“I Think He’s Definitely Underrated”
March 13th, 2025
Evaluations of Todd Bowles vary quite a bit. Is he a good head coach?
Chris Godwin is on board and believes Bowles doesn’t always get the proper recognition.
“I think he’s definitely underrated in terms like his perception and I think there’s one thing that’s clear to me: guys love to play for him,” Godwin told SiriusXM NFL Radio this week. “And that’s not just here, I feel like that’s at any place he’s been at. So, you know, for me, that’s part of the decision to return [to the Bucs].”
Whoa! Did Godwin just say Bowles is a reason he returned to the Bucs and passed on bigger money in free agency?
Bowles is a good head coach and players do like playing for him, but that doesn’t mean Bowles has the chops needed to get a team to the Super Bowl. He’s got much to prove in big games.
March 13th, 2025 at 11:38 am
Did I read that we hired an official “Clock Manager” or did I just dream that? If not, that would do wonders for TB.
March 13th, 2025 at 11:39 am
Everybody said much of the same about Father D who drafted our great defense and went to the horseshoe to coach, but it was the scowling dude that we traded for that put us over the top to the Trophy!
Need titles, not best friends or camping buddies.
March 13th, 2025 at 11:44 am
BOWLES is the reason players come to tampa….
bowles needs to be more aggressive during the games…3 doesnt win you games anymore….its 7 or bust!!!!
if bowles improves on that, we’ll be SB CHAMPS once again….then bowles will be the greatest bucs coach…5 south crowns and a SB will be tough to beat!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 13th, 2025 at 11:50 am
Will CTB be able to keep his defense from going MIA for weeks on end this year. History suggests not.
March 13th, 2025 at 12:09 pm
No he’s mediocre.
March 13th, 2025 at 12:12 pm
When your HC runs the softest TC in the league and gives players days off after losses, yeah I can see why they like playing for him.
Substitute teacher energy
March 13th, 2025 at 12:13 pm
I think the $20 million per year salary is what kept CG here.
Plus he does not want to be the WR1. So there’s that.
TB record tells you what kind of HC he really is.
27 – 24 in the regular season with three NFC South participation trophies.
1-3 in the playoffs with zero trophies.
He win enough in the regular season in the worst division in football to make a playoff appearance. That’s better than not making it at all.
But when the real season starts and a title is on the line, he hasn’t shown us much.
NFC title game should be the goal at the least. If not, we need a new HC.
March 13th, 2025 at 12:17 pm
(A former Bowles hater as a “head coach” myself), I have to salute Bowles for the job he did with all of the injuries we suffered this year! It was UNFAIR for any true fan to call for his head after a season like last year. 11 win season and another playoff win and i believe he solidifies himself as one of the best in the league for his leadership coaching style..
March 13th, 2025 at 12:19 pm
Being a coach you enjoy playing for and being a good coach are two different things. You’d hope that Bowles is both. I’m still undecided about that.
March 13th, 2025 at 12:35 pm
I am sure he is a helluva nice guy but he is that type of guy that stands on his 16 when the dealer is showing a 7.
I can’t play at a table with someone like that.
March 13th, 2025 at 12:36 pm
WOW LOL….
didnt know bowles threw a couple pick vs DET in the playoffs last year….and i surely dont remember bowles fumbling vs WASH in the playoffs this year….
PATS run one of the hardest TCs and how’d that turn out for them….
HC records only tell half the story….the other half is a combination of players/talent, QB and most importantly health/injuries….
BA was 1-2 in the playoffs as HC before tommy came…and it was bowles defense that carried us to victory in the SB….
if players didnt think bowles could win the SB as HC, they’d chase the money
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 13th, 2025 at 12:38 pm
Point to ponder – He went 10-7 last season. Just two coin flips from going 12 – 5. Win one coin toss it’s 11 – 6. Love him or hate him, it’s a winning record.
March 13th, 2025 at 12:41 pm
“Bowles is a good head coach and players do like playing for him, but that doesn’t mean Bowles has the chops needed to get a team to the Super Bowl. He’s got much to prove in big games.”
Gonna be my biggest worry entering the season/playoffs.
Comments are on it.
Need 7, need Bowles trusting the offense, trusting Baker and Bucky, Mike and Chris to execute on 4th down and keep the ball in our best players hands. If they fail, they will learn and the D will get their shot at a stop or making a play anyway. Don’t handcuff our best unit Todd and Bucs could be a nightmare for opposing teams.
March 13th, 2025 at 12:43 pm
no…proof…his lifetime record
mediocre at best…players like him…who cares?
March 13th, 2025 at 12:44 pm
TONY DUNGY & TODD BOWLES
Tony built an amazing team. He did pretty well in the playoffs. The team hit it’s SB window and TD couldn’t close. He was out and you know the rest. I imagine Bowles is in the same boat this year.
JON GRUDEN & MIKE TOMLIN
Mike Tomlin is catching heat again! Zero losing seasons, more wins than Cowher, 12/18 seasons in the playoffs, and a Super Bowl. He’s never had an offense or a QB.
March 13th, 2025 at 12:45 pm
fans dont think bowles is a “good” coach?…..WTF!!!!!!
who else would you rather have?…gruden?…lol…
is bowles an elite coach like andy reid?…no…and even with a generational QB IN PAT & TE KELCE & defensive genius in Spags, andy still couldnt beat turnovers and a more talented roster….
BOWLES is one of the better coaches in the league…he’s a “very good” coach
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 13th, 2025 at 12:51 pm
I know this is gonna make Bowles haters, real mad another player, saying that they only came back for Todd so in other words, he’s keeping players around players that we like on our team ehh just a thought
March 13th, 2025 at 12:59 pm
the heat isnt on bowles this year….its all on baker…..
last 2 playoffs games, both Ls, baker had 2ints and 1 fumble…
and folks want to blame bowles and put the game in bakers hands….man please!!!!…Bakers TOs in big games have doomed us…
when bowles/canalas or bowles/coen put the ball in bakers hands in big games, in the 4th quarter, baker wets the bed…..
baker is handcuffing the offense with his TOs….
Joe, no article on baker leading the NFL in INTs and fumbles?….what gives lol
GO BUCS
March 13th, 2025 at 1:02 pm
Jets haven’t had a winning season since Todd left maybe he has to build his team the way he wants it to actually be his team for winning first year was still looking at Bruce second year we found a different offensive coordinator with a bunch of rookies including play callers last year looked better but injuries played us in a bad way we still had fight though at the end next year should be savage mode hopefully no injuries and we are guaranteed Super Bowl contenders
March 13th, 2025 at 1:05 pm
All these players are re-signing because they like Todd, eh?
We had to give LVD a $3M raise to come back
Godwin, a #2 WR coming off a major injury, is getting $22M
Evans was ready to bail until we gave him another raise
We made AWJ and Wirfs the highest paid players at their positions
Players aren’t exactly giving big home discounts to stick with ole Todd
March 13th, 2025 at 1:08 pm
A merely average head coach with a merely average defensive coordinator takes the 2024 Bucs to at least 12 regular season wins and at least one playoff win.
10 wins was the absolute worst the 2024 roster should have done.
Epic underachievement by the 50/50 coach in 2024.
March 13th, 2025 at 1:09 pm
Todd Bowles is what a lot of us older guys call, Old School. He believes in physical football. Which is why I was so surprised his Defense was so bad last year.
March 13th, 2025 at 1:12 pm
813BUCBOI, you’ve about written the article about how big a choker Baker is. You and you alone. It’s isolated you from any of those of us who know better. Why would Joe write an article about Baker being a choker? Joe is a smart football guy. Not some dumass who doesn’t seem to know his butt from a hole in the ground.
March 13th, 2025 at 1:14 pm
EL HEFE
BINGO!!!!
if bowles won a SB his first year, fans wouldve said it was bruces team lol…..and if he won back to back fans wouldve said, it was brady lol….
we’ve completely flipped our roster under bowles…all young players….and we just got out of a tough salary cap situation…
continue to improve our depth(which bowles has done) in case of injuries and LIMIT BAKERS TOs & we are def SB contenders!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 13th, 2025 at 1:17 pm
kenton smith
someone has to do it lol
maybe baker has dirty pics of joe lol
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 13th, 2025 at 1:22 pm
MIKE JOHNSON
was the defense so bad or were they injured? or were they on the field too much after bakers league leading INTs or league leading fumbles?
seems obvious to me lol
safeties out….LBs out…CBs out
baker was bad last year….not the defense
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 13th, 2025 at 1:22 pm
Not even mediocre…please look at the big picture…his HC performance is just too inconsistent. The 3 yr trend here of mid season losing streaks has to stop! Sure the players love playing for him, a players coach. The Glazers fired TD for a lot less than we’re getting from this guy….” you play to win the game” is definitely in play here. Our window is slowly closing and I don’t know why JL and Glazers have not pursued excellence in a HC!
March 13th, 2025 at 1:38 pm
813BUCBOI Says
“it was bowles defense that carried us to victory in the SB….”
Indeed – the Bucs Defense put on a clinic vs Mahomes in the SB.
It was also Bowles defense that GOT us to the Super Bowl…. Brady threw THREE INTs vs Green Bay in the NFC title game…
Those who don’t like him as Bucs HC STILL bring up the zero blitz call that ended our bid to ‘run it back’ in 2021 – but seem to forget the Bucs were only in a position TO run it back because Bowles defense became dominant when it mattered the most the previous year.
He said it himself – ” I’m not the worst coach and I’m not the best coach” – but Todd is working hard to be the best HC he can be. And the results so far of leading a ‘re-loading’, young, debt strapped team to winning records, division championships and home playoff games for 3 straight years is really quite an accomplishment.
When a franchise Icon like Chris Godwin says he left many Millions on the table and came back to the Bucs because he loves playing for coach Todd Bowles and wants to win a Super Bowl with this group and this Head Coach – that speaks a lot louder to truth than a bunch of whiny internet busybodies who seem to revel in disparaging the head coach of their alleged favorite football team.
March 13th, 2025 at 1:52 pm
I just have a few requests for the HC. First let’s try not to have another 4 game losing streak. Next let’s try and win maybe 1 nationally televised game instead of 0-5. And lastly let’s not lose another 4 or 5 games at home this season.
March 13th, 2025 at 1:59 pm
I like Todd as a head coach. I like Baker as a quarterback. I like the whole organization. There are plenty of teams that play musical chairs with their head coaches and quarterbacks. Every one of them are junk organizations. The Bucs have a great organization and are only a few depth prices away from Superbowl contention. Chris Godwin is in a better position to judge Todd’s coaching abilities than any of us.
March 13th, 2025 at 2:09 pm
Todd continues to hold down the fort while gradually adding much needed personnel, especially to the D.
Reminder, the Bucs were expected by most “experts” to win 5-6 games last year.
March 13th, 2025 at 2:19 pm
PICKGRIN
PERFECTLY SAID BROTHER!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 13th, 2025 at 2:30 pm
You Heard it right Joe yall throw hate at Bowles all the time. I’m glad Chris said it. Hopefully now yall will stop hatin on that man
March 13th, 2025 at 2:39 pm
It is definitely fighting an uphill battle in the fact that he has zero clock management skills like his clock management skills are like a -5. Both also struggles greatly against certain types of offenses year in and year out and the people that have his number definitely have his number he has not been able to adjust……. Some quarterbacks in the office they run fit more into the style he plays, but you have to be able to adjust to other offenses or you’ll never make it through the playoffs……… Don’t forget Kansas City had back up offensive lineman in the Super Bowl hence what happened to him this year? They did have a decent scheme and put Levante David in Man on Travis Kelce throughout a lot of the game and David probably played his best cover game ever……….. David by himself was a huge huge part of winning that Super Bowll. ………I mean the Bowles D and the Bucs can’t cover TE ‘s . The last knock on Bowles is he doesn’t have any fire and that’s OK but you have to have the teammates that do ,which he and Light don’t do a great job of sprinkling onto the team………..( Ariens , McCoy out Suh in ) This team also needs an NFL vitamin program and needs some fiery leaders………. To be clear, Light has done a good job and a lot of areas through the draft and with free agent resignings …….. sure hope they can sign Hilton to a decent deal as the guy is a very good Blitzer and we really don’t have as good of blitzers as people think we do. The Bucs just blitz allot !! Go Bucs !!
March 13th, 2025 at 2:41 pm
Richard Says:
March 13th, 2025 at 1:22 pm
Not even mediocre…please look at the big picture…his HC performance is just too inconsistent. The 3 yr trend here of mid season losing streaks has to stop!
LOL….
too inconsistent?…mid season losing streaks?….
baker was too inconsistent at protecting the ball last year lol….
4 GAMES baker protected the ball….THATS IT!!!!!
in 9 games last year baker had multiple turnovers….9 GAMES….
BAKER caused the mid season losing streak starting week 6!!!!!…
please go look at the # of TOs baker had from week 6-15 lol…..
bowles and his defense had to battle against injuries and bakers TOs
GO BUCS!!!!
March 13th, 2025 at 2:49 pm
We need soooo many holes to patch in this defense yet the coach is not doing a good job. Hmmmm
Can somebody do a good job with 80% of the needed tools?
Hmmm
10 wins without a key edge rusher. Not too shabby.
LFG!!!!
March 13th, 2025 at 2:57 pm
please name a game where bowles used “poor clock mangement” and im sure you’ll find in that same game baker had 2 or more TOs lol….
injuries are apart of the game lol….you want to discount our SB win bc KC oline was banged up but you dont want to discount our Ls when the defense was banged up lol….it goes both ways lol….KC had back ups playing in the SB…we had back ups playing most of the season on defense….whats your point?…
the same bowles d that you claim cant cover TEs is the same defense that covered the saints TE and caused him to fumble…same defense that shut down rodgers and his TEs…and the same defense that shut down kelce…
dan campbell has tons of fire lol….and he was 1 & done in the playoffs just like bowles lol….
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 13th, 2025 at 3:02 pm
10 WINS and another divisional crown with no key pass rusher, injuries and your QB leading the league in INTS & FUMBLES
THAT OUTSTANDING!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 13th, 2025 at 3:14 pm
“I think he’s definitely underrated in terms like his perception and I think there’s one thing that’s clear to me: guys love to play for him.”
That’s huge. Players make coaches. Player who like coaches make coaches better.
March 13th, 2025 at 3:21 pm
The criticisms regarding ‘too conservative’, non-ideal clock management at crucial times, getting ‘cute’ a little too often by dropping OLBs and even DTs into coverage and ‘soft over the middle’ scheme are not without merit….
They get over stated and blown out of proportion to a degree – but we’ve all seen numerous examples of those ‘problems’ over the last 3 years….
There’s no need to overstate the positives and deny the negatives that Todd brings to the table 813…
Todd is what he is – a “good” but not perfect head coach who is improving in his job year by year – and whose players – to a man – have his back and believe they can win a Super Bowl with this HC, this coaching staff and this group of players.
March 13th, 2025 at 3:48 pm
PICKGRIN
again, perfectly said & i completely agree….
he aint perfect lol….and im not saying he is..far from it
i certainly hate to see vita drop into coverage or hate to see bowles kick 3 instead of being aggressive….def has things he has to improve on….
but with that said, ive have seen it work….
but when folks says he’s not a good coach, he’s holding the team back, licht is the sole reason why we’re good, players want to be a buc for every reason except bowles, it just drives me nuts lol….
bowles is a good coach who has shown the ability to find and hire other good coaches along with finding and developing young talented players….
he’s our HC….support the guy lol….as long as players inside the locker feel/know they can win a SB with bowles, im good….
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 13th, 2025 at 3:58 pm
When he has premier talent he’s solid. When he has to adjust the scheme for the talent he has he’s trash. He’s no Coen. Coen adjusts scheme based on the talent he has. Coen will be brilliant in Jax. Huge mistake to let him walk. Glazers didn’t want to pay two coaches. Typical Glazer boy behavior.
March 13th, 2025 at 4:01 pm
Bowles is THE FIRST REASON the Bucs will not win a SB.
Good coordinator + great guy, but in over his head when having to manage an entire team and game.
Hot take: Baker (esp coming off a league-high # of INTs), is the 2nd reason holding us back. You want him on your fantasy team, but not playoff roster. He’s the reason we exited the playoffs the last 2 years.
March 13th, 2025 at 5:23 pm
Two things.
Yes, there will be one person designated as the “clock manager” this year. Details to follow.
Malcom Glazer was in charge when Tony Dungy was fired. A calculated decision which led to our first Super Bowl.
March 13th, 2025 at 5:40 pm
Pickgrin … ‘There’s no need to overstate the positives and deny the negatives that Todd brings to the table 813 … Todd is what he is – a “good” but not perfect head coach who is improving in his job year by year – and whose players – to a man – have his back and believe they can win a Super Bowl with this HC, this coaching staff and this group of players.’
Thanks you Pickgrin. It’s where we are TODAY that matters most. And where we are is getting ourselves into position to compete for another Super Bowl. We’ve built a young team, and developed the talent to the point where we can compete with the big boys. Yes it takes quality decisions from the bench (play-calling, time management, etc), but even more importantly it takes EXECUTION out on the field to consistently win at the NFL level.
BA went 7-9 in 2019 BEFORE getting Tom Brady, Gronk, Brown, Wirfs, Winfield & several others in 2020 to win the Super Bowl that year. It’s not just about coaching; it’s about having talented players perform at a high level on the field. It takes BOTH, but every year still has to ultimately stand on its own merit. Bucs’ record has consistently improved every year under Bowles, despite changing OCs & players. I personally expect the same this season. I just wish that some ‘fans’ would stop looking backwards & whining, and come into the ‘here & now’. We’re in the hunt.
March 13th, 2025 at 6:27 pm
1 team wins the bowl a season, a lot of the time it’s been the same teams there. Some of you act like it’s easy to get there. Some of the best teams and quarterbacks never make it and if they do, most of the time it’s once.
We could look 20 years after Bowles of gone and never see a team get to the Super Bowl, that’s just the way it goes. That’s not going to tell us if the coaches were good or not, there would be a lot of factors, but every season you’re going to blame the coach like always.
Why go in defeated when the odds are stacked against most teams? Everyone wants a win, can you enjoy the ride? You can criticize people, but why take it to a disgusting level? No one is firing him because you make fun of his name, they aren’t doing it because you think you know more than they do, they aren’t doing it because you think he’s bad, they aren’t doing anything based on what you say!
Bowles may not be the right guy, but it’s not saying much, we can choose the great majority of every coach who has coached this team, because neither were they! It takes more than a good/great coach, just ask Belichick. Not so great without Brady. If we don’t win with Bowles, they will move on soon enough, you don’t have to be stressed about it! The players and organization believe in him, that’s part of what makes a good coach. You can rejoice in the “streets” with all the petty jabs when he’s fired. For now he’s the coach of your Bucs, that’s not changing this season!
March 13th, 2025 at 6:52 pm
The defensive talent infusion that started with Reddick is going to take some heat off of Todd Bowles. There are a number of 2024 defenders that are going to be traded or let go. That group will have a hard time starting for other NFL teams this year. Expect 3 rookie defenders to crack the starting lineup. With SirVocea Dennis back, that will be 4-5 new faces on defense this year. That seems about right to get the defense out of the basement. If Bucs can get to 15th best D this year, that will be huge and Bowles will be called a defensive wizard.
March 13th, 2025 at 7:27 pm
Earlier it was mentioned that Father D’s picks built the defense?? Sorry but you have to give Sam Wyche and GM Rich McKay the credit for drafting the two HOF’ers in the first round of the 1995 draft in Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks. That is the only time in NFL history that 2 HOF’ers went to the same team in the 1st round. That may have been the best NFL draft ever and easily the best Bucs draft ever.
March 13th, 2025 at 8:02 pm
BA went 7-9 because his QB coughed it up to the opponent 30 times through the air and burped over 5 fumbles to the enemy, losing the last two games all by himself when the rest of the team especially the defense had found their groove. (Also the Gay kicker was a disaster but went on to rectify his problem.)
And why BA knew he had to move on from Jameis, and he named Brady early on when on the spot.
If BA were still the HC with Todd as full time DC, this tesm would’ve won 14 games in 2024 and maybe have gone real deep.
But instead………………..
March 13th, 2025 at 10:17 pm
It would really be something specially If Bowels was anywhere near the coach these few fans embellish him to be…
So sad that he is not and the Bucs will likely be suffering the consequences!
March 14th, 2025 at 12:20 am
All I can say is Prove it Bowles ,this Defense hasn’t had an identity in 3 years . Can’t get off the field on 3rd down to save our lives, season after season and yet still haven’t addressed the big LB hole we have in our D . Please Draft Jihad Campbell or get Carson Schwesinger or Jeff Basa in later rounds. Give DAVID some HELP PLEASE!!!!
March 14th, 2025 at 4:45 am
813bucboi. Put down the meth …Todd Bowles is a players coach…so was Dumby Smith. Raheem the Dream(Josh Freemans party buddy)Tony D. won nothing with 4 hall of fame defensive players in 10 years One 1 in 11with Peyton Manning. The NFL requires a winning mentality. Gruden year 1 Superbowl victory. Arians year 1 Super Bowl victory play to win dont play ” not to lose 1st then try to win” Bowles own words. Jets, Bucs below 500% Bucs should have repeated year 2 with Brady but blew it with Bowles having the always excuse of mis communication with less than 2 minutes to go and let Cooper Kupp open from 3 counties away. Division championships with below 500 record 1 game over 500. Please