Is Todd Bowles A Top-12 Head Coach?
June 6th, 2022
Todd Bowles
Lots of fans and folks around One Buc Palace are sure the transition of power from Bucco Bruce Arians to Todd Bowles will be seamless, kind of like Joe switching from chicken to Mahi Mahi tacos at Big Storm taprooms.
It’s a nice concept, but is it grounded in reality?
Yes, coaching matters. Joe believes Arians is a borderline Hall of Fame coach and was in his prime when he retired. Certainly, he was a top-10 coach last season, maybe top-5.
Joe brings this up because former Bucs quarterback turned NBC Sports guru Chris Simms held an abbreviated best-coaches-in-the-league draft on Pro Football Talk today with host Mike Florio.
The draft chose its best six NFL coaches — in order:
Bill Belichick
Sean McVay
Mike Shanahan
Mike Tomlin
Andy Reid
Matt Lefleur
Five named as greats on the outside looking in at the top-6 were John Harbaugh, Ron Rivera, Pete Carroll, Mike Vrabel and Sean McDermott. Joe suspects Bengals head coach Zac Taylor wasn’t happy about this.
No mention of Bowles, which is completely understandable. He hasn’t been to the playoffs as a head coach.
Joe expects Bowles to be labeled a top-10 head coach at this time next year. If he can’t win a postseason game (or four?) with Tom Brady and this loaded Bucs roster, then something is seriously wrong.
June 6th, 2022 at 3:41 pm
Prove it time!. And we dont forget that last play call that ended our season …but its all good. New beginnings with some new players and new pressure.
He can handle it. My confidence is high on Mr. Bowles.
Just get him to talk Mr. Licht into bringing AB back for a fair price and we begin anew. AB wants to make something from somewhere, might as well be here. If he F’s up and Todd tells him to go, oh well. Stipulations in all of it before the 1 year contract is signed.
June 6th, 2022 at 3:51 pm
Oh, please.
Bowles may have potential, fans may have confidence, but he hasn’t done squat yet.
I hate this football time of year…the season of massive post-draft-liars-poker bullspit.
June 6th, 2022 at 3:58 pm
We have no idea as to whether or not Bowles is a Top 12 Coach or not. In my opinion, he IS a Top 5 Defensive Coordinator. Holding the Chiefs to ZERO TDs in the Super Bowl two years ago was one of the most amazing defensive performances EVER seen in the playoffs.
It’s impossible to evaluate him now as a head coach though until he actually coaches. It would be unfair to evaluate him based on his record with the Jets. Vince Lombardi would have failed given those same circumstances. Besides, he’s learned a lot since that time while being mentored by BA. It will probably take several years to properly evaluate him, long after Brady retires for real. One of the Joe’s might be able to get us deep into the playoffs as head coach with Brady as our QB and the supporting cast he has at present. But the real test will come after Brady departs along with some of our other veterans.
June 6th, 2022 at 4:09 pm
These rankings of all kinds are meaningless & sometimes ridiculous.
If Todd Bowles was a top 12 coach….surely he wouldn’t have been passed over for the many open HC jobs……
June 6th, 2022 at 4:12 pm
The main knock against Bowles would be how our defense underperformed last year due to high expectations from SB win. Injuries affected that no doubt, and some players like DWhite did not take the next step. And then the last play against the Rams on national broadcast.
June 6th, 2022 at 4:41 pm
I think that Bowles is going to kick butt, but if he doesn’t make the playoffs with this roster, barring insane injuries, he’s got to go. What the hell has Mike Shanahan won to be ranked so high? I know that McVay is the flavor of the month, but putting him ahead of Tomlin, Reid, Carroll, and Harbaugh is positively absurd.
June 6th, 2022 at 4:55 pm
I would put him in the top 50 of NFL head coaches in the last 5 years.
June 6th, 2022 at 5:04 pm
No
June 6th, 2022 at 5:31 pm
Bowles is in a great position. He has the GOAT and a loaded offense. All he’s got to do is get the defense to produce at a consistent level. That’s called being setup for success right there.
June 6th, 2022 at 5:42 pm
The ball is headed right over the plate. All he has to do is swing.
June 6th, 2022 at 5:55 pm
Take Mike Tomlin off that list immediately. He’s an overgrown cheerleader who has nothing to do with game planning. The Steelers are the Steelers because of an impeccably run organization. Mike Vrabel is twice the coach Tomlin is. If I had to pick, I’d put Bowles around 12
June 6th, 2022 at 6:09 pm
You are what your record says you are, and Todd Bowles does not have the best head coaching record.
In fact, if it wasn’t for Arians, no way would he have been considered for head coach of a playoff team and Super Bowl winner like us.
That said, I am glad he is our head coach!
I think he got a raw deal in NY, and he is going to show everyone just how good of a coach he can be.
June 6th, 2022 at 6:40 pm
Top 12? He’s batting 0.000 right now.
June 6th, 2022 at 6:57 pm
Chris, your record as a coach has as much to do with the QB you have than anything else. Go look up the trash cans bowles had in Jersey. It’s a miracle they weren’t 0-16 every year, especially in a division with Brady.
June 6th, 2022 at 7:37 pm
Todd hasn’t done much (yet) to be on anyone’s top 10 but Arians sure has–and he is not visible on those rankings which I think is a crime. Were those coaches all named Coach of the Year two times and take a losing team to the Superbowl in one year? It is a shame how he’s been ignored or downplayed. I miss him but hope Todd can get it done.
June 6th, 2022 at 9:36 pm
like any Coach, it depends if he has the players.
June 6th, 2022 at 9:52 pm
YAWN
June 6th, 2022 at 10:45 pm
Win without TB12 and I will vote for him. Although he hasn’t lost a game as a Bucs head coach yet.
June 7th, 2022 at 8:15 am
Brady made Belichick look good, Brady made Arians look good, and Brady will make Bowles look good. Belichick, with his 0-1 playoff record since Brady left, is proving to the NFL world that he is the same old Cleveland coach that got fired back in the 90s. Poor Bill. I think he should follow Bruce and vacate his position before he gets fired a second time. Bowles? He is just a placeholder, a de facto interim coach.
June 7th, 2022 at 10:03 am
If anything, as a head coach, all he’s done is fail. So far.
And Brady will make him look good this year. The real test will come post Brady.