Todd Bowles: Bucs Very Close To Righting Pirate Ship
November 21st, 2024
Relax, says Todd Bowles.
Joe is a history guy. So two elements of Bucs history have Joe spooked about Sunday’s game against as the Bucs buckle their chinstraps for the final seven games of the regular season.
The first element is recent history. The Bucs are on a four-game losing streak. What makes that worse is that in the last two games, the Bucs defense collapsed in the final moments as the Chiefs and 49ers each won on their final drive.
Double-ouch!
The second element is the history of Todd Bowles. In his six seasons as a head coach (four with the Jets ), Bowles is 1-5 in the first game after a bye, including four straight losses.
Despite the doom and gloom and folks lined up at the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Bowles yesterday preached calm and patience. He believes the Bucs are really close to launching into a winning streak.
“It’s just everybody needing to do their job,” Bowles said. “If we take care of us and everybody has their responsibility, not trying to do too much, we’ll be fine.
“[We’re] focusing on fundamentals and technique and that’s at every level of the defense – offensively, as well. We went over the Giants film, we went over our film. We need to take care of us. We need to get back to playing how we want to play. If we can do that, we’ll be okay.”
Thankfully, Bowles said one of those fundamentals the team is focusing on is tackling.
Joe hopes Bowles also simplifies things. Bowles often says he changes up his defense each year as not to have other teams figure him out.
What drives Joe crazy is that Bowles recently was griping about a decreased pass rush from his interior defensive line. Yet on the 49ers’ first possession in the Bucs’ last game, on separate plays, Joe saw both Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey drop back into coverage.
Knock it off!
Look, Joe likes that Bowles will try something exotic to cross up an opponent. That’s smart and players tend to get excited about doing something different. But Joe would love to see a predraft report on Vea and/or Kancey that detailed how strong they were in pass coverage.
Joe maintains such a report never existed.
Stunts like that are for teams that have winning records, not for teams to get all cute when they otherwise cannot accomplish basic tasks and instead, are fighting for their playoff lives.
Let’s start with that fundamental, shall we? Rush the friggin’ passer.
November 21st, 2024 at 8:11 am
We’re knocking on the door of 9-8…..that’s Bowles standard for righting the ship.
November 21st, 2024 at 8:12 am
I don’t think I can take another season of being a Bucs fan if this Bowel movement is not flushed. If that means losing to the Giants and other weak opponents then so be it.
November 21st, 2024 at 8:29 am
Yea we are close to a winning streak which then will be followed up by a 6 to 8 game losing streak. Thats a well coached Todd Bowles team for you.
November 21st, 2024 at 8:33 am
o please!!!!!!!!!! winning games against bad teams is not righting the ship Bowles beating good teams is. Please leave
November 21st, 2024 at 8:34 am
If Bowles is knocking on the door, then let him out and lock the door behind him.
November 21st, 2024 at 8:38 am
I think we’re going to go on our run starting Sunday. Todd Bowles is the leader of our team. He stays calm under pressure and has Super Bowl rings as a player and a coach. It’s not too big a stage for him. I am huge on it’s how you finish. If we were 10-0 I think I’d be more worried about advancing in the playoffs than I am now. I believe we have this division clinched before the Saints game to finish the season. Be nice to see some of our top players resting week 18. I’m not only still in on this season but I’m all in. And I’m all in on our Head Coach. Lots of folks will read this and say I’m crazy. I’m not crazy and never have been. I just know a Band of Brothers when I see one.
November 21st, 2024 at 8:56 am
Hopefully a lot of guys are healed up from nagging injuries. Bowles is repeating the Belichick mantra, just do your job. BTW, has Joe seen Belichick at One Buc meeting with his old friend Licht?
November 21st, 2024 at 9:01 am
Must win game. If we lose i think players and fans for that matter will be checking out.
November 21st, 2024 at 9:20 am
How the hell does he know they are close to righting the ship? How can anyone think he deserves to be the coach next year if he’s still talking about his team focusing on fundamentals in November? TF did they do in training camp?
November 21st, 2024 at 9:27 am
Must win game for Bowles, heck, the next 3 games are must win for him. On paper, the Bucs should boat race the Giants but this kind of reminds me of 2022 games at Pittsburgh and Carolina where stubborn and unaccountable Leftwich let the team down except this time it will be the the stubborn and unaccountable Bowles and his D that very well could grab its ankles. Potential trap game where Devito and Nabers light up the soft zone. I hope the Bucs win but as Todd Wright said in today’s podcast, can you really trust the Bucs on the road given that they have not really played well in over a month? Six point fave on the road is a big number……..
November 21st, 2024 at 9:30 am
Kenton, it is good to have a positive outlook, but yours is unrealistic. You actually like our playoff chances better at 4 – 6 than if we were 10-0? If we were 10-0 playoffs would be virtually assured and we would be thinking top seed.
November 21st, 2024 at 9:55 am
Stop hating yalll… We are in a similar situation as we were last year, and come playoffs when we make it there everyone’s attitude is gunna shift. If we can catch some wind and get momentum going into January that makes us a VERY. DANGEROUS. TEAM!!! Think about how many average teams in the last couple decades get hot going into December and make waves in the playoffs! It doesn’t matter how bad a team is, a win is a win, and getting a string of wins going into the playoffs does wonders for a teams mental configuration. I get we have had some absolutely epic implosions which led to loses recently, but look at who we were playing!! Teams that are legit Superbowl contenders! If we are hanging with teams like that, that tells me we are THIS CLOSE to being on their level. If we can get some momentum and get healthy going into the playoffs, and Todd can save his best defensive schemes for the final run (think KC in superhbowl, man what a plan!) we can really make some noise over the next couple of months.
November 21st, 2024 at 10:14 am
Bosch I don’t mean our chances of making the playoffs. I mean making a run in the playoffs. And I don’t want to disparage RJ Stadium but after the first round I think we have a better chance on the road. You are right a positive outlook and an unrealistic outlook is a fine line. I’ll grant you that and go down on the positive outlook ship. Every single time. It’s not unrealistic to believe we can beat any team in this league when we get our swagger going. We definitely can make this a season to remember.
November 21st, 2024 at 10:50 am
“I believe we have this division clinched before the Saints game to finish the season. Be nice to see some of our top players resting week 18″…Kenton
“Optimism is fine for a sports fan, but that is delusional.Lots of folks will read this and say I’m crazy. I’m not crazy and never have been. I just know a Band of Brothers when I see one.”…Kenton
I see crazy.
November 21st, 2024 at 10:53 am
“Optimism is fine for a sports fan, but that is delusional” is my comment on Kenton’s post.
November 21st, 2024 at 11:13 am
I hate it, because the Bucs are both terrible and great at the same time. Played the last two super bowl teams 5 1/2 days a part, down WR 1 and 2, and almost won both games. News flash, terrible teams don’t even get close in games like that. Will the Bucs go on a run and make it to the playoffs…..? I don’t know. But to say that they have no reason for any optomizim is just objectively false. Calling people delusional while being oblivious is hilarious though 🤣
November 21st, 2024 at 11:17 am
Kenton Smith, I’m backing you 100%. We’re fans. Some of the jokers on here are….whatever. Bucs were in a similar position last year, too. Look how that turned out. Listen, you should have been here during the Dark Ages of around 1982-1995. Now, THAT tested the mettle of the hardest of the hardcore fans. I just wish the coaching ranks would stabilize. Musical chairs gets old.
November 21st, 2024 at 11:36 am
Yup he is right… as soon as he fires himself… he is the main reason for these losses
November 21st, 2024 at 11:58 am
Such a defensive masturmind, many would even say “moron.”
November 21st, 2024 at 12:37 pm
If only we’d have taken some of yalls advice….. We could be just like the Jets now – lol
November 21st, 2024 at 12:43 pm
LMAO here. I hope so Bowles..for your sake. You need to run the table to keep your job.
November 21st, 2024 at 12:55 pm
You know Mike C, that’s what I saw. Last years Super Bowl teams 5 days apart and we were that close. Evans and Godwin were first and second in the league in touchdown receptions at the time of injuries. I am banking on our defense playing better and gaining confidence these last 11 games. The team came out this year and said Super Bowl or Bust. I think some of these delusional (or flat out crazy) players and coaches still believe it.
November 21st, 2024 at 2:06 pm
In never a good sign after ten games when you’re talking about getting back to basics, and Fundamentals. That’s training camp talk, not playoff talk.
November 21st, 2024 at 2:12 pm
Hodad, not to be contrary but I can promise you that 32 NFL coaches are harping on fundamentals this very week.
November 21st, 2024 at 3:21 pm
Bosch – To say that you will not be a Bucs fan if Todd is still coach, I think you should go root for the AINTS ! We don’t need fake bandwagon Bucs fans. So there’s the door for you. Don’t let it hit you in the azz on the way out