Weak Leadership
September 5th, 2023
Todd Bowles
Joe needed a quiet moment after reading a new feature on Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles.
Joe emerged trying to choose betwen Rolaids, a bottle of Big Storm barrel aged rum or running head first into a wall.
Not only does the feature reinforce that Bowles and Tom Brady had an ineffective if not poor relationship, Bowles comes across as a leader without the moxie or answers to drive change on the offensive side of the ball.
The link above is to the TampaBay.com story. Part of it focused on the demise of the 2022 offense and Bowles feeling powerless to fix it.
Bowles could have made a change during the season at offensive coordinator, appointing run game coordinator Harold Goodwin to call plays. He pleaded with other offensive assistants such as Christensen to “fix it,” but only Leftwich and Brady were responsible for game planning.
Bowles also has spent most of his career as a defensive coordinator and understands how undermining it can feel when you work for a helicopter head coach who checks your work.
“I can’t be an offensive coordinator,” Bowles said. “Everybody thinks I can. I know offense but from a defensive standpoint, I can’t stand up there and say, ‘Run this protection.’ It would be asinine for me to do. Do I know protections? Yeah. Do I know routes? Yes. Do I know schemes and what people do? Yes. …
There’s more in the piece. Joe only pulled an excerpt.
Joe is sort of speechless and is reminded of when former Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter’s defense was failing miserably in 2017 and 2018. He said he personally wouldn’t attempt to fix it because he would probably mess things up. Koetter felt it wasn’t his place.
Bowles added that his 2022 coaches didn’t know how to tweak the offense like Bucco Bruce Arians did and he held them accountable after the season.
September 6th, 2023 at 12:39 am
Gotta say, the Joes are kinda talking out of both sides of their mouth here. Bowles is simply admitting that offensive play calling is not his skill. I’ve also read Joe blaming for conservative offensive identity last season and now you’re ridiculing him for being too hands off and “weak” as a leader?
I don’t think we would be scolding Bruce Arians for not sticking his nose in the defensive game plan. Bowles fired Leftwich, most likely his friend, and went for the new blood in Canales. Bowles may have made a change LAST off-season had he actually been made head coach at the appropriate time. Who knows? I don’t really see the grounds here for accusing him of being a weak leader.
First, if Arians had a miserably struggling unit, one that he wanted to see changes in, one for which he was imploring others to fix, you can best believe Joe would be scolding Arians for not stepping in. Espcially when it’s the last call for a legend at quarterback. Bowles is admitting a lot more than not being an OC.–Joe
September 6th, 2023 at 12:54 am
Listen even when BA was the head coach, they couldn’t figure out how to score a single point against the Saints.
That style of offense requires guys to WIN in man on man coverage and an accurate QB to get them the ball with some feet of separation.
This new offense is what works in this league unless you have Malhomes or Allen.
Let’s see how the former does without his TE on Thursday.
Bowles has what he wants this year although maybe bot the perfect QB to run it.
The Rams won with Matt Stafford and people had written him off like they have Mayfield.
Bowles probably fell victim to, “It always works with Brady eventually.”
Thats where BL got gis famous dumb quote from.
Doesn’t make him a weak leader.
In 2015 the Patriots had one of the most unbalanced attacks in all of football, but Bill didn’t care as long as it was working.
September 6th, 2023 at 1:46 am
As a head coach, you’re supposed to be the CEO, which means overlooking and delegating tasks. If your subordinates aren’t getting the job done then a change is needed. From that standpoint, i think Bowles acted correctly.
September 6th, 2023 at 3:18 am
Yeah, not too mad about Bowles approach here. Completely valid and he’s not the only one by far that does this. Arians didn’t mess with Bowles defense either from the sound of it.
However it also means that how Bowles is percieved depends on Canales. If Canales offense balls out props have to be given to Bowles for going for him, if he fails it falls on Bowles as well.
You need to be able to correctly delegate as a HC or your simply not a HC.
September 6th, 2023 at 3:23 am
Wow…Just Wow!
So the head coach says he could do nothing? Until after the season? Then fire everyone? Not just the OC who obviously had his head up his @$$?
Others fired were mostly assistants. The big exception being Christensen.
We needed someone in the organization to step in and game plan with the offense we had during the season.
Where in the heck was Arians (The advisor)…His mentor? And supposed ally? Did he even talk to him about this fiasco? Was Arians told to butt out? Was Brady really calling shots on game planning? Hard to believe.
Couldn’t someone on his staff step in? Goodwin? Christensen?
This is …Wow…
Go Bucs!
September 6th, 2023 at 3:54 am
This sounds like Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith part deux but the powers that be eventually forced Koetter to launch Koetter, I believe right after the Bucs were embarrassed in the ATL. Last season, there seemed to be times when Leftwich could have been launched but I guess the powers that be at One Buc never made the “call” to launch him. However, the above excerpt does imply Bowles did have a green light to make a change but Bowles was not forced to fire anyone. BTW, Koetter did not want to fire Mike Smith, the week before Smith got canned, Koeeter was adamant that he was not firing Mikey yet he did. So if Bowles could launch Leftwich after say, the Pittsburgh game, why didn’t he? Was he too worried about negative fall out from others within the coaching staff and team?
Both situations had head coaches who were known to be good on their side of the ball and had coordinators on the other side who were historically bad. The only difference is that Tom Brady was apparently on board with Leftwich. Thus the optics make it appear The GOAT might have prevented a mid-season change. I mean, if Brady wanted someone canned, it is likely it would have happened. Did Brady protect Leftwich and/or did Bowles lack the stones to launch Byron? I guess this will be another one of the many mysteries of what actually happened behind the curtains of One Buc Place. T
September 6th, 2023 at 3:56 am
Ugh, typo: “Koetter to launch Koetter”: while that was kind of true, Koetter did dig his own grave, I meant Koetter to launch sharply dressed Mikey Smith.
September 6th, 2023 at 4:56 am
Def not a Bowles fan, but doubtful we’ll ever know all the factors/individuals to blame for last season’s debacle. Believe it was after the Wk17 win over Carolina, Brady walking off the field and passes Licht coming the opposite direction from the tunnel. Brady gives him an eye roll “wtf?” and Licht responds with an “I feel ya” expression. Neither guy smiling or celebrating… after a WIN, but both just appear very frustrated with the lack of leadership, play calling, execution, etc.. Microcosm of the season in that one moment.
September 6th, 2023 at 5:14 am
Interesting article Joe, but in reality no surprises here. Many JBFers, including myself, wanted him to replace Leftwich with Goodwin once things went downhill (obviously Bowles never did, because like he said “I can’t be an offensive coordinator”).
Personally I don’t consider Todd Bowles to be a weak leader because of that at all, any more than I consider Bruce Arians to be a strong leader because he apparently kept bailing out Leftwich week after week but never fired him (and then pawned him off on Bowles?). Todd Bowles isn’t a ‘helicopter head coach who checks your work’; not a micro-manager IOW. But he’s obviously not reluctant to replace those who don’t perform.
I still wish that he’d done it sooner, but the result still would’ve almost surely been the same. We didn’t have the horses to have a strong offense last year for various reasons, not the least of which was Lefty without Arians directing him on how to drive the offense.
September 6th, 2023 at 5:22 am
Bowles is a weak uninspiring coach … he does not motivate ! To passive … very Dungy likeness … no killer instinct ! He will seal his fate this season at the Glazers expense . Fire the cannons !
September 6th, 2023 at 5:54 am
This was Brady’s team – period. He ran off BA. He forced signings of Gage, Rudolph, Fournette. Lefty was his buddy, his collaborator and his choice. Bowles got dumped into this mess late and then is supposed to take on the GOAT. Management and ownership gave Brady the keys to the team long before the Bowles became HC. Easy to blame, but not real.
September 6th, 2023 at 6:02 am
This guy should be coaching girls cheerleading.
September 6th, 2023 at 6:41 am
I prefer to leave last season in the rear view mirror.
We have enough to worry about this year don’t yaz think?
September 6th, 2023 at 6:43 am
Bowles hands were tied when he was handed the job late in March. First the GOAT retires, then comes back only to have BA say adios when it’s to late for Bowles to hire his own OC. The elephant in the room is Brady. What was undoubtably his last season he’s taking off training camp, and going to weddings on game weekends. No coach would normally put up with that, but Bowles was really powerless to bench him, or cut him. Last year this team was still Brady’s, Bowles hands were tied. That’s why the Glazers gave Todd a mulligan. The guy was in a tough spot. No excuses this year, it’s his baby. Let’s see how he leads without Brady stepping on his toes.
September 6th, 2023 at 6:49 am
How many days is it until Feb 1st?
This is what you get when a guy is above his pay grade.
A losing head coach IN his last year as the the Bucs Head Coach.
What do you think Joe, is their a Deon Sanders situation out there for the Bucs lol, I do not mean Deon coming to Tampa, but someone like that lol
Because it is just a matter of time before the press conference in Jan or Feb 2024 when the New Head Coach is being introduced.
TFT- Tanking for the Trojan is going to be in full affect
September 6th, 2023 at 6:54 am
This is so weak by Bowles. Brady and Belichick worked together with the offense all the time! They spent hours together in the offense reviewing film. Brady speaks fondly of the time they spent going over different things on the offense. There is a viral video of Bill and Tom reviewing film on Ed Reed and working on ways to scheme against him. Tom wants to be coached hard. Every coach that’s been around him and said the same thing. Bowles is passing the buck and taking zero responsibility.
September 6th, 2023 at 7:24 am
@Hodad. You’re being way too dramatically and inferring certain things. Bowles said Brady was a professional who came in with a smile and did his job. He said he saw no difference in him. The other players and coaches said the same thing. You’re taking the training camp and wedding thing way out of context. Brady has always been a company guy. He’s never been a guy who would step on the coaches’ toes. This isn’t me speculating like you have done. This is what was said on record by coaches and players. He’s always been one of the guys and not a diva. That’s why he’s well respected and loved his former teammates. I’m his 23 year career, you won’t find many or any former teammates who disliked. This man made James Harrison a convert when he joined the Pats. Harrison played with the Steelers and hated Brady and the Pats. He said he was hellbent on hating him when he joined the team, but he got to work with him and his opinion changed.
Brady’s public life is obviously on full display because of just who he is. You guys don’t think any players on the team have personal issues? How do we know that Devin didn’t have personal matters and that’s why he underperformed. What about Evans and his lack of concentration and dropping passes. How do we know he didn’t have things happening behind the scenes? It’s easy to judge Brady because his life is so public. It’s also easy to let other players off the hook for their underperformance.
What’s Bowles excuse for his complete failure as a HC before Brady? Don’t forget that Revis said some of the players quit on Bowles when he coached the Jets. I guess that was Brady’s fault, too?
September 6th, 2023 at 7:37 am
As a HC, the guy was a proven loser BEFORE he got this job. Guess what? He’s still losing. Is anyone really surprised.
Decent co-ordinator.
Terrible head coach.
September 6th, 2023 at 7:39 am
Brady ran the offense NO ONE else had one ounce of say. Thats not hard to understand. Leftwich was a patsy.
September 6th, 2023 at 7:44 am
To me it sounds like Bowles is not very dynamic. He could be successful if he has a competent offensive coordinator and offensive staff, if not he’s in trouble. I guess that’s ok. Not everyone is Bill Belichick and those types are few and far between. I’m optimistic we have a good offensive coordinator this year and will be successful of offense.
September 6th, 2023 at 8:19 am
So, not surprising to most of us, it was good to see in print the difference between BA and BL as play callers.
“Bruce was one of the X-factors and he knew the tweaks. He knew when to change and when not to change because he’s a very bright guy. Our coaches knew the system inside and out, but we needed to tweak it and we didn’t tweak it. That became a problem.”
September 6th, 2023 at 8:30 am
Brady didn’t run the offense, he hasn’t his entire career. Do you really think he would run up the middle on 1st & often 2nd down? Brady’s game is dink & dunk, play action to set up the run and long ball. Yes he was a part in recruiting Gage, not sure about Rudolph and Lenny (how did he do in 2020/2021? He also recruited Brown & Gronk, which turned into a SB. A HC that recognizes a problem and avoids it, is not HC. I blame BA for shoving him down the Bucs throat. Bowles coached with BL long enough to know his strengths & weaknesses. Would the results have changed? Who knows, but at least make an effort and that doesn’t mean beg your assistants to help. ANY HC that can’t have a conversation with their QB during key turning points in games, especially a seasoned QB like Brady is WEAK and SCARED. Those that think this is on Brady have not followed his career, he always respected his coaches, right or wrong. The Cleveland and Cincy game comes to mind, the lack of game management and fake punt on your own 27, were those BL’s calls? Doubt it!!
September 6th, 2023 at 8:49 am
The Bucs offense went south the day Arians was kicked off the sideline. There must have been an issue because not only was he no longer on the sideline; he didn’t even attend any more games. Extremely bad decision by the GM or whoever made it. They needed him but gave him the boot sad!
September 6th, 2023 at 8:50 am
It is an admission of what we already know. Bowles is a FANTASTIC DC but an average at best HC. The great coaches have their fingers in everything and to be that standoffish with the season on the line should tell you all that you need to know. Bowles didn’t need to start calling offensive plays but it was clear to everyone around that the offense was struggling and what Leftwich was doing wasn’t working.
One side note also is maybe Bowles didn’t replace Leftwhich because Leftwhich was Arians hand chosen offensive successor so he might have felt he owed him one. Either way I am happy to see us move on.
September 6th, 2023 at 9:13 am
Loyalty to Mike Smith was the reason Koetter got the axe.
September 6th, 2023 at 9:15 am
doolnuts, FANTASTIC DC? Did you watch the Rams PO game in 2021 & the Dallas PO game last season? As far as staying out of the offense, wasn’t him that staed Bucs will NO longer run BA’s O because the players are too tired by the end of the season??? I didn’t hear BL say that. They loomed awful tired in the Dallas PO game when CC Lamb was running around ALL game uncovered!!
September 6th, 2023 at 9:23 am
The last I heard Arians is still on the payroll as a consultant. Why not try using him to to tweak the glitches?
September 6th, 2023 at 9:37 am
Not only from the article above, but from watching last season and the way it unfolded, it kind of seems like Bowles never felt it was HIS team and was just a sort of interim HC but worse since the guy he replaced wasn’t fired, was well-respected and still loomed in the background as an “advisor”.
As for the “Brady forced BA out” or “Brady called the shots on offense” …. I haven’t heard anyone who gets a paycheck from the Glazers (players, coaches or otherwise) say this. It’s all been speculation from media, talking heads or fans. Ppl want to believe what they want to believe, facts be damned.
Of course Brady and Lefty worked closely together. QB and OC. Duh. Brady never criticized Lefty publicly and even said he “loves him”. The dude honestly does or did love his teammates and coaches and never publicly criticized any of them. He’d yell and scream at them in practices or in-game, but from all of the times it’s been caught on a hot mic, it’s never “you suck”. It’s always “C’mon guys! You (or we) can do better!” Etc.
I remember after one game in particular, after a late score that won the game, Brady gave props to Lefty for the call. This is only my opinion (i.e. not a fact) but that reminded me of the time when I had this kid working for me, he tried his best and was a great guy but sub-par at his job. I always went out of my way to compliment him when he got something right. Lol. Brady did what leaders do. He had his guy’s back.
If Brady had all of this supposed “power and control” why didn’t he lead the charge to oust Lefty? He’s no dummy. He could see how bad the O was. If he could “86” a SB winning coach (BA), surely Bowles and Lefty would be no match for his super powers. Lol. No logic to it.
You could sense the frustration on offense all year. Brady, Evans, and others. Even the D had to be frustrated with it. Should Bowles have said adios to Lefty and promote run game coordinator Harold Goodwin? Did anyone see our running game “attack” and think this guy was the answer? I would have sent him packing with Lefty.
The Bowles / Belichick comparison starts and ends at both being great defensive minds. BB is way more “alpha” He’ll forcefully say “Get over here! I have some sh*t on my mind right freaking now and you’re going to hear about it”. Whether it’s players, coaches or even refs. Bowles seems more reserved in his approach but hasn’t always been.
This is HIS team now. No spectre of BA hovering in the background. BA’s choice at OC is gone. I think the brass is “hopeful” for a decent record this year but given the cap issue, number of rookies (including a rookie OC), etc I don’t think the “hot seat” under Bowles is a s hot as a lot of ppl think. If the team under-performs, it’s kind of to be expected (but not a definite by any means). If we lose games due to stupid, bone-headed HC decisions, then he should worry. At the end of the season, Bowles will be judged on his coaching performance using the pieces he’s been given, not just the W-L record. As it should be.
September 6th, 2023 at 9:38 am
Damn. That was a lot. Sorry all. Too much coffee I guess.
September 6th, 2023 at 9:46 am
The forest gump throwback style just doesn’t work for me. How do these young guys see it. Yes defense love playing in this scheme leading a team to the playoffs or championship well there’s no reason to be confident
September 6th, 2023 at 10:36 am
Steelers fan,
Lesean McCoy has stated Brady didn’t have input into the offense. The Super Bowl winning year , the players were encouraging Brady to speak up and demand changes. NE didn’t operate that way and Brady was there 20yrs.
September 6th, 2023 at 11:07 am
I’m willing to give Todd a pass for last year, IF the team shows improvement. He inherited a terrible OC and a worn out team. This is the making of his team. Show us you can win.
September 6th, 2023 at 11:35 am
This confirms what objective fans have suspected. Most pitiful is Bowles had Arians at his disposal and didn’t use his valuable resource. Bowles will be operating a construction business in 2024.
September 6th, 2023 at 11:57 am
I still think ( at least to some degree ) that Leftnut sabotaged the offense. Bowles was ” Head Coach” therefore he was in charge and didn’t exert his authority to fix the problem and being a friend to Leftnut did not relieve him of that responsibility. Bowles was the “Bossman”, or was he ? Arians was still around. Did Brady not have any clout or contact with him or did he even care? Was Brady so distracted and fed up that he didn’t care how his final NFL season ended? That seems implausible. It seems to me that none of the occupants of the clown car were running the show. The stench of dysfunction is all over the place. It’s a bunch of OLD “little rich boys” still playing a game and snapping towels in the locker room. The Glazer’s own the team and Jason Licht runs it for them. Maybe one of the clowns will get out of the car and run this circus. Maybe it won’t be one of the clowns. Maybe Canales is up to the task. Maybe the fruit from the Arians coaching tree isn’t as sweet and ripe as that of the Pete Carrol tree.
September 6th, 2023 at 12:23 pm
Ok, why am I the only one bringing this up? Bowles stated in a presser he WAS NOT going to run BA’s offense because it tired the playes especially the D. Is that NOT interfering in the O. I doubt this was a directive from BL because if it were, he is far more of a moron than we think he is. That’s all he knew was BA’s play book. So either Joe misquoted Bowles in his post or Bowles is down right lying, which is it???
September 6th, 2023 at 12:24 pm
Can you answer this Defense Rules???
September 6th, 2023 at 12:54 pm
Eh, that article didn’t really make me feel any different about Bowles one way or the other, just reinforced what we knew:
He got the head coach job incredibly late, and was basically set with the staff and players he already had. So he thought the best thing would be to continue with the same offensive system that had done well in previous seasons. Problem was- they didn’t have the same caliber players to run it.
And clearly, Arians had way more influence than we admitted. But as someone else said- Arians also could not figure out how to score points against the Saints more than half the time we played them. So they both had issues.
I blame Bowles for not firing Leftwich mid season, or at least DEMANDING certain things… like ya know- attacking a defense through the air when they’re missing they’re best pass rusher and top 3 cornerbacks…
I still question whether players actually get excited playing for Bowles. His personality seems so bland and boring.
September 6th, 2023 at 1:37 pm
I hate to say this but given the past history and evidence, Todd Bowles lacks the personality, mental toughness, and leadership ability to be a head coach. His intelligence is obvious. He has a mathematical mind. That mind works well for creating defensive schemes. What he lacks is a philosophical mind. The Glazer’s have a real coaching dilemma. Bowles is not the answer. Canales COULD be the answer, but he needs some seasoning first and we should not let him get away. This franchise is at a make or break point AGAIN. The Glazer’s lack the same leadership qualities as Bowles. They caught lightning in a bottle with BA and Brady, a one in a million shot, especially with the bizarre season of the “sickness”. At this point it makes no difference whether Baker or Kyle leads us to a winning season or if we collapse for Caleb or another 1st rounder. The Glazer’s have the minds to grow the value of an asset but don’t know how to grow a winner. What happened with Manchester United ? I can only hope they will sell this team to someone in possession of a winning philosophy. That’s not likely to happen as the value of the Buc’s keeps going up and the NFL keeps spreading the wealth. Kraft built a winner riding Brady and Belichick for 20 or so years. The Hunt’s are doing the same with Mahommes and Reid. Rooney built the Steelers and even through tough times they show stability and have never been thought of as losers. I think the Glazer’s lack the ability to do the same.
September 6th, 2023 at 1:44 pm
NE Fan … ‘So either Joe misquoted Bowles in his post or Bowles is down right lying, which is it???’
You’re trolling again because you know there’s a LOT more to it than that. (BTW, most trolls on JBF are a lot more devious than to proudly proclaim in their screen name that they’re a fan of another team & don’t root for the Bucs, its players & its staff).
Legal beagles are very good at creating those ‘either this is true or that is true, which is it’ postulations. Almost always the truth lies someplace between the 2 extremes that they put forward. Same is the case with your question NE Fan. There were lots of reasons for the Bucs to move away from BA’s ‘Bombs Away’ attack scheme last year (not the least of which was Bowles not having BA to oversee Lefty’s work).
September 6th, 2023 at 1:48 pm
bowles said on more than one occassion that he wanted to ” run the ball” , that the no risk-no biscuit offense as Not what he wanted.. he dug his own hole
September 6th, 2023 at 1:59 pm
Citrus County … ‘Canales COULD be the answer, but he needs some seasoning first and we should not let him get away.’
Have to agree with the first part of your statement Citrus, but as they say ‘all that glitters isn’t necessarily gold’. (It’d be nice to let him call a place or 2 before anointing him as our savior). If we start off 1-3 or 0-4 because our offense sucks, you & everyone else will be calling for Canales’ (and Mayfield’s) head. Bowles is a classic example; IF his 5-year record as a HC was 49-32 instead of 32-49, he’d have a lot more folks in his corner right now.
Dave Canales is a breath of fresh air IMO, BUT … that doesn’t guarantee that he can win with this group of players. Yes Todd Bowles is more of a technician that he is a dynamic, inspiration leader BUT … sometimes you NEED the technician. Kinda like doctors; everyone who graduates from Medical School gets to be called doctor, but there’s a wide range in terms of expertise. I don’t go to the ones who tell me what I want to hear; I go to the ones who can fix me.
September 6th, 2023 at 2:04 pm
DR, ever consider running for office? If not try out on AGT, because you can sure dance. Again, simple fact BA was around, wasn’t he a consultant of some sort? I find it hard to believe a man as out spoken as BA all of a sudden became mute, that is unless Bowles had a muzzle put on him. I am inclined to believe that may have been the case especially after the Saints game, his second Woody Hayes moment. Regarding my site name, it’s away of showing credibility when discussing Brady, I had a previous name but while using that name Joe muted me.
September 6th, 2023 at 2:30 pm
Hey Defense Rules…I’m not a beagle nor am I a postulator. I’m just a 30 year fan of the Buc’s and am disgusted by the way this franchise has been managed. As a septuagenerian who remembers all the way back to my minor league and Pop Warner playing days, I can only speculate as to WTF is going on with this outfit. The fan base and community should be the only important element in having a sports team. The saying ” money is the root of all evil” , I believe, is at the core of all the problems the Buccaneer’s have. For example; the Rays have one of the lowest payrolls and attendance numbers but also have found stability with the coaching staff and built a winning team. That takes a winning philosophy by ownership. The Lightning have a stable coaching staff (now) and a winning philosophy throughout their organization that produced Stanley Cups. The fan base of those two teams maintain hope and optimism in down years because they know ownership wants a winner FOR THEM. I really don’t think the Glazer’s care one whit about the fan base. Sure, they go through all the motions but look at what new ownership and a winning philosophy did for the Rays and Bolts.
September 6th, 2023 at 2:42 pm
Hey Defense…Did my comments touch a sore spot?
September 6th, 2023 at 3:04 pm
Just one more comment. I think it is safe to assume that all the Bucs players want to be winners on a winning team. There are different types of personalities among those players. I suggest that when some players notice that ownership cares more about $$$$ than winning you end up with situations like Devin White. Mike Evans has been a winner and loyal team oriented player for his career and I think he would sign another team friendly deal. However, I suspect he may be anticipating a stab in the back.
September 6th, 2023 at 3:29 pm
My proofreader needs a refresher course. The possessive case (Buc’s) was used in error a couple of times instead of the correct noun (Bucs).
September 6th, 2023 at 3:30 pm
I’m not concerned about Bowles not knowing an offense. It’s bad that they couldn’t fix it last year, but there were other issues such as a banged up O line and Brady having off field distractions.
The thing that bothers me most about Bowles is from what I have observed, the tasks he is supposed to be managing as a HC he seems to be weak in. Clock Management, Time outs, poor performance and getting your team to respond to underperforming, and this year there seems to be more and more players lashing out. Evans, White, Vaughn now inexcused. Yes ownership is to blame but these conversations should have been had in closed doors ahead of time.
September 6th, 2023 at 4:41 pm
Citrus Country … Hit a sore spot? Not hardly. Several JBFers seem to be getting way ahead in regards to Dave Canales’ future value. Let him gain some experience as an OC THEN let’s see what his potential is. Like I wrote in my first reply to you Citrus:
‘Dave Canales is a breath of fresh air IMO, BUT … that doesn’t guarantee that he can win with this group of players.’
September 6th, 2023 at 7:39 pm
Defense Rules…” The Glazer’s have a real coaching dilemma. Bowles is not the answer. Canales COULD be the answer, but he needs some seasoning first and we should not let him get away.” Those are my exact words. I said nothing about “guarantees” or winning with this group of players. Let me explain to you my point. The coaching dilemma is as follows: 1. Bowles likely isn’t the answer as of now BUT that could change if he proves the naysayers wrong including me. 2. Canales is green but seems to have ability as shown by his Seattle performance. 3. What do the Glazer’s do if we are at best mediocre this year? How do they keep the young talent in Canales around?
It would be an unusual scenario for a head coach to be fired and the O.C. to remain behind. Would they bring in another defensive minded head coach to allow for the grooming of Canales? Not likely anyone would accept those terms. The best case scenario is if the offense and defense excel this year.
The Glazer’s have boxed themselves into a very delicate situation. There is little chance of coaching stability any time in the near future for the Bucs. The Glazer’s can’t afford for their team to be mediocre. We either have to be very good (10-7 or better) or really bad (collapse for a first round pick QB). If Bowles experiences an epiphany and transforms himself into a legit head coach, great. I don’t see any expressions of confidence that will happen from anyone. If the season starts out so-so, what do the Glazer’s do then? They can’t fire Bowles and promote Canales. If they try to TOTALLY tank that would be a P.R. nightmare.
If we tank and draft a new QB that would likely mean an entire new coaching staff.
Could it be arranged for Canales to remain as a QB coach? Would he accept the demotion? Would another team scarf him up?
Once again and for the umpteenth time, this franchise is as unstable as exudated dynamite. I think BA played the owners for schmucks. They were so greedy in wanting the superbowl they sacrificed the future. I’m glad we won the SB, but we are back to the same old place: plenty of talent, unstable coaching and uncertain future. Canales may be a rising superstar but it’s unlikely his star will shine in Tampa.
It is said that the definition of insanity is doing the same repeatedly and expecting different results.
We can be thankful for a front office that is keeping the Bucs from being a laughing stock like it once was and may well become again.
And then; what if our new 1st round pick QB is another bust like Jaboo.
September 6th, 2023 at 7:47 pm
When I said “they can’t fire Bowles and promote Canales” I was referring to Raheem Morris. How did that work out?
September 6th, 2023 at 7:57 pm
AND, if we do tank, who has final say on the QB pick?
September 6th, 2023 at 8:09 pm
Citrus County … ‘The Glazer’s have a real coaching dilemma. Bowles is not the answer.’
I guess that’s where we differ. I don’t give a hoot about Bowles’ history with the NY Jets. A head coach in my view is only as good as the coaching staff & players that he has to work with. I don’t like that Todd Bowles is dual-hatted (as I’ve said many times) because it dilutes how much attention you can give to each responsibility. (BA figured that out after he left Arizona & was only a HC here).
However, some head coaches have managed to successfully pull it off, but usually not in their 1st year somewhere. Most can’t succeed doing both a HC AND a coordinator’s job. I can’t imagine the Bucs landing a DC better than Todd Bowles. IF Dave Canales turns out to be the real deal, he’ll take Bowles over-arching guidance to be a more balanced team & we’ll win more than our share of games. I honestly believe that Bowles is not a micro-manager like some are, and would be perfectly happy to let Canales run that side of the show. And IF the two of them succeed in their respective sides of the ball, we’ll do well & any talk about the Bucs having a ‘coaching dilemma’ will go right out the window.
September 6th, 2023 at 9:01 pm
DR…You’re spewing nonsense. Try having an original succinct thought. NEfan was right you should try out for AGT.
September 6th, 2023 at 9:08 pm
he’ll take Bowles over-arching guidance to be a more balanced team & we’ll win more than our share…. REALLY ?
September 6th, 2023 at 9:34 pm
DR..A head coach in my view is only as good as the coaching staff & players that he has to work with…
That may be your view but not mine.
Head coaches NEED to be leaders. Good leaders get MORE from their staff and players. Good leaders can win with lesser talent.
I don’t think anyone other than General George Patton could have gotten the unexpected stellar performance from the Third Army. That is why General Eisenhower selected him for that job. LEADERSHIP STRENGTH IN COMMAND
The Third Army overcame numerous difficulties and succeeded far beyond expectations. Read about it.
Todd Bowles does not convey STRENGTH IN COMMAND.
September 6th, 2023 at 11:15 pm
It doesn’t look good. Shaq just restructured pushing money down the road. It seems to me the writing is on the wall. Evans, Winfield, and White contracts looming, if Baker Mayfield plays well we won’t be able to afford him. We might be able to sign Kyle Trask reasonably cheap but how would that look ? I’m now convinced the Glazer’s have no choice but to tank and draft a QB to sign on a rookie deal and hire a new head coach to develop him. Round&round we go over&over again, the cycle starts again and Canales gets screwed. Oh but I’m sure the Glazer’s are saying the fans will have new hope and optimism and that will lead to increased ticket sales (and prices). I hope I’m wrong about all this but history is a very good teacher. Let the fire sale begin. With the current ownership, there will never be stability. Same old s*** different season from now on. All the money we have paid to former coaches that were fired before the end of their contracts is a big sum. The Glazer’s just won’t learn and apparently don’t care.