The Mystery Of Da’Quan Bowers
November 8th, 2013
Unless the Bucs pull off a wild miracle that will stun the NFL world, which, frankly, Joe cannot fathom, the Bucs will post a losing record. They could challenge for the worst record in NFL history, much less worst record for 2013.
There are all sorts of mysteries as to what went wrong, but one big puzzles has been the virtual disappearance of defensive end Da’Quan Bowers.
If you listened to the Bucs, they let last year’s sack leader and run-stuffer Michael Bennett walk away for a very cheap price, in part, because they felt Bowers was ready to stip in for Bennett, if not pick up where he left off.
Instead, Bowers cannot crack the starting lineup. He’s a situational player and even then, it’s as if he’s not on the field. Bucs defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan talked about where Bowers stands with the Bucs defensive plans yesterday.
“We always talk about trying to get him in more,” Sheridan said. “I know he plays a lot of third down for us and unless you get some long drives, unless you’re pre-scripted when guys are going to play certain series, unless you’re having a six, eight, or 10 play drive – and hopefully you don’t have a lot of those – you’re not really thinking about subbing within the drives. Sometimes unless you script, ‘Hey we’re going to play this guy every third series or fourth series,’ you may think about doing it but you get to halftime and the guy hasn’t played other than maybe his sub third down pass rush. We wouldn’t make any decisions – and I’m not putting words in your mouth – with kind of the mentality ‘What the heck, we’ve got nothing to lose, let’s just put him out there.’
“We treat every game as the most important game of the year and it is, and this one coming up is for us. We talk all the time about getting him in more because he is a talented guy and he’s actually improved for us.”
Frankly, this is simply empty rhetoric to Joe. So the Bucs’ coaches want “to get him in more?” Then do it!
What, you have to get written permission from Bryan Glazer, notarized, in the middle of the game in order to put him in? You are the defensive coordinator, Mr. Sheridan! If you want to get him in more, you put him in, it’s real simple, unless you are trying to hide the fact that either you cannot get the most out of him, or he has regressed so terribly that you are covering for him.
Which is it?
Bucs commander Greg Schiano has remarked in recent weeks how much Bowers has progressed since training camp, yet Bowers still languishes on the bench.
There are a lot of reasons why the Bucs have played terribly this season. Easily, one of the black marks on the season is why the coaching staff either colossally misjudged Bowers’ ability to take over for Bennett, or they simply cannot coach him up.
Maybe, both.
November 8th, 2013 at 8:00 am
Why believe anything these fools say. They’re not capable of coaching anybody up. Maybe he has a staph infection? Maybe he is injured. When I watch games over the really seems to always come to a dead stop. Maybe he is just another Gaines Adams, or the other flops in the NFL on the DL who were high draft picks?
November 8th, 2013 at 10:20 am
I figured out the mystery……. HE SUCKS
November 8th, 2013 at 10:24 am
He should be playing he can’t be any worse the dtn bec that dude is nearly invisible. Bowers the couple times I saw him in the game last week he had a couple pressures. O well maybe next week (Sheridan voice)
November 8th, 2013 at 10:47 am
I guess Davin Joseph and Darelle Revis arent performing like they should because they arent being “coached up” or “misjudged thier ability” … They’re working their way back from injuries… not everybody can return like an Adrian Peterson. If you remember how well Bowers was doing before the achilies injury he WAS performing as well if not better than Michael Bennet. Seems everybody is getting memory loss around here…..
November 8th, 2013 at 10:54 am
I think Bowers is Gaines Adams reincarnated..
November 8th, 2013 at 11:07 am
All this shows is that the Schiano New Order has a very low STANDARD way of playing. Is not close to NFL standard. This equals 8 losses and more to come. Schiano has yet to realize he is coaching in the NFL.
Is it draft day yet???!!!
November 8th, 2013 at 11:09 am
I exactly what it is, he takes too long to get to the QB when running the stunts and sometimes prefer to go at the north and south instead of sideways… every other DE on the team gets to the QB or wait…
This is exactly why this coaching staff has to get fired, Freeman sucks gets benched and kicked out the team. AC sucks he starts. Teo sucks he starts. Carimi sucked and start. Johnson sucks and starts. Talk abou competition and accountability…
November 8th, 2013 at 11:13 am
There’s no mystery. He’s a bust. He was a first round talent that slipped. Based on his college production to get him in the second round was a bargain but if he is suffering from the Dominik Second Round Curse.
November 8th, 2013 at 11:19 am
Sick of all the this This is the worst I’ve suffered as a buc fan and its all bla bla bla this ownership is disrespecting all the fans bye keeping this together and I for one am done listening to all this bull shiiiit being led by one bad move after another and they pay these clowns to practice being coaches in the nfl at the fan expense yeah were talking about practice
November 8th, 2013 at 11:20 am
Its the same mystery that allows a “immensely talented” team to go 1-13.
November 8th, 2013 at 11:23 am
Do you know how long it takes to develop a DE in this league you cant get a Bennett back you cant get a talib back all these bad moves snowball each other and it leaves you with 0/8 and its self inflicted
November 8th, 2013 at 11:24 am
This is the Schiano Order MO. They handed out the same bs last year about Blount, “hes working hard, he looks great in practice, blah blah”. But they never put him in. Schiano said Bowers was his guy. This is so aggravating. They got rid of Free to test out Glennon – which I completely endorse; we needed to see what Glennon brings to the table. Don’t we need to see the same in Bowers? I read somewhere that the 2nd most difficult position to fill besides the franchise QB, is DE.
Is Bowers really that much worse than Teo-Neshelm, who has a whopping 7 tackles and 1 sack as a full time player? If he is, it does not say much for Schiano’s decision to replace Bennett with Bowers, does it? And no way this was Dom’s decision, don’t even go there. There is no excuse for this kind of thing; this is what Schiano gets paid millions for. Totally, completely incompetent. Even Morris was not this stupid.
November 8th, 2013 at 11:29 am
Harry,
I am upset Bennett was allowed to walk too, but I believe the personell decision was made by Dom.
Schiano mentioned, “Bowers could be primed for 10 sacks”, and that was his way of saying, “Mark set aside cap room to resign Freeman, I hope Bowers can play up to Bennett’s contribution”.
It’s not we have had a 10 sack guy since Simeon Rice or anything.
Brian Price, Myron Lewis, Reejus Benn and Bowers… A list of 2nd/3rd rounders that have not played up to expectation.
Good think Schiano was here to make the pick for Lavonte David. It is nice when you can use a 2nd round pick on a good player.
November 8th, 2013 at 11:31 am
@Posey 99 – you make a good point. I hope you are right. But even Clayborn is light years ahead of Bowers.
@Adam L – What the heck is up with the “2nd Rd Curse”? You have a point, with the exception of David, and hopefully Banks. And I am a Dom supporter, but let someone else pick the 2nd rd talent, lol
November 8th, 2013 at 11:46 am
We all know that whatever the problem is, it sure ISN’T Mediocre Mark’s fault, amirite???
November 8th, 2013 at 11:46 am
Oh yeah. Second Round Dominik Curse. It’s real.
As real as the SI Cover Jinx
November 8th, 2013 at 11:52 am
Don’t pick on Dom, he has brought us the draft/offseason/training camp championship every year.
Ineptitude in the regular season is absolutely no reflection on him whatsoever.
November 8th, 2013 at 11:53 am
It’s a cover up! Dominik is an idiot!
He let Michael Bennett walk because Bowers was supposed to “step up” this year… But it is obvious that Bowers is STILL INJURED… The guy has been injured since he was drafted and he was just on a walking boot a few weeks back…
How is this not obvious to anyone else?
I’ve been saying it for three years now…. FIRE DOMINIK HE SUCKS!
November 8th, 2013 at 12:00 pm
Bowers is NOT injured. Bowers is a bust. There’s a difference.
November 8th, 2013 at 12:13 pm
Or may be it is Schiano’s orders not to get him on the field that much as he is not a SCHIANO MAN…
November 8th, 2013 at 12:32 pm
Maybe Bowers just freaking SUCKS!!?
Maybe the jack-as*es that make the decisions are afraid to admit the fact after letting Bennett walk.
I’ll take a damaged goods Bennett over this dumb-a** (gun in airport) loser any day of the week.
Great move team!
Go Bucs!!!
November 8th, 2013 at 1:26 pm
While I would love to say bowers sucks the facts are is that
November 8th, 2013 at 1:30 pm
As long as I see Steven Means on the field, I won’t tolerate excuses like this.. There’s no chance in the world that Means or Gholston are better than Bowers so why they eat up its playing time?? I’m so mad when I see Means on the fields, and I don’t say this because I have something against him but c’mon! Bowers has the potential and he will NEVER develop it if he plays 8 downs a games and on these 8 downs he’s running around instead of what he can do best: manhandle the Tackle..
Bower is at least equal to Te’o and better than Means and Gholston. Let him play!!!
November 8th, 2013 at 1:36 pm
While I would love to claim this as a player issue there are examples that point to the fact that it just isn’t. Maybe he isn’t 100% from the achilles but there was some games towards the end of his rookie season that he looked unstoppable. Most notably a home game against the Panthers when he just dominated for an entire quarter. That tells me the goods are in there, just not being delivered. Look at Selvie right now, another example of the correct player being on the roster but not being developed. The bucs D was dominant early in the year but teams now understand how to coach around our strengths and we just haven’t adjusted.
Thats coaching… wish we would look hard at a coach thats been there.