Todd Bowles And The 500-Yards Passing Club
October 4th, 2024
Sad record.
Joe used to think Todd Bowles was a really good defensive coordinator. He’s not bad but after last night, Joe cannot rank him with the best in the game.
Good defensive coordinators don’t get lit up for 500 passing yards. Problem is, that’s the second time that’s happened to Bowles in his Bucs days.
Last night one-legged Kirk Cousins torched Bowles for 509 yards. Cousins tied Vince Ferragamo for 15th place on the list of most passing yards in a game.
Back in 2019 when Bowles had better talent to work with than he currently has (he had Jason Pierre-Paul, Ndamukong Suh, Vita Vea and Shaq Barrett in his 19.5 sack season, plus Lavonte David and Devin White in their prime), Bowles’ defense got lit up by Jared Goff and the Los Angeles Rams.
Joe was at the famed, historic Los Angeles Coliseum when Goff flamebroiled Bowles’ defense for 517 yards in a shootout with America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston. The horrible defensive performance was swept under the rug by a Bucs 55-40 win.
Goff’s day against Bowles’ defense was the ninth-most passing yards recorded in a game.
(A 500-yard passing blitzkrieg also happened to Bowles when he was an interim coach/assistant head coach/secondary assistant with the Dolphins in 2011 when Tom Brady torched the Dolphins also for 517 yards.)
So in the 104-year old NFL, of the 25 games where a quarterback threw for 500 or more yards, Bowles is partially responsible for one, and directly responsible for two others. So in other words, Bowles was a big part of 12 percent of those 25 games.
That doesn’t happen to good defensive coaches.
Ironically, in the post-Chucky era of the Bucs, a 500-yard passing game isn’t that rare. It has happened four times.
The first came in Week 2 of the 2012 season when former Bucs commander Greg Schiano and the Bucs got torched by Eli Manning for 510 yards passing.
Four years later, it was Mike Smith’s turn. Derek Carr and the Raiders sliced and diced the Bucs for 513 yards.
So within the past 12 seasons, the Bucs defense has been gouged for 500 or more passing yards four times.
October 4th, 2024 at 3:48 am
Thank you Joe!!! Thank you!!
October 4th, 2024 at 4:00 am
What would bad be? 700 yards?
Todd has many supporters. He’s a great dude, obviously.
When he tries to wear two hats he wears them backwards and wrong. Hire a full time defensive coordinator that can focus on a pass defense that has been leaking oil for 2-plus seasons now. All the “giving up yards is ok” supporters got their bitter medicine tonight.
Or if he refuses, then let him know he has to pick one or the other.
If he still refuses…..it’s why Jason gets paid the big bucks.
October 4th, 2024 at 4:02 am
PS – didn’t CJ Stroud also ring up Todd’s bend over and break pass defense for 500 last year in yet another epic coaching failure?
October 4th, 2024 at 4:37 am
The real winners are the ones who voted no confidence at all in the Bowles poll yesterday.
Pathetic.
October 4th, 2024 at 4:51 am
This is just ridiculous. Over and over and over again.
How many times we must watch the same thing happening for something to change. I mean come on.
Even if you overlook the past seasons.
You have Bo Nix and the Broncos an awful Offense have their best game and almost 400 yds on you. You refuse to blitz and relay on a non existent 4 man rush and the infamous soft zones. You get carved up.
Now you have a struggling offense in ATL with Cousins at 4/4 TD/INT in the previous 4 games and what you do ? You let them have 500 yds.
You have a statue QB than when he gets pressured he make mistakes and you let him sit in the pocket with almost no blitz in the entire game.
When ENOUGH is enough. WHEEEEENNNNN.
You can blame the fumble, you can blame the missed face mask call but this is ridiculous.
Cousins was pressured a handful of times and you had a few sacks, an INT and a dropped INT. But you decide to sit back on 4 man rush and your precious soft zones on 90% of the snaps.
Its beyond ridiculous, its insane.
Honestly i m tired of watching the same thing happening every few games.
I m a Bucs fan i support the team but i m tired of this.
Watching this game you could feel from the first few drives that Cousins will have one of his best games. And what you decide to do? Stick to the plan that is not working. Cousins CANT MOVE and you let him sit in the pocket the entire game.
And now we will have the same talks we got to do better and we will own it etc etc etc. No that is not good because we have seen that we will not learn from this. We will continue to make the things. How this team will progress and take the next step to be a contender.
Its beyond frustrating, its beyond disappointing. I m just tired to watch the same thing.
Go Bucs
October 4th, 2024 at 5:07 am
You can only go so far as talent will take you.
October 4th, 2024 at 5:23 am
The Bucks have no pass rush. Zero. The bucks secondary is very slow and cannot tackle. The Linebackers are the strength of this defense but cannot make up for the weak line and secondary on their own. Whenever the Bucs play “Zone” they are torched (See the Texans last season The Broncos this season.) The Offensive line is bad and Graham Barton has been exposed as a mediocre talent. (Barton and Mauch were manhandled last night.) If Baker Mayfield forgets his Superman cape for one game, the Bucs will exposed for the fraud they are.
October 4th, 2024 at 6:07 am
Part of being an effective coach at any level is in game adjustments. Several times on the broadcast last night, it was stated that Bowles calls defensive plays. He had to have the feel that his d was in for a difficult challenge by the second quarter and realize that his offense needed to score TDs on every drive. Cohen should have been unleashed to call whatever was necessary and as aggressive as possible to score as many points as they could because the defensive couldn’t tackle or cover ANYONE. Only an idiot tries to sit on a 3 point lead and rely on a defense that could not get off the field and gives up 500 yds passing. If we are lucky we will be 9-8. Bowles is below average at coaching football.
October 4th, 2024 at 6:19 am
I really hope if this season goes south Bowles doesn’t get another chance. No one really wanted him anyways. He was an Arians hold over. As good as Arians was as a coach he had some coaches such as Leftwhich for example they sucked and is still out of a job. We knew who Bowles was as a head coach see the Jets.
October 4th, 2024 at 6:23 am
How come teams always have their best game against us?
October 4th, 2024 at 6:26 am
logan hall seemed to look a little different out there last night…
like he’s figured something out or something…
it could be a major notable bright spot to come out of the game if he continues on this trajectory…
he seemed active and impactful, when usually he’s sorta just a body lost in the shuffle…
so that was a def bright spot
October 4th, 2024 at 6:27 am
should we call dean “covid dean” moving forward since he’s got the on-field social distancing thing down to a science ???
October 4th, 2024 at 6:29 am
509 yards doesn’t mean the defense was bending….that sh!te was broke af…
#ToastCity
October 4th, 2024 at 6:33 am
I agree with Ted’s take. Turtle Todd plays not to lose and thus loses many winnable games: 2022 Cleveland, 2023 Indy, Houston, the first ATL game and now this embarrassment. I am guessing that Turtle Todd will defend Britt when the press calls him out in his next presser, he will also deflect blame if the defensive scheme is questioned. He will likely use the injury bug as an excuse. Mayfield, OTOH, has already manned up and blamed himself, saying he left points on the field. I am guessing Coen will also own the blame for the offense scoring 6 points in the second half even if he was told to take the foot off of the gas in the 2nd half by his boss. Disappointing loss, Turtle Todd has 10 days to get ready for the Saints who will likely be angry and 2-3 after losing to the Chiefs in bad fashion as their HC is as inept as Turtle Todd in pressure situations. .
October 4th, 2024 at 6:38 am
Bowles ur a loss cause dude stop wasting time u won’t be here much longer ur playbook is old school and teams have figured it out.
October 4th, 2024 at 6:48 am
Looks so stupid on the side line as if what he is seeing is new fing dope. I don’t care if we make the playoffs because I know he will blow it some how. He isn’t a head coach he is a church pastor smiles and lies to u all day f. Ing idiot
October 4th, 2024 at 6:55 am
Fire him now ….. doesn’t have the balls to coach High school let alone a pro team . PATHETIC
October 4th, 2024 at 6:56 am
Fire him now ….. doesn’t have the balls to coach High school let alone a pro team . PATHETIC and why do they where whites all the time .do they even have a color?
October 4th, 2024 at 6:59 am
Bowles’ philosophy is to stop the run and let them beat us by throwing the ball. Well, that’s exactly what happened last night. And, they carved us up. If we can’t keep receivers from gett wide-arse open, you better get to the passer before he can throw the ball. And, as Joe has repeatedly preached, we have no pass rush. So you better damn well start getting more players like McCollum in the secondary or get yourself a legit pass rusher. Preferably both!
October 4th, 2024 at 7:03 am
They lost in overtime. On the road. On 4 days rest after a game in 100 degree heat. With key injuries on DL and S. Which is where they failed.
The players play. When a rookie fumbles or holds on key downs, losses will happen.
Its over. Move on. Get healthy guys hydrated and rested and the injured healthy.
Now they have ground to make up. 3-1 last year turned into a crisis. They need to avoid that. It starts with a win over NO.
October 4th, 2024 at 7:09 am
Are we still collecting receipts Jason?
October 4th, 2024 at 7:29 am
Games like this are why a large portion of the fanbase do not believe in Bowles. His pass defensive scheme allows EASY throws so any competent QB and coordinator will tear it apart.
The scheme puts the team at such a disadvantage from the start, it’s pathetic
October 4th, 2024 at 7:37 am
At the snap the Bowles D backs just run around flapping their arms like the “lost in Space” Robot.
October 4th, 2024 at 7:47 am
Winfield can’t come back soon enough
October 4th, 2024 at 7:48 am
By now we can all see it coming. You knew after the first TD drive we weren’t stopping them tonight. The 10 yard cushions, the OLBs playing safety, all the signs were there. Britt doing his thing, whatever that is, yup you could tell. We’ve seen this version of Bowles defense many times before. Raheem wasn’t calling Atlanta’s defense last night, he hired someone, he’s the H.C.. Bowles should do what a good H.C. would do, fire his D.C.. Turn over the reins.
October 4th, 2024 at 7:55 am
Derek Carr will sport wood after watching Bucs film.
October 4th, 2024 at 8:00 am
While they gave up 500 yds passing we lost this game for 1 reason bucky fumbled that drive was the nail in the coffin he blew it after David got the int that game shud have been over until bucky disaster period
October 4th, 2024 at 8:07 am
Point 2 they really weren’t stopping our offense either we were on point from the opening drive we will be a team to be reckoned with as soon as the injuries dissapate we were down 5 1st stringers make the adjustments & we will b fine
October 4th, 2024 at 8:07 am
Scott Says:
October 4th, 2024 at 6:23 am
How come teams always have their best game against us?
This comment says volumes about the current HC.
Wake up Buc fans.
October 4th, 2024 at 8:09 am
Hard to argue with those stats but again stats are for losers.
I’ll judge Bowles at the end of this season. I think his career is obviously on the line and he and everybody knows that.
I don’t care about 500 yard games I care about the LOSSES. 3 games in a multi decade career still don’t tell me much.
IF Todd wins another Division and advances past the first round of the playoffs I’m not going to give a spit about HOW he does it. Good research but THREE games? Todd Bowles has now been an HC over 100 games. I’m not going to judge his prowess based on 3 games to include his DC time as well. It’s LESS than 1%. Stats need perspective.
Style is subjective and I actually favor the style of most guys here, freaking go for it like Raheem last night. If any ONE of Raheem’s gambles had failed it would be Atlanta sports fans doing all the beotching this morning.
It’s sports and there is always more than one way to git er done. Just git er done and to me that means ONE thing…W’s. Last night was a failure on that front in a game the Bucs could have won. But there WERE some things to build on.
Logan Hall had not ONE but TWO sacks! Both running backs aside from Bucky’s rookie fumble played well enough. The OL minus the starting RT still held up pretty well.
The Bucs do NOT need a QB! The Bucs do not need any more targets for Baker there is an embarrassment of riches. The Bucs need an RT! They need their superstar star safety, and they NEED the Kancey who flashed last year.
IF they get all that the Bucs will be formidable and Bowles will not be a problem.
But I get the griping. Losses ALWAYS bring that. I
October 4th, 2024 at 8:41 am
Derek Carr will torched this pathetic defense. I can see a 600 yards coming. This defense is so soft. Softer than my used Charmin toilet paper.
October 4th, 2024 at 9:10 am
He admitted again he was outcoached. As long as we have him as a coach we will have a lot of problems winning consistently
October 4th, 2024 at 9:17 am
Baker Mayfield came out slinging the rock
And ended up with 180 yards passing
It’s pathetic
October 4th, 2024 at 9:55 am
I said this already but I will say it again. Todd Bowles was never a good hire. We bent the knee to appease Bruce Arians and you know what fine BA got us a Super Bowl.
That being said Todd Bowles is an ok defensive coordinator but he is wildly inconsistent. There are times when it really feels like we take a step forward like last week against Phili but then we have real stinkers like Denver & just last night. It’s not acceptable.
Now if we were routinely a good team say 11-6 type team then you could step back and go ok the defense is average but we keep winning so he’s a good coach. The bucs cannot say this. Hes 8-9, 9-8 an we will probably be 9-8 again. I just don’t see a reason to keep him around if his defenses are subpar and he’s just ok as a HC he doesn’t provide any value and its that simple.
October 4th, 2024 at 10:20 am
Promote Cohen HC start your search for a New Defensive Coordinator
Time is running out on this team
October 4th, 2024 at 10:36 am
Reality Check…
Mr. Bowles may be good at stopping the run, but what good is that in a passing league? How many times must we sit through a thorough thrashing of his pass defense – if you can call it that – before they realize that major changes in structure and talent need to be made?
October 4th, 2024 at 10:56 am
Maybe it’s time to stop referring to Bowles as a defensive guru…
October 4th, 2024 at 11:04 am
This is obviously the part of Todd Bowles that MOST of us can’t stand. He is HARD HEADED. While almost every talking media head said you have to play Cousins in something other than Cover 2 soft zone he did it ALL NIGHT LONG.
Dean may be the worst cover corner in the league.
Cousins got rid of the ball too quickly for our pass rush, even the blitz on like 90% of the plays. The NEVER hit the WR making contact, you know ACTUAL BUMP and run.
On offense Liam Coen called a GREAT 1st Half and then we NEVER saw Bucky and White together on motion plays again. The second half after Baker got hit was a disaster.
I could hardly sleep I was so mad.
October 4th, 2024 at 11:18 am
Bowles is just soft, no killer instinct, not a gambler. Loyal to a fault. Dean is slow, way overpaid with hands as greasy as smoked sausages. I personally would have gotten rid of both him and Davis instead of giving them both huge paydays. In fact, not too many players in my book deserve second contracts. Keep them hungry and let someone else feed them. Evans, Godwin, Mayfield, Vea, David, Wirfs are the exception.
October 4th, 2024 at 11:26 am
Guys, while I agree that David Carr will likely boat race Britt and Dean if Turtle Todd Bowles does not make some changes, we do have to keep in mind he has the Chiefs to deal with first on MNF. Hopefully the big difference in rest time will benefit Tampa and that the Chiefs beat up the Saints physically. I expect the Chiefs to win as Dennis Allen is as bad of a coach as Bowels. He too managed to lose a winnable game in the ATL as well. The problem is that the Saints can play defense and the Bucs, well lets just say last night the Miami Fins without Tua could have beaten Bowels as could New England or the Jags the 3 worst offenses in the NFL now that Carolina has Dalton making them mediocre and yeah; Canales would have beat Bowels last night too or came close. That is how bad the defense was.
October 4th, 2024 at 11:43 am
Should have been fired at the end of 2022 season when they made the playoffs with a losing record then got embarrassed at home by Dallas. Wait. I take that back. Never should have been promoted to HC in the first.
October 4th, 2024 at 11:53 am
Somewhere out there in the inter-ether, a many-word-diatribe is being prepared to explain how Todd’s a true genius and make all the excuses for why the endgame fail.
What last night proved – again – is on this Bucs team, offense must score 37+ for a good shot at victory. Defense definitely does not rule.
October 4th, 2024 at 12:41 pm
Again, you are correct, Dave Pear. Todd bowles cannot switch HC and DC hats during a game well. This flaw is his undoing.
October 4th, 2024 at 1:15 pm
So ,, I guess we don’t have a defense genius as HC ?? !!
October 4th, 2024 at 6:05 pm
Lmao. Okay Joe
October 4th, 2024 at 8:35 pm
That’s good statwork, Joe. Depressing, but good. I disagree with the assessment of the loss though. Some games are just barn burners. We lost both safeties. We had to out score to win and that offense got conservative with a small lead. Screen passes and runs instead of Evans and Godwin. I’m giving Bowles a pass. For this one.
October 4th, 2024 at 11:41 pm
TODD’S DEFENCE HASN’T CHANGED , IT’S THE SAME OLD CRAP AS LAST YEAR AND THE YEAR BEFORE , NEW PLAYERS AND STILL THE SAME OLD STINK, THIS IS WHY HE GOT FIRED WITH THE JETS , HE STUNK THERE AND HE STINK’S HERE, ITS SIMPLE , THE DEFENCE LOST THE GAME VS LOS. RAMS IN THE PLAY OFF’S THE LAST MINUTE OF THE GAME, AND THE BLEEDING WON’T STOP TILL THEY FIRE TODD BOWLS , SIMPLE AS THAT !!!!!!!! NO PLAY OFF THIS YEAR, I’LL BET MY WHOLE PAYCHECK ON THAT , WATCH AND SEE ……..