A Get-Off-My-Back Game For Todd Bowles
December 7th, 2024
So back on Sept. 5, Tampa Bay fans here were hit with a flash poll and asked the question, ‘How many regular season wins for the Bucs this season?’
With about 90 minutes to respond on a Thursday morning, the most popular answer was “10,” the choice of 45.4 percent of the 735 respondents.
Bucs fans were optimistic, and rightfully so.
The team finished the 2023 season on a high note, the new playcaller was inspiring confidence, free agency locked in Bucs stars, the draft from the A-list general manager felt solid and the division didn’t look strong.
Bring on a fourth consecutive NFC South crown!
But here the Bucs are at 6-6. It’s a solid record considering their tough schedule and key injuries, but it’s a painful record because of how the team lost to the Falcons twice — after knocking off the Lions and Eagles.
If ever there was a rollercoaster season, this has been it. And it started on Day 1 with fans expecting double-digit wins. Keep in mind a combined 38 percent of fans voting in the poll pegged the Bucs at 11, 12 or 13-plus wins this season.
Optimism was flowing and the Bucs life felt great.
Today, Joe sees the team and legions of Bucs fans at a crossroads. A majority are down on Todd Bowles, but he’s got a chance Sunday to flip a ton of skeptics.
Put this Bucs team at 7-6 and in great position to meet preseason expectations after a solid beating of the Raiders, and Joe thinks a lot of daggers (not all) will stop being thrown Bowles’ way.
The this year’s 4-6 record felt inexcusable based on how it evolved, but getting to 7-6 would feel mighty acceptable, almost like a rightful December reset for a team with a lot of weapons and a lot of holes.
A “W” tomorrow would/should get a lot of fans off Bowles’ back. But an unthinkable home loss to a miserable Raiders team? Well, that would be one heavy load for Bowles to shed in the coming weeks.
Good luck, Todd!
Results of the JoeBucsFan preseason flash poll on Sept. 5.
December 7th, 2024 at 9:29 pm
I remember picking 9….Lets get 10 though!!
December 7th, 2024 at 9:37 pm
Solid wins by the Bucs and Vikings tomorrow and we’ll be back in business for real!!! Lets go Bucs!!!
I doubt it will flip many peoples opinions of Todd tho. Some of the Todd critics are pretty dug in, and unlikely to accept any reality other than the one where he completely sucks.
Anythings possible tho, at least thats what they say š
December 7th, 2024 at 9:42 pm
Never heard of a coach secure in his job having a get off my back game and against a 2 win team at that. Bucs should win 10. To be fair most sensible fans picked 9-10 wins. If we had won just one game against Atlanta were not even having this conversation because weāre leading the division and not worried about a tie breaker
December 7th, 2024 at 10:14 pm
I respect Todd Bowles as a head coach. He is taking the heat just as he did a year ago. Expectations were a bit higher this year so the fans have turned up the heat accordingly.
I will watch each game one at a time as usual.
Go Bucs! Win pretty this time! Make the Raiders walk our plank!
December 7th, 2024 at 10:43 pm
last season at this juncture we were 4&7 going to 5&7 so I wud say we r ahead of the game at 6&6 we were never 6&6 last season so stop with the bitching it’s annoying at best we have a good team so STFU u whiners
December 7th, 2024 at 11:25 pm
How did Jeff vote 7 times?
December 7th, 2024 at 11:29 pm
BakerBucs — this is a talented team but not a good team. It’s a poorly coached team and has been for three years
8-9
9-8
6-6
DEMAND BETTER
December 7th, 2024 at 11:46 pm
In my opinion, Todd Bowles has taken a team with a lot of promising talent, sprinkled with several bonafide superstars, and a surprising top ten offense, and coached them to a .500 record.
Ever the optimist, however, I look at our remaining schedule and see a strong chance of winning our division.
More than likely. this means that Todd will be our coach next year as well.
I can be OK with that if he relinquishes DC duties to a single, strong, DC. (We don’t want a coaching committee )
December 7th, 2024 at 11:48 pm
Bowles fans definition of a bad team is winning like 5 games or less it seems. We are a .500 ball club so shut up and be happy about it being mediocre.
December 7th, 2024 at 11:49 pm
The Saints swept the Bucs in 2002 and in 2020. The Bucs went on to win the SB. Atlanta would not have swept us with Chris Godwin. The interceptions and fumbles by Mayfield concern me. The defense is embarrassing. I would like to feel confident that we can beat the Raiders, Saints, and Panthers, but I just canāt. The Panthers outplayed us. Iāve watched every game I possibly could since 1976. It bothers me when we lose games to inferior opponents, and too often itās on the HC when that happens. I understand that injuries always play a factor, but we tend to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. We play too far off receivers on defense, and itās 12 games into the season before the RB who should slotted #1 actually is. Oh and heās injured. And Tucker lays 192 yards up on the Saints, and the goes on the witness protection program. Heās benched for a fumble and a poor decision on a kickoff return. Hopefully somebody plans on involving him in the game plan against the Raiders, because White canāt handle it alone.
December 8th, 2024 at 1:33 am
“But here the Bucs are at 6-6. Itās a solid record considering their tough schedule and key injuries, but itās a painful record because of how the team lost to the Falcons twice”
——–
That didn’t lose to the Falcons twice, the NFL and refs changed the outcome of the game in Atlanta. If the season comes down to that game, that loss on a completely BS missed facemask AND blown call, I wonder if the Bucs will at least get a tweet from the NFL saying, ooops, our bad, like they got in 2010 when the Bucs were screwed out of the playoffs by the refs.
December 8th, 2024 at 1:53 am
Rod Munch
I canāt remember a season when Iāve heard so many excuses for losing. Do you also blame the refs for the offense not attempting a forward pass against Atlanta? If it was even a thought in the OC or head coaches mind the wide open Mike Evans would have walked into the endzone and weād win despite the refs 2 bad calls out of like 50 plays.
December 8th, 2024 at 2:50 am
As much as I want to support Todd like the team seems to. I can’t discount the nagging thought
that his conservative decision making might have prevented us from getting more W’s. Unfortunately I don’t have the confidence he will ever change.
December 8th, 2024 at 6:14 am
Bowles is a mediocre coach and any winning rarely has anything to do with him.
December 8th, 2024 at 6:16 am
To me the issue isnāt the record – itās how we got there
3 defensive collapses and the 28th ranked D with a HC that is supposed to be a guru
He has been her what 5 or 6 years in control of that side and we are horrible on D
Itās just facts
December 8th, 2024 at 7:36 am
What does bowles have going for him as a HC when is defense is consistently bottom 5. I always root for the bucs to win, but he needs to go unless we win a SB
December 8th, 2024 at 7:55 am
I agree with BakerBuc typed the works right from my fingers
December 8th, 2024 at 8:09 am
In the nfl you are what your record is
December 8th, 2024 at 8:37 am
What makes me laugh is the comments that we have āall this talentā. Where is it on defense. Vita, Kancey, LVD, Winfield. Those are the ānamedā stars. Arguably VV has had the best season of the group, Kancey is coming around but has barely played half our games. LVD in his swan song final season and Winfield having a horrible year. Oh, right, everyone wants to blame coaching. Gotta have talent to start with. Just not seeing it.
December 8th, 2024 at 8:51 am
As a Bucs fan Iām tired of our talented team that should be winning 12 and 13 games a season has been mediocre since Todd Bowles has been here. I was so optimistic that he figured out how to coach I expected us to win at least 12 games this season. I know now that he will never instill discipline or hold players accountable for there screw ups and refuses to make adjustments on defense. He still has no clock management skills, heās got to go if we are going to see this team grow into its full potential.
December 8th, 2024 at 9:52 am
SenileSenior I’m with you. And I’m a guy who prefers BA and Don Coryell no risk it no biscuit.
But there is more than just offense or defense for that matter. Great offensive minds have won SB’s as have great defensive minds.
Bottom line is to end up with more points than the opponent. I’d rather watch offensive football but I RESPECT great defensive coaches as well.
I’m not calling Todd a “great’ DC. But this year has been a disaster healthwise for the Bucs D!!! SirVocea Dennis at least flashed but has been unable to get healthy enough to get on the field. Britt is probably the single weakest link the Bucs have had in the middle in a while. I hate to dump on any player but really!
Dean has played how many games in a secondary that benefitted from McCollum’s blossoming just in time to replace Davis but after that it’s Winfield and a bunch of kids at DB. I love Kancey but like GMAC and Vea before him he’s had health issues in his first two seasons. He’ll get healthy. Winfield was injured missing 4 games and still not coming close to his previous play.
Yeah there are excuses and there are reasons. Confuse the two and you can destroy the team throwing the baby out with the bath water whether it’s coaches or players.
Most of the reasons/excuses appear to be clearing up. Again could it be the Bucs can begin peaking at just the right time? Could it be that Bowles will have
a lot of kids still believing even if the fans don’t? Is it even a possibility?
I say yes but acknowledge as always, Que Sera Sera!
December 8th, 2024 at 11:09 am
I thought 9 wins was our floor, 12 wins was our ceiling, so 10 wins seemed most likely.
Would love for Bowles and Co to prove me wrong and get this team to 11-6.
December 8th, 2024 at 11:14 am
@St Pete – to your last point, there was a moment last season where it seeemd like Bucs teams of old would have thrown in the towel and given up on the season. So I do give Bowles credit that they grinded it out to win the division, even if it was ugly. I suspect this season will be similar.
And the defense is ravished with injuries rn, so I wonāt hold that aspect against Bowles. But in the same breath, they were fairly healthy when they gave up the booty to Denver, Atlanta, etc (only missing Winfield) so some of it just doesnāt make sense. How did the same defend that smothered Philly and Detroit look so awful against Denver and Atlanta? I mean the Falcons in particular have been mostly horrible against everyone, except us, where Cousins looks like an all pro.
December 8th, 2024 at 12:08 pm
Todd Bowls. Football, not so much.
December 8th, 2024 at 12:34 pm
Unbelievable
I certainly take your point! The Bucs have lost games they should have won and generally it’s been the D that has given up the booty.
I guess I’m still waiting to play out the string. I still find the evidence inconclusive.
I DO think we sometimes overrate potential and lineups and talent without considering experience and health and injuries and our expectations soar beyond reality.
The only way the Bucs get even to the Conference Final will require the same thing as the SB year. In the next weeks the Bucs have to hope EVERYTHING falls into place. They simply are not talented nor EXPERIENCED enough to be a serious threat.
Having said that if all talent was healthy and everybody melded at just the right moment, the Bucs could clearly become a team the other teams wouldn’t wish to face in the playoffs. Again though the Bucs and almost every team needs some luck!