Todd Bowles: Defense Making Basic, Fundamental Mistakes
October 27th, 2024
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
OK, Bucs coach Todd Bowles often likes to blame rotten play and mistakes by his defense on “communication.” Joe smells nonsense.
The last time Joe heard a defensive coordinator use “communication” as a catch-all excuse for grotesque play was during Mike Smith’s reign of terror. On in Smith’s case, it really was communication.
The dude in the huddle calling the defensive plays? His teammates couldn’t understand him. So they broke the huddle at times with guys freelancing because they didn’t know what play was called.
So Smith wasn’t conning people.
Now Joe isn’t saying Bowles is a con. But you tell Joe how the defense is largely the same over a period of years, yet they forget to make sure their teammates are on the same page with signals or just plain hollering to one another?
It sounds like something that should have been corrected the first week or two of training camp.
So while Bowles today wasn’t discussing “communication” in answering a specific question about defensive woes, Bowles did confess the Bucs are allowing explosive plays they should have otherwise learned early in training camp to prevent.
“Lack of concentration,” Bowles said was the root of allowing so many explosive plays. “These are Day 1 things we should know. Either we missed a tackle or we didn’t play it right. It’s nothing new that we put in.”
Bowles also added the Bucs defense made “bonehead plays.”
Joe appreciates Bowles’ candor and applauds him for being frank. At the same time, all of this suggests a breakdown in coaching — whether the coaches misjudged the Bucs’ knowledge of the playbook or their ability to correct things.
If these really are “Day 1” mistakes, why is the defense making them in Week 8?
That, boys and girls, is on the coaching staff.
October 27th, 2024 at 6:30 pm
Hey Swiss Cheese,,,who coaches the defense?
October 27th, 2024 at 6:31 pm
FUN – DUH – MENTALS!!!
October 27th, 2024 at 6:33 pm
This team is desperate for a pass rusher! A guy who can get home without blitzing would literally change everything.
October 27th, 2024 at 6:34 pm
They don’t have starting NFL talent
They are young backups playing as starters
October 27th, 2024 at 6:36 pm
This team is desperate for a HC/DC with a clue.
October 27th, 2024 at 6:36 pm
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
We might have one, but he’s in the flat covering no one.
October 27th, 2024 at 6:37 pm
There is a lack of communication… Why hasnt he been notified that he’s fired!!!
October 27th, 2024 at 6:40 pm
Joe … ‘That, boys and girls, is on the coaching staff.’
You can’t have it both ways Joe. Either we have the right players but they’re poorly coached, OR … we have some players who flat arse shouldn’t be on the field no matter how well you coach them up.
After watching these last games, I vote for the latter. Britt is a S/Ts player & nothing more. Thunderburk is runny nose rookie who belongs back on the Practice Squad. Hall’s coming along, but I’ve given up on JTS.
October 27th, 2024 at 6:40 pm
Wake me up when Bowles is fired
October 27th, 2024 at 6:40 pm
They put the F in f’d up fundamentals. Certainly aint putting the fun in fun da mental s
October 27th, 2024 at 6:56 pm
You know the Bucs have lost 4 games to winning teams….. still the defense is very bad for a defensive head coach. 30 points per game is becoming the average very quickly and it’s honestly because Todd doesn’t believe in pass rush and wants OLB to be CB’s too.
October 27th, 2024 at 6:57 pm
Can we bring Arians back for 1/2 year and let Bowles just coach the defense. Maybe with Arians, he could keep him under control and stop this craziness. Isn’t Arians still on the payroll?
October 27th, 2024 at 6:59 pm
For three years we have heard the same excuses for this terrible defense. We have also had the same game management issues. Fire the DC and the OC. Good news, it is only one exit interview.
October 27th, 2024 at 7:03 pm
Why is Tucker, not seeing the field???
October 27th, 2024 at 7:08 pm
You can blame Bowles if you want
JTS and Hall suck.- those are on Licht
In both Falcons games, turnovers were the difference- Bucs could be 6-2 without the turnovers.
Injuries on D aren’t helping.
They still play hard…no quit
October 27th, 2024 at 7:09 pm
I don’t blame Baker. He has to take risks since our defense can’t stop a JV offense at this point. Our offense has to score a TD on every drive to have a chance.
October 27th, 2024 at 7:12 pm
Todd is trash as HC and as DC!
The sooner the Bucs cut ALL ties with him, the better….
Just as he was with the Jets, a Loser of a HC!
October 27th, 2024 at 7:15 pm
If Bowles ever had a secret sauce for defense, it’s positively spoiled now. Either last year or the year before he said something like, “time to let elephants be elephants and lions be lions.” Well, that time has returned. He’s lost credibility as a defensive guru. Just play basics with the player talents you know you have. It can’t possibly be worse.
October 27th, 2024 at 7:16 pm
500 coach
October 27th, 2024 at 7:19 pm
Bowles has run his time with the Bucs. His defense will not all of a sudden get better. These guys are veterans playing like rookies. It’s the coaching that’s the problem.
October 27th, 2024 at 7:21 pm
Who is responsible to make sure there is good “communication” Todd???
October 27th, 2024 at 7:21 pm
Every game hereafter Bowles stays as HC is just one more game before this team starts to improve. I’d be willing throw Licht into that equation as well. Team is simply spinning in neutral with no way forward.
October 27th, 2024 at 7:26 pm
The fact that he has failed to develop any 2nd or 3rd year defensive players, fails to blitz an immobile QB when weak in the secondary and continuously exhibit poor game management should seal Bowles unemployment after the bye. Anyone thinking we have a chance at all to beat KC or San Fran with this porous defense?
October 27th, 2024 at 7:27 pm
Pathetic
October 27th, 2024 at 7:28 pm
This is season 3 of Bowles defense…..it’s not going to magically make it better. It doesn’t work….it’s never really worked.
October 27th, 2024 at 7:32 pm
Again, Bowles accepts ZERO blame. How are ownership / GM so blind to his non- accountability? Or maybe they just don’t think accountability is an important leadership attribute? It’s just frustrating.
October 27th, 2024 at 7:34 pm
If it’s the players fault for not playing the way they were coached then that is on the coach for being undisciplined. That man has no passion for the game and there is zero discipline. BA would have never stood for it.
October 27th, 2024 at 7:39 pm
Wow, on a day that Baker can’t even keep a 40 yard hail mary in the field of play, and Jameis throws a perfect 40 yard TD inside a minute to win the game, Daniels just throws the ball 65 yards in the air for a game winning hail mary. Man. If you don’t even keep the ball in the field of play, you don’t even have a chance, Baker not being able to do that was just awful.
Hopefully they bounce back next week.
October 27th, 2024 at 7:42 pm
No one had issues with fundamentals in week 1 or 2. It’s time to go Bowles. Everyone on your defense is a veteran except funderburke. When your defense got shredded like that I would love his example of a bonehead play. They always look lost in coverage so that doesn’t count
October 27th, 2024 at 7:46 pm
Time for Bowles to walk the plank with anchor in tow, Sorry Todd, We must dump you in the Bay. We all thought defense was your specialty. And thus far, our defense has been beyond bad. It has been abysmal. Don’t worry. Licht is behind you walking the plank too.
October 27th, 2024 at 7:46 pm
Chuckie!
October 27th, 2024 at 7:47 pm
Gosh dangit – Daniels hitting that hail mary is just rubbing it in the Bucs face and in particular in Baker’s face.
How do you just throw the ball out the back of the endzone – have zero touch, no idea where the ball is going? I know it’s a very low probability play, but man, it’s really amazing how inaccurate Baker is past about 10 yards down the field.
October 27th, 2024 at 7:47 pm
Get Chuckie on the phone!
October 27th, 2024 at 7:51 pm
Get off it Munch. That Hail Mary pass was a 40 yard floater that had > 10% chance of completion. Buc player was standing on end line and stepped out of field ONE step and caught the deflection. Not like Mayfield threw it into the stands. This only reason we had a chance at all was that Baker kept us in it. We did not loose the game because of Baker Mayfield. Duh!
October 27th, 2024 at 7:52 pm
hes proud of his top 30 defense
October 27th, 2024 at 8:03 pm
The Commanders showed us all how to set up the Hail Mary!
October 27th, 2024 at 8:18 pm
BucsfaninOregon – yeah, you’re right, saying a QB should be able to keep the ball in bounds with the game on the line is asking too much. Impossible to do, no one has ever done it before.
October 27th, 2024 at 8:24 pm
Hey Joe, hope you can see Bowles is covering for the defense. Simple truth not that coaches don’t gave a hand in it, but coaches can only do so much. Players are being out played on defense. The D line as a unit can’t pressure. In turn they blitz, but that is being handled over and over. The result wide open field too often.
Britt is to slow and you can’t coach that. LaVonte too old to help Britt. He is having trouble covering his own. Result open middle. The rookie corner not ready and is high liability.Result, receivers making huge plays. I have no clue what happened to Winfield and Whitehead, but they never seem to be around the play or way to late. Light has some blame here. They knew what they had in Britt and knew they were thin at lb and edge. Result is what you see. Fundamentals and commutation can’t fix when players are being outplayed.
I like your positive spin on Bucs contenders but can’t take a team in the playoffs with a defense like this.
Defense needs players that simple.
October 27th, 2024 at 8:32 pm
Todds done, its obvious he dont care…respectfully, please get him out
October 27th, 2024 at 8:32 pm
All these Mayfield critics, he got a lead. Again. He also was throwing to guys who have zero experience other than Shepard and Otton, who suddenly looks great.
And why is no one talking about the fumble by White?
October 27th, 2024 at 8:36 pm
Jason should have the Glazers in tomorrow morning at 7am and summon Tood for a meetin, at which he is asked “why for three years do your players make the same mistakes, repeatedly?” To which he will have some coach speak answer. To which Jason replies, “ we have a list of defensive consultants to observe practice, game planning, play calls, execution of said calls, and list the defects. They will recommend a practice regimen to correct said defects. Furthermore, the practice of trying to be the mad scientist by dropping pass rushers into coverage and rushing DBs will stop effective immediately, unless it’s a one or two time per game occurrence.”
(Then have BA call Tood, confidentially, and tell him he has turned to suck, ask him where the DC who worked for BA went, and if he doesn’t return before the bye, Tood will be in the FFCA.)
If Tood rejects these entreaties, guess what happens next.
October 27th, 2024 at 8:45 pm
I heard a very interesting stat today regarding the amazing Patrick Holmes. This season he had had an interception every single game. Baker is leading the NFL in touchdown passes thrown. Need to cut Baker some slack as far as the INTs. I am a new BUCS fan because of Mayfield. That being said, Coach Bowles has no excuse for such a poor defensive showing game after game. Coach Coen is doing an outstanding job and would certainly be an excellent candidate for the head coaching position if Bowles can’t turn this defensive unit around pronto.
October 27th, 2024 at 8:49 pm
First cut JTMs as an example that mediocrity will no longer be tolerated. If that doesn’t help fire Bowels for the same reason.Even his record yells mediocrity
October 27th, 2024 at 8:51 pm
ModHairKen Says:
why is no one talking about the fumble by White?
———
I don’t know, maybe because it happened on the opening drive of the game and the Bucs were leading only a couple of series later.
October 27th, 2024 at 8:54 pm
Like always, the Glazers will finish the season with their HC intact. As much as they should, they won’t fire Bowles.
The defense won’t dramatically improve. They will finish with 7-9 wins.
Another team with talent will be wasted.
October 27th, 2024 at 9:00 pm
Todd is great. Todd is good.
October 27th, 2024 at 9:05 pm
Two words not heard on today’s broadcast. Coverage sack!
October 27th, 2024 at 9:08 pm
We all know it’s on the defense! Let’s go glazers boys ,time to make a move ! Keep are offense coach ,he is getting the job done .hire a good defensive coach crew .
October 27th, 2024 at 9:10 pm
The longer the glazers boys wait ,nothing will change there father would have done it already !!!
October 27th, 2024 at 9:25 pm
Sad. It’s like this every year with TB. I was over it a while ago.
October 27th, 2024 at 9:29 pm
Bucswin!
Good one, haven’t heard that all year
October 27th, 2024 at 9:33 pm
Just so frustrating that literally Ti g in defense is working, yet Bowles is unwilling to try anything different. No personnel changes. No simplification of scheme even though nobody seemingly understands their assignments. Or god forbid, try jamming a WR at the line of scrimmage every once in a while.
October 27th, 2024 at 9:54 pm
Glazer always want big name coach for the Bucs..Bill Parcell….in the past..
FORMER Patriots HC might be the guy that they go after….another Bill.
October 27th, 2024 at 10:35 pm
Que the morons who are going to blame the head coach.
This has nothing to do with the head coach.
Baker had suddenly become a turnover machine the last three weeks.
The defense is making basic coverage errors. Guys running wide open.
Those are not on the head coach. Those are execution plays.
Then, of course, there is the complete lack of a pass rush by the front 4-5.
We all thought Kancey and Yaya were the second coming of Sapp and Simeon, not this year.
The only time they have done extremely well with pressure and sacks is by blitzing a ton and that’s just not sustainable.
Again, this is not a coaching issue. He is a great DC, Liam is a great OC. The issue is they are extremely young and are missing some big pieces.
Two receivers on offense and one player at each level on defense-
One more pass rusher
One more coverage corner
One more speedy sure tackling LB (Because when LVD was injured, you could hear the stadiums collective breath get held. If he goes down, the defense is done).
October 28th, 2024 at 12:25 am
I’ve watched Bowles coaching blunders for years. Time to move on.
October 28th, 2024 at 3:01 am
Piss Poor Coaching. You’re the D coordinator you moron. Fix it. Number 24 is awful and should be cut
October 28th, 2024 at 5:04 am
“Bonehead plays.” Coach Bowles said. I respect Todd, but that has a lot to do with communication too.
However, not going to get rid of our coach mid-way. Won’t happen. And who do you get mid-way? Another coach that was fired or one that coached many years ago and didn’t always win at the end of their careers. I am still backing Todd. It is still early and we have injuries. Yesterday was a close game. Falcons got some breaks, especially at the end zone with no camera.
October 28th, 2024 at 10:38 am
So I guess they need to go back and learn how to play football again coach? Seems we always hear “We need to get back to the basics” only said in many different ways. So when coaches say “we need to coach better” they’re lying through their teeth it’s all the players fault