Todd Bowles Was A Factor For Jacksonville
February 6th, 2025
Yeah, 2024 Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen slithered to Jacksonville to be their head coach, but Joe still will share a relevant nugget about El Serpiente, especially when it comes from a Hall of Famer.
Tony Boselli is now the senior football czar for the Jaguars after his legendary years on the field and many more in the Jaguars’ broadcast booth.
He chatted recently with talkSport, the England outlet that has ramped up its NFL coverage over the past two years, even interviewing Cade Otton and Zyon McCollum this season.
Of note to Joe was Boselli saying the Jaguars’ executive team wasn’t focused on football during Coen’s second interview.
Boselli explained that succeeding quickly in a major role with Todd Bowles inside a successful winning Bucs structure and culture, in addition to time around Sean McVay, was enough for Boselli and the Jaguars to know Coen is a stud coach that knows what everything around him should look like. They wanted to know if he had the chops to lead that kind of operation himself.
Boselli emphasized that the Bucs are winners and that’s what the Jaguars want to be.
It was an interesting nod to Bowles and Tampa Bay, one that isn’t heard vocalized often.
Joe’s not suggesting the Panthers and Jaguars will meet in the Super Bowl in two years. It’s just nice to see the Bucs get respect.
February 6th, 2025 at 9:32 am
Panthers are the best team in the South now. They’ll win 11 games next year. The Clueless Todd’s will be a 9 win team. Thankfully, 2025 is Todd’s last season.
February 6th, 2025 at 9:32 am
Duuuuuvvvallllllllll. Good luck Liam and most importantly go Bucs!
February 6th, 2025 at 9:35 am
I hope El Serpiente gets a whole bunch of Randy Gregory’s for his defense and Byron Leftwich as his OC
February 6th, 2025 at 9:36 am
Put your grannies phone back and clean the garage boy
February 6th, 2025 at 9:49 am
lol panthers an 11 win team.
February 6th, 2025 at 9:57 am
DoooooOOOOOoooooooval?
February 6th, 2025 at 10:02 am
I submit that Todd Bowles coaching tree benefactor Liam Coen will meet The Peter Principle.
February 6th, 2025 at 10:03 am
“It was an interesting nod to Bowles and Tampa Bay, one that isn’t heard (here)* vocalized often.”
*Fixed it for you.
Nah we have too many experts who must really believe Chucky sucks since Todd has now passed him for winningest Buc’s coach in their history. But what do numbers and results mean compared to “clueless” eh?
February 6th, 2025 at 10:05 am
Didn’t you say last year was Bowles last also?
If it weren’t for a God awful secondary people wouldn’t criticize Bowles that much.
The secondary will get fixed.
We will get a pass rush.
It’s players more than it is coaching.
Just my view.
It’s not like Bowles forgot how he stopped the possible GOAT.
Embarrassed him really.
And all this talk about dropping OLBs.
We might see the result more when it doesn’t work, but the idea is to get the QB to hold the ball longer to actually get a sack.
Im sure it worked some and we didn’t notice.
It does take more communication though and that’s why we constantly here that word.
February 6th, 2025 at 10:06 am
*hear
February 6th, 2025 at 10:33 am
“Panthers are the best team in the South now”
The Panthers D set the record for most points allowed in a season. The Bucs’ D needs to improve to win in the playoffs, the Panthers’ D needs to improve to just stay competitive.
February 6th, 2025 at 10:43 am
Todd – Interesting thought, but must disagree. He will likely hit the Kahn Principle, which is if no Super Bowl this year, it’s bye-bye. Nobody lasts in Jax.
February 6th, 2025 at 12:04 pm
StPete … ‘But what do numbers and results mean compared to “clueless” eh?’
I came to the conclusion in 2022 that no matter how the Bucs perform, there will always be those in Bucsville who do not like him as a head coach, and many times not even as a DC. Their rationalizations are expansive; but regardless, they flat don’t like him and probably never will.
I suspect that it has something to do with his losing record up in New York (like every other Jets’ HC?), and very likely has something to do with his calm demeanor (Todd, like Tony Dungy, just doesn’t fit their image of an NFL HC). Lots of rationalizations on their parts, but the end result is the same.
During my 2 careers, I was blessed to be in a number of senior positions. The conclusion I came to from all that is that as a leader you’re only as good as those who you ‘command’. IF you’re supported by strong, talented people, and IF you create a strong, caring environment for them to operate within, THEN good performance & results will follow. From all indications, Todd Bowles has done that. So has Jason Licht. So have the Glazers.
Over these past 3 years, Bucs have shown steady improvement. THAT definitely impresses me because of where we were sitting in early 2022 after BA stepped down. Talent level was way down IMO (we’d lost a BUNCH of talent), and we had minimal resources (salary CAP $$$ and draft picks) to replace them with. And yet we’ve shown steady improvement over those 3 years.
I predict that this is the year we move up from Tier 2 (teams 9-16) to Tier 1 (1-8). Our offense is strong, and we’re now in a position that we can upgrade our defense. Bucs SHOULD be able to win the NFC South once again (probably finishing 11-6 or thereabouts), and be a contender in the playoffs. Can’t wait to see how that plays out.
February 6th, 2025 at 12:08 pm
The tight knit locker room, the family environment, support, “next man up” mentality, stick together — All that is a credit to Todd Bowles. And not a lot of head coaches are as good at that.
But he’s not good, operationally, at doing two huge jobs at once. Few are. The woeful pass defense and sloppiness – Bucs beating Bucs on both sides of the ball — is something good coaching should correct. Right now he doesn’t have the time to devote to both.
Banging head against wall.
February 6th, 2025 at 1:45 pm
Defense Rules,
Thanks for using actual logic and sound reasoning in your assessment. I had to read it twice because I’m not used to that here in the comments section.
As for me, Bowles got a “no confidence” vote most of his first 2 seasons. That was mainly due to clock mismanagement and him not putting his foot up the ass of Dave “Run it up the Middle Again” Canales.
Last season started with the same assessment but I started answering “confident” in the Bowles poll because the team was still competitive even though his entire secondary was injured, he only had one pro linebacker, and his edge rushers didn’t earn their paychecks.
Hopefully I’ll be able to vote Confident as Hell! next season.
February 6th, 2025 at 2:11 pm
Bowles has already proven to me what he can do when the defense has talent.. hold Mahommes to 9 points and destroy other teams in the playoffs.. Bucs have a ring that proves that
Get him some talent Litch
February 6th, 2025 at 2:17 pm
Everyone forgets or denies that the Bucs defense started 2024 on fire!
In the first four games, until ILB SirVocea Dennis was lost for the season, the Bucs held four top ten scoring offenses to an average of 19.5 points per game with 2024 sacks leader Kancey out for all four games.
That ties the fifth best season scoring defense in 2024. If not for two touchdowns given up to Denver by ILB’s not named Lavonte David, that average would have been under 18 points per game; maybe as low as 16.
Except at ILB, the Bucs demonstrated that they already have the starters they need to be a top five scoring defense.
Washington (fifth, 28.8 ppg) – 20 points.
Detroit (first, 33.1 ppg) – 16 points.
Denver (tenth, 24 ppg) – 26 points (3rd & goal, Bo Nix froze SirVocea Dennis at the hash marks and beat him to the flag and scored), 4th & goal, Bo Nix outran Britt to the flag and scored).
Philadelphia (sixth, 28.4) – 16 points.
The Bucs had a top five scoring defense with Kancey out and with Izien starting when Winfield missed a game with ILB obviously being the weakest position. With injuries at ILB and safety and cornerback, it became clear that the Bucs clearly do not have the depth they need.
A better pass rush is always a good thing, but the Bucs proved that they can be top five with what they have; that with their DL strength, they can be that good with the OLB’s that they have. But, if Lavonte David retires, their weakness at ILB becomes crippling.
David has been a generational player on the Bucs defense. The Bucs greatest priority should be finding someone who can come close to performing like David for the next five years.
Round 1, ILB Jihaad Campbell
Round 2, best attacking DL or OLB
Rounds 3-5, fast, sticky coverage ILB, better depth at CB & S
February 6th, 2025 at 2:30 pm
Stpete, DR, toopanca fersure,LOL, spot on, thanks
February 6th, 2025 at 3:19 pm
Bowles is a real coach and he is still learning
He coached and created a gameplan to win that playoff game
The D was banged up and there were opportunities for the O to take control and do better — the O did not
For a cap hell season, this was a very solid season in summary even with those horrific OT and FG losses that are hateful to fans
I think Bowles will keep getting better and so will Baker
Coen’s not here anymore
February 6th, 2025 at 4:00 pm
Aqualung … ‘But he’s not good, operationally, at doing two huge jobs at once. Few are.’
When Todd was promoted to HC in 2022, I was really hoping that he’d turn the DC reins over to ‘someone else’ because it’s almost impossible IMO to serve 2 masters. BA understood that when he came here in 2019 and brought along Byron Leftwich to be his OC. And NOT in name-only; Byron apparently designed the game-plan and called the plays (with oversight from ‘BA’s Red Pen’ it seems).
I’ve asked on this site before if Todd called the defensive plays while he was Jets HC (never got an answer). Kacy Rodgers was his DC all 4 years, and I suspect that he called the plays. Their defense started off in 2015 like gangbusters (#9 defense), but slipped to #28 in 2016 then #22 in 2017 and #29 in 2018. Only saving grace was that the Jets’ offenses were even worse (now that’s something to aspire to).
Bowles first year here in Tampa as ‘just the DC’ wasn’t pretty (#29 ranked defense), but there were a couple of things beyond his control. Jameis was one (his 30 INTs cost the defense 49 total points … while they sat on the bench & watched Jameis throw Pick-6s). Plus it was a wholly new defense with a lot of new (and young) players. By mid-season or thereabouts though, Todd had that young defense purring, and set the basis for a #8 ranking in 2020 and some awesome playoff performances. They did even better in 2021 (#5 ranking).
His defenses these last 3 years have been characterized by LOTS of personnel changes (talent losses like Suh, JPP, Davis & White as well as exorbitant injury losses). And yet his defenses have never failed to rank in the Top-Half (#13 in 2022, #7 in 2023 and #16 in 2024). Not really that shabby considering that Bucs have been focusing on rebuilding our offense to the detriment of the defense. This year that’ll change. Still wish though that he’d hire a solid DC and focus on his HC responsibilities.
February 6th, 2025 at 5:02 pm
Jeff says, is that farest of fare weather fans. With losing a legendary QB and aging roster and no cap room. This team has stayed relavent not only has not missed a beat. Butt picked up the rhythm of the pace. Would a totally incompetent no good bad coach be able to equivalate that. Before arians with almost the same caliber of an offense we have Coach after coach fall and fadeed away
February 6th, 2025 at 5:29 pm
D.R.
Very well done sir! I suspect in one of those positions you were involved with guys LIVES literally on the line. Todd doesn’t have that much pressure but he is asking guys to put their bodies and multimillion dollar livlihoods on the line and they haven’t blinked the past two years.
One of the factors of the Garrett lust that is not being mentioned is character and culture? He MAY have great character, I do not know. But he is coming from one of the very worst cultures in the entire league. Does that kind of thing rub off?
Or would he be so relieved to escape that he’ll do whatever it takes to fit into the Bucs excellent culture?
I do not know but I trust Jason to handle that kind of stuff. It’s all just somethin’ to think about while we’re all “what iffing”.
February 6th, 2025 at 5:31 pm
Toopanca
As always enjoy your posts and if Campbell is as he appears he certainly fills a huge Bucs need, unlike another pass rushing DL. Again the Bucs were 7th in sacks!
February 6th, 2025 at 6:56 pm
Thanks stpete & ballwasher, and back at you.
February 6th, 2025 at 10:09 pm
I just know every play on our defense before the snap, its not about injuries, its the stupid scheme. Bowles cant win a youth league title. He is stubborn and not smart
⅘
February 6th, 2025 at 11:16 pm
Like Ive said all along Todd is a good/really good coach
February 6th, 2025 at 11:36 pm
@DR – I think his demeanor is a big reason, combined with the annoying / repetitive coach speak of “need to coach it better, better communication” etc., etc.
But with that said, there a couple of valid reasons to not love Bowles, and those are issues that have been present when he was a HC in New York as well as Tampa. And they’re issues he has not improved on at all:
1. Clock management
2. Critical situational football preparedness
And I’m afraid that at this point in his career those things just won’t ever improve, which probably limits how far the team can ever go in the post season.
And then of course there are the smaller but also important aspects of his defensive scheme- namely dropping d lineman and OLBs into coverage against WRs (works once in a while, but not multiple times per game), and playing far too much zone / soft coverage, especially when you have cornerbacks who excel in man coverage…
I would love if he had an actual DC, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards
February 7th, 2025 at 8:36 am
The two granddaddies of all fan complaints: clock management and should have gone for it.
Well, every coach, every single coach, is an idiot when it comes to the clock. “He should’ve called a timeout! He should’ve let more time run off the clock before running the play. He should have run to let the clock run. He should have passed to get the 1st down.”
Then we get to going for it. “He should have gone for it. It was so stupid to go for it! Another (insert team name) was successful on 4th down.”
Go to every town’s local media. It doesn’t matter who the coach is – Belichick, Reid, – they all screw it up.
And as soon as one perceived failure happens – the fasn? “Fire him! He’s clueless! He’s costing us the game!” It’s the get off my lawn crew.
This does happen on every NFL team every year. Dan Campbell – fans seem to love him. His decisions in the Bucs at Lions game in week 2 or in the Commanders at Lions playoff games were worse than anything Bowles did this year. Maybe those were the only two bad games for him. Don’t know. But those were 2 of the maybe 4 or 5 games that I saw Detroit play this season.