Saving Todd Bowles
November 9th, 2023
Joe is excited for the final nine games of this season.
Even if there are 15,000 empty seats at The Licht House on Sunday, Joe will be fired up.
Every sane Bucs fan knows Todd Bowles’ future is on the line. As Sage of Tampa Bay Sports Ira Kaufman likes to say, everything changed when Bowles and the Bucs started 3-1. You can’t put that winning toothpaste back in the tube.
If you start 3-1, then you’re certainly good enough to finish with nine wins (9-8) barring major injuries. And the Bucs do not have major injuries. In fact, they’re rather healthy by NFL standards in Week 10, and their quarterback is playing well.
The table is set beautifully for Bowles to save his job, even if he needed to call two busboys, a HAZMAT team and Florida’s Elite Restoration to clean up the messes he’s left over the past few weeks.
It’s a true no-excuses situation for Bowles to win the NFC South and escape this season with a winning record.
The Bucs should/could be good enough to win their remaining four division games — two against Carolina, plus the slimy Saints at home and Atlanta on the road. Then there’s Sunday’s hosting of the Titans and a date with the Colts in Indianapolis at the end of the month.
Those are six winnable games to get to nine wins. And, of course, Bowles is always free to shock the world and beat ailing San Francisco, the sad Packers or the beastly Jaguars.
It’s all in Bowles’ hands and, Joe belives, it simply will require the Bucs to play to their capabilities. A head coach can’t ask for more than that.
Bowles’ future in Tampa is a very clear picture and a very clear path, which is sort of rare when a team is struggling at 3-5.
Joe likes the black-and-white nature of it all. Just win, Todd, or wave goodbye.
November 9th, 2023 at 4:04 pm
We’ll said Joe!
November 9th, 2023 at 4:13 pm
I love it!!! LFG!!!
November 9th, 2023 at 4:20 pm
So the expectations is for the Bucs to sneak through their lousy division and possibly a one and done back to back debacle of a season? Is this who you want running the ship? Pun intended. Sometimes it’s OK to admit defeat, clean house and start over. Look at Cincy and Jacksonville. Blow it up, it’s only going to get worse before it gets better, no top 5 QB is coming to Tampa, Bowles had that, he blew it.
November 9th, 2023 at 4:33 pm
Bucs=Titanic
JoeBucsFan: “But this ship can’t sink!”
BUCSFANS: “She’s made of iron, sir! I assure you, she can. And she will. It is a mathematical certainty.”
November 9th, 2023 at 4:35 pm
Love the site and passion Joe, but no way are we winning 9 games this season! If we finished off Falcons, Texans, and Godwin turned around in end zone of Bills game, then yes
November 9th, 2023 at 4:37 pm
I love your positivity Joe, but I can’t believe you actually want us to somehow eek out 9 wins and keep Sleepy Low Energy No Leadership Todd around for another excruciating season of underwhelming expectations, weekly clock mismanagement, and the well established weekly lost AF, zero adjustments, deer in the headlights look on the sidelines?!?
1) Joe doesn’t root to lose, certainly not in early November.
2) If the Bucs do win 9, then that means they’re playing good football and Bowles isn’t doing the things you reference. Joe likes good football and doesn’t like to break up good things.
3) Joe doesn’t care what a coach looks like on the sidelines.–Joe
November 9th, 2023 at 4:42 pm
Some things aren’t worth saving. Bowles isn’t the guy. Let’s move on.
November 9th, 2023 at 4:47 pm
Winnable maybe…but see me in a few weeks about buying a bridge if you think any of these games were possible wins after the loses.
November 9th, 2023 at 4:50 pm
I want Bowles to do well, as it means the Bucs are winning. I just have doubts he is capable of turning the ship around. Same for Licht, as much of Bowles woes lie with players Licht drafted/signed who simply aren’t producing. At this point, I don’t care if they are draft busts or just poorly coached, I just want a thorough house-cleaning to get rid of the smell.
November 9th, 2023 at 5:08 pm
Best part of this Bowles article was the last two words…WAVE GOODBYE.
November 9th, 2023 at 5:11 pm
The schedule couldn’t be much easier than it is in reality.
If he somehow overcomes all the things we have been watching for nearly two years now and gets us to 9-10 wins and a playoff berth, then yes he deserves another shot
Yet, approximately 91% of us at my last check in have ZERO confidence he is going to make it happen
Fingers crossed I eat crow and it starts Sunday – more likely is 125 yards for DHenry, 2-3 TDs from the rookie QB and another close but no cigar loss at Todd’s tent better known as the DoD
November 9th, 2023 at 5:13 pm
PewterPower … ‘At this point, I don’t care if they are draft busts or just poorly coached, I just want a thorough house-cleaning to get rid of the smell.’
Licht and Bowles may have called this year a ‘retooling’, but it was anything but that. It was the first year of a ‘house-cleaning’ (we did lose Brady & some veteran players) and my guess is that it’ll accelerate next year… big-time. Hard to see anything but tough times ahead for Bucs’ fans, even in the woeful NFC South.
November 9th, 2023 at 5:14 pm
PewterPower … ‘At this point, I don’t care if they are draft busts or just poorly coached, I just want a thorough house-cleaning to get rid of the smell.’
November 9th, 2023 at 5:14 pm
Rebuilding from a ‘thorough house-cleaning’ is hard enough in the best of times (lots of money, stockpiled draft picks, etc), but the Bucs aren’t starting in the best of times. Even if we’re able to draft a top-tier QB, how many years will it take to put some decent talent around him on offense AND defense? That’s not a 1 or 2 year process; probably not even a 4 or 5 year process given our starting position. And especially if we gut the whole thing … general manager (and his staff), head coach (and his staff), veteran players, water boys, cheerleaders, whatever.
Licht and Bowles may have called this year a ‘retooling’, but it was anything but that. It was the first year of a ‘house-cleaning’ (we did lose Brady & some veteran players) and my guess is that it’ll accelerate next year… big-time. Hard to see anything but tough times ahead for Bucs’ fans, even in the woeful NFC South.
November 9th, 2023 at 5:21 pm
Tanking makes no sense, were not gonna comepete w the Panthers, Patriots, Bears, Cardinals and Giants for a top 5 pick. Tanking can destroy cultures and the Id prefer the Bucs to keep winning.
This is a deeply talented QB class, the Bucs will be able to take Bo Nix, Michael Penix (Tampa Bay Tech grad), Jayden Daniels or JJ McCarthy in the draft.
Tanking for a 7th overall pick compared to a potential 15th sounds pathetic.
November 9th, 2023 at 5:33 pm
I agree that he should be made to coach out the season. He has winnable games. I still feel he gets third prize at the end of the season. There are guys still playing hard, and maybe the offense improves. Im am sure they all realize there are plenty of jobs on the line. The brutality and allure of yet another 3-5 start for this franchise.
November 9th, 2023 at 5:34 pm
@tbbucs3 – Keep winning? They are 3-5 and had a losing record last year.
What the heck are you talking about?
11-16 so far(that’s NOT winning btw)? Yes? And Bowles overall record is total garbage.
What the heck are people smoking around here include you Joes?
November 9th, 2023 at 5:42 pm
On a positive note, 15000 empty seats can’t boo.
But they should speak loudly to ownership.
November 9th, 2023 at 5:48 pm
Fire them all
November 9th, 2023 at 6:02 pm
‘Saving Todd Bowles’
NO THANKS!…. Mediocre should never be the highest expectation owners have for their team… Bowels is somewhere below mediocre… NEVER GOING TO BE A WINNER as HC!!
November 9th, 2023 at 6:18 pm
Optimistic bucsfan
Your missing the point…for as bad as the Bucs are they are not a bottom 5 team, so there’s no reason to tank…
Is the loser mindset around here if your not the 49ers, Eagles, Chiefs, Cowboys or Ravens everyone else should just tank and give up?
November 9th, 2023 at 6:20 pm
Just delaying the inevitable. Get rid of Bolwes.
November 9th, 2023 at 6:34 pm
Hope for the best, expect the worst. Old Yiddish proverb. It applies to the Bucs.
November 9th, 2023 at 6:38 pm
I’m gonna go with ya on this Joe. Go Bucs!
November 9th, 2023 at 6:46 pm
Bowles need to go all out and win this Sunday. Not only for himself and the team, But for the Fans. BUC FANS ARE LOSING HOPE. Because we Frisco right after this. And you know how we travel…
November 9th, 2023 at 6:49 pm
The ‘fan’ part of me is with Joe here. I always want to see wins. But the ‘analyst’ part of me feels like the team will never go anywhere with Bowles at the helm. It’s a tough place to be.
November 9th, 2023 at 7:38 pm
“1) Joe doesn’t root to lose, certainly not in early November.
2) If the Bucs do win 9, then that means they’re playing good football and Bowles isn’t doing the things you reference. Joe likes good football and doesn’t like to break up good things.
3) Joe doesn’t care what a coach looks like on the sidelines.–Joe”
I’ll always respect your valuable opinion Joe – but with all due respect, you’ve accepted the reality of Sleepy Todd’s mediocrity. We will never be more than a listless 9 win team with No Leadership No Accountability Todd at the helm.
Numbers don’t lie…Low Energy Todd has a career .600 losing percentage as a HC. At this point, he’s proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is not capable of leading and motivating our team to anything above mediocrity.
Look, Bowles is not a good head coach. His record says that loud and clear. However, this season still has many games to go. Joe’s not going to the mat for a 3-count quite yet. Not Bowles’ fault the team was strangled by the salary cap this season. He need a winning record, though. –Joe
Sorry Joe, but it’s time to end the Sleepy Todd era.
November 9th, 2023 at 7:45 pm
After this week it’s become obvious that the Glazers will continue their practice of not firing the coach mid season. So, I guess, all we can do is hope the players can somehow survive Bowles’ suicidal decisions and find a way to win.
No matter what our record ends up at the end of the season, I hope we have a new coach next year.
November 9th, 2023 at 7:50 pm
Tbbucs3 Says:
Tanking makes no sense, were not gonna comepete w the Panthers, Patriots, Bears, Cardinals and Giants for a top 5 pick. Tanking can destroy cultures and the Id prefer the Bucs to keep winning.
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I agree with you that tanking is a really bad idea. It would be nice to have a high draft pick but It CAN damage the culture. And it is no guarantee of getting a great player. We tanked to get Jameis and that didn’t turn out so well.
If we continue to lose games though that we should be winning then I would like to see them put Trask in. Not because Baker is the problem. He’s really played decent for the most part and would have been better if we had a running game. But we need to see what we have in Trask.
November 9th, 2023 at 8:11 pm
I don’t see 6 more wins. Maybe 3 unless they turn things around radically.
November 9th, 2023 at 8:21 pm
On Sunday we’ll be facing (another) rookie QB, Will Levis. He threw 4 TD’s in his first start against the Falcons, and no TD’s and 1 Int last week against the Steelers. Let’s see if our defense can break the rookie QB jinx that has been evident over so many years.
November 9th, 2023 at 9:45 pm
History says Todd Bowles has a winning record against rookie quarterbacks, after I stopped laughing at that stat I remembered Todd Bowles has an abysmal record against backup quarterbacks.
This week he’ll get another opportunity to lose to both!
November 9th, 2023 at 11:56 pm
Great article!
November 10th, 2023 at 2:03 am
9-8 gets him fired. Like Dungy. Like Gruden.
November 10th, 2023 at 6:56 am
“The Bucs should/could be good enough to win their remaining four division games — two against Carolina, plus the slimy Saints at home and Atlanta on the road.”
Sorry Joe I am just not as optimistic about the division games. We have not proven to anyone that we can pencil in any wins. Against anyone.
Go Bucs!
November 10th, 2023 at 10:58 am
Agreed Joe. This is the weak part of the schedule, every game is winnable except maybe the Jaguars, haven’t really seen one of their games. 49ers got exposed with Deebo and LT hurt; Purdy blows it when playing from behind. Panthers are pathetic, Aints and Pigeons are not world beaters, Packers fans singing “O Aaron where art thou”. And yep, i was thinking the same about the cap argument in Toad’s favor if he can get them to the playoffs
November 10th, 2023 at 6:32 pm
Bowles should not only look at the well coached Steelers tape, but try and emulate it to a T, if it stymied the young rook! No shame in that