“Just An Odd Stat For Me”
January 8th, 2025
Are football trends just coincidences?
Joe doesn’t believe that, but Bucs head coach Todd Bowles does in one particular area.
The Bucs have lost their last six regular-season night games, all in the Baker Mayfield era. Bowles strongly implied today that it doesn’t need to be studied and addressed with a routine change. “Just an odd stat for me,” he said.
Sandwiched between two 2023 regular-season losses at night and four this season is a thrilling home playoff win — at night — against the Eagles last January.
Still, Joe thinks there’s something to the Bucs’ night woes — a problem Joe hopes the team’s performance science gurus found worthy of studying and addressing.
If the Bucs lose Sunday night to Washington (football gods forbid), will anyone believe the Bowles night woes are simply bad luck and quality opponents? Todd Bowles will.
January 8th, 2025 at 2:01 pm
I would argue Bowles is one of the luckiest coaches in the league.
January 8th, 2025 at 2:05 pm
i think the bucs can beat washington, im starting to believe!!
January 8th, 2025 at 2:05 pm
This is like that stupid weather statistic where Tampa could not win if it was too cold. That died in 2002. It is just an odd stat. Cowboys loss was like the Denver loss, sometimes teams play flat regardless of the time of day or night.
January 8th, 2025 at 2:06 pm
It’s like they get the yips in night games.
January 8th, 2025 at 2:14 pm
I think the Bucs should have all night practices this week!
Might as well get used to that time window.
I knew it won’t happen but let’s think outside of the box here.
January 8th, 2025 at 2:22 pm
Night practices, great suggestion KABucs!
January 8th, 2025 at 2:51 pm
No energy in the night games…….in the playoffs, not typically an issue.
January 8th, 2025 at 3:02 pm
I think most players don’t like playing night games. They might like the national attention but hate the wait. As a fan I would be perfectly happy having all games starting at 1:00 or 4:00 o’clock. Especially 1:00 o’clock. Used to really enjoy MNF but the bloom is off the rose on that one. Just doesn’t have the same significance it once had. Either that or in my “old age” I just get tired shaking my fist at passing clouds all afternoon and end up losing my energy by the time kickoff rolls around. Of course the over consumption of Carmel flavored Crown Royal might have something to do with it, as well. But there’s no finer feeling of waking up in the morning getting something to eat then getting ready for a full day of football frolic or heading out to the stadium. Regardless, Hope the good guys can shake off the night game blues and snap the trend.
January 8th, 2025 at 3:43 pm
This has been going on way longer than the past 2 years. We were terrible for most of our primetime games with Brady too.
January 8th, 2025 at 3:52 pm
The coach who doesn’t know why his defense (allegedly his specialty) sucks in first halves but tightens up in second halves now dismisses six straight night game losses in a row as an “odd stat.”
Good thinking, coach. Don’t look into it. Just hope it’s not related to anything you’re doing (or not doing) to prepare the team.
January 8th, 2025 at 3:53 pm
I have to say I’m with Bowles on this one. And most readers should recognize by now that I am NOT Todd’s biggest cheerleader.
The legendary “trends” and “tendencies” commonly referred to (by hacks who want you to believe that they know more than you) actually started in the first couple of seasons where we couldn’t ‘buy’ a win.
Back then the Oilers still played in Houston and the Colts were still in Baltimore. The Rams had not yet left LA and the Chargers were proudly from San Diego.
The point is that a LOT has changed over the years, and no one year is even remotely the same as any other year. Way too many variables.
There is, however, one variable that has held pretty solid throughout the years.
The officiating was horrible in ’76 and with fewer (game) exceptions than I have digits, has not gotten any better throughout the entire history of the franchise. Over 700 games, and, IMO, less than twenty were ‘fairly’ officiated.
I’d be far more worried about that than what time kick-off is set for.
January 8th, 2025 at 3:59 pm
“If the Bucs lose Sunday night to Washington”
their recent history suggests it will likely be due to the pathetic defense letting receivers get more open than college, their habit of making rookie and backup qbs look like they’re tom brady and putting WAY TO MUCH on the powerful offense to cover for the defense weakness!
January 8th, 2025 at 4:27 pm
The Bucs are blind in the dark for some reason……
Just like how they always struggle to beat Westcoast teams
…….it’s just the way it is
January 8th, 2025 at 5:09 pm
The most “odd stat” is.how you are a head cooach
7 yrs 2 franchises under .500. Jason Licht provides you with players. Defensive coach? Who lines his corners up every single play at or behind 1st down line, makes them drop at snap weather its 3 or 30 yards
.Players coach because he holds no one accountable, gee. Dumby Smith, Raheem Morris, how are they doing?
January 8th, 2025 at 5:18 pm
Playoff night games are the stat to follow.
January 8th, 2025 at 6:00 pm
They come out flat for night games. Fix that and they fix night games. Prob to do with their prep and sleep / game readiness habits for night games.
January 8th, 2025 at 6:43 pm
Usually you play good teams during night games…
January 8th, 2025 at 6:51 pm
The Team that plays the best, that makes plays when needed, that has the fewest penalties will win 98% of the time.
January 8th, 2025 at 6:54 pm
BM6 may need to get into a pushing match with a defensive tackle early in this game!
January 8th, 2025 at 7:13 pm
gp, you’ve read enough of my screeching about the refs. I agree with you 1000%. I just don’t like night games, and I’ve watched/listened to plenty of them.
January 8th, 2025 at 9:42 pm
If we lose Sunday night, which we won’t, Liam Cohen should become the head coach on Monday lol. However, Todd Bowles letting ME13 get the record last week when an interception would have spelled disaster, built team unity that you can’t teach, buy or get any other way. It was the best move Todd Bowles has made as a head coach. The Bucs aren’t losing this game. Washington is rtunning head long into a buzz saw. It may get ugly. Take the over all the way around.
January 8th, 2025 at 9:45 pm
Shake and Baker will go over 300 yds passing. ME13 over 100 yds and 2 TD’s. Bucky will have 150 combined yards. The Bucs will score 28 points in the second half alone. score 41-24 Bucs win
January 8th, 2025 at 9:55 pm
We didn’t struggle. beating the chargers to many people post there thoughts without thinking or u r just plain Jane dumb u pick it’s u r choice
January 8th, 2025 at 9:59 pm
Rash says like I said think before u say something stupid wether is not spelled like the word weather moron
January 8th, 2025 at 10:17 pm
Bigmackattack, I agree about Bowles letting them get ME13 the record. I was thinking before that happened that they *could* win a super bowl IF they played their best football every game.
I was not confident that would happen in any particular game, but I do feel like that mode sealed the fate for this week, and will have implications in every game until they win out or lose.
I still don’t expect a super bowl, but I can see potential in the idea, and that is exciting and dangerous.
January 8th, 2025 at 10:39 pm
We’ll be ready come Sunday night. Let’s goooo BUCS
January 8th, 2025 at 10:59 pm
Football is not about day games or night games It’s about size, speed and talent and assembling a team that can compete with the best teams in the league. Then comes the hard part, execution of plays. If you do not execute your plays, you will not win a game.
So for the Buccaneers’ extremely talented offense, it comes down to whether they can clean up some things we saw go wrong last week against the Saints and execute well enough to outscore the Commanders !!
The Bucs defense’ job is to play disciplined, stay in their lanes, execute the coverages of Coach Bowles’ very complex defense, and shut down Daniels.
Do the Bucs have the talent to beat the Commanders again ? You better believe they do !!
All the Bucs have to do is execute and they will win ! It really is as simple as that !!
Day games or evening games have nothing to do with it! Don’t forget, the Bucs stomped a mud-hole in the Eagles last year, and yes that was a night game !!
Go Bucs !! Beat the Commanders again!!
January 9th, 2025 at 12:01 am
I like that no one is giving the Bucs alotta points, in fact many folks are thinking Washington has this. We need the underdog mentality. I like that Mike got what he got and the support for that was big. He will be dialed in IMHO. I think we are going to run the ball and that is key. We have the best O-line in the league and we are at home, we will dominate in the trenches offensively. It is all about the run game, establish the run, and play action pass. Bowles will have to come up with someway to confine Jaden Daniels.
January 9th, 2025 at 1:34 am
All good points. The best officiating teams get to work the playoffs and hopefully we have a good crew that calls a fair game both ways and doesn’t too ticky tacky with holding calls. Replay assist needs to be on top of things as well. I just want a fair playing field. Now our players do need to clean it up with false starts and stupid offsides penalties. It’s the playoffs and time to a focused professional. No bs beating yourselves. Sterling Shepherd needs to sit this game out. Activate anyone, a water boy, but leave Shepherd at home because he’s not focused on the game.
January 9th, 2025 at 3:04 am
I think the refs make sure we lose on the national spotlight games. Some flipping crazy mystifying calls agaist us at crucial times. Half of Goedeke and company’s holding calls have been total BS!
Go Bucs!
January 9th, 2025 at 6:17 am
IDK if it’s a night thing or a primetime thing, but it’s definitely something.
January 9th, 2025 at 9:30 am
This night game stuff has been on my mind for a few years. Thursday night is absolutely the worst. I hate Thursday night games.