Todd Bowles: Nobody Beats The “Grizz”
January 31st, 2025
“Crucial” element to hire, says Coach Bowles.
Nobody beat the Grizz! That was the word today from head coach Todd Bowles after Tampa Bay hired Josh Grizzard to be its new offensive cooridinator — their fourth in four seasons.
The Bucs emailed a quote from the head coach about his 34-year-old playcaller who has never called plays at a high level.
Josh Grizzard commanded his head coach’s respect.
“Josh is bright and innovative and was instrumental in our game planning and play design over the last year,” Bowles said.“After interviewing several outstanding candidates throughout this process, it ultimately became clear that our best option was here in our building. We had a lot of success offensively last season and during our conversations, Grizz provided some great ideas on how we can build on that. His familiarity with our offense, our players and the staff will ensure the continuity that is crucial for sustained success.”
Not mentioned is that franchise quarterback Baker Mayfield likes the guy and blessed the hire.
Bowles did well firing Bucco Bruce Arians’ offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich after the 2022 season and then hiring Dave Canales (now the Panthers head coach) to replace him. Last year’s replacement was Liam Coen, the new Jaguars head coach who had the Bucs averaging 29.5 points per game.
The bar is ridiculously high for Grizzard. If he can’t meet it, then Bowles’ defense will need to improve significantly for the Bucs to have a shot at playoff run.
January 31st, 2025 at 5:45 pm
He will be better than DUUUUUVVVVAALLLLL
January 31st, 2025 at 5:57 pm
he’s a heady guy
January 31st, 2025 at 6:00 pm
The offense can be better than last year with health and another receiver. Now they’re not changing the game plan too much and expanding on it.
29.5 again would be awesome but the reality is anything over 27 should be enough to win the division because I fully expect the defense to fill some holes and be better, not to mention a healthy AW Junior
January 31st, 2025 at 6:04 pm
He appears to be a well qualified OC in scripting 3rd down plays which perform over 50% and led the league.
With a good draft to improve the defense the Bucs are well aligned to get another Super Bowl win in season 2025
January 31st, 2025 at 6:12 pm
My only concern is he’s never called plays before. There will most likely be growing pains in the first several games as Grizz gets used to calling plays, similar to Canales, whose play calling improved as the season went on.
January 31st, 2025 at 6:13 pm
I’d love to see Grizz get hired as a HC next year.
Join the Bucs get a HC job.
Why not?
January 31st, 2025 at 6:15 pm
With our offensive line, franchise QB, tandem RB’s, and dual WR weapons (please, resign Godwin), any offensive coordinator should have a massive head start to success. Makes you wonder how much was Canales / Coen magic.
January 31st, 2025 at 6:15 pm
He’ll be great.
January 31st, 2025 at 6:20 pm
Sounds like a Jerry Seinfeld epidode, “Nobody beats the Whiz”.
January 31st, 2025 at 6:20 pm
Grizz is going to be great can’t wait to see the offense in action
January 31st, 2025 at 6:22 pm
Coach Bowles seems very happy. Sounds like Grizz had some real good ideas when they interviewed him. Good move.
January 31st, 2025 at 6:38 pm
Just know one thing we will be running the same offense as last year and that’s not a bad idea. The Patriots kept the same offense from when they won they’re first Superbowl with Brady and that’s why it didn’t matter who the offensive coordinator was they were still good on offence because they kept the same play book. Even Charlie Wise said on fox sports some years ago that he put that offense that Brady has been running for 20 years in New England. Him and Bellachick. And remember where Jason Licht come from if the offense ain’t broke then don’t fix it!!
January 31st, 2025 at 6:38 pm
I’m excited. This guy is an unknown outside of the Bucs clubhouse. Had no idea he was responsible for the 3’rd down passing game which we were pretty good at until Coen left. Hopefully he is innovative and can call plays. He will have a learning curve being a first time play caller but it’s not like he hasn’t been in the NFl for the last 7 years. LFG!
January 31st, 2025 at 6:45 pm
Just hoping we can keep him more than a year or two. Looking at
Detroit, they lost like 7 or 8 coaches this year because of their success
January 31st, 2025 at 8:34 pm
I get it Joe’s! “No one beats “The Whiz” Seinfield!
January 31st, 2025 at 8:35 pm
With his involvement as pass game coordinator in addition to 3rd downs he should be fully up to speed in the pass game dept. Carberry and Picucci can keep the O-Line humming.
Be very interested in what his run game approach is. Who were our run game specific coaches last year?
I think his ties to Miami are very interesting. Lots of pony personnel and and explosive pass play concepts that could marry up with what we already know and do. McDaniel from Miami is another Shanahan disciple.
January 31st, 2025 at 8:37 pm
Now make Larry Foote DC. Todd can focus on his in game strategies and clock management improvements.
January 31st, 2025 at 8:38 pm
I went back ten years and the NFL teams average scoring was between 21-23 points per game.
The Bucs clearly have the horses to top that mark!
Todd’s defense ranked 17th pretty much middle of the pack with 22.7
Sentient people realize that the Bucs didn’t have the horses last year to excel!
They had enough to play well, good enough, not excel. And indeed the kiddie Korps showed improvement over the second half.
If the Grizz can top that average 21-23 points and if JL gets Todd a couple of studs to play cover corner and ILB and the 3-4 more guys for depth perhaps the D can move from OK to good to VERY GOOD.
January 31st, 2025 at 8:47 pm
Defense needs to step big no matter what.
January 31st, 2025 at 9:22 pm
We may have to talk about the Todd Bowles coaching tree now. Scary thought lol.
January 31st, 2025 at 11:07 pm
rip biz markie
January 31st, 2025 at 11:18 pm
Has anyone gotten access to Bucco Bruce Arians, to ask (two years removed from Leftwich’s banishment) if it looks like Todd made a good decision to let him go? He keeps choosing guys that make Leftwich (with BRADY!!!) look like a supremely lesser option.
At this point, we all know that when Bowles said his ascension to HC was too late to configure his staff the way he wanted it that first year, he was talking about The Offensive Anchor, Byron, right?
January 31st, 2025 at 11:23 pm
Larry Foote sucks at his job now how could he be a DC
January 31st, 2025 at 11:57 pm
Glad.
Defensive coordinator next. Similar – young, aggressive. Easily mentored. Shouldn’t be hard to find an apprentice for the genius.
February 1st, 2025 at 12:33 pm
Bowles seems delighted at the choice for OC. But I sometime get feeling Bowles believes we already have the players in place for a good Pass Rush. He is wrong. I think Nelson, Joe-tryon an Shaq need to go. Nelly came be kept as a backup/ Shaqs best days are done.And Tryon well,..speaks for itself. GET THE DEFENSE RIGHT BOWLES!!
February 1st, 2025 at 4:47 pm
Just hope the run game doesn’t take a step back.
February 1st, 2025 at 8:03 pm
Todd Bowles… ‘Grizz provided some great ideas on how we can build on that. His familiarity with our offense, our players and the staff will ensure the continuity that is crucial for sustained success.”.
Todd nailed the reason we’ve been so successful offensively: it’s the continuity AND improvements that the Bucs have been able to build in players, coaches and yes, in scheme. As a team, the Bucs offense has become a LOT more physical, and that’s a critical factor IMO. Our starting offensive talent has improved considerably, but so has our backup talent (and that’s a huge compliment to our offensive coaching staff). We’ve changed the whole indentity of our offense from what it was under BA, and that’s no easy task in a scant 2 years with very little money. Now to fix our defense.
And oh StPete, told you several weeks ago about the pending heart procedure was preparing to undergo. Had the quad bypass this past Monday and it was extremely successful (if I remember correctly, you told me once that you’d undergone something similar). Anyways should be out. Of BrandonRegional Hospital in a couple of days and then it’s a month-plus of getting back to 100%, whatever that looks like at our age huh. God is good.
February 2nd, 2025 at 3:20 am
Defense Rules glad to hear this. Days are getting longer and spring is right around the corner! It’s nature’s time for new life and healing. I retired last year and had a bit of a health scare and subsequent surgery. Now I’m looking at 2 knee replacement surgeries as soon as I have the courage to do them. This week 2 of my dearest friends and my brother and I are meeting in Scottsdale for one of those 3 days golf vacations. We have always said that if we have to start hitting from the Senior Tees we will quit the game. Well we are going to be hitting from the Senior Tees this week. We’ll be just as competitive as when we were all 12 years old. We’re just not young anymore. We’re awful lucky to get to experience all the seasons of our lives. Giving up 60 yards off the tee seems like a small price to pay for all my blessings.
February 2nd, 2025 at 10:47 am
Kenton
Enjoy your golf vacation!!! I haven’t played in more than a decade. I never did better than a 15 handicap, even with 5-6 days of practice. I finally realized I was never going to be competitive.
Your comment about senior tees kind of engaged me. My wife sees a Doc down in Sun City Center, while she’s in the waiting room I walk up to a retirement community with it’s own “little” golf course. They have several sets of tees but for a serious golfer like you the back tees would work because they play like senior tees,
Sun City seniors all have golf carts to travel all around town and some of them use them to actually play golf. I’d rather walk but doubt they allow it.
Bottom line is that most of these old timers now suck as badly as me. I thought I could fit in there and simply play golf for fun. What a concept eh.
Playing at the Vinoy was really, really SERIOUS! I lack a serious game.
ENJOY THE TRIP!!!