Chris Long Wants To Have The Todd Bowles Conversation
January 14th, 2025
Joe’s a fan of the Green Light with Chris Long podcast.
He’s a smart ex-player who actually watches most NFL games and does his homework.
The retired defensive end, who won Super Bowl rings with Belicheats and Eagles, has been on the Bucs’ bandwagon since before the season started.
He was not in the loud crowd panting for Kirk Cousins and thinking the Bucs would win seven games.
Yesterday, Long broke down the Bucs’ season-ending loss to Washington on Sunday and said the future of Todd Bowles as head coach must be studied.
“If you’re talking about the Bucs coming into the offseason, I think we got to talk about Todd Bowles a little bit, man. I don’t like saying, ‘Hey, fire a guy.’ And I also have given him a lot of credit the last couple of years and this organization,” Long began.
“But I want to say this, he’s got like a just-above-.500 record. It’s the worst division in football … over his tenure of the last couple of years. So my point is this: and I’m not saying fire the guy, but I’m saying you got to put him under the magnifying glass a little bit because of the way this team played down the stretch.
“They were undisciplined down the stretch. There were games they were not ready to play. That Dallas game, they were not ready to play. That New Orleans game, they were not ready to play. They let Washington do exactly what Washington wanted to do. I know what Washington wanted to do; Washington wanted to possess the football and go on long drives and tire [the Bucs] out. And they did it. That shouldn’t be a team that can outphysical you.
“On top of that, when you consider the fact that the record is just above .500 in the worst division in football, and the fact they could lose their offensive coordinator. I just think eventually a conversation has to be had about the future. And maybe it’s one more year but they got to [progress next season].”
Long added that he did not think the Bucs played to their potential this season and Tampa Bay needs to be on a clear upswing next season for Bowles to be safe. He also added with a hint of Bucs-fan-like frustration. “… I just wanted to see better from this team [Sunday night].”
Joe agrees to a degree, especially about how Bowles and the Bucs must show clear progress next season.
Co-hosts and former NFL defensive tackles Nate Collins and Beau Allen countered Long, saying the Bucs “are still on a good trajectory” and they believe Bowles clearly deserves a 2025 season in Tampa to take the team to another level.
January 14th, 2025 at 1:29 pm
This is what mccourty said and describes Todd Bowles. McCourty: “…And in the football world, we know Tampa Bay and Todd Bowles and his defense, we used to call it, ‘They’re a do-what-they-do team.’ Like what they do week in and week out, they’re going to match up a little bit to what you do. But for the most part, ‘Our defense is good. We have the players that fit it. We’re going to do what we do.’
This ain’t gonna cut it. We need to make a change.
January 14th, 2025 at 1:34 pm
This guy should have never been head coach. They made Bruce step down because of the whole DEI movement and the fans have suffered with early exists the past 3 years under this chump. Best man for the job. Not what color you are.
January 14th, 2025 at 1:35 pm
I have to agree with Chris Long. Year after year we have excuses for the defense Since the Super Bowl year. Even in that year we had the luck of having faced the play off teams in the season to figure out a good way to stop them. Todd while he can be a good DC he doesn’t seem to always hold he defense accountable.
It showed this year, with the injuries as the excuse. Poor prior planning creates piss poor results. Teams have figured out his blitzing scheme and know that they can get WR’s on islands with the Outside LB’s fast enough to get separation enough negate any inside late blitzes he runs with ILB or Safeties. Not to mention the players are too eager to show the blitz.
I knew we would not beat Washington because they had the ability to just keep Bowles scared and drive down the field. Goal line stands at the 3 and 4 yard line are all that kept this game close. Other wise we would have been out of it by the 4th quarter.
January 14th, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Losses to Dallas, SFO, Atlanta x2 shouldn’t have happened.
Bowles can transform a 13-win team into a 9-10 win team. It’s time to move on.
January 14th, 2025 at 1:36 pm
“But I want to say this, he’s got like a just-above-.500 record. It’s the worst division in football”
28-27 to be precise. 1-3 in the playoffs.
We’ve seen enough of the same old thing.
Unless you applaud failure and embrace inept decision making.
January 14th, 2025 at 1:37 pm
Let’s waste another year of these players careers because you think Todd is a good guy and can lead this team to the playoffs. Mike and some of the core players are not getting any younger and wasting another year for a possible 10-7 record and another 1 and done in the playoffs is just irresponsible.
January 14th, 2025 at 1:38 pm
Tip toeing…
Considering Liam Coen situation, I toss out the hypothetical scenario
Todd announces one more year and then retiring followed by LC as HC.
I have been frustrated with Bowels but clearly the locker room has his back.
Injuries too factor into how difficult it was for Bowles to manage the whole show.
January 14th, 2025 at 1:40 pm
Need Cohen to threaten to jump ship and the Glazers will make him HC.
January 14th, 2025 at 1:40 pm
Ya I definitely think another year, but for sure needs clear improvement. The mid season slumps seem to be a pattern. They were not ready to go against inferior teams sometimes for sure.
January 14th, 2025 at 1:44 pm
Defense is about fundamentals not just pressure. The players can’t even run zone coverage because of poor tackling, situational awareness. No discipline and lack of attention to detail, lack of discipline. You need to know how to play zone and man and every type of defensive scheme at an elite level to become an elite defense. There are teams in the league that play cover 3 without sending a blitz and still are elite. He gotta go.
January 14th, 2025 at 1:45 pm
Man, Long hit on every point I have been thinking about with this team. For one as Long said, this is one of the worst division in the league, why are the Bucs struggling to win it when they have a pretty darn good offensive and decent defense when they play well. Most of the loses this year were where the team just came out flat and didn’t play well from the start of the game and didn’t make much adjustments in the second half especially on defense which to me is, either the team is not listening or Bowles is not lighting a fire under their rear ends. This take me to point that Long said about Bowles needing a fire lit under his rear end. Something that I think the Glazers will do this year and I 100% agree or replace him
January 14th, 2025 at 1:47 pm
Belicheat had a top 10 defense his last couple of years in NE with what he had. It’s not just personnel. Look at what Sean McVay did last night being the underdogs against Justin Jefferson and that loaded Vikings team. COACHING/SCHEME MATTERS
January 14th, 2025 at 1:47 pm
Way too many holes on this defense from a personnel standpoint to be a legitimate contender this year
Jason light in the front office should be taking just as much heat as Todd Bowles is for coming into the season with Jamel Dean as your number one corner.
January 14th, 2025 at 1:48 pm
Was looking at Baker’s stats last night, 4,500 passing yds, 41 TDs, 16 ints… with a 71.4% completion percentage… wow.
What a shame.
Although he did have 9 fumbles… not good, plus the one in the playoffs.
But still… stepping back and the Bucs really turned it around, won 10 games, the division, with ATL 2 games back. And you can argue they SHOULD have won 1 or even 2 games against ATL as well… which could have made them an 11 or 12 game winning team.
Even in the playoff game, the defense really stepped it up.
But the issues I see is that the team was STILL a bit sloppy, even after 18 games. And i am not just talking penalties (I still hate the refs), but fumbles and sloppy handoffs, etc. Sloppy redzone play, etc.
And to put the icing on the cake… the team lost to a rookie QB. I know Daniels is a monster rookie…… I get it. But this NFL defense lost or struggled many games this year to a rookie QB.
Our team was the ONLY playoff team to lose a play off game against a rookie QB.
And thats the summary of our season.
January 14th, 2025 at 1:50 pm
Letting Todd go would be a careful what you wish for scenario. Todd in TB is very similar to Lovie in Chicago. He won, and things worked out pretty well for them with Lovie there, and save for a bad day on SB Sunday, they were successful and rarely failed. After he left, it’s been nothing but turmoil.
Todd is a quality coach, he’s won the division every season. Forget what the rest of the division has done, they’ve done their job. Won a playoff game last year, and were 2 mistakes away from winning a game again this year. Despite all the injuries and big time lacking on the defense. The DL is the only steady position, and that lived without Hall, Vea, and Cancey for multiple game stretches. The secondary didn’t start the same 4 two games in a row a single time due to injury, and the LBs with the exception of Lavonte were not healthy.
It’s a disappointing end yes, but, FA, draft, and recovery will bring the defense back to the level, and Coen coming back with Godwin healthy will bring the offense to a new high. Bummer finish but the future is bright.
January 14th, 2025 at 1:50 pm
Just contrast Todd’s defense with what Chris Shula did with the Rams against the Vikings. Chris Shula is going to be a superstar HC sooner than later. Something for the Bucs to really consider since someone will get him as HC next year.
January 14th, 2025 at 1:52 pm
Quinn inherited a 4-13 team, and in one season, rookie QB he goes 12-5, and owns Bowles on his home turf? Todd’s been here 5 seasons running this same defense, and we’re ranked 31st in the league. You watch 38 year old first time DC Chris Shula’s troops get nine sacks last night. He coached with passion, and fire his boys responded. Compare that to Bowles, and you should realize we’re wasting our time on this guy. Truth is, Todd isn’t fit to be a DC, let alone an HC. Teams have asked Pitt if Tomlin is available. McCarthy is interviewing. Anybody believe if Bowles was fired today he’d get a sniff at a job, any job? So why are we keeping him?
January 14th, 2025 at 1:54 pm
bottom 5 pass defense 2023 bottom 5 pass defense 2024 29th this year he gotta go
January 14th, 2025 at 1:55 pm
I’ll take Chris Shula for HC. Mike Tomlin is a real HC, id take him in a heartbeat
January 14th, 2025 at 2:00 pm
Of the youngest teams in the NFL in 2024 only three were younger than the Bucs.
23 of the 52 man roster had less than 2 years experience.
13 were on Offense or Special Teams and 10 were on Defense.
On Defense it takes a little longer to get their feet planted in the pro game or system being run. On Offense 4 yards is always 4 yards in Denver or Dallas and an Out is an Out.
Even Long took a few years to grow into the position. He played the entire season from the time he entered the league and has sack totals for the first 5 season were 4, 5, 8.5, 13, and 11. I’m sure some coaches wondered about him a few times his first couple years.
Sure Bucs Defense could have turned over teams more often but that’s on the players making plays and not the Coaches. If the defense gave the ball to the offense a few more times a game do they turn it into TD’s or does the Bucs kicker finish 1st in scoring and not 4th? Does the Offense give it right back with a Pick at a 60%+ increase over 2023 numbers? Maybe a few more 3 play drives ending with a Punt.
Playoff teams all scored on 40% to 50% of their drives in 2024. Only Washington scored on a whopping 60% of their Offensive Possessions this season. Tampa game was not the only game that they didn’t punt one time during the entire game and that was against some pretty good defenses.
Beating up a coach for struggling with a young Defense is about as stupid as praising an OC as a guru that ran the score up on bad teams.
January 14th, 2025 at 2:03 pm
You remember how good the defense was when Arians joined ? It was because Todd had talent sorry Dean Russell/britt Hayes white head merriweather jts aren’t real guys Todd had mostly backup on defense the entire yr all facts
January 14th, 2025 at 2:05 pm
U mean U want the Glazers to pay a REAL Head Coach salary instead of what they pay Bowles?????
January 14th, 2025 at 2:08 pm
Wow. Spot on! Also, we need to stop giving Bowles credit for winning a piss poor division. That’s not exactly a high bar. Long correctly noted that the Bucs were not prepared in the last few games and coupled with Bowles scared to death coaching and his bend and break defense, the outcome was fairly predictable and will be going forward. This was the year he was supposed to show progress and quite frankly his coaching and defense regressed.
January 14th, 2025 at 2:12 pm
Yet none of that matters if Baker, for his second playoff game in a row, doesn’t choke under pressure late in the game.
January 14th, 2025 at 2:14 pm
The Panthers will be improved next year. Atlanta has their QB and Morris had the courage to ditch his D/C. The Aints could also rebound. Where does that leave the Bucs with Bowles? Does not look too promising.
January 14th, 2025 at 2:18 pm
With all due respect – Do you have any idea what other coaches in the league average W/L % wise? You’ve posted this around 100 times but I don’t think you understand the stat.
Do you think there are lots, or any, coaches crushing it with 70% or 80% or something? How many coaches do you think are even over 60% in LEAGUE HISTORY?
January 14th, 2025 at 2:18 pm
Not bad for a rebuilding team.
January 14th, 2025 at 2:19 pm
@Ds
Mike Tomlin i think went to like the playoffs every year. he had kenny pickett last year. Payton has freakin bo nix. Lions has so many injuries. Stop making excuses for the underachieving HC with a career .500 record
January 14th, 2025 at 2:22 pm
Bucco Bruce what does his color have to do with anything the other guy that would have been coach was Leftwich either way we would have had a black coach is this about race or whether or not we have a good enough coach
January 14th, 2025 at 2:23 pm
Thank you Long.
We know the national media doesn’t pay attention to Tampa. These guys probably haven’t watched every Bucs snap for the last 5 years, for the last 10 years like I have. Pouring over the roster and articles about the Bucs and draft prospects every day. Yet I am just a loud Todd Bowles hater.
All these people saying one more year, including Joe, are a year behind. Gonna find out the hard way about this time next year. It’s not like the games we didn’t show up ready, or the games the D couldn’t get a stop, or the games where Bowles didn’t use his timeouts properly or the games a QB throws for 400+ over the middle of the field just showed up this season and we blame injuries. Been watching it for 3 seasons. This season we couldn’t blame Lefty offense or Canales run plays and still didn’t do any better. Wake up.
January 14th, 2025 at 2:24 pm
Rod Munch Says:
January 14th, 2025 at 2:12 pm
Yet none of that matters if Baker, for his second playoff game in a row, doesn’t choke under pressure late in the game.
^^^^^^^^
Yes, Baker should’ve stopped Washington’s offense in the last 4-1/2 minutes. I mean, if they use Vita Vea on offense, why not put Baker as an Edge Rusher and see if he can cover a scat back?
January 14th, 2025 at 2:25 pm
Here’s the problem… the defensive coordinator for this team should be replaced… but you can’t because he’s also the HC.
And Bowles has never shed those duties. Bill Belichick was a defensive coordinator but he was wise enough to get a guy to handle that job. Bowles can’t seem to let go in that way.
Maybe he thinks that makes him irreplacable but that’s only true if his defense does well, which it hasn’t been.
January 14th, 2025 at 2:29 pm
Joe in Michigan Says:
Yes, Baker should’ve stopped Washington’s offense in the last 4-1/2 minutes. I mean, if they use Vita Vea on offense, why not put Baker as an Edge Rusher and see if he can cover a scat back?
————
Baker had the ball in his hands, with the ability to go up 2 scores in the game.
He’s a choke artist. A short Matt Ryan.
January 14th, 2025 at 2:33 pm
It’s true Bowles often does not have a team prepared for big games.. his theory of the fact that they’re all men and they don’t need to be told is wrong. Even NFL players need to be reminded of importance of games.
January 14th, 2025 at 2:36 pm
Afc south would like to have a word about being the worst division in football
Agreed! –Joe
January 14th, 2025 at 2:40 pm
The Glazers are not getting rid of Bowles. Period. The real question is whether there will be changes in the defensive staff. I unerstand that the Bucs are really young on defense, but I cannot understand why the Bucs rushers always seem to be a step behind or have the wrong angle on the QB. Please stop with the pressure stats, the Bucs may get pressure but that pressure clearly does not lead to turnovers. Sacks result in lost yardage and end drives. I can only think that this must be a technique thing the Bucs pass rushers are not being taught.
January 14th, 2025 at 2:50 pm
Pretty much agree with everything Chris said; but, the Glazers said they wanted to see improvement THIS season that just ended.
Was there progress, improvement?
The NFL has a good formula for determining draft picks, worst to best team. In this case, it’s fair to look at where the Bucs pick in draft this year:
The 19th pick, same as 2 seasons ago.
Yes, they won 1 more game than last season, but to me, improvement would’ve meant beating the Commandos & advancing at least to the next round in the playoffs, which I think would’ve meant playing the Vikes.
Todd’s a great guy & all, but if Coen stays as OC, at minimum, I think the Glazers strongly suggest Todd hire a DC & shake up the coaching staff on that side of the ball.
January 14th, 2025 at 2:52 pm
2025 season is a scratch already just to see IF Bowels can do better than his past several years as a HC…
Start the season on the hot seat and expect him to be gone!
January 14th, 2025 at 2:54 pm
Ppl hate Bowles but if you want to go back to Morris, schiano, koetter or Lovie then be my guest. We got spoiled as buc fans we have a stable org now I don’t want to go back to draft talk in October
January 14th, 2025 at 2:55 pm
Rod Munch Says:
January 14th, 2025 at 2:29 pm
Joe in Michigan Says:
Yes, Baker should’ve stopped Washington’s offense in the last 4-1/2 minutes. I mean, if they use Vita Vea on offense, why not put Baker as an Edge Rusher and see if he can cover a scat back?
————
Baker had the ball in his hands, with the ability to go up 2 scores in the game.
He’s a choke artist. A short Matt Ryan.
^^^^^^^^^^
Yes, and Todd Bowles is Mr. Clutch! Hahahaha
January 14th, 2025 at 2:57 pm
I notice the ReTodd fan boys keep mentioning injuries but never want to talk about all the mismanaging he does. Forget the injuries. The things he’s suppose to do well as a HC, he doesnt. The fact not a single one of you mention any of his intangibles other than “he’s well liked”…. tells me you also know he’s not a good coach. But by all means keep telling us about how injured everyone is and how talentless they are. LMAO
January 14th, 2025 at 2:59 pm
That’s actually very good analysis. Todd ‘turd in the punch’ Bowles will never win a Super Bowl.
So what’s the point? If you are #2 in the league, you have a loser season. You are there to win Champs. If not, move on.
If Baker can’t win a Super Bowl, move on.
That’s why they fired a good Coach in Dungy, bc he was not going to win a Super Bowl in Tampa.
January 14th, 2025 at 3:01 pm
Joe in Michigan – Todd Bowles defense gave up 16 points vs an elite offense. Baker, vs a terrible defense, scored a net 13 points.
I’m not even a huge Bowles fan, but the defense way overperformed, put the team in a position to win the game.
Baker lost it.
January 14th, 2025 at 3:02 pm
@Rod, they didn’t force a punt the whole game. They got used up and down the field.
January 14th, 2025 at 3:02 pm
I’m watching the highlights rn. So some of the blitzes todd calls Daniels knows where to go and he releases in 2 seconds to a quick out. Also many times the blitz doesnt get there id say like at least 80 percent of the time. havent seen one sack highlight against daniels. And our defense is really bad against play action. Also i think blitzing a mobile qb isnt the best gameplan he just was rolling out and shredding the defense. also our defense sucks against screens like really bad
January 14th, 2025 at 3:08 pm
I don’t think we blitzed enough. Daniels numbers go significantly down when he is blitzed against. They need a couple new stud Linebackers, young fast bulls to get after the pass. Our pass D is horrible.
January 14th, 2025 at 3:09 pm
Buddhaboy19 Says:
January 14th, 2025 at 3:02 pm
@Rod, they didn’t force a punt the whole game. They got used up and down the field.
———–
16 points given up.
Huge 4th quarter goal line stand, gave the ball back to the offense with a chance to go up multiple scores in the final minutes of the game.
That’s a hell of a performance vs an elite offense that no one wants to play.
January 14th, 2025 at 3:18 pm
Licht needs to draft DB’s with speed to utilize man to man schemes. None of our guys can play zone coverage. We have seen pre snap confusion for years. The LB corps needs help, though one hopes Lavonte can last a few more years. He has been sterling in his play! Bucs are so close to being a SB team but must improve discipline on both offense and defense and for God’s sake get a coach for special teams—horrible performance again this season.
January 14th, 2025 at 3:22 pm
I see only a handful of posts on every “Joe Bucs” articles since Sunday night’s blaming the Bucs’ offense instead of the Bucs’ defense, and they’re only coming from the usual 3-4 individuals, the other 97% individuals, like the rest of NFL world, see how bad the Bucs’ defense played this year. One of the Washington Commanders’ podcasts had a poll on which team they would prefer to play before the playoffs, and the over-whelming majority wanted the team to play the Bucs, because they couldn’t play defense. This year’s NFL lottery pick was for the team who gets to play Tampa first in the playoffs…sorry to those 3-4 individuals; I know reality hurts but you have to move on….
January 14th, 2025 at 3:23 pm
Hire a defensive coordinator. If players like playing for bowels then simply take that particular responsibility off his plate. There are 3 or 4 very good, proven DC’s available, today. Every one of us who are true Buc’s fans and follow this team knows you get a sick knot in your stomach when relying on a tart bowls defense to win the game for you. Period. Not much more to say. I’ve heard over and over what a defensive genius, defensive guru this man is and I don’t think I can point to more than two or three games over the last couple of years and say with a straight face “now that’s a shutdown defense”
…… Stay with the team man, keep that vibe going to players respect and enjoy playing for. Coach himself talked about being a team player. Be a team player swallow your ego and hire one of these defensive coordinators that are available….Dennis Allen?
January 14th, 2025 at 3:30 pm
I don’t know that Coen is the answer at Head Coach. He’s pretty good as OC, but is he at all responsible for our timeout (mis)management on offense?
I do know that Bowles is not the answer at head coach, assuming our goal is to do more than just hold down the NFC South while our division brethren figure their own S##T out. I figure the Panthers and Saints are still 2 years away from having a division winning roster? Which leaves us competing with the Falcons for which head coach can make the fewest game-costing coaching blunders next year?
January 14th, 2025 at 3:42 pm
What good would it do to change some of the defensive coaches if Todd is still running his defense? It would be the same defense he would just have to teach his overly complex defense to new coaches. You know the defense that drops d lineman into coverage.
January 14th, 2025 at 4:48 pm
The South is going to be a very tough division next year. Being average won’t get the title. Bowels days as the HC will be numbered if he continues to his ways.
January 14th, 2025 at 5:02 pm
And we did punt a few times (and fumbled). Who’s that on – offense or defense? Why aren’t we asking why did we fail to sustain drives?
Was their defense that good or did our awesome offense play like shlt for much of the game?
We didn’t force a punt but we held on 2 x 4th downs and gave the offense the ball back.
The offense had 7 possessions. A couple of decent drives, or just a few more 1st downs by the O and all of a sudden it’s a different game. Time of possession (which some of you fail to
understand is not strickly a defensive stat) would look a lot different IF the OFFENSE could have just done what they should, and were expected to do.
January 14th, 2025 at 5:23 pm
Another year of average or slightly above average with a 40 td a year QB and you have to make a change
Another 4+ game losing streak and you have to make a change
January 14th, 2025 at 5:25 pm
@GoneGator
I was simply showing how this guy has the same mind set as the non lemmings on these message boards.
Unlike you who celebrates failure and mediocrity.
Did you used to eat paint chips as a kid?
January 14th, 2025 at 5:52 pm
I don’t recall any other team wanting Bowles as a head coach when he took over in Tampa.
January 14th, 2025 at 5:54 pm
Bucs have been on a very gradual upswing of +1 win each year for the past 3 years.
So, 11 & 6 would be on par for the slope of improvement in 2025.
That (or better) and making it to Divisional round would show sustained growth. Fingers Crossed!
January 14th, 2025 at 5:58 pm
Long said the same thing most of us have been saying for a while
This team shows up flat wayyyyyyy to often and drops easy games when they should not as a routine not an exception
The reason is COACHING
January 14th, 2025 at 6:03 pm
you or him or anyone will be able to say just about the same thing about bowles after every season. Except the one he went under 500 with the greatest QB ever. Now thats not easy to do Todd. He outside himself that year. Welcome to Todd bowles style of football. I saw enough years ago
January 14th, 2025 at 6:38 pm
Fair points
January 14th, 2025 at 7:40 pm
the AFC south has a team in the divisional, actually everyone does except for ours
January 14th, 2025 at 7:48 pm
Give him another season as HC but get a good DC in there!!
January 14th, 2025 at 7:59 pm
Oh, 65 comments, after a playoff loss, pretty sure what everyone here is thinking…
Such a know-it-all spoiled fanbase, and most of you didn’t like Bowles from day one because he wasn’t screaming up and down the field at his players. You guys think every talented coordinator can’t wait to come to Tampa… somehow you forget we cycled through 4 HCs over 10 years before pulling Arians out of retirement, who btw in his first season, with a pretty damn good team, led us to a below .500 season. And frankly, without Tom Brady, and the island of misfit toys he brought with him to win a SB, most likely, we don’t make the playoffs in 2020 and again are .500 team with whatever QB not named Tom Brady we would have had leading us.
Btw, let’s get this out of the way now…Coen is not the next Sean McVay. I don’t even need to see it. I like him a lot, but McVay is a generational coaching talent, a prodigy who not only won a Superbowl, but faced adversity before winning it and after winning it. With only 1 down season post-SB, he’s in the divisional round, and NO ONE wants to play his team. He is truly a genius who can balance everything when it comes to being a HC. To think Coen will even come close to that caliber of coaching is almost delusional. Smh…
Can’t wait for this Arians and Bowles era to end, so you can see what reality looks like again Tampa. You’ll be remembering this last 5 years more fondly than you think.
January 14th, 2025 at 8:04 pm
please allow my previous reply
January 14th, 2025 at 8:37 pm
The NFL is a bottom line business and the bottom line is did you when the Super Bowl for every team. Short of that management and the fans want to see improvement every year. We made the playoffs but got beat in the first round against a team we should have beaten. Last year we won the wild card round and played well in the divisional round although losing. That is definitely not an improvement. Granted we had a lot of injuries but so did a lot of teams. Look at the Lions who have been decimated by injuries as well. Something is wrong besides the injuries and you have to look at the coaching. If there is no change then we will be all back here next year screaming about the same thing.
January 14th, 2025 at 8:37 pm
Teams are using virtual reality these days for their QBs…. like Washington did with JD before the Bucs game…. and they speed up that virtual reality to be able to handle blitzes from every direction, like TB likes to do. You’ll be a much better defense these days rushing 4 with one stud and the occasional blitz from a Rhonde Barber type.
January 14th, 2025 at 8:43 pm
Geez…… These guys keep blathering but we can’t ask them questions or reply when they talk smack to us? Stop protecting these “gentlemen” Joe 🙏🏼
January 14th, 2025 at 9:15 pm
For whatever its’s worth, the Bucs’ negative turnover ratio is a problem. They were the only playoff team with a negative ratio. Their takeaways were awful. Logan Hall is a bust. Dude got steamrolled twice by a running back during the game. And Bredeseon struggled. But most glaring are the defenses’ struggles. I just don’t think they’re talented enough as a group or the scheme sucks or both. They don’t seem to get pressure through a four man front without blitzing which leaves too many holes in the secondary.
January 14th, 2025 at 9:27 pm
Todd B will never ever win a SB as head coach.
We can all agree on that.
Time to move on from it all.
Licht too.
January 14th, 2025 at 9:29 pm
@bucco – Blaming DEI on everything is your racism talking.
Joe…drop the ban hammer on these rednecks.
Pathetic fan base. Gooberville, FL
January 14th, 2025 at 10:47 pm
@BallHawk75
They won’t let my reply thru buddy but I’ll catch up to you later.
You didn’t answer the question (as usual) btw, and chose instead to choose mis-direction and slander. Typical
January 15th, 2025 at 12:06 am
I think Long is a bit too focused on “the worst division of football” (uhhhh have you seen the AFC South or East?), but otherwise everything he said is spot on.
– Playing down to our competition
– Coming out flat in big moments
– Clock mismanagement
– Defense unable to get a stop
All the same issues I’ve been complaining about with Bowles all season long.
January 15th, 2025 at 12:10 am
@BuccoBruce
[Wrong, sorry. Joe doesn’t want his site to be the source of a nonsense rumor. — Joe]
January 15th, 2025 at 12:33 am
Bucco Bruce with the dumbest take of all. Congrats