Chase McLaughlin Knocking On Todd Bowles’ Doghouse Door?
August 18th, 2024
Falling apart?
Last year Bucs kicker Chase McLaughlin was about as automatic as you can get.
And since the Bucs tried to run so much, that led to shorter drives, which meant a field goal kicker was critical as the Bucs too often settled for field goals instead of touchdowns.
So the fact that McLaughlin has missed two very makeable field goals in the first two worthless preseason games, alarm bells are starting to go off.
Now after last night’s loss to the Jags in Jacksonville, Bucs coach Todd Bowles wasn’t throwing McLaughlin under the Bucs. But the fifth-year pro certainly has Bowles’ attention, and not in a good way.
In short, Bowles said that McLaughlin’s “great” season last year is last year. This year it’s 2024 and what McLaughlin did last year means nothing.
“Any time a kicker misses a field goal or an extra point it is bothersome to me,” Bowles said. “He was great last year.
“We have to iron it out. And we’ve got to get it done.”
All of a sudden, what we all thought was a strength of the Bucs — kicking and punting — seems shaky.
McLaughlin suddenly has the yips and to Joe it screams something is going on behind the scenes that the Bucs brought in a punter in the middle of training camp, despite having one of the best punters in the game, Jake Camarda.
With just one more worthless preseason game left until the real bullets begin to fly, it is too early to panic about the Bucs’ kicking game?
August 18th, 2024 at 10:05 am
Not too early to panic. This position has been one of the hardest for Licht to reliably solve. Along with inept RBs and no edge rusher the kicker is and has been an issue since he has been here. Bucs fans should be very concerned.
August 18th, 2024 at 10:09 am
maybe injury too… Martin Grammatica’s issues back in the day looked like he was a basket case but in reality he was very injured
August 18th, 2024 at 10:14 am
No it’s not. Especially for Bucs fans. We don’t want that kicker circus back
August 18th, 2024 at 10:21 am
I feel the same way. He seems really shaky. Almost missed an XP last week as well. Hopefully he figures it out cause with the way Bowles runs things if we don’t have a reliable kicker we are going to lose alot of those 1 score games that we often play in.
August 18th, 2024 at 10:34 am
Bobby Bouche is avaiable
August 18th, 2024 at 11:03 am
It would be quite the ultimate irony if our special teams somehow got even worse after that schlub Armstrong was let go.
August 18th, 2024 at 11:04 am
If these are worthless pre-season games why do you report what is happening in them?
August 18th, 2024 at 11:30 am
Weary of the scrub so called games. Went to bed at the half it is so boring.
August 18th, 2024 at 11:31 am
Sign another kicker. Now.
But more importantly, fix the zone bust pass defenseless that has become Todd’s trademark.
August 18th, 2024 at 11:48 am
DID YOU KNOW?
#1
NFL goalposts are 18’ 6” apart. The width of each FG post is 6.6 inches, making the total width 21.8’. The average width of a pole barn is 20’x40’ … So, when a kicker completely misses a FG saying, “They can’t hit the side of a barn,” is 100% accurate.
#2
Janikoski made +80% of his FGs drunk.
August 18th, 2024 at 12:16 pm
So, We are supposed to worry about our kickers , who were great last year , but who we have seen struggle in what is called , “worthless “ pre season games , while at the same time , We are not supposed to be worried about our supposed starting defensive and offensive players , sight unseen , who have not played in any , of the “worthless “ preseason games, including a “gifted “ mediocre , middle of the pack , quarterback , who has a history of playing well one out of every three seasons ? Well , We have one “worthless “ preseason game left with which to assuage our concerns ,or , to justify a panic , seeing is still believing .
August 18th, 2024 at 12:32 pm
That’s it, give McLaughlin a bottle of scotch 30 minutes before the game and tell him he has to finish it before kickoff.
August 18th, 2024 at 1:02 pm
“the Bucs brought in a punter in the middle of training camp, despite having one of the best punters in the game, Jake Camarda on the roster.”
No starters played, right? Except the kicker?
McLaughlin will be fixed by the start of the season. A lot more to worry about with camp meat blocking for you.
August 18th, 2024 at 1:04 pm
Oh, another Bowles: “Don’t blame me!”
Don’t worry, Todd, we’ll wait until the kicker is saving your job again and you can take full credit for all the “Won by a field goal wins.”
In the mean time, during pre-season, just “set-things-up” for a good “See, I told you so before the season started”
a$$-covering.
No, no, don’t give the guy any encouragement; that you support the kicker and know he’ll come-around because he’s proven to thrive under the pressure of a real game or anything that might be helpful, privately; no, just go straight to the media and try to humiliate yet another valuable player into making you look good again. We can always count on you for your innovative PR, and
coaching-techniques.
Speakin’ about “last year,” how’s it goin’ about those pesky timeout-management thingys.
August 18th, 2024 at 1:06 pm
JD Still, I would rather have seen the starters in game two and rested them game three…that would have given more time for any injuries to heal up.
That said, I agree Baker has a lot to prove. Last year was so up and down that I don’t see how anyone can think the position is stable…but I do believe he earned his contract.
I’m not worried about the rest of the offense or defense. The rookie starters got work in. I suspect we might lose the first game…but we’ll see. The Redskins (always) rested their starters too…I hope.
August 18th, 2024 at 1:18 pm
I read somewhere that the Bucs have brought in another long snapper to compete with Triner in hops of saving money. Even a small disruption in timing can throw a kicker off. Do we know who was the long snapper on that kick? My theory is you never mess with a system that’s working well. First corollary of Murphey’s Law.
August 18th, 2024 at 1:42 pm
Time to get the red hair tufts and red nose back out.
Bolweszo is back.
August 18th, 2024 at 2:32 pm
Mcsherry nailed it. Todd is a moron.
August 18th, 2024 at 2:35 pm
Time for Jason to show the Toadster the Outhouse Door. He might find his zone coverage schemes in there.
August 18th, 2024 at 2:49 pm
Calm down you drama queens, he didn’t forget how to kick in the offseason. He’ll be fine.
August 18th, 2024 at 3:43 pm
It should be marcus banks #39….sorry bro, bye
August 18th, 2024 at 4:01 pm
Just putting this out here Joes, but have you ever thought of a dedicated post to just fan views? The day after the game and leave it open….give people time to rewatch the game and break it down….positives and negatives, what did you see…..and please stay on topic, thats the rule…no trolling on each other.
I think that would be a nice segment to the site.
August 18th, 2024 at 4:03 pm
Kickers can go hot and cold year to year. I never heard of this guy until last year.
August 18th, 2024 at 4:05 pm
The next time Ramirez and Watts are out there, they’ll drop into empty zones every time. It’s the way to ensure well roundedness.
#Todd.InsuranceBusinessExecutive.2025
August 18th, 2024 at 4:47 pm
Bullets?
August 18th, 2024 at 7:11 pm
Larrd Says:
August 18th, 2024 at 4:03 pm
Kickers can go hot and cold year to year. I never heard of this guy until last year.
———
He’s been around for a while, but had a very nice year in Indy in 2022.
He’s a long range kicker, and last year was almost certainly the best he’ll ever had, he’s not the type of guy who is going to make 94% of his kicks again.
He’s probably more of a low-to-mid 80% type kicker, meaning he’ll miss a few more kicks than last year, like most kickers do.
Regardless, the reason he has a job is because he’s 24-29 beyond 50 yards. When you get a power kicker like that, you’re trading some accuracy, and last year is almost certainly the exception. But I’d love to be wrong and see him do it again.
August 18th, 2024 at 7:55 pm
With McLaughlin it got to the point where there was this relaxing feeling that he would nail the 50+ yard field goals; that’s pretty much unheard-of. The field goals weren’t juuuust making it through, they were completed with a certain authority in a very consistent way.
I’d vote for: a 90% chance he’ll continue to be a winner this year vs a 10% chance Todd has anything substantive to freak-out about in pre-season.
The only real problem.is that Bowles always seems to feel, a100% of the time, he must stockpile excuses (loud & early).
This “using the media” against his own players business is not good. There’s big difference between saying things like: “We need work in the secondary, especially at the cornerback area,” and singling-out a player, specifically.
August 18th, 2024 at 10:46 pm
He clanged a 50 yarder off the uprights indoors at Lions playoff game. Might still be in his head.
Bring in another kicker to compete.
August 19th, 2024 at 5:19 am
Todd aint wrong…Camarda too …
This is ridiculous!
Go Bucs!
August 19th, 2024 at 12:35 pm
what a bunch of fragile cup cakes. RELAX