Lavonte David Reflects On Lost Super Bowl Chance
March 17th, 2025
Lots of Bucs players and officials agonized for a long time over the January playoff loss to Washington.
A missed sack by Calijah Kancey, other lost opportunities and a doink Commanders field goal to win by three points made for rough postgame times.
Earlier this year, Todd Bowles told Joe it would take a long time to get over the loss. No 24-hour rule on that game.
Joe asked Lavonte David today at One Buc Palace how he handled the defeat and David didn’t hesitate to respond. He saw it as a lost shot at a ring, which is extra painful for a guy like David who has seen many tough Bucs seasons.
“It was real hard,” David began.
“I felt like we had the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl this past season. You know, I feel like we had the guys. I feel like we were in the [right] place. I feel like we were motivated but things just didn’t go our way. A lot of things that we could have done better and I feel like once you learn from those things you get seasoned and you feel like you can take it the next step.”
David added that the experience will benefit so many young returning Bucs and leave the whole roster more hungry.
“I feel like we’re even more motivated now … I feel like we can get over that next step,” David said.
Joe likes David’s mentality on this and Joe assumes it’s matched by the other veterans across the team.
Hopefully, that helps prevent what’s become an annual midseason dip in the Bucs’ play.
March 17th, 2025 at 12:17 pm
I think consistency and having a majority of the team back together will cut down on the turnovers and mistakes that popped up occasionally and that this year is going to be the one in which they put it all together. Hopefully the injury bug is reasonable.
March 17th, 2025 at 12:25 pm
Injuries, playing with backups, last year lack of edge rusher and Bowles JUST wins the division. C’mon man!!!! lol
LFG!!!!
March 17th, 2025 at 12:37 pm
Here’s hoping that LD54 can stay healthy all year and gets to retire after his 14th season with a 2nd Super Bowl victory on his resume….
I’m pretty sure thats why David returned this year – because he believes THIS team has a legit shot at a Lombardi trophy…
March 17th, 2025 at 12:41 pm
Baker lost that game simple
March 17th, 2025 at 12:44 pm
Baker has blown the last 2 playoff games. Not a good look and probably why he signed such a small contract.
March 17th, 2025 at 12:46 pm
54 is a true Buc. He’s carried LB corps for years. Much respect for him.
Reflection on the last game, it’s hard to win when they didn’t punt. I still can’t believe that Washington didn’t punt.
March 17th, 2025 at 1:30 pm
baker choked…again…
imo, the key is to have bucky rush for at least 1700 yards and baker tossing no more than 12INTs
baker tosses another 16INTs we’re done..again!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
March 17th, 2025 at 1:35 pm
Hear! Hear! Pickgrin
I think you are right and I have said many times that I think we are close and want us to go all in for it, get this man another ring!
March 17th, 2025 at 1:49 pm
Whatever gentleman!! If it wasn’t for Baker we would of never sniffed the playoffs, wake up. Watch that play again, just saying….
March 17th, 2025 at 1:54 pm
Just upgrade that defense, rush the passer harder, cover receivers… and they should be one of the top 3 in the NFC. Luck is always a factor especially with injuries… but we have the guns especially if they draft some CB help and get the expected leveling up by Diaby and Braswell.
March 17th, 2025 at 2:16 pm
TO: Peter, Buccos, 813BUCBOI, and all the other Baker haters blaming him for the loss to Washington, who refuse to accept the facts for what they are. I am reposting what I said yesterday. If you think I misstated anything, please let me know. I’ll wait….
I have said this before and I will say it again, Baker was NOT the reason the Bucs lost in the first round of the playoffs. This was on Bowles. He was determined to win the game on the ground despite all the evidence that it was not working. In that game
Baker had the fewest pass attempts of the season. The team only threw the ball 41.9% of the time vs 54.2% in the regular season.
Now there are four legitimate reasons to take the ball out of a QBs hand.
1. He is not completing passes. Baker completed 83.3% of his passes in the game vs 71.4% regular season. For those who have trouble with numbers. that is MUCH BETTER.
2. The passes are yielding nothing, all dinks and dunks. Baker averaged 10.3 YPA in the game vs 7.9 YPA regular season. That is an over 30% BETTER number.
3. He is throwing picks. Baker had no picks in this game. Can’t have less than ZERO picks.
4. The run game is dominating the game. The Bucs averaged 4.0 YPC in this game vs 5.3 YPC regular season.
So Baker was more efficient with better results by over 30% in YPA and the run game as 25% LESS efficient in YPC, and Bowles takes the ball out of his hands. Anyone who thinks this was on Baker is ignoring the FACTS.
March 17th, 2025 at 2:20 pm
Glad to know he thinks that way.
If this team is SB bound, there should be no mid season slump.
Otherwise it’s Bowles philosophy plain and simple.
I personally think if Godwin was playing we would have rolled Washington.
Go get Nick Emmanwori or Jihaad Campbell and we will compete every game.
I don’t care who they get as long as it’s one of those 2.
Think about it, we want a starter with that pick and even a CB, is Bowles gonna start them over a healthy Dean?
WR nope, OLB nope, TE nope, maybe even LB if Dennis is healthy.
My point is Nick would start and Tykee would stay in the slot.
March 17th, 2025 at 2:26 pm
Mahomes would have carved our defense upin the Super Bowl, just like he did in the regular season and we would have had to see Taylor Swift going all gooey in Travis Kelsey’s arms.
March 17th, 2025 at 2:30 pm
Critmark, great stats, you made your point. The people who think Baker lost the game are the same ones who think Rump won the 2020 election. Delusional. Thanks for backing it up with concrete facts. Our defense lost that game pure and simple. The Washington punter didn’t even need to dress out for that game.
March 17th, 2025 at 2:44 pm
Plenty of blame to go around for yet another playoff bust.
Bowles has to be suspect number one. His defense is just plain awful.
Baker has some great games and I would never question his effort level.
But he also deserves some of the blame. He throws some bad passes in big moments. And never forget he has a losing record in the playoffs, just like Bowles.
It’s time to embrace the insanity. LFG!!!
March 17th, 2025 at 2:52 pm
Todd. Bowles.
Plays ball control defense. Wear out the other teams offense and keep your offense fresh. He’s a genius.
March 17th, 2025 at 2:56 pm
CRITMARK
you certainly forgot that baker lead the league in INTs AND FUMBLES LOL…
this is the 2nd year in a row that baker turned the ball over in the 4th quarter in a tight game in the playoffs….bakers TOs are not on bowles lol
the only thing you’re right about is baker not throwing a INT vs WASH…..BUT he had a costly fumble…he had a TO yet again in the 4th quarter
running the ball on WASH was an easy decision…..4.0 yards a pop vs a playoff team aint bad at all…every team would sign up for that….
the 1 thing that wouldve made baker “more efficient” as you claim wouldve been if he didnt turn the ball over!!!!!
stop being a baker fan boy idiot!!!!!
BAKER lead the league in INTs and FUMBLES and had another costly turnover in the 4th quarter of a playoff game yet again….
simple as that!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!!
March 17th, 2025 at 3:00 pm
anyone saying the defense lost the game vs WASH is a joke lol….
the only fact the matters is TOs!!!!!
BAKER coughed it up…
cant put that on the defense
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 17th, 2025 at 3:16 pm
OK Critmark, I will play.
First let me says that I don’t blame Baker like the other guys because it is a team sport.
That being said lets look at your avoidance of saying Baker is any part of the problem hypothesis presented.
1. Listen, I like Baker. Tough guy, gamer, plays with that chip on his shoulder — you love that in a QB. But football’s a team sport, man. It’s never just one guy. You can’t say Baker wasn’t the reason they lost when he touches the ball every single offensive snap. If the offense stalls, the QB’s gotta wear part of that, no matter how much he passed in other games. Besides the 18 passing attempts, he had 7 runs himself. One was for 18 yards. The other 6 were for a total of 5 yards. So in essence, instead of 15 for 18 if you take thos other 6 plays that was like being 15 of 24 for 184 yards.
Isn’t that really what we saw in the passing game. Not this sharp passing game but an ok passing game against Washington.
2. Bowles got 18 carries for 78 yards from his running backs. That is 4.3 yards per carry. Something you want from your team. Not something any head coach runs away from. If you’re averaging 4 a pop, most coaches will keep feeding it.
3. I agree. Baker had no picks. Beautiful. Others are talking about his part in a late fumble.
4. I get it. 4.3 yards per rushing attempt by running back is worse 5.1 yards per rushing attempt (I took out the 60 rush attempts for 378 rush yards that Baker had) that the running backs had during the regular season. But as I said earlier, lots of NFL coaches would accept 4.3 from the running backs.
All said, I agree with you that Baker was not a problem in the playoff game.
It appears a flaw in your hypothesis continues to be that you don’t account for how much more efficient Baker was scrambling in the regular season and how that affected the flow of the game. Watch the game again and do not forget those unsuccessful scrambles that turned out to be non positive plays — they really should account in your analysis as the ball was clearly in Bakers hands for those plays.
March 17th, 2025 at 3:18 pm
BucDawg Says: “Baker has some great games and I would never question his effort level.
But he also deserves some of the blame. He throws some bad passes in big moments. And never forget he has a losing record in the playoffs, just like Bowles.”
I accept that Baker is not the best QB in the league, but the Bucs could do a lot worse. But I am compelled to come to his defense again.
You criticize him for throwing “some bad passes in big moments”. He was 15 for 18, meaning he missed on only 3 passes! His 83.3% completion percentage was the best on ANY QB in a playoff game.
Hurts best game was 77.3%. Seven, that is half of the QBs didn’t break 70% with three of those did not breaking 60%. .
As for having a losing record, most QBs do. Among active QBs with at least one playoff game, 7 have winning records, 5 have a .500 record, 7 have won at least one game but a losing record and 12 have played in the playoffs with zero wins.
If Bowles had not taken the ball out of his hands the Bucs could have and should have won that game. Even if they lost the next week, his record would still be .500. Again, not saying he is the best QB in the league, but both his regular season and playoff stats were very good.
March 17th, 2025 at 3:25 pm
and just to be clear, i dont hate baker either lol….
im just stating facts….
he lead the league in INTs and Fumbles, and he a costly TO in the 4th quarter of a playoff game….
simple as that
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 17th, 2025 at 3:26 pm
Love that that still burns inside LVD. We didn’t have the D to go much deeper in the playoffs last season and certainly not to win a SB.
March 17th, 2025 at 3:28 pm
The idea that last years team was a Super Bowl contender is laughable.
March 17th, 2025 at 3:33 pm
His 83.3% completion percentage was the best on ANY QB in a playoff game.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!
and all that got thrown out the window when he fumbled!!!!!!!!!
you sound like the idiots that wanted JW back just because he threw for 5k…completly ignoring the fact that he threw 30ints lol….
again bowles didnt take the ball out of bakers hands….we were running the ball at 4 yards a pop….why shy away from the run?
GO BUCS!!!!!!
March 17th, 2025 at 3:47 pm
BAKER ISN’T THE ANSWER.
TRASK ERA STARTS SOON.
March 17th, 2025 at 3:50 pm
Ahhh Lavonte obviously hasn’t gone back and reviewed the game film of he and the defense as of yet. There was no way you are winning a Superbowl when you can’t get off the field, you don’t have an edge rusher that can win on any given down, and you had a defense that didn’t get turnovers.. That’s like having an offense that goes up and down the field and doesn’t score touchdowns. Who cares?? So what?? On top of that your QB lead the league in turnovers which is putting a struggling defense on the field more than they should. Want to level up? David in particular needs to work on his drops. Too many times last year I saw him make bad decisions at the top of the stem on which receiver to take in zone coverage. Most will blame it on his age but David is still moving at an elite level. The defense as a whole needs to get drastically better at zone defense if that’s what the identity is going to be. And if you’re going to play zone defense you better have some dawgz up front that will get to the QB as soon as he hits his back foot. Lastly create some turnovers!! How do you have like 700 balls thrown at you and you come down with what 8??? That goes to the dog in your players. Killer instinct.. Where is it???
March 17th, 2025 at 3:57 pm
@ 813BUCBOI
Yes Baker threw a bunch of picks in the REGULAR SEASON, but your fumbles mention isn’t entirely accurate. Yes he led the league in fumbles, but it is not like those were all turnovers. In fact, only two were fumbles lost and 14 QBs had more fumbles lost. Let’s at least be fair.
You have said twice that it is fair to lean on the run when you are averaging 4 YPC. Then why did Bowles pass more than run during the regular season when they average over 5 YPC? If 4 YPC is enough justification to pound the rock, why not run the ball 75% of the time in the regular season?
My point is, the Bucs got there with a certain style of play. Bowles decided to switch it up and keep it up despite the fact that the run was less effective than in the regular season and the pass was more effective than the regular season. Is that not a fact?
And on the fumble. I am not qualified to say this was or was not entirely on Baker. There was someone else involved in that play. I know you believe any mishap is his fault.
Finally, why do you ‘LOL’ on the fact that his completion % was the best of any QB this past post season? That is a FACT. You sound like the idiots that live by the philosophy “My minds made up, don’t confuse me with facts”!
March 17th, 2025 at 3:57 pm
The Superbowl was 5 years ago. I’m tired of hearing it. You haven’t done anything in 5 years. Being in the playoffs every year is NOT GOOD ENOUGH!! Find the answer or the answer will find you. And it usually appears in the form of another coach or player to replace you..This defense has cost this team a Superbowl in 21 and who knows how far we could have made it last year. Get it together David. Honeymoon is over
March 17th, 2025 at 4:22 pm
@ geno711
Thanks for your thoughtful and respectful reply.
1. You are correct, I should not have said Bowles was solely responsible for the loss. The entire team played the game, Baker included. But the play calling switch was confounding. I agree partially on your scramble analysis. But it does beg the question, does that mean that no offensive line bears any responsibility when the QB has to scramble? Yes, it’s a team game so a lot to unpack. Your final point in this section I must disagree with. You said it was just an OK passing game. Best completion % in a play off game, 30% increase in YPA over the regular season, best qb rating in the playoffs all sound like excellent results, regardless of how anyone thinks it looked.
2. I understand the 4.3 YPC is good, but don’t you have to look at the whole picture. That was still down from the regular season and the pass game was up in completion % and way up in YPA. Does the 4.3 YPC override everything else? If the run game was dominating and the score reflected that, run the ball 90% of the time. But that was not the case here.
3. I understand the fumble was costly. But that was one play. And just to play evil’s advocate for a minute, if we were passing at the same % as the regular season, that run may never have happened. NOT an excuse, just playing along.
4. As covered above, but would lots of NFL coaches continue with that plan when the run game was underperforming while the other half of their offense was overperforming? I think most coaches would see the results unfolding in front of them, see that they are not dominating the game with the current strategy, an adjust.
I will do as you suggest and look at the scrambles. But as I suggested above, a QB doesn’t scramble on a pass play unless forced to do that. That is not on the QB.
March 17th, 2025 at 4:38 pm
I was wrong on Baker from when we first got him — He has been a wonderful addition. (But I was on the boards here loving Tom Brady from Day 1!)
Just to take a step deeper though –
Baker dropped back a total of 25 times.
He earned 185 yards passing. He earned 23 yards rushing.
He had 18 pass attempts and 7 rush attempts.
I agree some of it might have been the OL is why he ended up scrambling 7 times. But watching the game, I never got the sense that Baker was playing elite ball. Maybe some of those scrambles were him missing the secondary guy — Brady would have thrown those balls away and probably would have been maybe 18 of 25 for the 185 yards.. So I’ll give Baker credit for one 13 yard scramble, that Brady would not have gotten.
To me that is a solid game from a guy that might be getting pressure. About 8 yards a drop back with no INTs. But also nothing special.
Josh Allen was the highest that weekend at 9.2 per last touching the ball.
Lots of guys below Baker that weekend. 4 guys above Baker in my stat.
But I will pick on poor Russell Wilson. He was at 8.6 per play when he last passed or ran the ball. He had no Ints either.
Was Russell Wilson special that game? No! To me and my eyeballs neither Wilson nor Baker were special in their one playoff game last year – they were adequate and someone else probably needed to win those playoff games. Maybe Bucky Irving — maybe if we had actually given him 4 or 5 more touches, he would have broken a long one.
I have just one more thing to say. Trask is not the future!
March 17th, 2025 at 5:27 pm
With all due respect to LVD, Bucs defense was horrible all season long. Don’t want to remind David how pathetic the D was against Kirk Cousins and the Falcons. The stats don’t lie. That’s why LVD is going to have a lot of new defensive teammates this year. To win SB’s a defense had to be at least mediocre. Bucs D all season was pathetic. Eagles put constant 1st half pressure on Mahomes and we know what happened. Mahomes resume’ didn’t do him much good against big time defensive pressure.
March 17th, 2025 at 6:12 pm
genoo711 – I guess some of this can be chalked up to the QB getting too much credit when they win and too much blame when they lose. I think our points of view diverge when you look at when he passed and when he ran. Given the time to do what he was being asked to do, his performance was excellent. Adding in what happens when the pocket breaks down, it was less than stellar. I think we agree here????
This is where I believe ‘blaming’ Baker is incorrect. As I said, no QB scrambles on a called pass play (well ok, not many) unless someone(s) on the team didn’t do their job as well as they should. As has been said, it is a team game.
In case you couldn’t tell, I am a bit of a stats nerd. So let me share one more, 3rd down efficiency. The Bucs converted on 55.6% of their 3rd downs, second best in the playoffs after the Ravens. The Commanders were 7th at just 43.2% in the playoffs. However, against the Bucs, their 3rd down efficiency was way up to 53.3% vs just 25% against Detroit and 41.2% against Philly. That would seem to indicate the D was not holding up their end of the bargain.
Assuming we are all Bucs fans here, we can agree that we want more post season than we got. Given time to throw and not have to scramble, I would be very happy with Baker’s completion % and YPA with no picks. Let the run game get back to 5+ YPC in the playoffs. Let the D get off the field better. Yes, that is a lot to ask but we are fans after all! I am optimistic about 2025.
Go BUCS!
March 17th, 2025 at 6:19 pm
Joe’s last point about avoiding the traditional mid-season slump should be Bowles’s top priority. Fix that, and secure an extra 2-3 wins gets us to 12-5 or 13-4, another South title, and momentum heading into the playoffs. Avoid the swoon in 2025 should be our rallying cry!
March 17th, 2025 at 7:53 pm
To Trask to the Dumpster: The only way he will play for the Bucs is if Baker is in the hospital! Better hope for a trade or (more likely)release and signed by the Jets.
March 17th, 2025 at 10:26 pm
SHOULDA WENT OUT AND TRADED DRAFT PICKS FOR MYLES GARRETT.
ITS A BUCS LIFE
March 17th, 2025 at 10:40 pm
Since ‘76,
The midseason slumps have been a result of the ongoing post Super Bowl roster. rebuild.
The Bucs have had enough A and B level starters to be a top tier team for the first few games.
But, the Bucs have only had a few B level backup players. Once the number of injured players exceeded the number of B level backups, the C level players went in and play declined precipitously. In the NFL, when a team has a weak spot, the other teams will attack it and exploit it, often with devastating results.
It is not a linear process as some C players improve with playing time and other teams sometimes other teams have their weaknesses.
The Bucs free agent priority this year has been to keep their A and B players, and to replace their proven C players with potential A and B players. That process should continue in the draft and in post draft free agency.
No team is going to ever have a roster of only A players. But, having no C players on your active roster, while very difficult, is possible.
March 17th, 2025 at 11:10 pm
It’s part of being a pro QB. Everyone polishes your knob if you win, every groin kicks you with a steel toed boot if you lose. Thems the breaks.
March 17th, 2025 at 11:12 pm
So, was it Bowles ran the Bucs offense that was third in yards inthe NFL last year and fourth in points. Then, he called too many runs in the playoff game?
Or, was it Coen who did both of those things? (Hint: I don’t think that it was Bowles.)
And, is that even what happened in the Washington game?
The first drive ended after Bucky ran for three yards on first down, Baker threw incomplete passes to McMillan on second and third down, and he Bucs kicked a field goal on fourth and seven from the 32.
The second drive began with Baker scrambling for a 1 yard loss on first down. On second down, Baker threw incomplete to Evans, but it was a no play because Tampa was penalized 15 yards for a chop block by Bucky in pass protection. The repeat of second down was a two yard pass to Bucky with a holding penalty on Wirth declined. Third down was a 13 yard pass to White leaving fourth and 7 again with a punt from the Washington 49 to the 8.
The third drive was touchdown drive with no run plays other than an 18 yard scramble by Baker on third and nine.
The fourth drive was another touchdown drive: 1 yard pass plus 15 yard face mask penalty, 5 yard run, 6 yard pass, 18 yard pass, 19 yard run, 10 yard run, 6 yard run, yard run, incomplete pass to McMillan with defensive holding penalty for first down, yard sack, 4 yard touchdown pass. So, one negative pass play (sack) and one negative run play on a touchdown drive – is that calling too many run plays?
The fifth drive from the TB 4 after a turnover on downs by Washington: Irving 4 yard run, Irving pass, Evans 8 yard pass th the TB 15, Mayfield fumble recovered by Washington at the TB 12. What a kick in the teeth for a defense that just got a turnover on downs in the red zone, but not too many run plays.
The sixth drive ended after Bucky ran for 9 yards on first down to the Washington 12. Mayfield scrambled for no gain on second down, Bucky ran for on third down, and Tampa kicked a game tying field goal on fourth and three from the Tampa 14 with 4:41 left to play.
Washington went on to kick a game winning field goal as time expired.
Now, I don’t see anywhere in the game that Bowles (Coen) ran the ball too much. To the contrary, late in the fourth quarter, with second and 1 at the Washington 12, the mistake was to call a pass play when you have three downs to run time off of the clock as you gain a new set of downs. The Bucs should have brought in Skule and Vea and Kief and the RB3 and run the ball on second down, third down and fourth down if necessary. And, after getting the first down around the 10, they should have kept on grinding the clock with the ball on the ground with the heavies on the field for at least first and second down of the new set of downs.
In any event, the idea that Bowles gave the game away by running the ball too much just doesn’t square with the play calling or the results on th field.
I certainly am critical of the pass attempt on second and one from the Tampa 12. But, I don’t see any way that Bowles suddenly started micromanaging Coen’s play calling by jumping in and demanding that they pass the ball on that down
March 18th, 2025 at 11:34 am
toopanca, great reasoning and analysis. My feeling is we only had the ball for 44 snaps. Our identity has to be as aerial attack monster. Because we are! Our run game approached elite last year and Coen got himself confused. Our passing game sets up our strong running attack, not vice versa. Baker and Griz are gonna know that and this year we will throw the ball 15 of the first 20 snaps. At least we better know that. We’ve got hof caliber ends, 3 deep tight ends and 3 rbs who catch everything in the zip code? And 2 or 3 more ends with speed and ability? And a QB who’ll hit them in the face with it? We forgot our identity that Redskins game. Almost beat them anyway. But if we’d thrown it 75 percent of those snaps we’d of routed them. We’ve got a good running game. I’d love to see us rush for 200 yards a game. Most of those yards better come in the 4th quarter or we’ll be real average real quick.
March 18th, 2025 at 2:19 pm
Bowles defense lost our chance to the Rams & lost our chance to Washington
March 18th, 2025 at 2:20 pm
Bowles defense lost our chance to the Rams & lost our chance to Washington