Ian Beckles Scolds Todd Bowles
December 9th, 2023
“Big fella, you need to have a talk with these young Bucs.”
Not even Ian Beckles can tolerate it any longer.
When the former Bucs guard and current popular local sports radio personality takes to his weekly in-season Bucs podcast (“In the Trenches“) he rarely talks about coaching.
That changed this week.
Beckles is one who believes the football cliché, “It’s not X’s and O’s, it’s Jimmies and Joes.” But not last Sunday.
“I don’t think anybody can say the Buccaneers are a well-coached football team,” Beckles said. “There was one situation on the goal line they had 10 players on the field. I am watching Vita Vea complaining, ball is snapped, touchdown.
“I mean, come on guys, this is not a new system. This stuff has been happening all year long. That all comes down to coaching.
“When are we going to think our coaches are going to get us out of some situations? I don’t know that if our coaches are putting us in good situations. They’re really not. When are these Buccaneers coaches going to put the players in situations where they have a leg up?
“It seems like everything is uphill. Everything that they do is uphill. Everything.”
In particular, Beckles called out the head coach for saying the Bucs bust their tails.
“I watch some of the press conferences of Todd Bowles,” Beckles began. “I don’t have a lot of knocks on Todd Bowles but one of them may be this: Start making your players accountable.
“I keep on hearing him say, ‘We’re playing hard.’ No you are not. What? If you put some of your defensive players in the 99, 2000, 2001 defense, those guys are walking. “
Beckles then began puncturing the air with a pointed finger for emphasis.
“Those Buccaneers defenses were flying. Everywhere. Up the field, down the field, knocking heads off. How dare you say these guys are playing hard!
“Those guys are not playng hard. If you think they are playing hard, that’s where the standard is. I want my standard to be higher. Maybe Antoine Winfield is playing hard. I wouldn’t put the word ‘hard’ on too many guys out there. At all.
“Playing hard? If you are playing hard you should be running the ball for 150 yards every week. If you are playing hard you have to have more sacks. If you are playing hard you have to put the quarterback on the ground more often.”
Beckles is also beginning to worry about Baker Mayfield. Beckles thought Mayfield had another horrible game against the Stinking Panthers.
Mayfield’s recent slide has Beckles thinking he’s hurt.
“I thought Baker Mayfield was terrible,” Beckles said. “That was a no. That was not a good game by the quarterback. He got lucky quite a few times. (Beckles added that Bryce Young looks “lost.”)
“What I am worried about right now, I’m not sure Baker is progressing. You go back four games ago, statistically Baker looked better. He’s starting to fall off a little bit now. … There were some interceptions left out there on that football field for sure. … He doesn’t look healthy to me. Something doesn’t look right.”
Beckles had other observations:
* On beating Carolina: “We didn’t out-physical them. We didn’t out-anything them to be honest with you. … If we played them 10 times they win four times. I’m being serious about that. … If you beat the fat girl at fat camp, don’t think you’re fast. … I wouldn’t brag on that one. I wouldn’t brag on that one any time soon.”
* On the run game: “You can’t say we are a running football team. We haven’t been able to do that consistent enough.”
* On Cade Otton: “I didn’t know he played. I saw him go in motion a couple of times but other than that, I didn’t know that Cade Otton did much.”
* On the run defense and giving up over 130 yards to Carolina: “We have to stop saying we stop the run. We don’t. … Carolina sucks, yo! They really do.”
* On Mike Evans: “For gosh sakes Mike Evans, stop making everybody look bad.”
* On Joe Tryon-Shoyinka: “I think they are finally coming to their right mind and putting his non-rushing ass on the bench. … Those guys in the locker room are watching the film. And I guarantee they don’t want that kid on the football field anymore. YaYa Diaby is better. Everybody we’ve got is better. They just weren’t drafted that high.”
* On Vita Vea: “Vita Vea, come on now. Come on Vita. There’s been many, many weeks now I have not really heard Vita Vea’s name at all, not making any impact at all.”
Beckles said he doesn’t see the Bucs playing with any passion or fire. Like they are just going through the motions.
“I don’t see the hunger. I don’t see the hunger to play at home against a team that you are supposed to be better than.”
December 9th, 2023 at 8:05 am
Ian is not wrong!
December 9th, 2023 at 8:17 am
All excellent analysis. Beckles has always been a good voice of reason and hard truth in the Bay Area among sports media options. I would be interested to see how much better off the sports radio outfit is after he got bounced? Does anyone tune in anymore?
December 9th, 2023 at 8:20 am
Didn’t these two tussle in the locker room once upon a time?
December 9th, 2023 at 8:27 am
Cade Otton didn’t get one target…..neither did any TE……something is wrong with that offense…….too dependent on Evans. Good thing Evans performs week after week.
December 9th, 2023 at 8:27 am
He’s right, you know.
It’s hard to tell the quality of the players when coaching is so bad across the board.
December 9th, 2023 at 8:28 am
If there was any player accountability, Devin White would’ve been cut after the Colts game. I remember when another Bucs wasted 1st Round pick, Vernon Hargreaves, didn’t want to make a tackle, and was cut that week (not just because of that, he was terrible, like White). The other DB’s played hard the rest of the year. Not cutting White should get Todd Bowles fired (along with being a terrible HC).
December 9th, 2023 at 8:28 am
I don’t generally agree with Beckles, but in this case he is 100% correct. Bowles is a poor coach that doesn’t demand more out of his players. He doesn’t understand that the game has passed him by on defense and offense and has evolved from the 90’s. We are stuck with idiotic game plans and it appears that the players know it and are not motivated. 5 more games……
December 9th, 2023 at 8:29 am
Canales is the bargain basement buy of NFL OC’s.
Who else but a green nobody would tie himself to the mast of a sinking ship?
December 9th, 2023 at 8:32 am
I agree with everything he said.
December 9th, 2023 at 8:36 am
Beckles is spot on. But he’s not telling us anything a real Bucs fans does not know or cannot see for himself. This team sucks overall. Especially the Defense. It really sucks. We just do not have a pass rush. And its going to kill us once again against the falcons. He’s right, Baker is not healthy. And shame on them for not giving Trask at least a shot.
December 9th, 2023 at 8:40 am
Sapp and Chidi didn’t like each other and threw down. I’m not sure if Beckles was still here when Sapp got here. I don’t listen to local sports radio at all anymore which sucks, at one time we had Tony Bruno, Chris Thomas and Steve Dumeig. I’d just leave it on all day. Go Bucs.
December 9th, 2023 at 8:44 am
Is Beckles wrong about anything, here? Glad he called-out Vita. He’s another overrated & overpaid “Headline reader” that still plays part-time.
Raging, that “sports radio outfit” is the same giant commercial with intermittent sentences about sports, that you remember. Withering on the vine it is.
December 9th, 2023 at 8:47 am
Beckles sees it….anyone watching the games sees there’s no identity….players aren’t used to their strengths, there’s no defensive wizardry that overwhelms mediocre QBs, the offense looks stagnant and predictable….Its a terrible product that I think both players and fans are tired of. Bowles will ultimately fail his way out of stubbornness vs pass more, play aggressive in man coverage, etc. As I’ve said before….it’s playoffs or bust for Bowles. I’m ok with either scenario
December 9th, 2023 at 8:47 am
Hey, Teacherman777. Are you going to add Ian Beckles to your racist list or will you accept facts now?
December 9th, 2023 at 9:06 am
If you beat the fat girl at fast camp don’t brag…rflmao
So true. We beat Carolina and lovie gets yeah, we got mail!
December 9th, 2023 at 9:09 am
Did you know…the HC is the one who is in charge of all the practice on an NFL team?
December 9th, 2023 at 9:22 am
I think Ron Rivera is gonna be available after this year. Could do a lot worse.
December 9th, 2023 at 9:25 am
For once Beckles is right about Mayfield. So why are we still playing him? For what? For a 10% shot at getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs? Who gives a crap? Let’s finally play our second-round qb with the starters and evaluate him and determine our 2024 draft needs. What’s so hard to understand about that? This organization is incompetent from the top down.
December 9th, 2023 at 9:28 am
Mike Johnson Says: “And shame on them for not giving Trask at least a shot.”
Oh, they will. Without the full starting offense. They can’t risk him looking too good, you know?
December 9th, 2023 at 9:34 am
Stfu about Trask,he’s a walking sack and interception machine in game situation.
Beckles is right on point.
This bunch won’t beat the Falcons without a miracle.
December 9th, 2023 at 9:52 am
Click bait for all the Bowles haters
December 9th, 2023 at 9:59 am
Sacker58 Says: “Stfu about Trask,he’s a walking sack and interception machine in game situation.”
That’s funny. I know he’s thrown 0 INTs in his very limited snaps in regular season games. So, I looked up his INT% in preseason and it was a lowly 1.4%. Which is much, much lower than Mayfield’s career INT% of 2.7%.
Clearly, you have nothing to base your statement on other than personal bias and animosity.
December 9th, 2023 at 10:02 am
Ian nailed it. Nuff said.
December 9th, 2023 at 10:07 am
@raging brisket:
I tune in once and awhile but avoid the mid-day show at all costs. Those two have the worst takes and have the worst radio show i have ever listened to. Idk how you have a sports radio station and not have at least one former player from any sport on any of your shows.
The station has gone downhill since the big dog(RIP) and Ron and Ian are no longer on.
December 9th, 2023 at 10:37 am
Ian, I agree with everything you said!!!!!!!! WE REALLY NEED A NEW HEAD COACH!!!!
Bowles, it’s produce Sunday or take your ball back from where you came from!!!
Sorry BA, you were great, TB plain sucks!!!!!
December 9th, 2023 at 10:41 am
Cade Otter is invisible. Rita Vea takes too many plays off. Devin White is on staycation but Winfield is only one working his ass off.
December 9th, 2023 at 10:54 am
Mayfield is what’s holding this entire team back. The second thing is the play calling/philosophy. I’m not not saying another QB on the team would be better but I don’t think there could be much of a drop off in results. On the other hand there could be a big improvement. Where you know Mayfield’s not ever going to get consistently better. Like the 49rs 3rd string starter is today.
December 9th, 2023 at 10:58 am
Beckles is right.
December 9th, 2023 at 11:03 am
I can only assume Beckles was let go as a cost cutting measure. T Kraft is decent but everyone else on that station sucks. When Beckles was on I would tune in. Now I just listen to Howard and the NFL network on my commutes. For being a fairly large market with three professional franchises they really need to overhaul that horrible lineup.
December 9th, 2023 at 11:04 am
T Kraz
December 9th, 2023 at 11:17 am
Alanbucsfan Says:
December 9th, 2023 at 9:52 am
Click bait for all the Bowles haters
_________
All 90% of us according to the latest poll.
90% of this fan base is obviously rayy cyst.
🤣
December 9th, 2023 at 11:59 am
@Razor
I one hundred percent agree with you about the local sports radio known as the Sports Animal.
I used to leave the radio on all day and listen from Tony Bruno, Chris Thomas and Steve Deumig as well. Heck, I enjoyed Dan Cillio too before he lost his mind.
When Ron & Ian left is when I stopped listening faithfully.
The current radio personalities on 95.3/620 are fans of the Mets, Islanders, Jets, Giants and Yankees and it shows in their coverage which goes against their listeners like me who are fans of the Rays, Lightning and Bucs.
If any fan calls in to call them on it and go a little Steve Deumig on their fandom they talk over them and hang up.
Steve Deumig would have gone off on each of the radio personalities for 620/95.3 for their fandom of teams from places that they chose to leave because they weren’t as good as Tampa to live in.
December 9th, 2023 at 12:09 pm
How can the players play with passion when the team is constantly being undermined by bad coaching decisions. For instance, Ian noted how the players knew that JTS should not be playing but yet Bowles kept a player on the bench that everyone knew was better than JTS. Also, Bowles and the players knew how good 58 is but it took about 8 games to get him on the field. And finally, the players know that Mayfield is not the best option at QB. Trask clearly beat him out in the so called competition and the players know that.
What impetus is there to play their best when the coaching staff isn’t putting them in the best position to win games?
December 9th, 2023 at 12:10 pm
Players playing with no passion? I guess they use their passion up when they record their stadium clips for the fans to get loud.
December 9th, 2023 at 12:23 pm
Beckles. Stephan A Smith with a smaller following. “The mouth that roared”
December 9th, 2023 at 12:23 pm
24-17 Falcons.
December 9th, 2023 at 1:03 pm
Those were the days.
December 9th, 2023 at 2:30 pm
ATLBuc Says:
December 9th, 2023 at 12:09 pm
How can the players play with passion when the team is constantly being undermined by bad coaching decisions. For instance, Ian noted how the players knew that JTS should not be playing but yet Bowles kept a player on the bench that everyone knew was better than JTS. Also, Bowles and the players knew how good 58 is but it took about 8 games to get him on the field. And finally, the players know that Mayfield is not the best option at QB. Trask clearly beat him out in the so called competition and the players know that.
What impetus is there to play their best when the coaching staff isn’t putting them in the best position to win games?
^^^^^^^
I was with you until you brought up Thee Great One, Kyle Trask. Trask has done NOTHING in the NFL. Absolutely NOTHING. Way to lose all credibility in one or two sentences! 😂😂😂😂😂
December 9th, 2023 at 2:59 pm
Joe in Michigan Says: “I was with you until you brought up Thee Great One, Kyle Trask. Trask has done NOTHING in the NFL. Absolutely NOTHING. Way to lose all credibility in one or two sentences!”
Wowza. Deep rooted anger much? Wonder where that comes from? 🤔
December 9th, 2023 at 3:01 pm
Trask has not played in the NFL so how could he do anything?
December 9th, 2023 at 3:41 pm
Sounds like Ian Beckles was in a good mood, lol
December 9th, 2023 at 3:44 pm
I can see that it doesn’t seem like they are playing with that hunger and prove you wrong attitude that the team started the year with. But to compare playing hard to the late 90s early 2000s bucs flying around and knocking heads off. You can’t play like that anymore because it’s a softer game the job tasked onto to defensive players to make plays and not get penalties (that weren’t in the late 90s) is ridiculous and Defenses are statistically finally making improvements against the today’s offense the scores in general are much lower then in past seasons.
December 9th, 2023 at 4:13 pm
It’s really really obvious that Todd Bowles is not head coaching material. For his own sake, give him a demotion back to DC, then make Baker Mayfield the HC, and let Trask start at QB. That would make everyone happy.
December 9th, 2023 at 4:38 pm
Rod, everyone here knows that KT would make a better HC!!
December 9th, 2023 at 5:53 pm
I’ll take sides with in this time around which doesn’t happen often. Maybe it’s because I found out he’s Canadian too!
December 9th, 2023 at 11:41 pm
Agree with everything he says.
VEA can be great but he disappears at times.
JTS needs to be gone. Yaya should start and Nelson should be the next one in.
As for Baker, I’ve said it since they signed him, stop gap until they draft a real QB. At best, he’s a starter for a bottom third team. In reality, he should be a vet back up for the rest of his career, and I would take him at that position any day.
But he is not a franchise quarterback who’s going to take you to a Super Bowl.
They need a center or guard with Jensen‘s attitude to kick the O line in the bottom. They need a D lineman or a Devon White replacement to start holding the front seven accountable.
Oh….. and they need an offensive minded head coach along with an OC who passes first and runs second in this passing league
December 10th, 2023 at 1:26 am
OMG can you find anything relevent to keep Beckless in the limelight he so desparately craves Joe?
Geez… Just keep feeding him Joe and he will never go away.
Go Bucs!
December 10th, 2023 at 7:45 am
We point out the same things every week. This team has the passion of a turnip. Same mistakes week after week after week. And it will continue today.
Todd is dead man walking in Tampa.
December 10th, 2023 at 12:45 pm
Get Beckels. Not really big on him but dude hit it all. Time for a change at QB and coaching. I believe canales would do a lot better without Bowles and his run first mentality and conservative approach. Canales is suffereing just as we saw leftwich suffer last year. Everyone me included hated on leftwhich but now after a diff OC and getting the same results it’s on Bowles and the guidelines he implemented. HES GOT TO GO. Thank you for the SB defense Bowles but that is long gone and it’s time for you to be too
December 10th, 2023 at 1:15 pm
Sooo yea Carlton Davis makes too much money