Todd Bowles: Team Must Make Life Easier For Tom Brady
June 27th, 2022
Todd Bowles
Todd Bowles didn’t dance, hesitate or waffle when asked to pinpoint a specific but collective key to the Buccaneers’ season.
The head coach responded by dishing out a Tom Brady version of President Kennedy’s famous line, “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”
“I think if everyone gets to the mindset of, ‘we need to make Tom’s job easier not him make our job easier,’ we’ll be a better team,” Bowles told the Ira Kaufman Podcast. “If we don’t have to rely on the [Brady] heroics, sort of speak, and everybody’s doing their job and earning their keep, we’ll be a better team.”
Bowles acknowledged that the Bucs’ fourth-quarter comeback win at the Jets in January was a good example of the team needing to play better around Brady and wait for him to save the day.
“There was a few games that we shouldn’t have even been in,” Bowles said. “If we take care of our business that way, more of a team-like thing, we’ll be a better team.”
Joe thinks Bowles wants to see the mature, consistent and experienced roster that has been built around Brady. This isn’t 2020. The Bucs are a playoff-tested team loaded with veterans, one that is 5-1 in the postseason since Brady arrived.
Yes, Brady raises everyone’s game, but it’s time for the team to uplift itself more than it has. In theory, they’ve learned all the lessons necessary to accomplish that.
Enjoy the full 38-minute Todd Bowles interview below:
June 27th, 2022 at 11:33 am
We will see!
June 27th, 2022 at 11:54 am
The best way to make it easier for Brady is to make it easier for your defensive backs, Todd. Way too many times and especially at critical times they bust coverages. If they know their assignments, it will make it less likely that Tom needs to pull off heroics.
June 27th, 2022 at 11:59 am
Suh. Best O is a great D.
June 27th, 2022 at 12:03 pm
Defense worries me more as well Goatfarmer. But it is equally a concern of linebackers, DLine, and corners. I would not single out the DB’s. They did their job pretty well last year and would seem to me to be an upgrade from last year in some respects.
Lots of Bucs fans seem to suggest that we play press man defense most snaps. That just does not work in the NFL. The best secondaries play a lot of cover snaps in the games.
It comes down to pressure and not allowing big plays. We did that pretty well last year as I have pointed out in other articles on this site.
I would be happy with our defense equaling last year’s success except for that Ram’s game.
June 27th, 2022 at 12:16 pm
We need game changers on Defense.
June 27th, 2022 at 12:19 pm
Best way to make it easy on Tom Brady is to not let the opponent score.
June 27th, 2022 at 1:08 pm
Man, so nice to have a head coach this year!
June 27th, 2022 at 1:19 pm
The bucs will accomplish this by running the ball more, and using the screen/quick pass game this year.
On defense if the Bucs can just tackle better and squeeze the footballs that hit them in their hands or gut they have what it takes to win another super bowl!
June 27th, 2022 at 1:28 pm
There’s plenty we can work on offensively like cutting down the avoidable penalties, improving the sub-50% 3rd down conversion rate and lowering our turnovers that’ll help this offense run much smoother moving forward. Not saying they’ve got to be flawless, but working towards being as efficient as possible week to week would certainly take us a long way.
June 27th, 2022 at 2:36 pm
Suh.
Yes.
June 27th, 2022 at 5:13 pm
Less blitzing and more complimentary football, would make Brady’s life easier. If the offense is scoring in the 30s, just play coverage and make teams march down the field. If the blitz doesn’t get home, the bucs defense is relatively easy to pick apart. See Matthew Stafford. Blitz rates have come down precipitously over the past ten years, especially against top QBs. Bowles needs to get with the times, and do business as business is being done. Scheme and philosophy not withstanding.
June 27th, 2022 at 5:23 pm
Easy. Install and perfect the play-action/running game which was the key to the Pat’s success the last few years with Brady. Tom has been begging for this scheme but was always vetoed by Bruce Arians. Shaq Mason already has the scheme down pat (He and TB12 2 SB wins and 1 appearance) and will help Wirfs, rookie G/T Luke Goedeke (pulling G?), Jensen, rookie big blocking TE Ko Kieft who could also chip block, delay, and get open (KK can catch), and finally Rachaad White about whom Bowels mentioned FB potential. White is aggressively competing for a starting RB 2 position and looks to be that perfect change of pace, aggressive back to spell Fournette. Last, White seems to be the type of running back receiver Tom Brady has been wishing for with his accurate route running and soft hands.
I really can’t imagine that Tom Brady unretired without be assured that the Buccaneers would do everything to make him comfortable as the player-coach that he always wanted to be after leaving the Pats. This won’t happen without Tom’s beloved play-action and a new and aggressive running scheme to sell the PA, to keep LBs and DBs honest and to pick up that guaranteed 4 – 6 yards plus needed to ‘stay ahead on downs’, move the chains down the field and always setting the defense up with a strike to a receiver who has gained separation thanks to the PA. This is how Tom Brady liked to win. Owning time of possession and keeping that other guy off the field. But Tom has never had the freedom to design and call plays like everyone expects him to do this season.
June 27th, 2022 at 5:42 pm
The Bucs are a Pass first team and that’s not going to change ! As far as the screen/quick pass , they are already in the top 5 in that too .. They are only going to run the ball MORE if they have a good lead or it’s just one of those days when the run game gets off to a fast start and nobody can stop it ! . Go Bucs
June 27th, 2022 at 5:54 pm
Running the football will make TB12’s job easier. It also reduces the amount of time our defense has to get torched. We got the line and stable of backs to get it done. No TE? No problem-bring out the swing tackle. Would love to see this team get more physical.
June 27th, 2022 at 6:39 pm
Absolutely agree. It’s why I think they will run a little more with Lombardi Lenny and the rookie. I also think Bowles has the defense step up more. Of course that all depends on JTS and Shaq and Hall etc. getting a pass rush
June 27th, 2022 at 9:06 pm
As any longtime Bucs fan will remember, a dominant killer defense can carry a team with an average offense, and more recently as well. I have yet to see Brady having as easy a time as noodle arm Peyton Pud Manning with the Donkos. But that is what TB12 deserves.
June 27th, 2022 at 9:41 pm
Comes down to passion. If every player wants it as bad as Tommy…….
June 28th, 2022 at 10:57 pm
I think they had a pretty amazing last season and only need to work on little things. Sure a better running game would make the offense more unpredictable but not to forget with so much great receivers we will still see maximum 20% running game… I think Bradys (probably) last Season will be a great one and we will make it to the playoffs and then everything can happen.