Todd Bowles: “Just Throw To The Open Guy”
October 23rd, 2024
Joe could hear a hint of exasperation in Todd Bowles’ voice.
And no, it nothing to do with the Bucs’ miserable run defense.
Asked on the Buccaneers Radio Network this week about Baker Mayfield’s two ugly interceptions Monday against the Ravens, Bowles sounded a bit frustrated. The vibe was that his quarterback played great ball outside of two big but unnecessary errors.
“Just throw to the open guy,” Bowles said of Mayfield. “He’s trying to make the big play. He’s got to throw to the open guy. There are guys that are open and all the great quarterbacks, they play great because they throw to the open guy. We held the ball a little too long and we got to get rid of it.
Bowles speculated that Mayfield is “maybe trying to make the big play instead of the right play.”
Joe’s with the head coach on this. Mayfield wasn’t even pressured on his two interceptions against the Ravens, which were the result of poor decisions.
Still, good teams must find ways to overcome costly mistakes. Mayfield leads the NFL with 18 touchdown passes, ranks second in passing yards and is having by far the best rushing season of his career. So there’s plenty of great happening at the quarterback position.
October 23rd, 2024 at 3:43 pm
Yep he tried too hard after Mikes injury. That’s exactly it.
October 23rd, 2024 at 3:58 pm
Maybe would have been better if was pressured, then he would have simply made “a” play instead of trying to make “the” play.
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:03 pm
Yep, Baker tried 2 hard, overcomung Evans drop injury n refs made up hold play on Wirfs? N so, Godwins td reversed, mcmillan fmdropped td thriw in end zine n was it palmer the other drop pass td in endzone, n well, refs, he took awhile 2 regroup n tried waaaay 2 hard,
Did u guys see mcmillan waving he wanted that ball n he stood still when ravens wentc4 it, thnk he cld of batted it down, but!! Tgat was stillbakers baaaad move, he shld of run, played shook up right there
Think we win big this week, all odds against us lol so, GO BUCS
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:04 pm
Saw a lot open receivers for sure and definitely give tuck more touches.
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:05 pm
Coach Bowles I can understand your frustration. Any fan watching would understand your frustration.
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:06 pm
Even if Baker played a perfect game, the Bucs had pretty much no chance as the Ravens are on a completely different level.
With that said, those were two of the worst INT’s you’ll ever see an NFL QB throw – and that makes 5 INTs in the last 2 weeks, and he just lost Evans and Godwin.
As a reminder, in 2019, Winston lost Evans and Godwin, and the Bucs were starting Perriman and Watson. Looking at the box scores, you got all-time greats like Cyril Grayson Jr., Ishmael Hyman and Codey McElroy on the stat sheet. Anywho, no one here cut Winston a break when Watson was running the wrong routes, or Brate was dropping perfectly thrown balls on 4th down with 2 minutes left and the ball at the Texans 20 … or Matt Gay missing three FGs in a tied game. Nope, so Baker shouldn’t expect any breaks from the fans either because we all know they’re going to be ultra consistent and remember what they said and how they acted in previous years when this same thing happened.
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:12 pm
A name I’m seeing as probably available, that I wasn’t considering, is Christian Kirk. He’d actually be an excellent fit in the slot, and is signed for next year at a not too ridiculous amount of $15m. I’d give up a decent draft pick for him, probably a 4th would get it done, I think.
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:14 pm
That’s a rich comment coming from Todd. “Just throw it to the open guy” …like every opposing QB does to us.
Todd, if your precious system is so complex and convoluted that, after 6 years in your system, players still have no idea who or where to cover, simplify things. Your system is flawed if players need a PhD and a decade to understand all its nuances.
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:14 pm
15 sucks he leaves Bake out to dry all the time! reidel anthony jaques green all over again 😂
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:18 pm
Mayfield will end the season with 12 INT’s. Mahomes has 8 INT’s right now. The 2INT’s on Monday night have generated a lot of noise on this site. If you play QB in the National Footbal League, they will happen. Surprised that all the critics seem to forget the perfectly thrown TD pass that ME dropped or the TD to Godwin called back for an invisible holding call on Wirfs. Todd Bowles should concentrate on his junior varsity defense. Shocking how wide open Ravens receivers were Monday night. It looked like a walk through football practice.
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:18 pm
Yup, they were bad throws.
Especially the 2nd INT.
The first one he obviously didn’t see the DB go racing towards the corner of the end zone. But still, other guys were open. He was pressing without Evans. It’s almost like Evans is the engine to our offensive machine, despite what that moron who calls himself “Boss” constantly claims…
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:18 pm
Bake gets shook after he makes a mistake. That end zone pick killed us and bakers psyche. We need him to just not make those mistakes and maybe take off and slide instead of throw after 3-4 seconds of nothing
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:19 pm
A good team doesn’t give up a CRAP TON of points either.
Bowles is the KING or feast or famine.
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:20 pm
Let’s all get frustrated (pi..ed off). We’ve scored touchdowns on first possession 4 straight games. Lost 2 of last 3 and score 30 plus in all of them. It’s a team game but when my friends and family watched this game I had 9 out of 9 people watching with me – even my 9 year old grandson- my youngest- they said the same thing. The defense sucks. Those of us who know realize Lamar makes many defenses suck. But if Cousins goes off again like he did last time..NO..NO..NO
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:23 pm
They need to get the ball to the playmaker that had over 100 total yards, and 2 TDS. The guy that’s the best blocking back they have
The guy that has a career catch ratio over 90%
SMDH
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:26 pm
Totally agree throw to the open guy ! And we will win coen is doing a great job at play calling and play design turn it UP Baker
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:32 pm
LakelandBuc Says:
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:23 pm
They need to get the ball to the playmaker that had over 100 total yards, and 2 TDS. The guy that’s the best blocking back they have
The guy that has a career catch ratio over 90%
—————
I do like the idea I heard floated about using White in a Deebo Samuel like role. White isn’t a pure WR so I think he’d get jammed on the LOS if he was in a pure WR role, but that’s easy enough to deal with, just keep him in motion. But I love the idea, and think he’d really excel. I hope the team is at least giving him some looks in practice in the slot. Also, for White, his future contract numbers would go up by about 10-fold if he was more a WR than a RB and did well in that hybrid role.
Using your players in a way that helps the team is what good coaches do, and frankly, Coen has done a fantastic job at that this year.
For example, Baker can not throw deep. For example, this week, Baker was 5 for 15 with 2 INTs when passing for more than 10 yards, last week, he was 1 for 10 with 2 INTs when passing for more than 10 yards. Solution = Don’t ask him to pass for more than 10 yards, run a bunch of short routes and let you guys make plays. Coen has done that, and perhaps he’ll use White in that role as well.
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:41 pm
Esteban85 Says:
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:18 pm
Bake gets shook after he makes a mistake. That end zone pick killed us and bakers psyche. We need him to just not make those mistakes and maybe take off and slide instead of throw after 3-4 seconds of nothing
================================
How do you know how Baker gets after a “mistake?” Do you know Baker Mayfield? Stick to playing with your dolls.
October 23rd, 2024 at 4:42 pm
Rod Munch,
Kyle Shanahan would love to have Rachaad White in San Fran
He would have Rachaad doing the same things as CMAC, and Debo
The Bucs are too dumb to utilize him for his strengths
October 23rd, 2024 at 5:22 pm
Muncher; your comments about Baker are still hilarious. Please, never change.
October 23rd, 2024 at 5:28 pm
On the first Int. Bucky was open for a touchdown on the goal line and Baker missed him.
October 23rd, 2024 at 5:54 pm
Understand the frustration. Baker does try too hard, takes it to heart, and does have a chip on his shoulder. Some of the traits that make him a good QB too. Agreed, just quickly throw to the open guy.
October 23rd, 2024 at 6:17 pm
throwing to the open guy works very well for teams that play against us 🙂
October 23rd, 2024 at 6:59 pm
Miller time
October 23rd, 2024 at 6:59 pm
What’s frustrating is that a defensive specialist head coach is counting on his offense to score 40 points just to stay in the game. Mayfield, Godwin & Evans all knew this and were out there giving everything they had and more.
October 23rd, 2024 at 7:05 pm
Rod Munch … ‘Even if Baker played a perfect game, the Bucs had pretty much no chance as the Ravens are on a completely different level.’
I agree that the Ravens are a much better TEAM Rod, but the Ravens won that game because the Bucs shot themselves in the foot multiple times (2 INTs, untimely penalties, allowing multiple explosive plays, etc). Good teams simply don’t make the number of mistakes against other good teams that we did Monday night.
Imagine though what MIGHT have been if Coen had called a run from the Ravens 3-yard-line & we’d scored instead of Baker being intercepted in the 2nd qtr. Or if McLaughlin had made that 55-yd FG in the 3rd qtr. Or if we hadn’t allowed the Ravens to have 17 plays (7 runs & 10 passes) of 10 yards or more. Yes they got 508 total yards, but we got 481 yards. And we beat them on TOP by 35-25. It was an incredibly sloppy game on our part, but we could say the same about the Lions game. We got thoroughly whooped in that one … yet we won.
October 23rd, 2024 at 7:07 pm
Two bad plays, from one of the top 3 QBs in the league.
It happens. Watched Mahommes do it on many a Sunday.
Nobody is perfect.
Baker Mayfield the QB is far closer than most
October 23rd, 2024 at 7:48 pm
Defense Rules – The Ravens basically quit in the 4th quarter, which allowed the Bucs to get a bunch of garbage time stats. I’ll take them, but lets not pretend like that was legitimately a 10-point game. Had the Ravens kept their foot on the gas, they’d have had probably 650-yards or more.
I think the Ravens are the best team in football at the moment, and it’s not particularly close (at the moment).
The point was, like you’re saying, I’m not actually all that down on them – at least not until we lose Godwin for the year, and find out Evans will be out for an extended period of time. Had those two things not happened, had the Bucs made a move at LB to do away with Britt from ever seeing the field again, I’d just chalk this up as losing to the superior team and not worry about it. But the lack of moves at WR and LB, losing 2 more corners – things are not looking good at the moment if this is supposed to be a playoff team.
But we shall see, Bowles has overachieved this year to this point, so perhaps he’ll have another rabbit in his hat and can get the team to 5-3. But man, just sitting still, thinking making a move at punter is good enough, just seems ridiculous.
October 23rd, 2024 at 7:56 pm
I don’t want Bowles to go, this is 100% a playoff team with a healthy Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. I hope the fan base and more so Jason Licht see that Bowles deserves one more season with us, no matter how it ends. He just needs to start calling a good defense again because lately this Bucs defense is HORRIBLE
October 23rd, 2024 at 8:25 pm
Rod muncher teminds me a lot of a pimple i once had on my ass
October 23rd, 2024 at 8:35 pm
I agree with Bowles on this, but it seems like a pretty good problem to have. Baker has matured a lot, but he’s not yet fully baked, so to speak. Throwing to the open guy in tough game situations is something that can be learned, and I believe that he will.
October 23rd, 2024 at 8:42 pm
Joebucsuck.com where they love to trash Baker
October 23rd, 2024 at 8:46 pm
There’s some Jameis Winston vibes starting to show up in Baker’s game. Getting a little bit too comfortable with throwing piss poor passes and thinking he can play the team back out of those mistakes. Without Evans and Godwin on the field now, the margin for error is going to be tiny.
October 23rd, 2024 at 8:47 pm
Those ass pimples… You deal with one and think it’s gone but then they come back. Same pimple in the same place.
Recurring ass pimples are the worst 🤣
October 23rd, 2024 at 8:57 pm
Strap in, everybody. He’s a career streaky player. I dunno why everyone here doesn’t remember the middle of last season as well. We are in for about a month of this- especially if her feels he needs to make plays out there.
October 23rd, 2024 at 9:13 pm
Can we have Devin Culp run some routes and try him. Big, Fast had good production at Washington.
October 23rd, 2024 at 9:15 pm
Can we give Devin Culp a chance at running some Routes. Big, Fast and produced at Washington.
October 23rd, 2024 at 10:12 pm
Those were two ugly picks. But in defense of the QB, he knows that his defense couldn’t stop a balloon flying along at two miles an hour from hitting an open receiver 30 yards downfield. He knows that he’s got to grill a 40 burger every week. That adds pressure to a mindset. Blowes should focus more on getting his “defense” to figure out how to cover receivers. It’s beyond Lovie Smithian or Mike Smithian at this point.
Jaszus Chrust
October 23rd, 2024 at 10:39 pm
In conclusion,
Defense Drules
October 23rd, 2024 at 10:53 pm
Funny how Baker gets all of the blame. I guess he dropped TD’s right in his hands. I guess held on another TD. I guess he dropped all those passes in receivers hands not just this game but all season. I guess he didn’t use his hands and tried to body catch passes. Yes, he made a couple mistakes but, others have made more! Evens drops passes all the time. Nobody says a thing. I guess Baker gave up all those yards and points on defense too!
October 24th, 2024 at 9:32 am
Don’t forget Mayfield had 1 touchdown dropped and another taken away by the officials. So he could of had 5-touchdowns. Only mentioning that two picks last week were off receivers hands. So it could easily be a line of 9-touchdowns and 3 interceptions in last two games. Yes the two picks in the Ravens game were bad. As a long time Mayfield observer, he does play outside of himself sometimes but he seems to be getting that impulse a little more under control. The Bucs should beat Atlanta this week. No one mentions, the Ravens might be the best team in the NFL right now. Our goal at the moment is maintain control of the NFC South, an easier task to take on.
October 24th, 2024 at 12:55 pm
Not usually critical of Todd Bowles But..Leave Baker along Todd! He is the reason why we have won 4 games. Your Defense certainly is not. Worry about the Defense. That is suppose to be your specialty right Mr. Bowles? Then get to it.
Want to make us Buc fans happy come Sunday? Then give us a surprise and knock the Falcons QB on his A..!
October 24th, 2024 at 3:18 pm
GoneGator Says:
October 23rd, 2024 at 8:47 pm
Buchen61 Says:
October 23rd, 2024 at 8:25 pm
Rod muncher teminds me a lot of a pimple i once had on my ass
Those ass pimples… You deal with one and think it’s gone but then they come back. Same pimple in the same place.
Recurring ass pimples are the worst 🤣
————
Maybe you two should try bathing, it’s been all the rage for the last couple of centuries. Give it a try and your issues might clear up. In any case, keep this stuff restricted to your inside voice.
October 24th, 2024 at 8:58 pm
Hey rod munchkin, 6 months ago, you said a lot of negative things about baker. One was that he would no doubt regress in 2024. Well let’s see if you’re right.
Total touchdowns 1st.
Total passing yards number 2nd.
Completion percentage 3rd.
Quarterback passer rating 4th.
Yards per attempt 5th.
Mahomes isn’t even close. The only reason Baker hasn’t been as good statistically speaking. Is because he has been on the worst teams, with the worst OC’s. Unlike Mahomes, who has been with the best organization in the league. It matters, and anyone who tells you different doesn’t know much of anything about organizational management and success. And it’s effects on obtaining goals.
Case in point DeShaun Watson. He was rated in the top six before he went to the Cleveland browns. Now he’s at the very bottom, very bottom. Shake and bake was never at the very bottom. He took them from 1-31 to 11-5…
There is a reason Baker was chosen to be the best college quarterback of the 21st century by ESPN. He was just picked again for the same thing two weeks ago. Patrick Mahomes wasn’t and isn’t and hasn’t. Not to mention the Heisman he didn’t win or obtain. If Mayfield was ever to play for an organization like KC, HE WOULD BE A SURGEON AND DOMINATE!! Just like he did twice in college.
And MUNCH maybe you should just remain silent about Baker since you are always wrong when talking about him. I think it’s called quarterback envy, yeah, quarterback envy. If Tampa Bay ever gets the right people around Baker. He will win you a super bowl. Because as you know he’s been voted twice now the greatest quarterback in the 21st century. Have a good season Munch…
October 24th, 2024 at 11:05 pm
We’re about to find out how good of a QB he is over this next month. I’d have to say if he can win 2 of these next three games then he’s still a top 5 QB in the league. Easy. But if he loses 2 or 3 of the next 3 he’ll be in that top 10 – 15 group. Like it or not the most important stat for a QB is wins and losses.