The Todd Bowles Nonsense
January 11th, 2025
Joe continues to hear chatter on sports radio, YouTube and social media about how Todd Bowles could get fired if the Bucs lose on Sunday.
It’s nonsense.
It’s about as likely as Joe Tryon-Shoyinka having a three-sack day or Joe being invited to the cheerleaders’ 1 a.m. postgame hot tub party tomorrow night.
In other words, it would take an act of God, as they say in the insurance business.
Bowles won 10 games and a division title this season with a new offensive coordinator and significant injuries (there’s a reason Chris Godwin earns $20 million per year) and his team was still strapped by Tom Brady-era salary cap spending.
But more important, the Bucs organization is in love with the culture Bowles has established. There’s tremendous unity — win or lose.
Back in July, Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht went out of his way to say players are hungry to play for Bowles, and that the 2024 Bucs are the most unified Tampa Bay team in over a decade, Licht added.
“We owe that to the culture that’s been built by Todd Bowles,” Licht said. “This is a coach that these guys love to play for. They love to re-sign here and come back for.
“They don’t want to leave and, you know, the head coach drives the culture. And we have an outstanding culture. I can’t think of a better time that we’ve had since I’ve been here, this is going on Year 11, where the locker room is more closely knit than it is right now. You know that started with [Bruce Arians] but now a big factor of that is Todd keeping it going and making it even closer.”
After Licht’s comments, Joe followed up with Lavonte David, and he agreed that the 2024 group is the tightest he’s been around. Licht also doubled down on his comments a week or two later.
So why exactly would the Bucs want to launch Bowles? The Bucs feel like a team a year away from being a No. 2 seed in the playoffs.
Anyone really think the culture to which Licht spoke has eroded?
Joe thinks it’s very fair to question whether Bowles has what it takes to win a Super Bowl. But that doesn’t translate into firing the guy and imploding the culture on a hope you might hire someone who is prepared to win immediately.
Bowles deserves another season and Joe — and Ira Kaufman — are sure he’s already got one.
If you want to pretend Bowles could be out of a job on Monday, Joe won’t criticize you. But it’s based on nothing more than fantasy.
Ira Kaufman Talks Washington Matchup, Liam Coen Status, The Bucs’ Pass Defense, Game Predictions, Analyst Errors & More
January 11th, 2025 at 3:37 pm
Given the number of HC openings and the lack of proven winners on the interview lists, we’re actually pretty lucky to have some stability and success at the HC position.
January 11th, 2025 at 3:40 pm
A 2 seed? That’s the summit a Bowles singalong can reach? Everyone gathered around the campfire, holding hands, losing games they’ve no right to lose without lack of effort.
No thank you. I’d rather risk being bad than knowing with near certainty the best hope we have is a 2 seed, Division round playoff exit. Either he gets this team back to Detroit, or let someone else organize the circle the kumbaya human train of unicorns and joy in the lockerroom next September.
January 11th, 2025 at 3:50 pm
As much as this defense pains me, we have to accept that we have an insane amount of injuries and a number of draft busts. We didnt sign any big names so maybe we if wanted to fill the defense we could go out and wreck a few games easily. Though I wouldn’t trade this season for amything because we have seen peak Baker Mayfield hero ball and how many tuddies he could throw. It has helped us evaluate what he can do and I think going forward we can focus resources on defense.
January 11th, 2025 at 3:53 pm
Bowles has been a 0.500 coach in a weak division. But many teams are far worse off. I’m not convinced Bowles is anything more than a defensive coordinator—and dread the potential devolution of the offense next year if Cohen leaves for a HC job. However, Bowles has earned enough goodwill to prove he can win, one year at a time.
January 11th, 2025 at 3:54 pm
I’m sure he’s back for another year also, which is why Jason and the Glazers need to insist that the head coach replace the defensive coordinator with a young, aggressive talent that the Head Coach can mentor. I’m sure the Glazers are just as sick as we are watching 12 yard cushions on 3rd and 5, wide open middles and edge rushers covering Cee Dee Lamb rather than rushing the QB. Sorry, tender muffins, excuses don’t replace the facts.
The only way the head coach is in any jeopardy is if they go out and lay such an egg that it forces the hand. With Liam, Baler and the offense, that shouldn’t happen even if the defense plays to Kirk Cousins superstar standards.
January 11th, 2025 at 3:58 pm
The franchise record with Head Coaches! 13 ONLY 4 of them winners with 9 losers. BOWLes is one of those four! Statistically that means the Bucs have a 30% chance of finding a winning coach! Be careful before throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
If William Shakespeare was right all those years ago….”What’s past is prologue”
BOWLes will not be going anywhere even with a horrible, shameful, troll thrilling disaster tomorrow night!
He’s coming back get the eff over it!!!
He’s won 8-9-10 games in 3 successive years through a horrible SB rebuild!
It appears the cap squeeze is easing, lots of talent on board, if Jason drafts D as well this off season as he did offense the last, the Bucs are a legit SB team.
Then Todd might win 11 and 12 the following years but failing an SB appearance by then Todd will get Dungy’d outta here.
January 11th, 2025 at 4:01 pm
Here is the bottom line. Do you think in 2025 & beyond the Tampa Bay Bucs would have a better record with Coen as Head Coach than Todd Bowles? If the answer is yes, then you must get rid of Bowles.
If Liam Coem was not Offensive Coordinator for the BUcs in 2024 do you still think the Bucs would have made the Playoffs? If the answer is no, you must promote Coen and get rid of Bowles.
January 11th, 2025 at 4:01 pm
Well, Dungy was fired after a playoff loss. Gruden was fired after consecutive 9-7 seasons.
So there is that.
January 11th, 2025 at 4:08 pm
Gruden was 9-3 and controlled the division losing 4 straight to end the year and team was constantly regressing. He had to go!
January 11th, 2025 at 4:09 pm
Gonna be even more ridiculous when we make a playoff run.
Naturally, all the critics have never coached a pre wee team.
January 11th, 2025 at 4:11 pm
Bowles won’t be fired
Bucs are in playoffs
Bucs won Division
And Bowles is exactly what the Glazers want in the spot
BUT the TRUTH WILL HURT BOWLES DOESNT HAVE IT TO WIN A SUPERBOWL
January 11th, 2025 at 4:13 pm
@WanderingWallflower
WTF are you talking about? Number 2 seed just means a better regular season – not a loss. Did Joes article mention losing (in any round?).
So good of you to politely decline keeping Todd on as HC. Since you think we shouldn’t keep him I’m sure Jason and the Glazers will be sending him his pink slip any minute now.
Good gawd some of you people are delusional. Do you think ANYBODY besides the people commenting here are suffering thru your constant barrage of hateful drivel ? They aren’t. The coaches, the players, the owners, the waterboys, the cheerleaders …… NOBODY gives a rats azz what you people think the team should do, on any level, period.
And this trying to insinuate people with a more balanced perspective are somehow woke cupcakes or sissies holding hands around a campfire is cute (if you’re 15) but stupid. I’d bet everything I own you guys ain’t such hard azzes IRL
January 11th, 2025 at 4:16 pm
Haha I like that you said #2 seed. It’s because the roster next year could be good for 15-2 but with flat starts, poor clock management and teams throwing for 500 yards on occasion best we can hope for is 13-4 and the #2 seed!
It’s a pickle.
What’s more of a pickle, is if you wait until Lavonte, Evans and other vets are gone to replace Bowles then you lost a large part of that cultures leadership.
Arians and Tom changed the culture. They were “Dad” and didn’t put up with nonsense from the children. Todd has continued to look after the children well but he’s the “Mom” everyone loves. It’s all affirmations and cookies and then you say let’s wake up in the second half guys, mom looks disappointed.
January 11th, 2025 at 4:25 pm
Jason Anthony Sturgess Says:
January 11th, 2025 at 4:01 pm
Here is the bottom line. Do you think in 2025 & beyond the Tampa Bay Bucs would have a better record with Coen as Head Coach than Todd Bowles? If the answer is yes, then you must get rid of Bowles.
If Liam Coem was not Offensive Coordinator for the BUcs in 2024 do you still think the Bucs would have made the Playoffs? If the answer is no, you must promote Coen and get rid of Bowles.
– lol the answer is no – Coen won’t be better.
If you’re blaming time management decisions on Bowles, that’s fair. If you’re saying that the CB’s playing like crap is on Bowles, you are crazy. You don’t change a plan up mid season. Each week before a game is dedicated to preparing for that said team, not rewriting the book. There’s no time. You make do with the plan you and your managers set out in the offfseason. Injuries throw a major wrench in that machine if you depend on certain positions to direct, and with Bowles defense he does. Sucks but true, but the fact that he managed this team to the playoffs and a winning record speaks volumes of his coaching ability
January 11th, 2025 at 4:27 pm
I truly think it’s a tough spot. I think there is greener grass out there but we are sitting on a pretty good patch right now. Help us win tomorrow Coach!
What I find funny about the debate is that people think it will be borderline impossible to get someone better. Do we not trust JL and the rest of the front office? They would be collaborating with Todd on OC hires, 2 for 2 there, doing a pretty good job picking people/players in the draft the past couple years… you think they will hire someone that won’t fit the culture?
January 11th, 2025 at 4:32 pm
“Sucks but true, but the fact that he managed this team to the playoffs and a winning record speaks volumes of his coaching ability”
This is the dumbest take of all time. Bowles is the defense guy. His coaching has zero to do with any of the wins except possibly Detroit. His defense has lost multiple winnable games. I’d love to hear what exactly about his coaching ability has done to win games. His poor clock and game management has cost 2 games and his defense is terrible. You can blame injuries, but having a zone defense that covers grass instead of people is more scheme and coaching than talent.
As to Joe’s point, it is fantasy land to think Glazers will replace Bowles, but he SHOULD be replaced.
January 11th, 2025 at 4:37 pm
Joe, here’s hoping you get that call for the hot tub party!
January 11th, 2025 at 4:38 pm
Hey let’s hire the OC as head coach.
Dirk Koetter worked out pretty good
Oh wait
January 11th, 2025 at 4:43 pm
stpetebucsfan Says:
“It appears the cap squeeze is easing”
Unfortunately not yet….
$53M in dead cap hits thus far on the books for 2025.
($18.85M for Godwin, $17.4M for Shaq and $11.8M for Ryan Jensen represents the bulk of that total)
$53M is almost 20% of next year’s allowable spending budget…. pretty much the exact same as we dealt with this year – which is why the Bucs couldn’t afford any high end free agents.
just sayin….
Bowles has won 3 division titles in a row with serious salary cap restraints every year. And there’s still $100M+ in cap debt sitting out there to be paid over the next 3 seasons.
‘All in for Brady’ and then ‘staying competitive while rebuilding’ has been a very expensive tight rope walk that Jason Licht and his staff have handled masterfully…. evidenced by a Super Bowl win and 5 straight years of playoff appearances for the Buccaneers….. an accomplishment that no other NFC team has matched…..
January 11th, 2025 at 4:44 pm
Look, I have many issues with Todd Bowles as a HC (poor clock management / situational awareness, his defense seemingly being too complex, even when most starters are playing, the team coming out flat in big games, etc.) but the facts are:
1. We’ve won the division / made the playoffs every year under him
2. The regular season record has improved each season under him
3. It does seem like the locker room / players do enjoy playing for him, even if he seems incredibly unmotivating to us fans.
I see zero chance that Bowles would be fired after this season. Zero.
January 11th, 2025 at 4:44 pm
Bowles makes the players comfortable, great. By trying to tell us why he won’t get fired you told us why he could be. He’s an under 500 coach. You can’t dispute that
January 11th, 2025 at 4:45 pm
Bowles isn’t going anywhere this year(unless he retires). He’s the culture-setter, the team loves him, and he keeps bringing the team to the playoffs. Yes, his clock management is highly questionable and the defense has some maddening tendencies. He isn’t working with a full deck on that side of the ball this year, so it is what it is. We apparently have to blitz 50+% of the time to even have a chance at a pass rush and a decent defense. Licht has to do a better job drafting pass rushers, and Bowles and his coaches have to do a better job of making them productive.
I’m glad we have Coen and agree that we should do anything we can within reason to keep him(aka sure, give him a raise). But I’m not sure why people think that he is ready to be a HC here or anywhere else for that matter. He’s a one-year proven Coordinator(being an OC under McVay doesn’t count in my mind) that jumps around all over the place. There are too many other proven coaches out there for a team to jump on him. Would he leave a great O-line, awesome weapons, and a QB he has good chemistry with to go to the Jaguars? If he did then he’s just not a smart guy. He’s not going anywhere this year.
January 11th, 2025 at 4:47 pm
Dumb old guy- fair opinion but when I look out how he has kept other teams from scoring in the second half, I attribute that to coaching.
January 11th, 2025 at 4:49 pm
“Coach, your defense was sucking the whole game for much of the season. Recently your defense has only been sucking for the first halves of games, playing better in the second halves. Why does your defense suck so much in the first half but improve in the second half?”
Coach — “I don’t know why.”
Can’t make it up.
January 11th, 2025 at 4:53 pm
A second seed that’s a joke just like blaming talent for his crappy defense the last 5 years. If he wouldn’t bring in new secondary coaches, new outside linebackers coaches who could develop pass rushers I’m out on Bowles.
And I’m not down for trading for a Myles Garrett we don’t need to give up draft picks for secondary help
January 11th, 2025 at 4:53 pm
0.529 win percentage in the regular season with the Bucs
0.519 win percentage including the post season with the Bucs
Consider your statement disputed.
January 11th, 2025 at 4:55 pm
Unbelievable
I said under 500 coach. Is this his only stop? No. Consider your statement inaccurate
January 11th, 2025 at 4:57 pm
If the loss is bad enough on Sunday, I’d say anything is possible. Dungy changed the culture and won a division title and made the playoffs four out of five seasons but getting housed twice in a row by the Eagles sank him. If we go out tomorrow and look like we did against the Broncos, I’m sure some doubts will start to creep in.
January 11th, 2025 at 4:58 pm
So if we have the same defensive plan all game – first and second halves. And it’s effective the second half and not the first. Coaching changing anything up. What does that tell you?
Well it tells me it’s not the plan, it’s the players…
January 11th, 2025 at 4:58 pm
And if anyone is loving a coach winning 52 percent of his games they’re rooting with the wrong organ.
January 11th, 2025 at 5:06 pm
Someone mentioned Gruden being let go, It’s my opinion he was let go after a winning season because he not only missed the playoffs, the Super Bowl was played in Tampa for that season. An emotional response that started the lost decade. Maybe ownership learned to be a little more measured in their decisions.
January 11th, 2025 at 5:07 pm
I would be shocked if he wasn’t back. I have long put that out of the realm of possibility. There’s little doubt that the main thing Bowles has established is chemistry & culture. In fact that has been his strongest contribution.. Licht has done an awesome job bringing in those type of guys w/ a real love for the sport. Expect Bowles to release the hounds tomorrow.
Secure Coen 2025
January 11th, 2025 at 5:14 pm
HIs record with the Jets is meaningless.
January 11th, 2025 at 5:15 pm
Jethro Tull Says:
January 11th, 2025 at 4:49 pm
Why does your defense suck so much in the first half but improve in the second half?”
Coach — “I don’t know why.”
Can’t make it up.
——–
It’s truly bizarre and the sad part is he’s actually telling the truth/ 🙂
January 11th, 2025 at 5:18 pm
You can’t put a price on culture and stability in the NFL. Many of the Tampa Bay natives don’t know what its like to root for teams that are laughing stocks for season after season, because the Bucs have always had those things. Bowles is proven quality and good culture doesn’t drop proven quality. Don’t be like the Browns. Seriously, you want that? Appreciate that you have a team that does things the right way, that’s why you’re here every year and the Browns have another top draft pick in April. Pin this post.
January 11th, 2025 at 5:25 pm
unbelievable
His record with the Jets is meaningless.
That is true because he’ll never be a the hall of fame ballot.
But I get what everybody is talking about I wonder what the Glazers care about bill belichick personality or the championships rings. The locker room has nothing to do with Bowles and everything to do with Licht’s draft strategy because the locker room was tight before Bowles was head coach. Why wouldn’t they love playing for another coach too. If you can’t win the first round of the playoffs honestly it’s like winning the division is everyone’s superbowl. #4 offense with a first time coordinator with a veteran D coordinator who’s had one of the worst pass defenses 5 years running. That’s a serious division for the Glazers who said they want to see progression or improvement whatever it was in the offseason
January 11th, 2025 at 5:40 pm
Imagine if these Coen fanboys get their wish and Bowles is fired…..
The players would absolutely hate it and revolt…
Great way to build a culture fellas!
January 11th, 2025 at 5:43 pm
Right on Durango and Pewter Power. Now cue some more objections from the tender muffinries. Ignore facts, make excuses! My team is great no matter what! Yay!
So cute.
January 11th, 2025 at 5:53 pm
Coach — “I don’t know why.”
He knows, but it’s not at all useful to say it to a reporter
January 11th, 2025 at 5:57 pm
Jethro Tull
Fact Bowles defense is trash. The people who get triggered by the fire Bowles chants are calling someone fanboys that’s hilarious and enjoyable. I’d be fine with Bowles coming back but what I’m not ok with is him doing the exact same thing year after year and it’s clearly not working. He isn’t responsible for developing pass rushers so upgrade the coaches or your system but senior citizens are stuck in their ways so it’s probably too late for that. Big smile boys I know the thought of him starting makes you moist but you’ll fall to pieces if he stays. Either way I’m Buc for life. Fire Bowles!!!
January 11th, 2025 at 6:02 pm
On a side note…anyone see the 2 arms(EXACT SAME) 1st down sign by a wide receiver for Houston…THAT DIDN’T GET AN UNSPORTSMANLIKE FLAG🤬
January 11th, 2025 at 6:08 pm
i’ve always felt dungy should of never been fired and replaced by gruden…
the knock on dungy was that he couldn’t push the team over the hill and into the super bowl in spite of him turning the bucs into annual playoff contenders, which never was in the dna of our team.
gruden did his one year, ego got in the way for the rest…
players simply hated him and he drafted terribly with his buddy buddy gm too!
in hindsight, i’ve always felt we should of won 2 super bowls with that stud defensive squad of the early aughts!
would dungy of been that guy?
i dunno…
but i do know jon never commanded the respect of his players like dungy did.
January 11th, 2025 at 6:17 pm
Agreed, The Bucs could get blown out and nothing is going to happen to Bowles. He is a lock.
Beside the excellent points Joe makes about the major handicaps Bowles has faced this season with injuries, the salary cap has also limited any major moves the team could have made. For the second season in a row, the Bucs have outperformed the projections of the Gurus (and Vegas by miles).
Throw in what seems to me to be a D.E.I. mindset at One Bucs Place and short of a heart attack to Bowles, he ain’t goin’ nowhere!
As much as his soft zone defense for most of the game drives me insane, by the end of the year, his defense seems to start clicking – even if it’s 1-2 year players manning the ship.
January 11th, 2025 at 6:19 pm
let’s get one simple thing straight……
we want coen to be our OC…
we don’t necessarily want him to be the HC…..yet……..
once again we want our wonderfully talented OC to remain as our OC….
pay the man ahead of time if necessary…even buy him some swampland if he feels he needs some of that too…
#KeepYourGuys
January 11th, 2025 at 6:26 pm
My what revisionist memories we have!!!
Todd Bowles has moved past Chucky even with a loss tomorrow into the 3rd most winning coach by% in Tampa Bay Buc history. Chucky was not let go simply for his team losing after all but clinching a playoff, they lost because the players had clearly quit on Chucky.
I enjoy Chucky as an entertaining guy but he is clearly BS artist and his players saw through that. They liked him as long as he was winning but they saw through his flim flam show. BOWLes is boring and methodical, virtually the anti Chucky. But BOWLes has more class in his pinkie finger that Gruden ever dreamt of. BTW after the SB win do people remember Gruden’s record. A horrid 7-9 backed by 5-11!! He did rebound then for an 11-5 but then sank to 4-12!!
He concluded with the two 9-7 years. Chucky was a very good coach but not truly great. He just doesn’t have the “character” for greatness.
Gruden is at .509 overall Todd at .529 with a loss tomorrow he drops to .519 win and he’s at .538. Dungy in 2nd at .563 and BA tops at .633!!!
And PUHLEEZE stop with the culture crap. Brady doesn’t care squat about “culture”. He cares about WINNING!!! Can you say Aaron Hernandez? Antonio Brown? BA not much better, at least he finally sent AB packing. That SB team also featured Fournette who was good with the Bucs but hardly known for “culture” and LeSean McCoy was hardly a “team” guy!!!
The culture changed when BOWLes took over.
As for all the Coen love I get it. He’s been the very best of Todd’s OC’s but Todd won a title with Leftwich and a checked out Brady! He got Canales and IMPROVED…then Coen and improved again. The ONLY consistent thing about the 3 years has been Licht and Todd.
@Pickgrin Thanks for dashing my hopes with that cold splash of Cap reality!LOL I did not know. Will it at least be gone after this season?
January 11th, 2025 at 6:30 pm
Culture Change – More revisionist history! The GOAT gets credit for culture but what he brought was simply a burning desire to win! Brady could care less about culture. Can you say Aaron Hernandez…Antonio Brown..I would say two culture killers but that’s crude given one of them was literally murderer!
BA didn’t take as much as Brady but he was a little like Rah’s famous quote..was it Rah?..one of the Bucs losing coaches anyway said “I’ll tolerate you until I can replace you.”.
January 11th, 2025 at 6:42 pm
Firing to get the hot coordinator to HC worked so well when they did it for Morris and then for Dirk Koetter.
Keep Bowles until he actually fails 2 seasons to have the guys play hard and make playoffs.
January 11th, 2025 at 6:44 pm
CJ Stroud not having the same success as last year but how about that all-time record for most passing yards in a game by a rookie quarterback against Bowles capped off by a game winning TD. Brings back memories of the typical Bowles defenses doesn’t it😁
January 11th, 2025 at 7:21 pm
I’m not sure why so many think Bowles can’t win a SB, the offense has been cooking, or should I say Baking this year, the defense has slowly been improving with young players, and now we’re starting to get players healthy. It’s not as if we were getting blown out in those games in the middle of the season when we were banging up. This is all still in what’s a rebuild/cap jail year, with the 3rd OC in 3 seasons.
Some of y’all sound ignorant and jaded by our recent success. Bowles has EARNED a 4th season.
January 11th, 2025 at 7:27 pm
I’m almost positive that you would’ve said there’s NO WAY that Dungy or Gruden would’ve been fired by the Bucs right before they were.
January 11th, 2025 at 7:35 pm
The only way Bowles gets fired is if tomorrow is a major embarrassment. I don’t see that happening. 45-7 loss.
January 11th, 2025 at 8:21 pm
I noticed it, TBfan. Different officials is my guess.
January 11th, 2025 at 8:36 pm
I think it may be possible for JTS to get a 3 sack day, if he is assigned the spy position, then maybe. On the other hand, Joe at a cheerleader post game hot tub party–lotsa alcohol would have to be involved for that to happen. I think Bowles is safe especially if Coen can be enticed into staying.
January 11th, 2025 at 8:40 pm
The problem with Bowles is the fact he is unaccountable. Pewter Power mentioned the collapse by his D is Houston last year, his D still does the same thing, time after time again. Any given Sunday Baker and his crew score with 36 seconds left on the clock and Bowles soft D almost always gives up points before the clock hits zero. That infuriates us fans, also his lack of clock management is mind boggling. But hey, at least he has learned to go for it on 4th down every now and then and he did let Evans get his 1000 yards, 2 seasons ago, I bet he would have went turtle and had taken a knee. I personally do not know if he has the moxey to win it all, heck he grabbed his ankles vs the Rams in 2021 when the Bucs had an even better squad than 2020. I guess we fans are stuck with him and I really hope we do not lose Coen, he is the reason the Bucs are in the playoffs, not Bowles….
January 11th, 2025 at 9:01 pm
JOE,
BOWLES WILL NOT GET FIRED BY THE GLAZERS….EVER. He will retire in a few years on his terms. The NFC South is pathetic and the Bucs will continue to win 9 or 10 games and make the playoffs regularly. Short of Bowles committing murder, there is nothing to justify moving on from Bowles. He is a mediocre coach in a League made up of mostly mediocre head coaches with a few exceptions.
January 11th, 2025 at 9:08 pm
@ Joe in Michigan,
Dungy was fired because of his refusal to employ an offensive scheme that was as aggressive and effective as his defense. Gruden got shown the door after a meeting with the Glazers went sour after Gruden complained about their reluctance to let him continue to waste money on old players who had lost their A game. Bowles has at least shown the ability to hire competent Offensive Coordinators and let them coach and call plays with minimal input.
January 11th, 2025 at 9:38 pm
Bad move again by bucs fire bowels anything short of superbowl miracle