Ryan Fitzpatrick Knew
November 5th, 2024
“Jameis, predicting a Todd Bowles’ move is easier than guessing when you will throw a pick.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick called it.
The former Bucs backup quarterback and current Amazon star on Thursday Night Football hit the nail on the head.
For two years, Fitz was Todd Bowles’ quarterback with the Jets. In 2015, needing one win to clinch a playoff berth, the Harvard-educated Fitz and the Jets lost to Rex Ryan and the Bills by a Todd Bowles-like score of 22-17 and missed the playoffs.
That was the last time Bowles had a winning season with the Jets and it was his last winning season until last year.
So clearly Fitz knows how Bowles’ mind ticks. And Fitz just knew Bowles wouldn’t go for the win when the Bucs were marching on the Chiefs in the final seconds, which ended in a Ryan Miller one-yard catch from Baker Mayfield to pull the game within 24-23 with 27 seconds on the clock.
In the rain with the Bucs defense fully gassed and seeing the lethal gunslinger Pat Mahomes on the other side of the field drooling on himself for a chance to get the ball again, Bowles instead decided to roll the dice and hope Mahomes never got his hands on the ball in overtime.
The Bucs lost the overtime coin toss.
Whoops.
And as predictable as a Chiefs fan drinking a Boulevard Pale Ale, Mahomes marched the Chiefs for the game-winning touchdown.
Fitz knew this was coming. At least the overtime part.
While the Bucs were getting close to the end zone, Fitz took to Twitter to tell one and all no way Bowles would go for the win, and instead go for overtime.
“Todd def [sic] NOT going for 2 if they score.”
Fitz then followed up that Twitter after the Bucs went to overtime with a facepalm emoji.
Bucs fans didn’t just facepalm. They threw beer bottles at TVs across Tampa Bay.
Did someone, anyone, not tell Bowles that he was trying to outwit Pat Mahomes? This isn’t Gardner Minshew or Anthony Richardson. This is Pat freaking Mahomes!
Bowles decided to pay with matches and he got burned. Badly.
Todd def NOT going for 2 if they score
— Ryan Fitzpatrick (@FitzMagic_14) November 5, 2024
November 5th, 2024 at 4:09 am
Hopefully Bowles will get his burn notice on black Monday.
November 5th, 2024 at 4:12 am
Bowles is not an Patton general. What an failure as an coach. You know Campbell would of went for it. We could of snatched an W with an 2 pointer instead we got our 2nd OT loss..this guy doesn’t learn.
November 5th, 2024 at 4:38 am
Out…get him out. Fire Bowles.
November 5th, 2024 at 4:40 am
putting the game in mahome’s hands is like putting it in brady’s hands…
well isn’t it…?
tell me i’m wrong
November 5th, 2024 at 4:44 am
also that last time out he called, was a complete failure as well…but in the end it didn’t factor in…
he mismanaged the clock to give kc 27 seconds to work with at the end of regulation…
troy and buck couldn’t believe he did that and were vocal on national tv about his mistake
November 5th, 2024 at 4:47 am
when it comes to making most “on the fly” decisions, he usually makes the wrong move for some reason…which is kinda weird…
as i mentioned, he’s a “seasoned” HC and DC…so he knows how to go thru the motions as other’s would…like a worker bee…but when it comes time to get remotely creative, or uber smart in the coaching department, he just doesn’t really show up…it is what it is
November 5th, 2024 at 5:14 am
Someone please tell Baker to stop calling tails!!
November 5th, 2024 at 5:32 am
Bowles is a choke artist with a broken team
November 5th, 2024 at 5:49 am
That’s because Fitz knows Todd is a dinosaur. A coach from a different generation, incapable of breaking from tradition. He is holding this team back.
November 5th, 2024 at 5:55 am
So, if he did go for 2 and didn’t convert, would the conversation be “TB should have gone for the tie and OT”?
And disagree with “broken team” take @Cat.
November 5th, 2024 at 6:14 am
No one would bemoan Bowles if the Bucs went for the two & didn’t make it. The percentage play was to go for the 2 as it offered the Bucs a higher chance of winning then it would playing in OT with a team the defense couldn’t stop.
Bowles Needs To Be Fired Now!
November 5th, 2024 at 6:21 am
Ya’ll drooling over Belichick, instead of this playing scared dinasour Todd Bowel movement, aren’t ya ? Hot take: Belichick is a far better DC than Bowels.
November 5th, 2024 at 6:25 am
Thank you, Joe, I appreciate you highlight the gutless trend of our HC not going for two, or playing for OT.
The first time, as you mentioned, to Tom Brady in Cleveland was inexcusable. Dumb ass football.
November 5th, 2024 at 6:27 am
Didn’t the defense just stop Mahommes in their final drive. Bucs go for two and if they do not get it you lose, if you do get it, that changes the mindset of the chiefs final drive… then you ask about the timeout taken, you know who stops the clock, the Chiefs and they still have Mahommes and a kicker that can kick 62 yards
November 5th, 2024 at 6:32 am
I think the majority of us knew the gutless wonder wouldn’t go for 2. He just doesn’t have that killer instinct in his dna.
November 5th, 2024 at 6:36 am
Did you all see the look of disappointment on bakes face when we lost the coin flip. He knew the defense wouldn’t hold
November 5th, 2024 at 6:42 am
We have seen it long enough. It’s why his record with the Bucs is always at or below .500 and he is below .500 in his career as a head coach. Everyone knew you had to go for two and the timeout was another blunder. On top of that, the great defensive mind gave up another 31 points. Enough. Consistently bad decision making and a .500 coach at best….. I have seen enough of him.
November 5th, 2024 at 6:53 am
Who freaking calls tails???? Baker has called tails twice in a row now and lost both times , somebody tell him Tails always Fails
November 5th, 2024 at 6:54 am
Fitz should know the coach. What is most aggravating as a Buc fan is that Bowles will be adamant that he made the right call. He nevers owes up to making a mistake and he has no accountability. None whatsoever. In fact he rarely holds his defensive players accountable besides the fact that they need to “communicate” better. I was amazed he called out golden boy Antoine Winfield at halftime. Winfield has been average at best since he signed his fat contract. Basically the defense has not been held accountable by anyone either and if Bowles cannot do it, then someone above his pay grade has to step in.
November 5th, 2024 at 6:56 am
The coaching staff the front office & the Glazers aren’t helping the team. Coen is the only one doing fine so far.
November 5th, 2024 at 7:08 am
Why is nobody criticizing Baker for losing TWO overtime coin tosses this season?
November 5th, 2024 at 7:59 am
Too many fails when it comes to crunch time decisions, going back to his time as defensive coordinator, when Brady was QB. Blitzing vs. LA and leaving Cooper Cupp wide open for that game winning TD, comes to mind.
I wouldn’t mind Coen as HC next season, and Robert Saleh at DC.
Also agree about Mayfield and the coin toss, but then again he’s far exceeded my expectations going in, so I’m not that upset.
November 5th, 2024 at 8:06 am
The whole world knew Todd would be a chicken sh**
November 5th, 2024 at 8:09 am
@rrsrqnc
The timeout was inexplicable. My son and I were in stunned disbelief that he would not try to run off some clock so that after we score AND go for two, there is no more time left for an inevitable Mahomes comeback. No, the idiot calls a timeout. Bowles is a horrible game day coach. Seriously, Bowles needs to have an opposite day one game where he just goes against his instincts. The outcomes can’t be any worse. George Constanza would smile. 🙂
November 5th, 2024 at 8:12 am
I would be curious the percentage of successful 2 point conversions vs. the 50/50 of a coin toss. If it’s even 51% then TB literally went against the odds to lose.
November 5th, 2024 at 8:13 am
Everyone knew. Bowles plays scared.
Chiefs were almost perfect on 3rd down all night and the
Jackass STILLLL took the game to OT.
He’s not HC. He’s had his shot twice. He’s been on the hot seat for
2 years now. Bowles is a DC and can be a damn good 1 at times.
But game management is Definitely not for him.
November 5th, 2024 at 8:16 am
Given the Bucs injury situation, shorter games with fewer plays are probably a good plan in general.
But, someday, the Bucs may win a coin toss in overtime. And, the Bucs had just shown that they could score after they had forced the Chiefs to punt.
If there are some “money ball” numbers that dictate what to do in that situation, then Licht and his team should lay out a team strategy. If statistics do not clearly support one choice over the other, then the fact that, in the fourth quarter, the Bucs had just forced a point and scored are a strong argument in favor of the decision Bowles made. And, the Bucs held the Chiefs scoreless in the third quarter.
November 5th, 2024 at 8:17 am
This doesn’t change until he is gone
November 5th, 2024 at 8:30 am
Bowles is an important decision making nightmare !! He screwed up the clock again !! For anyone to say the Bucs stopped them on the last drive , trust me if the Chiefs were down they would’ve been more aggressive and they would’ve been in position to kick a field goal no ifs ands or butts about that…. Andy Reed was very conservative because he knew the chances of the Bucs beating him in overtime no matter who got the ball were slim . When the Bucs decided not to go for two, trust me, Andy Reid had elated disbelief.
November 5th, 2024 at 8:30 am
I was thinking about eating some crow about all my toilet bowls comments until our final drive. I knew, as Fitz did, that toilet bowls would play for overtime and we’d lose. 4-6 on the horizon. Fire toilet bowls.
November 5th, 2024 at 8:31 am
C’mon Baker Hate Brigade. Haven’t heard from the usual crew. Not just not Bowles, it must also have been Baker’s fault? Not a word of any kind for a guy playing without his top 3 WR’s and behind a leaky line last evening.
November 5th, 2024 at 8:35 am
Even if you win the OT coin toss, you’re still in a worse position than if you just go for the 2-point conversion. The defense is tired and just let you score on a 70-yard drive. All you need is two yards against a tired D versus having to go and do another 70-yard drive *after the defense has a chance to rest.* It’s playing to not lose / make it close, which is the Todd Bowles Way.
November 5th, 2024 at 9:05 am
Success rate on two point conversions is 31% this year. So there’s a greater than 2 out of 3 chance they don’t make it, and then you guys are saying how stupid Bowles was to go for 2.
Makes me wonder about just how good Harvard is at math.
November 5th, 2024 at 9:09 am
I would have went two point as well because of the exceptionally short field to win. Nothing good comes from OT, unless it does. There’s to much to chance imo. If I were a coach I’d take a clean shot for the win any day
November 5th, 2024 at 9:12 am
Our Head Coach is in the building already. And it’s not Todd Bowles
November 5th, 2024 at 10:22 am
What does that really show?
It shows Todd Bowles is an old dog without any new tricks. He’s predictable. His defense is predictable. There is a way to beat his defense, and everyone knows it. Todd can’t change.
November 5th, 2024 at 10:56 am
If not for DEI, he’d already be gone.
Just a place holder, an empty vessel, an unelected idiot.
Every loss makes it harder to paper over the dog crap.
November 5th, 2024 at 11:10 am
Hopefully only 8 more games of Todd’s awful game mismanagement
November 5th, 2024 at 11:32 am
@joe check Fitz’s edit history… he actually said Todd was definitely going for it, then changed it when he did not 😂😂
November 5th, 2024 at 1:01 pm
Bowles plays not to lose; he never plays to win.
November 5th, 2024 at 1:42 pm
Play with matches TYPO
November 5th, 2024 at 1:56 pm
“Success rate on two point conversions is 31% this year. ”
Using this stat could win the moron of the day award.
What coach in their right mind would give a flip what the success rate of combined attempts at 2 points produces? W. T. F. So because Carolina couldnt get a 2 point conversion with perfumed invitation, and as such, lowering that percentage, you would translate this into what a coach should base their own teams’ decisions on, in game, with the variables as presented. Yep, you win
Might as well throw up a stat on farts and conversion abilities
November 5th, 2024 at 2:03 pm
Thanks for identifying yourself (you know who you are) every time you mention DEI. I guess as long as you’re a white coach, even if you do worse than Bowles, like “Buccaneer Men” Greg Schiano, it is ok. Just don’t be a minority, right? Moron.
November 5th, 2024 at 5:45 pm
No doubt in my mind if Bowles went for 2 and failed all of you awholes would be crying why didnt he just kick it. I mean dang just shutup already.We were missing our 2 best players in undefeated Mahomes house on monday night And lost in overtime.I think we are in the top five best teams.SO SHUT UP
November 5th, 2024 at 10:45 pm
Coen HC! Do it now!
November 6th, 2024 at 10:25 am
Oh… Go for two like Nick Siriani did in Philly? He’s getting crucified because he took points off the board and left points on the field by going for two. Odds favor the coin. 50% vs league average 31% 2 PT conversion success rate in 2024
November 6th, 2024 at 10:45 am
Who was the opposing QB? Aidan O’Connell or Pat Mahomes.
November 6th, 2024 at 2:06 pm
In the words id one former TB SUper Bowl WINNING coach,” No Risk it and the MINDSET of 20 others with a RING , No risk it No Biscuit
At home play for a tie 🪢 n the road go for the W
Damn shame that the the one playoff Win over a terrible Eagles team played a huge part in him retaining his job!!!!