What Sort Of Sorcery Can Todd Bowles Invent?
October 22nd, 2024
What next?
In a couple of hours last night, the Bucs went from one of the best teams in the NFC if not the league, and perhaps the best team in the NFC South, to looking like a team that will have a top-10 pick in the draft.
You know, like the good ol’ days: The Lost Decade.
Not only did the Bucs lose the majority of their offense with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin going down for who knows how long, but it’s pretty clear the Bucs defense is trash.
(Don’t like Joe typing that? Well, it’s not up to Joe if this defense can or will improve. And it’s not Joe who keeps thinking you can build a superior defense without a consistent edge rush.)
Nick Shook of NFL.com believes how the Bucs can navigate the choppy seas left by the absence of Evans and Godwin will be very telling when it comes to the Bucs playing meaningful football in January.
Todd Bowles’ aggressive defense collapsed against Jackson and Co., and with both Godwin and Evans’ immediate futures now in doubt, the Buccaneers are going to have to dig deep to find a way to keep up with the mercurial Atlanta Falcons in an NFC South race that is suddenly tight at the top.
The Bucs were in the mid-20s as far as defensive rankings among NFL teams. After last night’s disaster, the Bucs will likely be in the bottom-five.
Good defensive coaches don’t have bottom-five defenses, not with Pro Bowl players on every level.
October 22nd, 2024 at 4:01 am
Bowles defense continues to be SHREDDED. We need to hire a DC next year. maybe Robert Salah(He’s the fired Jets coach).
October 22nd, 2024 at 4:02 am
Last 2 years the excuse was: “D is not bad, if the offense would only get us 24 points a game we would rule the NFL”
What is the excuse now that we have an offense that actually can score?…
October 22nd, 2024 at 4:05 am
It was a fun season. Who will replace Bowles?
October 22nd, 2024 at 4:19 am
joe also please understand that we ran into a buzzsaw last night…
the ravens are one bad azz football team…
they are tough af…
and very well might be the best team in football…..
(or maybe kc)
but yeah we got totally screwed last night losing chris and mike…it’s freakin’ crazyyy!
October 22nd, 2024 at 4:20 am
and yeah the leaky defense is fast becoming a joke…
coach needs to jump on that and get it fixed, and fast
October 22nd, 2024 at 4:23 am
Todd Bowles does does not hold anyone on his defense accountable, including himself. He never admits to making crucial mistakes. So far this season he has: allowed his team to come out flat and get boat-raced by a bad Denver club (outcoached by Payton yet again), had no adjustments in the ATL and likely coerced his OC to go turtle in the second half and last night his D was garbage and his ineptitude probably ended Chris Godwin’s season (hopefully not his career). Is this enough for the Glazers to start looking forward to a Black Monday in early January? Let’s face it, who thinks the Bucs will beat the ATL next Sunday? Heck, now beating any club in the NFL including the Saionts, Giants, raiders and Panthers will be a challenge. Yeah Bowels will not go 4-13, that would give his replacement too good of a draft pick, he will probably eek out 6 to 8 wins leaving the Bucs stuck in mediocrity for the new coach. Last night’s game made me want to puke….. Bowels has to go. No adjustments and no accountability is his mantra.
October 22nd, 2024 at 4:26 am
do you think bowles might contact JOBU………… 🙂
maybe rigg up some voodoo scheme for those dirty birds
October 22nd, 2024 at 4:31 am
Seasons over thanks to Bowles. We need coaching candidates that can replace him. We might need to draft a top WR, LB and DB with the top 3 picks. You would think Mike smith is running this defense with how bad it’s being shredded. Add DE to the list cause we have no pass rush. On the plus side the RBs look good and offensive line so that’s something to build on. Guess we won’t lose Liam cohen to another team as head coach when we’re about to lose 8 out our next 10 games.
October 22nd, 2024 at 4:49 am
No mike and CG? Use your 3 rbs and run every single time
October 22nd, 2024 at 5:08 am
The frustrating thing for me is that Bowles finds new ways to screw up. 1 step forward and 2 back.
October 22nd, 2024 at 5:18 am
Week after week mounting injuries are turning good teams to average or below competitors. The loss of Chris and Mike will hard to overcome. We will need to rely more on Otten and White in the passing game. O line was pretty solid in the run game. White got 111 yards from scrimmage and and a 4.0 yard per carry
average against a pretty stout run defense. IMO, the O line of last year
was a big factor in his production last year. Tucker ran for 6.8 yard average and Bucky was held to 2.8 yards a carry. also think pass pro from running backs will be important for Baker to find targets other than Mike and Chris. Too early to
predict who will get more snaps in the remaining games this season. But I do think Bucky’s blocking needs to improve to earn more snaps. I don’t think he was asked to do much of that in college.
October 22nd, 2024 at 5:44 am
The goose is cooked. Overcooked. The poorly conceived notion dual role HC/DC of the team is now on display for everyone to see — the reveal is, incompetent at both roles . Sad.
October 22nd, 2024 at 6:01 am
Need to look at some receivers like maybe Tee Higgins, Dionte Johnson, Mike Williams etc. Tee would probably be expensive but could be the future #1 in a few yrs and would help a ton, Williams should be cheap and good as a #3 wr. Maybe he improves to a #2 if we have a threat at #1 healthy. We need a pass rush more than anything, unfortunately we have drafted mostly busts at de/edge our lb core will eventually be the worst in league when Lavonte hangs it up in the coming yrs. Our secondary we have 1 solid man db and 1 all pro saftey, our Middle dline is solid with Vea and Cancey.
Many here are correct though this team never adjusts and is never accountable especially on defense. Evans shouldn’t have been out there especially after limping around after the first TD catch. Baker looks unstoppable almost sometimes even Mahomes like one minute and then next minute turns into Winston who can’t see past the oline with absolutely brain dead forced passes with clear double or triple coverage sometimes when other wr are wide open.
All this while having no cap space and some very bad decisions in the drafts.
Only thing Light and staff seem to be good at drafting is oline. We have that set so drop Light and Bowles and bring in some new scouts to boot.
October 22nd, 2024 at 6:05 am
What can Todd invent? Nothing. His defense has been figured out. After the Ravens first series, a three, and out they pretty much did whatever they wanted on offense. Monken had a play for every blitz, and coverage. Coverage, if that’s what you want to call it was non exsistent. Even with Winfield back, the secondary looked lost. Never do I see receivers running so wide open except when they play us. On Henry’s TD catch he actually had to wait for the ball to get to him, and still not a defender in sight. This season is over, and so is Todd’s head coaching career. Mark it down, the Glazer’s think this is a S.B. team, right, or wrong. They fired a much better coach in Dungy for Gruden. I see them doing so again this time the big hire will be Belichick. With his defense, and Coen’s offense, we might have something.
October 22nd, 2024 at 6:06 am
Hats off to mike he gave it all. Warrior!
October 22nd, 2024 at 6:22 am
Bakefield ints sealed the fate.
October 22nd, 2024 at 6:25 am
JL has work to do starting today ,,, need help at receiver , Edge and LB,, Maybe move White to the slot for now,, Give the Jets a call about Mike Williams (for a 6th)
October 22nd, 2024 at 6:27 am
A Magic Bus to ride Bowles out of town.
October 22nd, 2024 at 6:29 am
It to mention Tykee may be out
October 22nd, 2024 at 6:41 am
Out coached again. Second time in three weeks. Bowles and Licht need to be accountable. If Licht can’t find a pass rush he can go with Bowles
October 22nd, 2024 at 7:07 am
One thing that could be a blessing with Bowels being exposed as a fraud. This could open the door for Liam Coen to get an interview for the HC if he can dial up a competent offense sans Mike and Godwin even if Bowels defense continues to look like a Mike Smith masterpiece. Then Coen could hire a competent DC which would require a rebuild but with some decent talent as well as an offense that is viable if it had some depth….
Dave Pear, yeah, guys like Todd Bowels and Dennis Allen are incompetent at best, arrogant imbeciles is more likely though. Allen could get run in season though I am afraid Bowles will have to wait until the Monday after week 18 to get launched. He is incompetent and stubborn: not bencihng KJ Britt, going turtle in the ATL, now ending Godwin’s season???? In Detroit in the playoffs he won’t call a time out because the game “was over”, now he leaves the starters in even after Harbaugh pulled his guys out with Josh Johnson and Justin Hill getting mop-up duty with a 2 score deficit????? Bowels proved last night that he is not capable of managing the clock, running the D and being the HC.
October 22nd, 2024 at 7:18 am
Todd invented a new concept for Cover-0: in his defense it really means to cover zero opponents and let them roam free on the field….
He also invented a completely new concept: the Cover-each-other, where the CB covers the FS, the SS covers the MLB, the slot corner covers the other CB and the remaining players cover themselves…
October 22nd, 2024 at 8:00 am
There will be several new players on defense next year. Even this year.
October 22nd, 2024 at 8:12 am
It could be me ,but I have been a bucs fan a loooong time. Every time with a few exceptions ,that we have a great scoring offense our D stinks it up! Just saying!
October 22nd, 2024 at 8:13 am
WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPEN LAST NIGHT, TODD’S DEFENCE STRIKE AGAIN, WE HAVE A SECONDAIRIE THAT KEEP’S DISAPPEARING NO COVERAGE AN EDGE RUSHER HIDING SOMEWHERE THAT’S A NO SHOW AND CAN’T BE FOUND ON THE FIELD ,AND TODD BOWEL KEEPS STELLING HIS GRANDSON’S DEFENCE PLAYBOOK THAT HIS COACH THROW’S IN THE GARBAGE CAN THAT DON’T WORK , THATS WHY THE JET’S FIRED HIS ASS , AND COMES TO TAMPA AND TAKE’S OVER WHAT AIRIES BUILT AND MADE IT A LOOSING TEAM , AND IF THERE GOING TO BE ANY RECORD’S SET OR BROKEN IT WILL BE AGAINST TAMPA FOR SURE …….FIRE TODD’S BALLS
October 22nd, 2024 at 8:36 am
Some excellent questions and observations.
On another thread..”the rest of the season will be so difficult.”
Seriously? Not due to the schedule. The Bucs have a critical game against the Falcons next. That is huge because of the Division. Then they have two more losses scheduled against KC and SF. IF they lose all three they’ll be 4-6. EXACTLY where they were this time last year! They hit bottom at 5-7 last year.
Who is left after the bye. TWO games against the stinkin Panthers, games against the Giants, Raiders, Chargers and Cowboys and a home game to wrap it all up against the Saints who are in a real disaster right now. Every one of those games is winnable with Home field advantage in the majority.
“It was a fun season. Who will replace Bowles?”
“Seasons over thanks to Bowles.”
“The goose is cooked.”
“A Magic Bus to ride Bowles out of town.”
WOW!!! I’m just glad these are so called “Bucs fans” and not actual Buc players. That’s the ticket. Even though Bowles showed what COULD happen from last year’s performance let’s all just freaking QUIT right now while the Bucs are in first less than halfway through the season.
I’m thrilled the Buc players are not as wimpy as their fans!
October 22nd, 2024 at 8:47 am
Coach Bowles has proven he is not a good head coach.
Bucs need to move on from him and promote Liam Coen.
Outside of the decision to hire Liam Coen he makes terrible decisions.
The reason why it is so disgusting is if the Bucs just made logical decisions as a franchise, then this team is talented enough to win a Super Bowl
October 22nd, 2024 at 8:48 am
Baker Mayfield played bad but that dropped td from Mike Evans and that holding call by Wirs was the reason why we lost. It sucked the wind out of the team last night. I feel bad for Godwin but it’s part of the game and yes Bowles should have taken him out of the game especially when you saw Mike Evans got hurt . We have to move on they have to run at least 30 to 25 times a game now. But the only thing I don’t like is we don’t have a deep threat anymore!! Mike Evans will be back after the bye week. I’m not that concerned about the falcons or 49ers it’s the Chiefs game we are going to lose for sure!! But I think we still make the playoffs.
October 22nd, 2024 at 9:09 am
It’s over Joe. Shut down the site. Time to get your real estate licenses.
October 22nd, 2024 at 9:24 am
A defensive coach who’s been in place for like 5 years shouldn’t have a bad defense.
If we are a team with a top 10 pick in the draft it means a new head coach is making that pick. I’m tired of the mediocre football under this coach
October 22nd, 2024 at 9:33 am
He’s a career loser.
Why does anyone expect that to change?
October 22nd, 2024 at 9:36 am
One thing I did notice – Baker threw 2 INTs but in most of the night, he was threading a needle because our guys just were not open. Not like the Raven’s guys, who were mostly uncovered by anyone all night.
October 22nd, 2024 at 10:03 am
Evans lol going back in after the TD stupid it was a good game for the Ravens
October 22nd, 2024 at 10:13 am
Fire Bowels, Liam Cohen HC. We need to keep our best coach.
October 22nd, 2024 at 10:24 am
Joe,
We can relax some. The Buffalo Bills got beat by this same Ravens team 41-3 and rebounded to look like the same good team they are. The Bucs are 4-3, and have a game for first place next week. Did it get more difficult? Yes. The WRs are now McMillan, Palmer, and Shepard. That isn’t an elite unit, but it is a unit that has some skills that can be utilized. Otton stepped up, and hopefully Culp can step in.
It sucks we lost our two best WRs but the Bucs are in a tie for first place. The defense looked like it planned for heavy run, and got heavy pass and got beat. It happens.
Go to war with what you have and go win the next game. It’s a bummer, but it’s not season over.
October 22nd, 2024 at 10:38 am
O’NeillBuc
Be careful or you’re going to get lumped in with all of us on #teampositive. LOL
BTW agree with your post other than the level of competion the next 3 games.
Don’t disagree but is suspect the next THREE will all be tough, after the bye though the Bucs are set up for a great win streak with crappy teams, two against the Panthers and that final home game against the Saints which are in free fall.
October 22nd, 2024 at 10:41 am
Steve
All excellent points and I would simply add that it’s a chance to perhaps find out White’s genuine talent putting him in the slot. He’s physical enough, and runs well after the catch and has great hands.
Joe has lobbied since last season that White would be better used as a receiver.
I agree there was just no spot for him. Sometimes injuries give a guy a chance to star. White was never going to get snaps with CG14 in the slot.
October 22nd, 2024 at 11:49 am
Maybe he can invent a new head coach.
October 22nd, 2024 at 1:44 pm
so our defensive genius got shredded for 41points.. Bowles has not , and will not change. But , he was , & is still apparently, the anointed one by BA
October 22nd, 2024 at 2:06 pm
Arians is the only good coach in the last 15 years. Bowles is done our defense ranks 31st now after MNF debacle.
October 22nd, 2024 at 2:52 pm
Keep Coen, keep Licht, hire Belichick as a coach with no GM powers.
October 22nd, 2024 at 4:38 pm
The problem is we don’t need sorcery. We need to be able to play man or zone and have defenders within 2 yards of the receivers, not 10. Bowles is in his laboratory with his eye of newt and wolfsbane trying to conjure a spell for an unbeatable blitz package when all he needs to do is have his defense cover somebody. Anybody.