Todd Bowles (And Others) Are Pretty Tired Of Underwear Football
July 27th, 2023
No evals until pads come on.
Joe understands Bucs fans are stoked that training camp began yesterday. But not until next week will people see any semblance of football.
Just as in the spring and early summer, the Bucs are practicing underwear football. This means no pads, no hitting of any sort, absolutely no tackling and no blocking. Players are wearing shorts for crying out loud (except Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was wearing workout pants today).
It is flag football without the flags. Guys are wearing helmets and they are using a football. That’s the only resemblence to real football. So there is really no honest way to tell if a guy is blocking or shedding blocks, etc. because it’s underwear football
Maybe 15-20 percent of the passes would be sacks in a game. Or at least the quarterback would be flushed.
This morning, Bucs coach Todd Bowles was asked about the team’s depth. He said it’s difficult to tell because, you know, underwear football.
“It’s hard to [speak about] the depth right now with two days out of pads – that’ll come in pads,” Bowles said. “I see some guys that have a chance to be good depth players and possibly shoot for starting spots. That has to play out in pads, though.
“I’m not going to make that determination in two days of T-shirts. When the pads come on next week, it’ll be a good test to see how much depth we actually have and how many people can play multiple positions will play a big part in that, too. That’s yet to be determined.”
Bucs rookie linebacker SirVocea Dennis now has three picks in practice since the Bucs drafted him in the fifth round. Joe spoke with him today and he is itching to get in pads to prove to coaches that he’s capable of getting interceptions in pads, too. That he’s not just a flag football star.
Dennis isn’t the only one anxious to see the Bucs break out in pads for practice. Joe is eager to analyze real football and not be guessing.
July 27th, 2023 at 4:03 pm
Underwear football is probably a good time to experiment, but how well you perform when getting the snot knocked out of you in pads is all that really matters.
July 27th, 2023 at 4:48 pm
Well Todd, you are in charge of the practice as HC/DC. So go to 3 a day and work em hard. He is a Moron.
July 27th, 2023 at 5:02 pm
HC Groover, you can’t be serious??? TB has no control over that, its called a collective bargaining agreement..so I am going to assume you are trolling.
July 27th, 2023 at 5:21 pm
HC is totally in charge of practice I think. If not then why have him?
July 27th, 2023 at 5:31 pm
HC Grover, coaches can’t do that anymore and haven’t been for a very long time. What’s next, you going to suggest players don’t get any water because it’ll make them tougher?
July 27th, 2023 at 5:32 pm
A LB making plays in coverage? Watch out 45
July 27th, 2023 at 5:40 pm
I really hope our secondary fixes their “communication” problem this year so we won’t see them getting torched on Monday night football
July 27th, 2023 at 5:52 pm
LOL, if SirVocea Dennis Gets a lot of picks this season, I officially name him “Dennis The Menace”
July 27th, 2023 at 6:24 pm
Well I stand corrected. Amazing to me. Maybe Todd should get a chair and umbrella on the sideline and a Pina Colada and let the union run the show? Maybe get rid of the pigskin and use a soccer ball
July 27th, 2023 at 6:29 pm
This sounds easier than PE when I was in Jr High at Madison.
July 27th, 2023 at 6:45 pm
You can determine some things in underwear football……
Speed, athleticism, effort…..and…..can a player catch the ball?
Obviously, with linemen….there are considerable limitations.
I just pray for no injuries…..
July 27th, 2023 at 7:04 pm
Low quality coaches talk like this.
July 27th, 2023 at 7:24 pm
It’s amazing to me that individuals who haven’t coached a day in their life, can spew garbage on this message board. What TB is saying is the truth. Without pads on you can’t properly evaluate oline, dline and CBs. Football when it’s all said and done is a block, tackle sport.
July 27th, 2023 at 8:17 pm
When do pads go on?
July 27th, 2023 at 8:59 pm
I agree that pads will BEGIN to separate the wheat from the chaff. But I also want to see the young guys in real games to see how they fare under the glare of the big lights and TV coverage even if it is only preseason games.
I’m curious Joe if the heat has presented any problems or adjustments.
July 27th, 2023 at 9:06 pm
We spent most of last season not seeing any semblance of football – what’s another week 🙂
Go Bucs!
July 27th, 2023 at 9:08 pm
Just read (ELSEwhere) that Gage pulled his hammy aGAIN back in the spring, still dealing with it
July 27th, 2023 at 9:26 pm
I grew up right across the river from Cincinnati, attended UC and watched the Bengals play their first year at Nippert stadium. I used to climb on top of one of the buildings and watch the little stick men down beneath me play.
And so it saddens me to post this. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was carted off the field after suffering a calf injury during Thursday’s practice. Burrow suffered the non-contact injury in his right leg while scrambling during an 11-on-11 drill, hopping on his left leg before grabbing his calf and falling to the field.
I guess we all need to keep fingers and toes crossed that if this can happen to a QB in underwear season what might happen to the Bucs when the pads come on. Just a question of luck which one analyst said we were due.
July 27th, 2023 at 10:06 pm
I know that I am, but the Collective Bargaining Agreement says it’s too bad.
Good to have a coach with some enthusiasm for real football though.
July 28th, 2023 at 9:02 am
I think he is probably just as tired of stupid questions that people ask him about underwear football. People should know by now that Bowles is not gonna give them that magic answer that they are looking for.
Go Bucs!
July 28th, 2023 at 3:32 pm
Hey JEFF! “Low quality coaches talk like this.”
Low-quality coaches? How low Quality do you think our Head coach is? Former successful NFL player, Multiple Defensive NFL position coach, and Super Bowl winning Defensive coordinator. I see a lot of Quality right there.