Pat McAfee Has No Issue With Chris Godwin Being In Game Late
October 22nd, 2024
Confused.
Joe is confused. Did Bucs fans want the Bucs to walk out of the game at the end of the third quarter like so many Bucs fans did at The Licht House last night so they could have their heads hit the pillow by midnight?
It’s been a while since Joe has seen so many so willing to eat an “L.” Maybe not since the Bucs won the Chase for Jameis has Joe seen Bucs fans want the team to lose so badly.
Look, the Chris Godwin injury is nauseating. Joe saw first-hand how that hit Bucs players. No one feels more horrible than they do, with the possible exception of Godwin himself.
But this notion that Todd Bowles is some (formerly) Madeira Beach fortune teller who can wave a hand over a crystal ball and see that one of his stars would get hurt, people really wanted the Bucs to quit? Lay down? Give up?
(Yes, Joe did see some defensive players make “business decisions” and decided to quit before Godwin’s injury — that’s a whole ‘nother story.)
Yes, the Bucs were down 10. With the ball. No timeouts. Deep in their own territory. Unlikely the Bucs pull off a miracle? Yes. But Joe has seen enough football that wilder things have happened.
Now Joe is not about to say a punter is a football player, though this guy was good athlete in his day: Pat McAfee. The former Colts punter and current sports talk personality sure understands the dynamic of an NFL locker room better than Joe and likely more so than most of Joe’s readers.
McAfee on his show today could not believe the line of questioning Bowles was getting hit with in his postgame remarks last night about throwing in the towel on the game. You can see McAfee’s take below.
Joe’s biggest problem with the whole thing? Where was this same never-say-die zeal from the head coach when the Bucs were down one score late in the playoffs last year? Instead, he ate a timeout and quit, not using that last timeout to force the Lions to attempt a long field goal or punt?
Instead, Bowles declared at the time, “You kind of know when the game is over. The game was over.”
Was part of the reason why the Bucs were still fighting late last night the vivid memory of giving up in Detroit last January?
Coach Bowles was asked about Chris Godwin being in the football game when he got hurt..
Nobody on that Buccaneers football team is thinking about that game being over #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/I1CXd37GiR
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 22, 2024
October 22nd, 2024 at 2:59 pm
McAfee’s proper place is at the broadcast table for the WWE….nowhere else.
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:02 pm
And neither did I. its called Football people. Sh.. happens. Get over it. Next man up. I hate all of this..coulda/woulda/shoulda. Its like telling a doctor trying to save a life..well, you shoulda done this..Critics and monday mornin QBs. Hate;em all.
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:05 pm
No one should. I watched shannahan leave his starters in down 16ts with 2 mins left vs chiefs. People just want to complain. Injuries are apart of the game.
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:06 pm
Joe, Id like to hear your take on Colts Bucs MNF 2003….
Should the Colts have sat their starters when they were down 21 with 5 minutes in the 4th?
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:07 pm
You mean Jordan Whitehead? Yeah, I saw that a lot last night… what a disappointment he’s been this season. No wonder the Jets let him walk.
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:18 pm
Exactly the right take by McCafee
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:20 pm
@Tbbucs3 – I was at that 2003 game. Still very painful. Thanks for reminding me!!!
But great point – plenty of time and that successful onside kick got people excited. Hindsight being 20-20, lots of arm chair head coaches out their second guessing. It’s football.
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:22 pm
ravens thought it was over they sat their starters. anyone see the footage of evans trying to walk after his first touchdown catch . letting evans play after that may have been a worse decision
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:23 pm
^ Ravens only rested some of their offensive starters on their very last drive.
Roquan Smith is a starter
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:29 pm
The team should make a “business decision” of its own and cut one of those players and let it be known it was because they were loafing.
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:29 pm
I actually don’t agree with him. He clearly didn’t watch the whole game to see how we were playing. They were down by like 3 scores with 3 mins left. I don’t care what kind of miracle you think you are getting you are not getting 3 onside kicks in a row to win the game. Not going to happen. On top of that fans are used to Bowles not being aggressive I mean he doesn’t even use his timeouts before half in most games. He punts from the opponents 40 yard line in past seasons. Now all of a sudden Bowles wants to play hero ball. Give me a break.
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:30 pm
Of course not!
Can’t believe all the wasted second guessing
I just pray it’s just bone and not ligaments and tendons.
Just a clean bone break above the ankle
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:31 pm
Who were the defensive players who loafed? Was it whitehead? And was there anyone else ?
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:42 pm
I left the game early in the fourth quarter not because of beating the traffic or trying to get home but because I had no faith in our defense to hold up and allow a comeback. I didn’t want to see them play anymore
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:42 pm
Might have to go to Gruden’s YouTube podcast. I’ll bet he’ll give you a straight answer and then some.
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:47 pm
Fluke injury – what’s not a fluke – is how bad this D is…every non-rookie QB starting Team has put up over 500yrd on us (Minus the eagles who were missing both of their starting Wr…) I think the Bucs can manufacture 20points on O vs Atlanta but nothing tells me we are going to stop them from getting 500yrds and at least 31 points.
Go Bucs!
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:51 pm
Last year in Detroit, Todd Bowles faced significant criticism from fans, which I’m sure left him feeling ostracized. This experience became a pivotal moment for him, reinforcing the idea that learning from past mistakes is vital. His 2nd half adjustments and willingness to score along with his increased use of timeouts shows this. He’s learning he’s adapting isn’t that all we can ask for???
In sports, as in life, setbacks can offer valuable lessons. Bowles’s willingness to reflect and adapt demonstrates the importance of resilience. Fans want to see growth and improvement, and Bowles’s journey highlights that commitment to evolving is essential for success. Embracing change and striving to learn from experiences is what we ultimately hope for from players and coaches alike. He gave up last year in Detroit and everyone including me wanted his head for it. Now he decides never say quit never say surrender and we want to blame him for that too??
Ultimately Godwins injury SUCKS he’s my personal favorite Bucs WR of all time even over Evans that’s just personal preferences though. Evans is definitely a more elite athlete. But…
YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!!
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:53 pm
Same people who are blasting Bowles for trying to win or tie the game were those who last year were complaining in the Detroit game that Bowles didn’t use his last time out when he said; “the game was out of reach.”
Furthermore many of the criticisms regarding how many times a team may use the onside kick are flat out wrong. Unfortunately, a lie gets repeated often enough until somehow it becomes fact. A trailing team in the 4th Q is NOT limited in the number of times it may use the onside kick. Bowles, Godwin, Coen, Mayfield were trying to tie or win the game last night.
Plenty of problems last night mostly around an invisible defense that allowed Ravens to do whatever they wanted with the ball. Early in the game prior to the INT’s ME drops a perfectly thrown TD pass. Godwin TD also early gets called back on a bad holding call on Wirfs. Against a quality team you just can’t make mistakes like Bucs did last night. The mistakes were a total team effort.
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:54 pm
The issue I have with it was the fact that the clock management was horrendous. This game, overall doesn’t effect us playoff standing wise for the division since it’s out of conference. The next game is absolutely essential for controlling our destiny. Not to mention why not do this last year against Detroit? It’s like Captain Jack Sparrow “He who runs away today, lives to run away another day”
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:55 pm
Players, former and current, will have this opinion. It’s a coach’s job to overrule it.
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:55 pm
I would have rather had Godwin out in the fourth quarter of a possible/ probable lost game especially it it meant losing him for the rest of the year as it did, remember ,We play Atlanta next week and we have already lost to them once , We lose to them again and go down two losses to the same team in the South and that would be a major blow to our chances to repeat and we still have to play San Francisco and Kansas City, so , yes, I would have rather have had him for the rest of the season than just the fourth quarter .
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:56 pm
The game was done.
Neither Baker or Chris should have been in the game down 2 scores and under a minute.
Really bad decision by Toad.
Could care less what an ex-punter Adderall snorting YouTuber has to say.
October 22nd, 2024 at 3:59 pm
Trying to pad the stats to help the next contract and it cost him and the season if the Bucs don’t rise to the occasion next week.
October 22nd, 2024 at 4:14 pm
aikman said the play before godwin got hurt when baker got sacked its time to think about protecting your stars. it looked like to me the offense wasnt really playing with a sense of urgency as if they thought they actually had a chance the belief didnt show . they were already going thru the motions
October 22nd, 2024 at 4:19 pm
Let’s see what the young guys can do. This could have the effect of speeding up their development. Given our weakness at linebacker and cornerback, the chance of a deep run this year was doubtful. I like this team. They play with heart. This will set us up to be better next year and still perhaps make the playoffs. Sorry for Mike and Chris.
October 22nd, 2024 at 4:20 pm
It would be very hypocritical of me to whine about Bowles trying to win late in the game after complaining about him not trying to win against the Lions. I’m not a hypocrite. If there is a 1% chance of winning, keep the best players in the game.
October 22nd, 2024 at 4:20 pm
These whining, crying Bucs fans need to watch flag football. They’re not man enough for the NFL..
October 22nd, 2024 at 4:50 pm
Thank you for the McAfee clip. Pat is right on point. Baker, Godwin, and the rest of the team were playing till the end, not quitting. That is who they are.
And not for nothing, Troy’s announcing was doom and gloom. Things were bad enough without hearing him go on and on. Just saying.
October 22nd, 2024 at 5:04 pm
Joe says: “Instead, Bowles declared at the time, “You kind of know when the game is over. The game was over.”
Bowels was lying to cover up not realizing he had that time out remaining. He is weak and cannot admit when he is wrong. I defy anyone on this site to give one example of Bowles putting the blame on himself.
October 22nd, 2024 at 5:06 pm
Only crybaby losers have an issue with players playing 60 minutes.
Godwin could have got hurt on the first throw of the game, or the last, that is football. You don’t stop playing because someone might get hurt.
Want to talk about ruining the game, these crybabies are the ones that have ruined preseason, and now want to ruin the regular season.
October 22nd, 2024 at 5:22 pm
Congratulations, we got the victory! Oh wait.
October 22nd, 2024 at 5:53 pm
RodMunch,
This may shock you, but well said.
October 22nd, 2024 at 6:04 pm
Giving 100% is an attitude, a habit, and a culture. It’s easy to turn off, not so easy to turn it back on. I have no problem with a coach, or a team, playing to the last minute, hoping for a miraculous win. Sooner or later, they’ll get one.
October 22nd, 2024 at 6:05 pm
I agree with McCafee.
I did not notice Whitehead loafing but I cannot say he was or was not. i do know he is second to David in tackles for the season. Just saying.
October 22nd, 2024 at 6:22 pm
It was over. Thry couldn’t even attempt another onsides kick. It was OVER
October 22nd, 2024 at 6:24 pm
Gipper – God bless!
See, like Rodney King said, we all can get along.
October 22nd, 2024 at 7:07 pm
Im guessing anyone who thinks godwin should have been out of the game, resting on the bench, safely…. never played sports at a competitive level… IMO
October 22nd, 2024 at 7:21 pm
The media should be ashamed of themselves the way they were second guessing the coach and lobbing those insinuating questions at Bowels. Football is a dangerous game and injuries can happen at anytime. Hell they can happen to old coaches standing on the freaking sidelines. This Tampa media is infuriating sans my boys the Joes and Ira of course
October 22nd, 2024 at 8:09 pm
Pat is weird AF and no one cares what that ex punter thinks.
If you do…you probably think wrestling is real
October 22nd, 2024 at 8:58 pm
Justice for Godwin