Todd Bowles’ One Stain On Resumé All But Dismissed
March 31st, 2022
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles
It is awfully hard for Joe to type “Bucs head coach Todd Bowles” because Bucco Bruce Arians has stepped aside. Nothing against Bowles, it’s just that Arians was so damn good. Typing Arians is “former” is, well, depressing.
And for a (seemingly) small segment of Bucs fans, Bowles’ success and achievements (except for one very ill-timed poor call) in Tampa has all but washed away the memories of Bowles’ only head coaching stint. That’s when Bowles led the NFL landfill known as the Jets.
The Jets were, and are, horrible. Joe remembers a couple of years ago talking to a Super Bowl-winning suit at the combine who said that the front office of the Jets was so inept, that no one in a hiring position would hold Bowles’ record in New York against him, especially after the way Bowles turned around a terrible Tampa Bay defense and developed young players.
Joe Banner of The 33rd Team, former general manager of the Eagles and a shot-caller with the Browns, typed about Bowles this morning.
“I don’t think he had the best circumstances in New York to prove what he is capable of,” says Banner. “I believe that he has the ability to lead a talented group this year and then deal with difficulties down the road in future years.”
Oh yes, there will be difficulties. Expecting Tom Brady to return in 2023 is a crapshoot at best. And young players will want to get paid and we know the pinch the team is in with the salary cap.
But yeah, Bowles has the trust and respect of his defensive players. Several openly talk about how much they look up to Bowles. And even a veteran, possible Hall of Fame player like Ndamukong Suh, Twittered out how Bowles is one defensive player short of success (hint, hint).
Can Bowles succeed as Bucs head coach? Sure. Problem is, he will be in Arians’ shadow. Fair or not, he will always be judged against the Bucs coach who both hired him and greased the wheels for the Bucs to name him head coach.
March 31st, 2022 at 11:07 am
Since Arians won’t leave, Bowles in the new the assistant Head Coach.
Just say it Joe.
March 31st, 2022 at 11:10 am
FIFY. Can Bowles succeed as Bucs assistant head coach?
Just say it Joe.
March 31st, 2022 at 11:23 am
Guarantee ya the Glazers are gonna be much easier and better to work with than the clowns in NY.
Eat, drink, and be merry for tommorow may not come at all.
This year is all there is.
March 31st, 2022 at 11:26 am
Why didn’t they hire Leftwich? Younger, more talented, great leader, offensive minded (for a team whose identity the last years has been offense). Bowles seems like a stopgap. Leftwich would have been an investment.
Oh, and now Leftwich doesn’t have an incentive to develop Kyle Trask. He will be gone by this time next year.
March 31st, 2022 at 11:29 am
“it’s just that Arians was so damn good”
LOL
Laziest coach in Bucs history. Did Nothing except ride around on a golf cart.
Beyond thankful that Tom kicked his ass upstairs.
If you aren’t going to do anything, you belong upstairs.
THANK YOU, BRADY!!
March 31st, 2022 at 11:29 am
Half the team might be gone next year.
March 31st, 2022 at 11:31 am
2023 is rebuild year.
March 31st, 2022 at 11:33 am
He has a talented general manager to keep talent flowing. Players move on all the time it is what it is and can’t keep everyone but definitely has to have a great season with Brady under center, if he’s average this year it’ll only get worse with a lesser quarterback
March 31st, 2022 at 11:39 am
I feel fine about this year, but I’m very worried about when he’ll have to develop a quarterback.
March 31st, 2022 at 11:43 am
Everyone thought that half the team would be gone this year. So what’s your point? i am very focused on this year and winning another Super Bowl. Couldn’t care less about 2023. Probably be a nuclear war before then. Enjoy the moment. Live for today!
March 31st, 2022 at 11:57 am
Bowles started out 10-6 with the jets, then got worse every year all the way to 4-12.
Been interviewed multiple times for head coaching jobs with no takers.
The top coaches now seem to be the youngsters like the rams, chargers, Bengals, etc.
Not liking the choice. To me a big corporation should always cast a wide net and look within and outside the organization to pick a coach. This is too similar to the Dirk and Raheem promotions.
March 31st, 2022 at 12:06 pm
I’m a fan of the CEO coach. I hope Bowles is able to relinquish his DC duties and focus on building a great team.
March 31st, 2022 at 12:06 pm
He’s the perfect coach for Brady. Take care of the defense, and leave the goat alone. I’m no fan of TB, but he did get a raw deal with the Jets. Whoever the idiot GM was back then, I remember them signing a bunch of first and second round retreads, and paying them big money.
If bowles minds his business, creates a more disciplined practice regimen, and doesn’t make idiotic mistakes, he’ll be fine. Remember this is Brady’s show, just don’t f@#$ it up bowles
March 31st, 2022 at 12:09 pm
I mean eric who of the new coaches this year would be better?
It seems like every year a bunch of no names get hired some work out most don’t for whatever reasons.
Also you can’t pin even a reasonable chunk of blame on him for the jets being the jets and being awful. Plus the only time Sam Darnold looked like he could be anything was under him.
March 31st, 2022 at 12:12 pm
Todd Bowles was AWFUL here in NY as head coach. I watched him game after game call the wrong plays. No way he will help Brady! Idiotic transition. NFC South is a weak division so it won’t show as much.
March 31st, 2022 at 12:41 pm
I like Bowles and always thought this is how it would play out…. BA hands it to him. The only thing for me is that rams game was such a defensive debactle from start to finish and so hard to get that last play out of my mind
March 31st, 2022 at 12:54 pm
Let’s see what Bowles does when the GOAT is gone……that’s when the rubber meets the road….
March 31st, 2022 at 12:56 pm
@RPK: You literally have no clue.
He rode around in a golf cart. Who cares?
He didn’t call plays. Who cares?
Joe called him damn because he WAS damn good. You know what good coaches do? They WIN. They build a culture of winning. He won in Indy, won in Arizona, and won here. He has two NFL Coach of the Year awards.
When he came here in 2019, the change was immediate. The team played harder and better, and expected to win. When Jameis’s 30 interceptions allowed only prevented the team from winning more than seven games, he knew that wasn’t the path to winning, so he and Licht got Brady. Do you think Brady comes here without fully vetting out a 2X Coach of the Year?
I have no idea if the rumors are true about Brady and Arians clashing or whatever, and maybe things will be great under Bowles, but make no mistake, Arians was a damn good NFL head coach, and it’s a sad day to find out a guy like that is retiring.
March 31st, 2022 at 1:09 pm
Can’t wait to hear from the usual losers about how Brady hates Bowles and has always wanted to play in the CFL for the Edmonton Eskimos. After all, Michigan is right next to Canada.
March 31st, 2022 at 1:54 pm
Obvious question not addressed yet; is Bowles going to remain as DC? If so, how will being HC and DC affect his DC performance?
March 31st, 2022 at 2:24 pm
Well lets remember Bill Parcells and Bill Bilichick……and Bill Bilichick time with Cleveland Browns complete nightmare for his career, no one would remember him in Cleveland……but he got the full support in New England and some luck……now he is a Hall of Fame Coach……well I have to say the Jets is very similar to the Cleveland Browns…..lets hope similar results, bad place and time for his career…..now he explodes into a Hall of Fame Coach, Congratulations Todd Bowles, Lets Go Bucs, Lets Go
March 31st, 2022 at 6:36 pm
Let’s see if the 🦄’s and 🌈‘s are prevalent at 1-Buc in November.
March 31st, 2022 at 11:30 pm
He’s left with a talented team, possibly the best GM & front office, a plethora of coaching staff and Tom Brady. It’s a distinct possibility that he has a better chance this time around. There is good reason why a majority of these head coach hires don’t succeed, because they leave a good team and a good staff behind them to take their chances at the big time. Bowles has got this