Todd Bowles Wins The Hot-Seat Trifecta
December 8th, 2024
He did it! Todd Bowles pulled it off.
And Joe has to give a standing ovation.
The Bucs’ head coach found himself entering last month’s bye week with a 4-6 record. So many close losses, so many coaching decisions to question, so many soft-zone-defense nightmares.
Legions of Bucs fans were rattled. Joe included. How does a team that spanked the Lions in Detroit and throttled the Eagles enter a bye week at 4-6?
Blame the head coach. Off with his head! Joe heard the drumbeats on local sports radio and fielded the nasty emails, and deleted hundreds of off-color comments that never reached these pages.
Hey, that’s the NFL. Teams want fans to be engaged and fired up year-round, so the result is rabid lunatics looking for blood, from opponents or their own.
The only fix for Bowles was to go out and win the next three games against the Giants, Panthers and Raiders. That would get national media off his back and restore faith in legions of Bucs fans.
Find a way. Figure it out. Man up. Get the job done. This team was/is good enough to have a winning record.
And here we are. The Bucs sit alone in first place at 7-6. The preseason-hyped Falcons are crying in their beers.
Bowles called today’s victory “a sign of maturity.” Joe agrees. The Bucs let the Raiders creep back in the game but slammed the door very hard.
This was no Anthony Nelson miracle; it was a physical ending for a head coach that’s weaved his way to 7-6 with a lot of room for improvement.
Joe will take it.
December 8th, 2024 at 5:49 pm
Need to get healthy
December 8th, 2024 at 5:51 pm
There’s a team in the NFC South that’s risinging up. Spoiler alert: it ain’t the Falcons. Hopefully we can pull through this tough game coming up next week. Go Bucs!!!
December 8th, 2024 at 5:51 pm
Here something to figure out. Why is it that in every game the Bucs build a lead, someone makes a decision to downgrade the offense to what we normally see in a preseason game? It’s like “We’ve got em beat, so stop with what is working and go super vanilla. THAT is why the Raiders creeped back into the game. If it’s a HC decision we do need a change.
December 8th, 2024 at 5:51 pm
Imagine if we could have beat the falcons!
December 8th, 2024 at 5:52 pm
We faced a depleted team with their 3rd string QB……it was still close until the 4th. Bowles genius is baffling, 2-9 teams look capable every other week. If you think that’s going to float in the playoffs, you’re in for a big disappointment.
December 8th, 2024 at 5:52 pm
Any update on Winfield or Bucky. We really need them both for any chance to win next week and beyoond!
December 8th, 2024 at 6:02 pm
Never eat dinner before breakfast Joe, that’what Ive been saying to You and some anxious bibpolar fans here.
Their still a long way to go….anything can happen.
He is 6/5 with a short and bad roster with no depth, just one LB, bad CB and saftys playing BAD ball,only one WR……a very good QB bad starts to worrie me….
And this teaam has been a hospital since the first game……
Of course Bowles males mistakes, some of them pisses everybody off, but all adversities we are 6/5……
I know is not ves popular but I stand by Bowles!!!
December 8th, 2024 at 6:10 pm
Amen to all of it, Joe. The Bucs have had so much going against them, especially injuries. Through and through they made it.
Bubby – We were very close in beating the Falcons. And the refs didn’t do us any favors in both games.
Zzbucs – i still stand by Bowles too.
December 8th, 2024 at 6:11 pm
In order to win if and when we make the playoffs we need to run and play good defense. The identity of this team is run first with the 3 headed RBs we have. No godwin really has changed the offense. In order to beat good teams we will need the defense and RBs healthy.
December 8th, 2024 at 6:14 pm
Bobby M. Says:
December 8th, 2024 at 5:52 pm
We faced a depleted team with their 3rd string QB……it was still close until the 4th. Bowles genius is baffling, 2-9 teams look capable every other week. If you think that’s going to float in the playoffs, you’re in for a big disappointment.
_______
The thing is, is that we play quality teams better than we do “beatable” teams.
It’s quite maddening……
December 8th, 2024 at 6:14 pm
It should also be noted Joe published, or approved, many hundreds of comments, that did reach these pages, by the mob that posts Todd sucks and should be fired on every article you guys write…. just saying.
December 8th, 2024 at 6:16 pm
No games are easy. The other teams play hard, too.
The Bucs have been in close games all year. Regardless of whether the other team is KC or LV.
Nothing wrong with that as long as they win.
December 8th, 2024 at 6:20 pm
The defense played their best game of the season. Lots more man and simpler tighter zones. Glad to see it.
In other news, Dean is pathetic. Even Mikey was yelling at him, giving him the business. As he should be, Coich won’t.
Dean should be benched- if he just makes the tackle Bucs take over on downs. Pitiful.
December 8th, 2024 at 6:35 pm
You got a choice Coen or Bowles. If you held the purse how do you pick?
December 8th, 2024 at 6:38 pm
Wow, suddenly Bowles is a hero on here. No sh1t. Bucs have been playing since the 3rd game with major injuries. It hasn’t stopped. I never expected a Stupid Bowl cos I’m a realist. In fact, I’m rooting for Detroit. Bucs finish with a winning record will be fine with me.
December 8th, 2024 at 6:41 pm
Damn these posts haha you would think Bucs just had a rematch against the Baltimore Ravens. Give me a break with the dramatization, do you need to be at full strength to handle to Raiders honestly. Defense played their best game seriously lol you just prove people points about the mediocre football. Just good enough to dominate the giants and raiders of the league. Beating trash teams all I can celebrate is the division lead. We still lost because we’re losing starters against this lowly competition.
December 8th, 2024 at 6:45 pm
Let’s CELEBRATE!
The Bucs beat 3 of the worst teams in the NFL!
Extend Bowles contract. He’s a treasure….
(SARCASM)
December 8th, 2024 at 6:54 pm
Man the way some of these fans talk you would think that we would be getting destroyed by good teams…the fact of the matter is, is that we only have 2 bad losses. This team is on its 5th lb, 5th safety, has no edge rush, and people complain about the defense. What Joe said is valid, NFL fan bases are rabid and there is not much actual thinking just all emotion. Go play Madden then….
December 8th, 2024 at 6:59 pm
Three wins against the sisters of the poor, and some of you going on about Bowles like he’s a genius.
He isn’t.
Beat the Chargers and maybe there’s room to talk.
December 8th, 2024 at 7:16 pm
Let’s not act like Toad is a good coach please. As Dennis Green said many years ago, “your record says what you are.” And Mr. Bowels’ record ain’t so good. He is a .500 coach at best.
Let’s see how he does against Harbaugh next week.
December 8th, 2024 at 7:17 pm
Or maybe it was “you are what your record says you are.”
December 8th, 2024 at 7:32 pm
The next 2 weeks will be telling… If the bucs take care of business i will eat humble pie for my anti Todd tirades… But… But if they lose to the chargers and cowboys while Atlanta feasts on 2 bottom feeders i will be here to say i told you so. Still believe Todds not the answer… Prove me wrong bucs
December 8th, 2024 at 8:15 pm
@richbucsfan.
We didn’t switch to preseason offense, and just to put this to bed, because there’s still a LEGION of Bucs fans that believe Bowles is pulling the strings on offense and telling Coen to go turtle when Coen’s offense doesn’t produce. Coen is calling the plays and the tempo, PERIOD.
It’s hard to gauge a ranking of offense or defense when one part of it is so bad, that it’s going to eventually impact the other. The Raiders offense is not good, and I think it’s bleeding over into how that Raiders def ranks throughout an entire game. That Raiders defense, especially the line is solid, anchored by stud DE Crosby. In my opinion they bullied our Oline for much that game. Whether it was a run or pass, they looked like they were living a yard within our backfield as soon as Baker hiked the ball. It was agonizing. Now to @richbucsfan comment on our offense. They made an adjustment on us. Coen’s offense for most of the season has lacked any vertical game. After our second score, Raiders were sniffing out the same ole Coen play calling, that has been very effective, i.e. screens, horizontal passes, nothing vertical. Combine that with Baker being such a tall guy, had at least 2 passes batted down, when he tried going vertical, either no one was open, he made a poor read and/or the Raiders defense just wasn’t giving him much time to throw the football. ALSO, we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot with penalties and just poor decision making. We had zero rhythm on offense for long stretches of this game.
December 8th, 2024 at 8:24 pm
Bucs will lose next week in LA, it will come down to the last three games. Right now, Baker is playing like Jameis so the race to 10 wins could be difficult.
December 8th, 2024 at 8:27 pm
Some of you loser’s are just relentless.
Friggin Obsessive – compulsive…. polluting every single thread.
It honestly continues to amaze me.
December 8th, 2024 at 8:33 pm
What’s truly remarkable… and I know this is so cliche, but we are horrible at complementary football this season. Even vs bad football team, offense starts hot, defense holds up, then offense struggles, defense holds up, offense struggles some more, defense holds up…all game the defense did enough to compliment an offense who’s averaging in the high 20’s and yet I had a premonition like so many Buc fans that were watching that game…
As the Raiders started off the 3rd quarter down only 4 points, they drained over 10 minutes off that opening second half drive, 10+ minutes! Which thankfully ended in Smith’s int. Prior to that all I’m thinking is that we’re going to lose this game, when we all know our Offense is the strength of this team, it just is. Less injuries, overall better talent. What’s agonizing is the heat this defense was going to take if the Raiders would have upset us at home, since obviously the winning score was going to be on our defense, and now we’re crucifying Bowles and his defense once again, completely disregarding how bad the offense played during long stretches of that game…damn near the equivalent of an entire half of football. We all know the defense isn’t good, yet because Bowles has his fingerprints all over it, we scrutinize it more than anything else this team does.
Point is…. Offense needs to take over and complement our defense when it does its job, whether it’s holding up for a majority of a game, or a play or two at the end of regulation in order to give the offense and chance to finish. We need to stop bitching about Bowles and his defense. It is, what it is this season it’s not very good, but on more than one occasion it has been enough. If our offense does its job as the strength of this team, we win 2 or 3 more games this season. Those are facts.
December 8th, 2024 at 8:53 pm
Winning 3 games against 3 of the worst teams in the league (2 of them they barely scraped by in) is not enough to get him off the hotseat. This team will never be great under Bowles and that shows through the lack of discipline with the team whenever they get out in front.
December 8th, 2024 at 9:57 pm
Lots of injuries and pulling no names off the streets and practice squad. Winning is not easy even with your starters let alone scrubs. While I have bin a harsh critic of Bowles HC decisions the past 2 years with our backs against the walls he has had our team riding a hit streak into the playoffs not an easy task.
December 8th, 2024 at 10:57 pm
Nelly had another good game, two in a row.
December 8th, 2024 at 11:00 pm
Logical and objective reply @Zoocomics
I’m surprised you haven’t been attacked by the mob yet – lol
December 8th, 2024 at 11:30 pm
Glad he is winning the games he is supposed to. The problem with Bowles is he can’t consistently beat good teams, if he can beat them at all. Yea he beat the Lions and the one dimensional Eagles (down Brown and Smith) this year.
Injuries are an excuse but not a good one for Todd. I didn’t hear anyone excusing him for last year… White isn’t in the league right now, Neal finally made a practice squad, Izien was starting as undrafted rookie, Britt was looked at as a savior for us when White got benched, Dean and Davis were their oft injured selves… yeah Winfield was playing out of his mind last season and covering some warts but how is this D as injured as it is, now an excuse for the Bucs?
We never chewed clock like this last year either giving the D some nice rest with our run game. We will obviously be heading towards a D heavy draft but I don’t wanna hear about Todd getting another year because his D was injured. That’s rubbish.
December 9th, 2024 at 12:04 am
Some haters keep using “.500 coach” as a pejorative to describe Todd Bowles. I have to wander how long they have watched the Bucs.
I have watched the Bucs from the beginning, nearly five decades now. I know that a “.500 coach” is not at all a bad thing when you are talking about the Bucs.
The Bucs have had 13 head coaches over the decades. The head coach with the best winning percentage is Bruce Arians at .633; the only Bucs head coach to break .600.
Tony Dungy has the second best winning percentage at .563. Jon Gruden is just ahead of Bowles with a winning percentage of .509.
After those three .500 guys, you drop all the way down to the .300 guys with Dirk Koetter at .396, Sam Wyche at .359, Raheem Morris at .354, Greg Sciano at .344, John McKay at .335, and Ray Perkins at .317.
Finally, there is Lovie Smith at .250, Richard Williams at .211, and Leeman Bennett at .125.
Of course I want to see better than .500. If the Bucs stay the course and use the draft to shore up the defense, Bowles has a shot at putting together some 11-6 seasons, passing Gruden’s winning percentage and taking aim at Dungy’s.
So, yeah, let’s fire the .500 coach. Maybe we can replace him with another.396 Koetter, another.250 Smith, or another.125 Bennett. Hurray!!!
December 9th, 2024 at 1:07 am
Algo Rhythm bats away another. Let us rephrase. We respectfully disagree with the notion that because of one win against another bottom feeder, in which much undisciplined football was displayed, HC/DC Bolwes is some hero or great coach. For once he actually called a defensive game that recognized that simplicity is best. Man coverage, no chance guys don’t know their assignments. Would be great to see against Chargers, but our guy will think they’re expecting it and go back to an all exotic Cover Who soft shell crab zone again. It’s what he does in order to stay at .500.
December 9th, 2024 at 1:08 am
Todd is great, though. Todd is good. Todd bless the Bucs.
December 9th, 2024 at 5:54 am
GoneGator is the site hero. Sunshine! Roses! Cotton Candy!
Don’t tell me a skunk stinks, I love that smell.
Todd is great and this post will never meet the board.
December 9th, 2024 at 9:18 am
“Spanked the Lions.” Really? We won the game, but I think you’re being a bit revisionist, Joe. We escaped Detroit and I don’t think anyone on this site is delusional enough to think the current lineup could beat the Lions.
December 9th, 2024 at 3:06 pm
Yo Dave 🖕🏼. Talk soon 🤣
December 9th, 2024 at 10:28 pm
Damn rite celebrate Bowles he has us in every game this season we have ups & downs like everybody look at the Bengals there fans don’t act like this site & we r 7&6 not 4&8.will we have had some heart breaks this happens but the season finale is ahead of us let’s kick some u know what.we have a good exciting team that keeps us on our seat edge that’s what it’s all about go bucs!