Troy Aikman Shocked Todd Bowles Didn’t Go For Two
November 5th, 2024
Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman.
A man with three rings to his name couldn’t believe how Bucs coach Todd Bowles left the back door open for the alley cat to get in and tear apart the living room.
That’s pretty much how it shook out last night in Kansas City when Bowles — with one of the more lethal quarterbacks in the history of the game staring across the field at him, chomping on his tooth protector just itching for a chance to get his hands on the ball again — decided to play with matches and not go for a kill shot to win with a two-point conversion.
Instead, Bowles decided he would roll the dice that his deflated defense could somehow stop Mahomes before overtime and possibly in overtime.
#Fail
Bucs lose.
One guy nearly at a loss for words was BSPN game analyst Troy Aikman, the Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman. The former Cowboys superstar thought surely as the Bucs were marching down the field late in the fourth quarter that Bowles would try and put the game away.
Instead, Bowles must have had a senior moment and thought the quarterback across the field wearing No. 15 in red was Skylar Thompson.
Talk about not reading the room. Who willingly thinks giving the ball to Mahomes, not with 27 seconds left, but potentially a full overtime period, was a good thing?
Apparently, Todd Bowles.
Aikman dished on this subject with Scott Van Pelt in the BSPN postgame show.
“I would have, yes,” Aikman said about going for two. “I thought the entire drive that if they scored they would go for two.
“When you are on the road against the defending world champs and you’ve got them on the ropes, and you get a chance to win a game on one play, I think you’ve got to do that.”
Man, if Bowles had gone for it and the Bucs made it, imagine what that would have done for the team and for the franchise.
The way a win at Kansas City against an undefeated Mahomes team would have boosted the Bucs’ morale, a team in desperate need of a morale boost in light of recent injuries, would have been immeasurable.
Every two-bit NFL outlet would have considered the Bucs players in the NFC title race. It would have brought the Bucs massive respect. Instead, today people are mocking the Bucs as a poser once again — one whose coach doesn’t have the guts to lead a winning team.
First, it’s throwing in the towel in the final moments of a playoff game in Detroit. Now it’s being too scared to pull the trigger to finish off a wounded animal, only to have that animal rise up and chomp on your neck.
(Joe won’t even bring up how Bowles took the ball out of Tom Brady’s hands in Cleveland while Brady was in the process of leading a game-winning drive because Bowles was scared of Brady throwing a pick. Instead, Bowles played for overtime. Bucs lose. Damn that Tom freaking Brady and his picks!)
#Sad
https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1853662008354525494
November 5th, 2024 at 5:10 am
Todd likes to go with fate. Unfortunately the other team is actively plotting against you Todd. Your clock managment skills are gonna get you a spot in the unemployment line.
November 5th, 2024 at 5:12 am
yeah man…best bet was you live and die by your own sword.,.
go for the 2……and win by 1 or lose by 1…
on the road in that rainy, chanty, intimidating building – you live and die by your own sword at the end…
the goal was to scoot away with a “W”…just as jameis lol…
you don’t play for OT with tommy b…so why do it with patty m…?
November 5th, 2024 at 5:16 am
This is why all the pundifts had Atlanta winning the division, and Vegas having us at 7.5 wins, Todd Bowles. He’s a .500 coach, we’re a .500 ball club. They were right about our Bucs, and Bowles we were wrong. Licht is just as much to blame. Licht pays a kings ransom for a safety, but ignores a good edge rusher, or a capable MLB. When’s the boat parade Jason, you still keeping receipts? The talent is lacking, guys are collecting big paychecks Like Winfield, and not producing, and Todd’s a gutless .500 coach. Won’t be a boat parade this year Mr. Licht, but maybe you can row your dingy out of town, and take Bowles with you.
November 5th, 2024 at 5:26 am
Dude is gutless.
November 5th, 2024 at 5:54 am
Bowles is out…..a new HC comes in and Licht may be gone too. I think Licht is going to argue to promote Cohen, which keeps Licht employed. Licht never picked Bowles, his “buddy” made that choice and Licht made the most of it but Bowles is who he’s always been….a .500 HC with a ceiling of 9 wins. Glazers often say they focus on where the team is trending, going from division champs to not making the playoffs is an obvious issue.
November 5th, 2024 at 5:57 am
When the game is on the line, and you can steal a game, go for the win period.
So what if you fail, at least you tried. Bowles is neutering the team with his ultra
conservative leanings. He let the team and fans down big time.
November 5th, 2024 at 6:03 am
Every other coach in this league goes for 2….
November 5th, 2024 at 6:04 am
Will Joe and the Glazers ever realize they have an absolute coward as a head coach? This comes as no surprise that he didn’t go for two. Bowles is a World Champion at moral victories.
November 5th, 2024 at 6:07 am
I just checked here to see if Todd Bowles was fired yet. I can’t take this anymore. With another Head Coach the Bucs would have won 2 of the 3 Atlanta & KC games. Bowles gave this away. He’s probably limited the offense to by putting brakes on Coen. Is there anyway to contact the Glazer’s to know Bowles Needs to be Fired immediately.
November 5th, 2024 at 6:16 am
^^^^^
yes jason there is a way…you contact them and go out for din din with them and discuss the firing while breaking bread…
because you hold weight like that my guy !
🙂
November 5th, 2024 at 6:18 am
Yet is Bucs fans were not shocked at all.
We know the passive mentality of Coach Bowles.
We know the mistakes about clock management and lack of awareness in situations like this.
I ve said after the 2nd game vs Atlanta that i will not talk about the Defense because there is no point anymore to talk about the same issues over and over again.
And i will not talk.
But honestly its sad, its a waste of time.
Its sad for this Offense. With all of its mistakes and flaws (penalties, Bakers two or three bad decusions and throws every game) and despite the two big injuries this Offense does produce and scores points. But it goes to waste.
Go Bucs
November 5th, 2024 at 6:19 am
Make Cohen the interim Coach, please Glazers. Bowles has had more than enough time to grow into head coaching role. He refuses to step up to the plate when it counts.
November 5th, 2024 at 6:26 am
that was a bs face mask call on tristan in the first half by the nfl to keep the game in check…
killed momentum some, and if i’m correct we put up 3 instead of a potential 7 points
November 5th, 2024 at 6:27 am
Bowles never should have been our HC in the first place.
November 5th, 2024 at 6:29 am
A tired defense, on the road, bad weather and Mahomes on the other side, you need to win the coin flip, which is a 50/50 gamble then you need to score. The odds of making a 2 point conversion has to be better, even against a Spags defense. Put Vita Vea in the backfield as a fullback and let him lead the way or hand him the ball. Try stopping that from getting two yards … VV coming at you with a 3 to 4 yard head of steam.
It seems Bowles to the “path of least criticism”. Go for two and fail, and you’ll hear blowback. “WTF, Todd?” You play for OT and the rules can bail you out “We lost the toss and never got a chance at the football”.
Personally, I agreed with Aikman. We just put a long scoring drive together, so KCs defense was probably a little tired, go for the throat. Imagine VV toting the rock off-tackle when LBs have to take him on at an angle and only little DBs might be able to meet him head-on. Game over.
November 5th, 2024 at 6:36 am
We are who they said we are. An average team. These Bucs played really hard. No lawn chair effort last night. The captains on the team all left it out there. Just a really hard fought game, and the better team won. That’s life in the big city sports fans. I ain’t blaming anyone. We represented well, just came up short when the clock struck um er 11:30.
November 5th, 2024 at 6:41 am
Todd is gutless. He has no killer instincts. Instead of putting the game on the line on an offense that has confidence and was on a roll, he played it so that he relied on his defense, which has given up an average of 33 points per game the past 5 games. Never mind that the defense has been out on the field for over half of the game against arguably the best qb this generation might ever see.
This is what you get when you hire a defensive minded head coach. I can’t wait for the day Todd is fired.
November 5th, 2024 at 6:44 am
What are the odds of scoring on a 2 pt conversion vs the odds of winning a coin toss? A coin toss is 50/50.
November 5th, 2024 at 6:48 am
PLEASE LET TODD BOWLES GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
November 5th, 2024 at 6:54 am
I sure hope everyone here knows that the players have this coach’s back. Because they do! Many coaches in this league would have kicked the extra point. Our defense had just had a dominant three and out to give us a chance to win the game. Penalties not called affected their final drive. The Chiefs were just a little bit better than we were tonight. Nobody is close to turning on one another. That’s one reason I like this team so much. Let’s all just take a deep breath and see if we are the type team designed to finish strong. I’ll bet we are.
November 5th, 2024 at 6:55 am
Who Freaking calls Tails?? Baker has called tails twice in a row now and lost them both , somebody needs to teach him”Tails always Fails”
November 5th, 2024 at 6:59 am
Coen the interim coach? The guy has bounced around more than any other OC in recent history. And is he even ready? Look at Canales.
So Bowles didn’t go for two, on the road with an undefeated SB champion in rainy weather?
That’s what should get him FIRED?
The fans calling for Bowles to be fired have a loser mentality. One clown is even suggesting Licht get fired.
Shows ignorance of the Glazer family.
They will bounce back. After the bye week, they can win most of those games.
Overlooking how well they played last night with the significant injuries on Offense and Defense is just stupid.
November 5th, 2024 at 7:01 am
I know Bowles probably will not get canned until Black Friday but you know, the Saints never launched a coach in mid-season until Dennis Allen lost to Carolina. I have a theory, if a team loses to Carolina this year, their head coach will be held accountable and fired. Vegas lost to them and while they have not fired their head coach they have launched all of his offensive coaches, so Antonio Pierce is dead man walking. Dennis Allen paid the price yesterday, I would not be surprised if the Giants figure out a way to lose to Carolina and their head coach, Daboll, gets launched and guess what? Bowles plays Carolina twice, very good chance he loses one or both those games as even Dave Canales will know how to expose his rotten defensive schemes.
November 5th, 2024 at 7:04 am
With the game on the line, Todd Boles trusted the wrong coordinator. Go for two and win the game or give the ball back to Patrick Mahomes and Liam we trust.
November 5th, 2024 at 7:13 am
He’s not going to win either way. You clowns will cry if he missed the conversion and say he should have kicked and gone for over time because you have done it before. So get off the soapbox. KC would have been all over the conversion just like our fake kicks.
Teams are ready for what ever we have up to pull on them.
November 5th, 2024 at 7:13 am
Todd is such a jerky… probably told Baker no matter what call tales.
November 5th, 2024 at 7:32 am
It will be a very long week for Todd Bowles
November 5th, 2024 at 7:45 am
When you are the guy who has to make the decision you are in a tough spot. If we went for 2 and didn’t get it everyone including Troy would be saying how stupid it was to go for 2. If you watch any game that KC plays they get away with so much when the game is on the line that they can literally tackle receivers in the end zone and jump offsides with no flag. If by some miracle we did get the 23 points and Patrick Mahomes had 27 seconds and 3 time outs they would get into field goal range because that is what they do.
November 5th, 2024 at 7:48 am
“…imagine what that would have done for the team and for the franchise.”
Now imagine what losing this game – that was within reach – will do for team moral. A potentially winnable game against a banged up 49ers team next week will turn into a 49er rout bc moral will be low. Todd may have lost the locker room with this lame/weak game decision.
November 5th, 2024 at 7:51 am
I wasn’t shocked, TYPICAL BOWLES
November 5th, 2024 at 7:51 am
You put in all 3 running backs and run the triple option. Zero teams full of 20-somethings would have any idea how to defend that.
November 5th, 2024 at 7:52 am
Chuckie!
November 5th, 2024 at 8:17 am
Yet another reason why Todd will be gone at the end of the year. GAME MANAGEMENT SKILLS STILL STINK! I thought they hired someone to help him with that.
His bend but not break (though the Bucs break too much) defense hasn’t worked in years. Time for a new defensive mind to come in. I bet Coen has some good ideas on who to bring in.
November 5th, 2024 at 8:25 am
Joe says:
Man, if Bowles had gone for it and the Bucs made it, imagine what that would have done for the team and for the franchise.
If he had gone for it and not made it, everyone would be saying he was an idiot. No win situation for Todd. The way KC’s running defends was playing it was doubtful that we would have run it in. Who of the 4-6 receivers would you throw it to? If Chris or Mike were playing, maybe.
November 5th, 2024 at 8:41 am
Clueless Todd strikes again! Nice job, TODD!
November 5th, 2024 at 9:02 am
If he made it we probably win. If not would he have gotten respect? Don’t know. Glad it wasn’t my decision.
November 5th, 2024 at 9:10 am
I have not commented much this year. But I’m officially tired of a head coach who’s not willing to risk it. He’s already shown that his defense (with his coaching) this year is not up to snuff. He had the opportunity to win this game. Unfortunately, this pretty much ends the Bucs wildcard chances. Let’s find a coach who’s better than a .500 record. All teams have had to deal with injuries. Those that overcome through coaching are the ones that are going to be in the playoffs. Let’s make a change. Dang. Glazers make sure there are consequences to actions and in this case inactions.
November 5th, 2024 at 9:18 am
Play it safe bowles loses once again ,!!! The man does not learn from his past . So tired of this crappy coaching .
November 5th, 2024 at 9:18 am
Play it safe bowles loses once again ,!!! The man does not learn from his past . So tired of this crappy coaching .
November 5th, 2024 at 10:46 am
You absolutely 100% go for TWO in that situation on the road against 2x defending champions, undefeated and 10.5 point underdogs.
You don’t go, it almost always ends in never touching the ball in OT.
Spineless
November 5th, 2024 at 11:35 am
These kinds of stubborn habits of Bowles are why he’ll never win a Super Bowl as a head coach. He’s not good at in-game head coach decisions. Period. He may be smart off the field and while scheming up defensive game plans. But he’s functionally and situationally stupid. I hope they make Coen the head coach at the end of the year. It has to be a huge let down to the team that Bowels went limp on them during the game.
November 5th, 2024 at 11:38 am
It’s all over this site and others…90% of the comments are ready for the team to go in a different direction. So what will the Glazers do..they will keep trucking his sorry ass out until the team is completely demoralized. Todd’s defense literally couldn’t stop a QB playing on one leg. He’s got to go !!!!!!!!!!!!
November 5th, 2024 at 12:50 pm
As bad as Bowles is can you imagine how much worse off we’d be if Captain Flat Brim was at the controls?
We do what we do.
Butt still………
Todd has been a disappointment and needs to go.
But when?
November 5th, 2024 at 3:22 pm
If he would have went for it and not made it which was more likely to happen Todd would have gotten just as much hate. That guy can’t get anything right at this point even if he doesn’t have the horses on defense.