Collaboration
August 25th, 2023
Involved in offense.
Yes, Todd Bowles is a defensive guy. He pretty much leaves the offense alone. Or so fans thought.
For example, last year, did you notice Bowles, at any point, having any sort of discussion with Tom Brady? Joe didn’t and Joe was looking for it every time the Bucs took the field.
JoeBucsFan.com has a photographer at many games — home and away — and he, too, was waiting for Bowles and Brady to be next to each other so he could get a shot. It was very strange not to see a head coach and a starting quarterback even cross paths. (Well, maybe once.)
So that sort of reinforced the notion of Bowles being disconnected from the offense. But yesterday, Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales said Bowles is very much dialed in to his offense.
“That’s the part we’re most excited about: at least from Coach [Bowles], his encouragement to say, ‘Keep doing what you’re doing,’” Canales said. “… A little bit unconventional – second-and-11, I call a run, we gain seven on it, we’re in a decent third down, he’s like, ‘That’s good football.’
“He encourages me throughout the [game]. Or [he says], ‘Hey, you can do this or this here,’ at end of half, end of game type of stuff. It’s been really cool to talk that way. We’ll obviously have to continue to grow, one game at a time. I’m excited about working for him and that support I’m getting for how we’re trying to play offense.”
This revelation by Canales makes last year’s image of Bowles being detached from Brady seem more odd.
Various sources told Joe that the no-risk-it; no-biscuit offense of Bucco Bruce Arians’ was pretty much scrapped last year by Bowles. The only thing Bowles has said about this on the record is that he didn’t want to run Arians’ offense, in part because he thought players were too worn out from it late in the season.
But when was the last time an NFL head coach didn’t interact with his quarterback, who just happened to be the greatest of all time?
It almost makes Joe think there was friction of some sort between Bowles and former offensive coordinator SpongeBob Leftwich.
August 25th, 2023 at 8:40 am
I read that quote differently. This still sounds very much like Bowles keeps his hand off the offense. He’s just offering encouragement and support to Canales, a first year OC.
Brady didn’t really need that. In fact that quote would sound out of place in relation to Brady.
August 25th, 2023 at 8:44 am
Ohhhh boy, troll article if I have ever seen one lol
August 25th, 2023 at 8:45 am
Great cannot wait for that 1st down run up the middle for a 2nd and 11
August 25th, 2023 at 8:54 am
LOL…and running on 2nd and 11 for MAYBE 7 yards.
August 25th, 2023 at 9:17 am
This is Todd’s career year. The Super Bowl run, last year’s letdown… it all looks very different if we are in the NFC Championship or are picking top 5 in the draft. If he flames out, he’s a great DC with two failed Head Coach attempts. If he piles up wins, this whole Brady-Leftwich-Arians-Bowles drama will be more interesting to look back at.
August 25th, 2023 at 9:31 am
Mike C … ‘Ohhhh boy, troll article if I have ever seen one’.
You read my mind Mike. Love how Joe waits until the very last sentence to interject his ‘pièce de résistance’.
August 25th, 2023 at 9:32 am
Sounds like Bowles meddled with the offense more than you think last year, and will continue to have a say this year. While this may sound encouraging that the HC is engaged with all aspects of the team, in this case it’s not. We all know how his conservative style worked out last year. I expect much of the same plodding attempt to wins games with his defense. Dungy had success with this, but could never win the big games thanks to inept play calling. The game has changed to feature more offense, and if you can’t score it will take a generational defensive effort to win this way.
August 25th, 2023 at 9:37 am
I don’t think Bowles cut the offense as much as Brady did with his constant audibles to smoke screens and premature checkdowns through three quarters of every game. You don’t think Brady earned the right to RISK IT? He did, just like he earned the right to play dink and dunk all season… now he’s gone, and the offense will be better because of it.
August 25th, 2023 at 10:01 am
Brandon, yes a lot has changed, Mayfield 1st preseason was something like 7 or 8 for 9 63 yds, ( no dink & dunk there). The article talks of Canales and Blows conversations, how about BL & Blows conversations? It was apparent Brady did not respect Bowles offensive philosophy. When have you EVER seen a starting QB not communicate with the HC especially a guy like Brady? Every timeout the HC joins in the discussion, Bowles never did. His grand illusion that player get tired in BA’s offense is BS, they went to one SB and almost another if not for Bowles. His system represents last seasons losing record, PERIOD!!! The man is a joke on both sides if the ball.
August 25th, 2023 at 10:14 am
Bowles was probably butt hurt because his Jets lost to Brady’s Patriots a lot.
August 25th, 2023 at 10:18 am
2 and 11 run that’s good football?
August 25th, 2023 at 10:50 am
Like I stated early on; Mayfield may be our Drew Brees and Leftnut was in sabotage mode. Friction? You better believe it !
August 25th, 2023 at 10:53 am
Brandon Says:
August 25th, 2023 at 9:37 am
I don’t think Bowles cut the offense as much as Brady did with his constant audibles to smoke screens and premature checkdowns through three quarters of every game. You don’t think Brady earned the right to RISK IT? He did, just like he earned the right to play dink and dunk all season… now he’s gone, and the offense will be better because of it.
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Brady may have earned the right to risk it but he didn’t want to risk his life. 😉
With a pocket passer like Brady the NO-RISK-IT-NO-BISCUIT offense depended upon having an o-line that can protect him and having a running game that the defense respected. He had neither last season.
Once the Bucs lost two Pro-bowler’s on the o-line for the season (Jensen & Marpet) and then Donovan Smith had an off year, Brady was screwed. There was no realistic way he could have run the previous offense as he had the previous two years.
August 25th, 2023 at 10:58 am
This frustrates me. Arians offense worked and it worked well go back and look at the numbers. I would even say Arians had the best offense in the league. Look at the number Winston put up in it. 5000 yards but also 30 turnovers just on ints. Brady comes in a wins a SB with it then almost gets us there the next year then comes Bowles and doesn’t want to run Arians offense cause of some lame excuse. These are pros and it didn’t look like the year we won it all and the next year where we got close that players looked tired. Bowles offense last year was down right awful. Bowles and SpongeBob are to blame and some falls on Brady for not letting play’s develop a little longer but dude is old as dirt and didn’t want to get hit. Do you blame him. Love bowels as a DC but borderline hate him as a HC.
August 25th, 2023 at 11:19 am
1#bucsfan Says:
August 25th, 2023 at 10:58 am
Brady comes in a wins a SB with it then almost gets us there the next year then comes Bowles and doesn’t want to run Arians offense cause of some lame excuse.
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Bowles didn’t take a baseball bat to Jensen’s knee to end his season or put a gun to Marpet’s head, forcing him to retire.
He also lost Stinnie and Alex Cappa as well. Also Donovan Smith had an off year due to injury and/or personal off-field issues.
The Bucs had a great o-line when Arian’s was running the show and their running game was good enough to require the defense to respect them.
For sure Bowles as the HC and Leftwich as the OC are ultimately responsible and didn’t do a great job at adjusting to the new reality. There’s only so much a coach can do when the o-line gets blown up like that to start the season and the salary cap being what it was. You can characterize all the reasons they didn’t succeed as “excuses” but they weren’t “lame excuses”.
August 25th, 2023 at 11:38 am
Brandon thinks all our worries are over now that Brady is gone….
Boy is Brandon in for a rude awakening this season.
4 wins Brandon….4 wins.
August 25th, 2023 at 12:16 pm
This will be Bowles last year. Dinosaur mindset. He wants to RUN and play defense.
several problems:
1. It is a passing league now.
2. He does not have the QB
3. He does not have the O-Line
4. He does not have a 4 man pass rush to play the defense he really wants.
August 25th, 2023 at 3:30 pm
there was no “team” spirit last yr between bowles & the offense . in close games , at end of half , end of game QB’s will amost always meet with OC & HC on sidelines to agree strategy , deceide best plays to try —but that NEVER happen last yr . Bowles wanted to be in position to blame Leftwich ,offense & Brady .
August 25th, 2023 at 4:10 pm
David, I agree.
Passing league. I just hate to wait for the Carolina and Atlanta games.
Are we going to have a whole set of stalled drives because none of those three teams can march the ball downfield.
Ugh. Hate the Army, Navy, run the football 40 times mentality.
Best teams typically pass the ball best. Always exceptions but lots more good teams passing the ball, then developing the run.
August 26th, 2023 at 12:58 am
Who is surprised that Bowles would love a 2nd and 11 play call of run up the gut?
August 26th, 2023 at 4:27 am
Losing all faith in Bowles Joes. Monkeying with an offense that won a Superbowl and blaming said offense then ditching it after your defense couldn’t cover one man tends to do that for me.
Go Bucs!
August 26th, 2023 at 7:03 am
In most games between team evenly matched teams, the game comes down to a strategic chess match between coaching staffs. The team that wins is the one whose coaches that read what is happening and creatively make adjustments, while inspiring their teams to play a little harder. Some coaches like Payton and Bellicheck excel at that. Others like Bowles are set in their mindset and are going to stick to their philosophy, no matter what. Don’t get to emotional and stick to the game plan. This is why in my opinion Bowles as a head coach will never be successful. Scrapping a Super Bowl winning offense because “my way is better” is an example of his inflexibility. You would think he would be trying to emulate what works instead of fighting against it, for an out dated model that stopped working a few decades ago.