“We Got Mentally Tough This Year”
January 17th, 2024
“I never liked that guy, Blaine.”
Did Todd Bowles just throw Tom Brady under the bus?
It sounded like it before media today at One Buc Palace.
Bowles was talking about Lions head coach Dan Campbell, who is a friend of Bowles and they coached together in Miami in 2010 and 2011.
The Lions started a winning streak midway through last season and have been a standout team ever since. Bowles thinks there’s a mental parallel with his Bucs.
“I’m sure [the Lions] feel like they have grit because they came on last year, and they came on to be very tough and they proved mentally tough this year,” Bowles said. “We got mentally tough this year. They probably got a year head start on us, but there’s some similarities that way [between the Lions and Bucs]. But we’re still two different teams.”
So, per Bowles, the Bucs were not mentally tough last season with Tom Brady at quarterback, arguably the most mentally tough player in NFL history and a legendary leader.
Joe finds that take very intriguing. And it doesn’t sound like this is another thing to blame on fan and media punching bag Byron Leftwich, last season’s offensive coordinator.
January 17th, 2024 at 1:53 pm
Brady’s mind was elsewhere. Can’t blame him.
January 17th, 2024 at 1:53 pm
Naw… Brady is just a commonality
I think he was referring to the big picture
January 17th, 2024 at 1:54 pm
Joe is stirring the pot again. Tsk Tsk.
January 17th, 2024 at 1:54 pm
It’s wasn’t just Tom Brady.
The Bucs had a slew of older expensive under-performing players last season.
– A. Hicks
– J. Jones
– S. Mason
– G. Bernard
– K. Rudolph
– B. Perriman
– C. Nassib
– L. Ryan
All have been replaced by younger players and rookies…
January 17th, 2024 at 1:56 pm
I find it interesting you think Bowles is throwing shade on Brady. I’m reading that his Bucs are a year behind the Lions in their development. The Bucs weren’t mentally tough last year, and they haven’t been through parts of this year. It all has nothing to do with Brady. Hopefully the Bucs have turned a corner on toughness, but it will be tested this Sunday.
January 17th, 2024 at 2:00 pm
Lol think he’s only referring to that I underdog, us against the world mentality. Love all the content but this is just reaching.
January 17th, 2024 at 2:08 pm
I say…winning the Super Bowl is a BRADY EFFECT. He knew how and a lot of the people he taught how are still here. THAT is an edge.
January 17th, 2024 at 2:12 pm
Well now he can’t be putting that on Tom. He knows that were it not for Tom he’s 4-13 instead of 8-9 last year. The defense was mentally weak. You don’t win four games in the last seconds and OT being mentally weak at QB.
I’ll give Todd the benefit of the doubt that he was referencing the whole and not just Tom.
January 17th, 2024 at 2:15 pm
I’ve been a vocal critic of bowels…but I do not sense any reference to brady in that comment. they underperformed as a team last year…..this year as well if we are honest.
you just never know which bucs teams is going to show up. Brady was always consistent. He’s the only reason people had any hope with bowels and lefty at the helm.
If anything the mental toughness comes from sticking to bowels plan and the random weeks the stars align everyone is happy.
problem is football is not based on lunar eclipses.
when they show up every week with consistency then we can talk. until then, they get little confidence from me
January 17th, 2024 at 2:21 pm
I think your taking it out of the context implied… He meant they snapped out of a losing streak last season, to finish strong. We did something similar almost a year later, this season. He wasn’t throwing former players under the bus
January 17th, 2024 at 2:24 pm
I hear ya, Boss.
January 17th, 2024 at 2:27 pm
This was a lifeless team last year that seemed that they ALL wanted to be anywhere but on the field. Been a huge fan of this team since 1976 and it was by far the most disappointing season I can remember.
January 17th, 2024 at 2:28 pm
Reaching a bit here, Joe. In the words of Mickey to Rocky….”You’re better than that, kid!”
January 17th, 2024 at 2:33 pm
i would only add to what the Marine Buc has said ; that leftwich was replaced & he is still looking for a job . maybe he could work as BA’s driver or houseboy
January 17th, 2024 at 2:33 pm
Joe you kinda Messy
January 17th, 2024 at 2:38 pm
“I never liked that guy, Blaine.”
Joe you’re hilarious!
January 17th, 2024 at 2:41 pm
Brady got this loser franchise exposure. Every player on the Bucs benefited from Brady. Glazers made a lot of money the net worth of team JOE went up Because Brady called this loser franchise home. BRADY DIDNT WANT TO BE A BUC he wanted to be Dolphin. FLORES messed the whole the thing up so he was stuck because ARIANS said at INDY COMBINE they wouldnt trade Brady for 5 first rd picks. I DONT CARE IF ITS TRUE OR NOT I AM NOW BELIEVE BRADY GOT ARIANS FIRED. I AM ROOTING FOR THE LIONS
January 17th, 2024 at 2:47 pm
Being mentally tough with Brady and being mentally tough without Brady. Two different animals. The pats couldnt even replicate the post Brady success we’ve had. That’s grit to me.
January 17th, 2024 at 2:51 pm
Go BUCS!!!!! F off @ Bradybucs . Last year this whole team was pitiful, we didn’t deserve to be in the playoffs last year. I am very sick of hearing about Brady all the time.
January 17th, 2024 at 2:53 pm
Wow surprised everybody’s favorite NE fan hadn’t shown his face yet
January 17th, 2024 at 2:54 pm
Only a brain dead retard compares a guy with two playoff wins in the first round, to the best QB to ever play in the NFL.
Mentally tough???
This franchise was moribund until the turnover machine was jettisoned and the GOAT was brought in.
The only mental midget is Bowles for even going there.
And Joe is up to his usual buffoonery.
We’ll see how tough their minds are come Sunday.
Talk is cheap. Results are what matters.
January 17th, 2024 at 3:02 pm
Brady’s ex was humiliating him and his head was not in the game. Combine that with a clown show offensive scheme and that’s what went wrong.
January 17th, 2024 at 3:07 pm
I noticed Rudolf had at least 2 batted passes last game. He is 6’5″. So anyone who blames Baker’s 6’1″ for batted passes better stop talking. We have a chance if we get fired up instead of flattened out if we get behind. Brady never gave up. We can’t now.
January 17th, 2024 at 3:08 pm
“BRADY DIDNT WANT TO BE A BUC he wanted to be Dolphin.”
Exactly Brady Buc so screw Tommy Boy! He used the Bucs…the Bucs used him…I’m glad it worked out for the Bucs…I’m grateful that Brady got his shot to show the truth…BB is a losing coach without Brady and Brady did not need him to win SB’s.
Tom is a mercenary whose heart never really left N.E. That’s not necessarily a slam everybody is entitled to “get theirs” whether it’s money or power. I’m glad Brady decided to take a “job” with Tampa…happy for the SB…but sentimentally bound to Tom Brady..yeah about as much as he is the Bucs…good memories NO loyalty which is exactly how I feel about Tommy Boy.
And please stop! “Only a brain dead retard compares a guy with two playoff wins in the first round, to the best QB to ever play in the NFL.”
WHO did that? Perhaps you are confused with the difference of comparing CAREERS versus single seasons much less single games. NOBODY questions Brady’s GOAT status. Many sentient people including Brady’s VERY intelligent successful ex wife believe Brady stayed too long and should have ended on his career peak…showing up Belichik..winning that 7th SB.
Brady was a FRACTION of the player he was his first year with the Bucs by the time he wrapped it up. That’s not heresy, nor an insult…Brady is and will always be in my lifetime at least the GOAT!!! NOBODY denies that. Some however have seen this show before where great players stay a season too long.
Brady got his…the Bucs got theirs…it’s all even…neither side owes the other anything.
January 17th, 2024 at 3:10 pm
Oh God, stop with the TMZ nonsense — unless it’s entertaining, then I’m all for it.
This idiocy that Bowles would take shots at Brady is just beyond stupid and would literally make Bowles the dumbest person in the NFL.
Bowles speaks in nothing but generic cliches, and if he did say anything, it was about the moron Byron Leftwich. If you remember, all the reports were that Bowles went to him during the year last year and said you need to put in some modern concepts into the offense and stop being so predictable, and Leftwich ignored him – which is why Bowles was so eager to fire him the second he had a chance.
January 17th, 2024 at 3:12 pm
I think he’s stating the obvious. They were not a tough team last year. Period.
Arguably, Brady was part of the problem last year because of the distractions. The whole GOAT hype machine didn’t make them any tougher. And having an OC who was weak minded (evident by his defensiveness under tough questioning), didn’t help either.
January 17th, 2024 at 3:21 pm
This is a dumb article.
Drama. Clickbate.
January 17th, 2024 at 3:21 pm
Why do we keep ignoring the obvious:
Brady was extremely distracted from day one in training camp.
BL was horrible without BA.
Bowles was getting his feet wet with the team as HC and DC.
The OLine was decimated.
The pass rush was non existent.
It was obvious that the mental toughness and focus slowly left throughout the season as the struggled.
January 17th, 2024 at 3:27 pm
What Erik the Viiking said 💯💯💯💯
January 17th, 2024 at 3:38 pm
Wow really?????
Next
January 17th, 2024 at 3:43 pm
I read Bowles comments with regards to this year’s young team. Our rookies and other young players have progressed a lot since the beginning of this year, the same as the Lions last year. I don’t see Bowles talking about last year’s team or Brady.
January 17th, 2024 at 3:48 pm
If we could insert Tom Brady for Baker Mayfield for the rest of the playoffs, who here honestly wouldn’t do it immediately. No knock on Baker, but come on?
What are we even talking about here?
Anyone who talks smack about TB is indeed a mental midget.
January 17th, 2024 at 3:53 pm
Are you enjoy this Joe? Lol
January 17th, 2024 at 3:54 pm
mic drop by cleanhouse
January 17th, 2024 at 3:56 pm
Joe is having a Bromosa while enjoying these comments. He is probably ready to order a pizza. Lol
January 17th, 2024 at 3:57 pm
BradyBuc is NE Fan!!!!
January 17th, 2024 at 4:03 pm
I agree with TB in that during most games last season, if the Bucs fell behind or had a bad ref call go against them last season, a good portion of the players would fold up mentally, give up! Very few games did they fight back to overcome this!
January 17th, 2024 at 4:06 pm
Why are you guys like this? Just like Florio you can’t stop connecting everything to Brady. This isn’t journalism – it’s not even tabloid level clickbait.
January 17th, 2024 at 4:11 pm
Joe, why the heck do you continue to take every opportunity you can to sh!t on Brady? You’ve been doing since the Spring of 2020. The man helped guide the franchise to a damn Super Bowl! I think you must be a narcissist or something. Jealous of Brady’s success even though it benefited the team you love. Maybe these continue to be just the thoughts of the Fat Slovenly Joe? Dunno. Though that would make sense from a bitterness and entitlement standpoint.
January 17th, 2024 at 4:33 pm
poor TB leave him alone, his hot brazilian wife left him, the mother of some of his kids left bc he wanted to keep playing
i still think when Brady was on he was awesome i’ve never since 1976 seen a bucs qb hit so many great passes, he’s still better than Baker, more accurate and consistent but Baker is hot at the moment, hope he does good Sunday
January 17th, 2024 at 4:42 pm
“So, per Bowles, the Bucs were not mentally tough last season with Tom Brady at quarterback, arguably the most mentally tough player in NFL history and a legendary leader.” – Joe
Not at all what he said.
A lot of young players on the team this year…he was referring to that.
January 17th, 2024 at 4:44 pm
Marine Buc Says:
January 17th, 2024 at 1:54 pm
It’s wasn’t just Tom Brady.
“– C. Nassib”
I think he came on the cheap.
January 17th, 2024 at 5:19 pm
Bucs were mentally weak last year. It showed in the home playoff game we got blown out of. Brady was not your normal Brady and our O line lost its toughest most gritty player.
We definitely seem like a team that has grit and has love for one another. A team that has great leaders and a nice infusion of young talent. Bowles and crew have shown they can coach up young raw talent into NFL studs. Future is looking bright for this franchise
January 17th, 2024 at 5:43 pm
Brady was a lot of things. Great, smart, talented, and so on. Tough however? Brady was never a tough guy mentally or physically.
January 17th, 2024 at 5:53 pm
Rook what?
Brady was the Iron Horse of football.
You people are crazy
January 17th, 2024 at 6:04 pm
Brady was the goat, last year was NOT his best.
January 17th, 2024 at 6:08 pm
Joe … ‘So, per Bowles, the Bucs were not mentally tough last season with Tom Brady at quarterback, arguably the most mentally tough player in NFL history and a legendary leader.’
Just when I thought it wasn’t possible Joe, you outdid yourself yet again in reaching for a story. Todd Bowles responded to a question in an honest way, and never once mentioned Tom Brady that I can see. He never even inferred that TB12 was the CAUSE of what he apparently views as a lesser degree of ‘mental toughness’ in the 2022 team. It seems to me that all he was doing was comparing the overall state of his 2 teams ‘mental toughness’ without going into any detail whatsoever as to WHY he felt that way.
And yet, the very first line of this story is ‘Did Todd Bowles just throw Tom Brady under the bus?’ Like BucU said … ‘Joe is stirring the pot again.’
January 17th, 2024 at 6:31 pm
Go Bucs
January 17th, 2024 at 7:14 pm
“Anyone who talks smack about TB is indeed a mental midget.”
WOW! Sorry this mental midget is not going to bow at the altar of St. Tom.
Even David gets this right!
Again it depends on your definition of smack? No I would not take 46 year old Tom Brady over Mayfield….Yes not taking 43 year old Brady would make me a mental midget.
The only way you are correct CleanHouse is if you believe Brady never lost a step, never lost hunger or desire, or played scared and distracted that final year.
Again many things can be true at the same time. It’s certainly true Baker will never be a pimple on Brady’s backside when CAREERS are compared! I think everybody gets that.
What I don’t get is why people here think we should be Brady’s door mat. As BradyBuc himself stated Brady did not want to be here. I do not handle rejection that well. When I was young if a woman wanted to dump me…fine..I never let the door hit me in the butt nor did I complain I just moved on.
Brady got as much as he gave. In fact the final year he got a LOT more than he gave whiile being distracted by whether to go to LV or Miami or what to do about waiting until the preseason to try and salvage a marriage that had already been decided.
I admire Tom’s success! I’m happy for the Bucs SB. I’m not as concerned about the additional attention although I certainly concede his ability brought Gronk and several other pieces.
Love Tom all you want just sayin’ he’s not really into you that much unless your a Pat fan. As he himself declared he’s a Patriot for life. I wish him well with the Chowderheads.
January 17th, 2024 at 10:04 pm
Methusaleh came here cos the 49ers said no. So, he saw the talent amassed in Tampa on all sides of the ball. He showed up. He stunk last year, period, cos of old age. Good riddance.
January 17th, 2024 at 10:08 pm
Nah, Bowles is just stating the obvious about the 2023 Bucs. They are head and shoulders better than the 2022 Bucs who were injury ravaged, had too many underperforming veterans, rookies and 2nd year players weren’t playing good, they had Leftwhich, and Brady was still in a daze from his wife leaving.
The Bucs draft players from 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 are playing lights out.
The Bucs D are peaking. If the Bucs make it to the SB, it’s because their D is better than the 2020 SB Bucs D.
January 18th, 2024 at 1:42 am
Brady is the best ever. Baker is a stud who has been stuck with a new coordinator every year except for his 2nd year with Stefanski while playing with a torn shoulder from week 2 on. Do the research. It’s okay to appreciate them both.
January 18th, 2024 at 6:03 am
Wait …It sounded different in my head….really.
I think Todd needs a Public speaking class or two maybe. Ladies and Germs…
Go Bucs!
January 18th, 2024 at 7:01 am
When I see photos of Brady, like the one leading in this article, I think of Bruce Wayne. Mild manner millionaire — with a brilliant, a-kicking, dark-side-flirting, all-or-nothing alter ego just underneath. It leaks out in his eyes. I hope in his NFL analyst role, he is driven by the Batman alter ego vs the Bruce Wayne surface. Bruce Wayne always seemed to show up at the post-game interviews.
January 18th, 2024 at 11:57 am
Plz brady was distracted last year not because of his ex wife but the big money problem they had with crypto currency & the possible liable they cud have been in plz remember he was suspended & fined by the NFL he was a convicted CHEATER do u really think that SB ring is worth a complete tarnished reputation u maybe able to ignore that but a real fan does not support dirty rotten scoundrel cheaters! I know 1 thing for sure BAKER MAYFIELD is no heat he is legit!!!!
January 18th, 2024 at 12:16 pm
M says that post is a female version am I rite?
January 18th, 2024 at 12:30 pm
Brady had 4 good games in Tampa that’s it he deserves to b in NE with the other cheat fined 500 grand those 2 losers deserve each other couple of u know what lbgtq+
January 18th, 2024 at 7:21 pm
Bojim said it…