans that have been around for along time have seen some great Bucs defense where just scoring 14 points a game would give you a win. This defense is atrocious and I said at the beginning of the year it concerns me more than the offense and it’s going to do this team in if it’s not fixed.
October 4th, 2024 at 6:33 am
We are wasting time and talent with Bowles he will never get us to the promise land. If was any good he wouldn’t have gotten fired.
October 4th, 2024 at 6:35 am
The game would have been over even before OT because Dean sucks and has always sucked but we still keep him around for some reason. Davis wasn’t that much better but I would have rather had Davis then Dean.
October 4th, 2024 at 6:52 am
Couldn’t agree more with other posters. At the end of the game, the offense drew totally into its shell in a “don’t lose” mentality. You think Arians would have us running to secure the victory on that last drive? No. Get the ball to Evans or Godwin and let’s go win this thing. Irving’s fumble didn’t help, but the play calling at the end of the game is what did us in.
October 4th, 2024 at 6:54 am
Where was all the criticism of Bowles yesterday? Everyone has postgame analysis. Where was all of this before?
Injuries do matter. Kancey. Goedeke. Winfield. They wouldn’t have made a difference? And guys were hurt during the game. White was wincing. Mayfield’s ankle is a candle today. Evans is less than 100%.
This was a winnable game that slipped away and the two rookie mistakes played a huge role. The DBs on the field are okay. Not great. The edge rushers are poor. Britt is awful. White is awful as a RB.
And yet they were one play away from putting it away multiple times. They just failed.
I don’t know how a man plays in 100+ degree heat on Sunday for three hours and recovers in three days. The Falcons played in a dome Sunday.
So it sucks. The Offense was actually pretty good. The Defense was bad. The Punter should be fired. But it did not Denver suck. Now they get three extra days to get well and prepare for the Saints.
Have faith people.
October 4th, 2024 at 7:15 am
Are we still collecting receipts Jason?
October 4th, 2024 at 7:31 am
Another note about Bowles’ inept coaching last night. What about the challenge flag he threw when Cousins was about to be sacked and he flicked the ball away to no one? A scramble ensued to recover the ball. Replays clearly showed two things – Cousins did not fumble the ball, and even if he had, Atlanta recovered it. So, in essence, if Bowles had won the challenge, it would have given the Falcons a first down. That’s the epitome of poor coaching.
October 4th, 2024 at 7:32 am
Bucs scored 30 points
Bucs blocked a Field Goal
Bucs had an Interception
Bucs had 4 sacks
Bucs STILL LOST
This is why I VOTE evry week LITTLE or NO Confidence in Bowles
October 4th, 2024 at 7:34 am
And there squatted Bowles … on a 3 point lead.
October 4th, 2024 at 7:40 am
I’ve said this in other posts, dropping our OLBs in coverage is a complete waste of time. How can you leave Pitts on Braswell, or Mooney on YaYa? Britt is horrible give Grier a shot. Hall’s best rush of the season came from left D end, yet he rarely lines up there. I lay this on Bowles. This loss has his finger prints all over it. This is why the Falcons were picked to win the division.
October 4th, 2024 at 7:41 am
Man you guys must have bet big on the game!
It’s overreaction Friday eh? Yes the two rookie mistakes turned the tide at the end of the game. But BOTH the rookies are VERY TALENTED and will learn from their mistakes. And of course there is always the LUCK and Zebra factor. Barton’s penalty should have been negated by the obvious face mask.
Let’s face it the Zebra crew last night sucked!!! We had been warned on this very site they were homers in previous games and last night…
The Bucs lost a ROAD game against the team predicted to not only win the game but the Division. They did it with two MAJOR defensive stars, two major game changers missing!!!
Any single possession loss is always hard to swallow! I get it!!!
Go to lunch today, have two or three Grey Goose Martini’s and focus on the Saints game !!!
The Falcons are for real and they are getting BETTER as the new QB learns his mates and offense. There will be time for the REAL game against the Falcons at RayJay which could be for the Division…it it’s not it might be the final home game of the year against the Saints so next week’s game is just as significant.
I LOVE the Bucs chances of winning another Division but contrary to the “experts”, aside from Carolina the NFC South no longer sucks. The Bucs will need some luck especially as in the injury front.
Last night the Bucs had ZERO luck. Those things will average out.
October 4th, 2024 at 7:50 am
The only thing Baker did wrong was lose the coin toss
October 4th, 2024 at 8:02 am
Tampabaybucfan, I just died laughing at your comment, I mean you coin toss is just all luck, but I literally laughed out loud cuz it’s true
October 4th, 2024 at 8:02 am
I’m happy and related for Rah,
The to victory is sweet for him
October 4th, 2024 at 8:03 am
**elated
October 4th, 2024 at 8:11 am
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles elected to punt rather than try a 60-yard field goal. Trenton Gill’s punt landed in the end zone for a touchback with 81 seconds left. Koo redeemed himself with a 52-yard field goal as time expired to force overtime.
This loss is all on Bowles. 60 is nothing for chase. Plus you only gained 12 yards on the punt. I would have even gone for it. A 12 yard gain would have been the same as that punt and you could have picked up the first down. Side note the announcers said the refs missed a facemask on the Barton hold.
October 4th, 2024 at 8:49 am
Bowels has been studying too much Lovie Smith defense lately….starting look like Lovie 2.0 with w few more blitzes thrown in.
October 4th, 2024 at 9:02 am
Where’s all of the stats mongers,
All week they been spitting stats
I keep telling them the game is won on the field
Not in a stat sheet
STATS Are For Losers
October 4th, 2024 at 9:13 am
Well done, Joe. You have a way with words and you probably didn’t sleep much after that game. We did have gifts last night. Overjoyed with Logan. Disappointed with rookie errors, but that happens. They will learn from them. White, Baker, Evans, Godwin, and others played their hearts out. With Evans giving away a special football. In the end, the coaches are accountable. But the refs didn’t help either.
October 4th, 2024 at 9:26 am
That was a pivotal game and we p*ssed it away. All on Bowles. Our next 5 games IMO, goes like this…
Saints L
Ravens L
Falcons W (revenge game)
Chiefs L
49ers L
That puts at 4-6
The Falcons next 5 games are
Panthers W
Seahawks W
Bucs L
Cowboys W
Saints W
That puts them at 7-3
Someone PLEASE tell me how we make it to the post season. I think the Saints will come in 2nd in the division. After last night’s game, I would fire Bowles and put Liam in charge. I think Liam ran the offensive until the 4th quarter, then Todd got in his ear and said “stop all this aggressive throwing and just play it safe and run the ball more”. That was not Liam calling those runs at the end.
October 4th, 2024 at 9:32 am
And did Rashaad White catch Todd cheating on his wife or something? How in God’s name is he still the RB1. White would be the 3rd RB on most bad teams. I would tell him he can be a slot receiver or ride the pine. Even with the fumble last night, Bucky is still the better running back. And for F*cks sake, get KJ Britt out of there.
October 4th, 2024 at 9:35 am
This may be the best take I’ve ever read on this site. I agree with everything I read. It’s the reality of Todd Bowles. Who I like. But his defenses have always been inconsistent. Very frustrating.
October 4th, 2024 at 9:37 am
Joe, I never felt comfortable with ‘defensive guru’. Took way to long for me to figure out that statement was sarcasm.
October 4th, 2024 at 9:48 am
BuddhaBuc. The ironic prediction I have is that the Bucs will probably be 5-5 after 10 (I think the Bucs can beat the Saints and the ATL). But I also think the Falcons will do something idiotic like lose to Carolina, as Rah is a bad coach (outcoaching Turtle Todd does not make one a good HC)and will allow a letdown (like Bucs did with Denver) so not all is lost yet but it is likely that this loss probably cost the Bucs a tiebreaker with the ATL. Recall Saints also lost a game to the ATL they should have won. Nasty loss last night but I think you are overhyping the ATL. They will start reading their press clippings again and stub their toe too.
October 4th, 2024 at 9:49 am
I am pissed at Bowles and place a lot of the blame on him but 1. Ring of Honor GM Jason Licht is in charge of the roster… how TF is Bowles to blame for not having an edge rusher? 2. double-digit pass rushers aren’t just sitting out there
October 4th, 2024 at 9:53 am
Yep Joe, I couldn’t agree more. How many times have we seen Diaby, Nelson, Braswell, Tryon-Shoyinka and, whoever other defensive ends/‘OLBs’ dropping into coverage chasing receivers like an elderly man chasing an escaped Jack Russell puppy? You draft pass rushers to rush passers, right? I, like many, like Todd Bowles but, in spite of his occasional masterpiece defensive game plans as you pointed out, his overall body of work in terms of not only wins/losses but, the abysmal ‘playing not to lose’ signature losses are his legacy. He is what his record says he is, a perennial below .500 coach. Don’t know if he indeed pulled the plug on the offense in the second half, especially late in second half or not. But, if he did, that should seal his fate. Not to mention that there were time zones between their receivers and our defenders. One legged Cousins was eating chicken wings in the pocket with one hand and, playing pitch and catch with the kids in the yard with the other hand. Has anyone ever heard Bowles say, “This performance was on me”……ever?
October 4th, 2024 at 9:55 am
That’s the problem with a Bowles coached team. They will either show up unprepared or find a way to lose. Defense was atrocious. Even a blind man knew all the Falcon needed to do was throw toward KJ Britt. He’s terrible in coverage. This lose was unexcuseable.
October 4th, 2024 at 10:00 am
We Make Custom Teez Says:
October 4th, 2024 at 9:49 am
I am pissed at Bowles and place a lot of the blame on him but 1. Ring of Honor GM Jason Licht is in charge of the roster… how TF is Bowles to blame for not having an edge rusher? 2. double-digit pass rushers aren’t just sitting out there
—————-
Joe explained it in the very short article. Bowles is using edge rushers in coverage at a high frequency.
October 4th, 2024 at 10:01 am
One other thing I noticed is there were very few stunts. Playing against a young QB understandable you don’t want to lose contain on a guy who can run. Playing a gimpy old dude is puzzling to say the least.
October 4th, 2024 at 10:07 am
@FortMyersDave – I hope you are right. I want to be wrong so bad. I had a great feeling about the team after the Eagles game and all the way up to the 4th qtr last night.
October 4th, 2024 at 10:10 am
Five things
1. Todd Bowles has no guts and no killer instinct.
2. Todd Bowles still struggles with game and time management – and likely always will.
3. Todd Bowles does not hold his players accountable for poor play (unless you’re the punter).
4. Todd Bowles is not a defensive genius. 500 yards? Cousins had enough time to phone in a chik fil a order.
5. Todd Bowles’ ceiling as a head coach is mediocre.
October 4th, 2024 at 10:14 am
I disagree on one point: blaming the O.
Yeah, they could have done a better job at the end of the game, no doubt.
But when the D gives up 509 yards of uncontested pitch-and-catch, that ain’t the O’s fault.
The only time the D slowed the Birds O down was a few sacks. That’s it.
David Car will drool after watching Cousins vivisect the Buc D.
October 4th, 2024 at 10:16 am
Props to the Birds OL. They kept Cousins upright with few exceptions. Often Cousins could write an epic novel back there, he had so much time.
October 4th, 2024 at 10:24 am
McMillan will fry them in the next meeting he runs Sharper routes and is just better than Sterling Shepard
October 4th, 2024 at 10:27 am
Yes, that game last night was painful for Bucs fans.
But that game last night was another reason why the NFL is the best entertainment on television.
October 4th, 2024 at 10:39 am
“Bowles’ plan to take down the mighty Chiefs in the 2020 Super Bowl will go down in history as one of the greatest defensive performances ever.”
Chiefs were missing 2 starters on the O-line and had 2 others playing out of position. Really Joe? Name one OT who could’ve moved inside and try to handle Suh or Vea? That’s another reason why Bowles is still here…you, the GM and ownership got carried away with this mythical game plan of the ages. He’s conned the suits into believing his scheme alone can dial up pressure, and that spending big money on pass rushing free agents or drafting pass rushing (real) pass rushing prospects isn’t necessary.
RPOs has made A gap blitz obsolete. 2 high safeties with man coverage underneath has made passing for a lot of yards and scoring a lot of points difficult. Bowles won’t change, because either he can’t or won’t. Bucs biggest, literally, threat off the edge is Vea. They don’t have anyone else who’s considered a threat off the edge, on that team. 58 pass attempts says so.
Put a little more ice into Bowles’s kool aid.
Just my 2 cents…because that’s all it’s worth.
October 4th, 2024 at 10:40 am
IF you have a pass rush, you would not have to rely on your secondary like we do. We have the same ole problem from last year.
October 4th, 2024 at 10:59 am
Ya’ll are over the top. Bucs win, everyone has “confidence” in Bowles. They lose, now he sucks again.
Remove an All-Pro safety from the middle of the D against an experienced QB. Why is everyone shocked?
I’m not an optimist about the team, but Bucs played a decent game. They didn’t finish, and the D was gassed. But it is one game. The truth is a rookie fumbled at the worst possible time. He’ll learn.
This is a 8 or 9 win team. It was Wednesday and it is Friday.
October 4th, 2024 at 11:08 am
BuddhaBuc: with Bowles as HC we will probably see more of what we have seen the past 4 weeks all season. A couple of decent wins but no winning streaks as Bowels teams will do a “Denver” or “ATL” a few more times this year. With luck this team could be 9-8 or 10-7 but with more injuries and Bowles being his stubborn old self, 7-10 is also possible. Anyway you cut it, the Bucs will need the Saints and ATL to grab their ankles and drop a few winnable games too.
Stromy in FL: Good Five Things. I might add to your first point that he probably also is prone to making his OC call conservative and predictable schemes in close games to illustrate his lack of guts. Basic Turtle Todd goes Turtle in any close game and he tends to lose them. I love your point on his lak of accountability, especially with guys who seem to be his “favorites”. Last year it was Ryan Neal and Devin White. This year it looks like it is Britt. We will see if he starts vs the Saints and Carr lights him up like the ATL did.
October 4th, 2024 at 11:12 am
2 cents: Bowles also go an assist from BA in getting the Bucs HC job. His choice to resign in the Spring of 2022 forced the Glazer to consider either Bowels or Leftwich. I would love to know the “real” story about Arians’ abrupt departure.
October 4th, 2024 at 11:30 am
Joe doesn’t believe that is the case at all. In fact, Joe doesn’t know a coach in the NFL who doesn’t have final say on his roster.
October 4th, 2024 at 11:33 am
FortMyersDave Says:…I would too, but we’ll never know.
October 4th, 2024 at 11:36 am
Flush the Bowel movement!
October 4th, 2024 at 12:08 pm
Joe, thank you for publicly defining what Todd is, and what he isn’t. He has his supporters, and they are loyal, and they get triggered when someone criticizes Todd. Myth is a difficult phenomenon to overcome.
Facts are facts. Performance drives results. Todd’s pass defense has been bottom barrel for a long time, only by luck and some heroic plays from Winfield were points allowed not always correlated to the copious yards given up.
Not any more. 27 to Denver (Bo Fargin Nix!) could have been a whole lot more but they took their foot off the gas . And last night……
Time for the good guy Todd to either appoint a full time DC and be a head coach, or face other consequences. Last night wasn’t an anomaly. It’s the norm.
October 4th, 2024 at 12:09 pm
This why in your poll, I was one of the few that said I had little confidence in Bowels. I stand by that. He is a lousy coach in tight games.
October 4th, 2024 at 12:34 pm
The sky is not falling. No Winfield or Whitehead at critical late -game moments.
Coen will learn. This offense is top 10…give it time to mature and learn to finish a game. Baker is having an MVP season ( so far). Falcons still have to face Washington, Minnesota. It’s going to come down to the wire. Bowles always schemes based on the talent on the field. We were depleted. Plus, Rod was right. How that face-mask was missed was…..curious.
October 4th, 2024 at 12:53 pm
Totally agree Joe. Doesn’t matter what happened before but at the end of the game, the O had an easy lay up on two possessions to put the game away. And totally messed the bed.
Baker is a top 15 QB hands down, but if he wants to take it to the next level and be top 10 or 5, he has to carry the team when the D is down in the dumps. He does that by giving it to your best players Evans and Godwin who Baker ghosted for most of the 2nd half. Like Brady often did with Leftwhich, sometimes it involves telling the coaches NO, I trust in me and my best players.
October 4th, 2024 at 1:03 pm
Should a, would a, could a.. Pissed that game away, could be one that will haunt them at the end. No killer instinct, Bowles reminds be a bit of the way Art Shell coached the Raiders on the sidelines, sort of lifeless and not into it. We need a leader that is a bit more into it in my opinion.
October 4th, 2024 at 1:18 pm
Joe, thank you for having the b***s to call it out… may I say finally?
I have been saying the exact same thing here for 3 years now
This is the 6 season of Todd as the Coordinator and play caller for Tampa D. In 5 complete seasons and 5 games, the only stretch where this defense was consistently good was the second half of the superbowl season. That stretch is what you expect from a D guru at least 80% of the time!
Guru? Yea, he is! Guru of the third and long completion allowed!
October 4th, 2024 at 1:31 pm
bowles never was , nor will he ever be a defensive guru… remember the ’21 playoff game against the Rams.. At Best , he’ll be a .500 HC. .. the Slimy Sants are talking to the Broncos & taking notes from last nite ……
October 4th, 2024 at 2:05 pm
How about that dirty hit block on L David by Chris Lindstrom? He went straight for his Knee. He should be fined and suspended. Liam Cohen should of called 3 kneel downs and kicked the FG after David INT. How about the 2-3 times they did hurry up on 4th down and converted. I was screaming at Coach Toilet Bowles to maybe use a Timeout and get the Def. Called and Set. How do you miss a Face mask where Bucky’s head was twisted all the way to the side? Jason L, how is the Choice between Dean and Davis looking? KJ Britt needs to be dumped. Could anyone else on the Roster be worse? Also, Jason L. Please listen. You need to find out if Coach Toilet Bowles told our Promising and Legit looking OC to take his foot off the Gas in the second half and play conservative. If he did, You need to grow a pair and fire Bowles.
October 4th, 2024 at 2:08 pm
This reminds me of tony dungy beating us on Monday night his first year with the colts when we had just wom a super bowl.
Chuck never really recovered. Hope it’s nit history repeating itself
October 4th, 2024 at 10:16 pm
Why don’t you all email coach Bowels instead of coming up here. He doesn’t read this site. If he did he’d never give either of the Joe’s the time of day or let them in at the pressers!
October 5th, 2024 at 5:55 am
I like Coach Bowles and am still supporting him 100%. Not to say I don’t get frustrated at times, many times, but isn’t that every single fan in the NFL… The team has his respect and other players and coaches have his respect. That says so much. Bowles has the locker room. We all know coaches that don’t have the locker room support over the years. The refs in the Falcons game didn’t do us any favors either.