Todd Bowles: Loss Can Be Summed Up In One Word
December 23rd, 2024
All boils down to one thing.
Todd Bowles, now head coach of a team outside looking in for a shot at the playoffs after losing with terribly sloppy play on national television Sunday night, used one word to describe the loss.
“Fundamentals.”
The Bucs had lousy fundamentals in the first half. It sort of improved in the second half but when the Bucs needed points, sloppy play and not taking care of the ball crept back to the surface.
“Fundamentals,” Bowles said. “Fundamentals and technique.”
Well, technique is fundamentals. So is ball security.
Jalen McMillan had what would have been a game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter but he allowed the ball to be ripped out of his arms at the goal line for a pick by Jourdan Lewis.
And when the Bucs were on a do-or-die drive, Rachaad White had the ball stripped fighting for an extra yard.
Fundamentals.
Now Joe has zero idea how fundamentals — technique, ball security, whatever you want to call it — are still an issue in late December. The Bucs have been practicing since friggin’ July for crying out loud.
Is Bowles not teaching fundamentals? Are his players too dense to learn?
Joe is sort of going to give White a pass. He doesn’t often fumble. But he did have a crushing lost fumble on the second play from scrimmage against the Falcons in Week 8. Last night, to hold the ball on the fatal play like the proverbial loaf of bread, man, only Billy Sims could get away with holding the ball like that.
White ain’t no Billy Sims.
When Bowles was asked about the poor tackling, he again went back to his one-word answer for the ills of the game.
“It’s fundamentals, it’s fundamental,” Bowles said. “Tackling in the first half was not very good. It was better in the second half.”
There again, this team has been practicing since July. They still don’t know how to tackle? What is Joe missing? Or to the point, what are Bowles’ players missing?
December 23rd, 2024 at 2:25 am
Bye….thats the word
Welcome our new HC Liam…
December 23rd, 2024 at 2:30 am
I’m sure Emo-Bowles mumbled quietly every word
December 23rd, 2024 at 2:32 am
Players f’d up, we all know….but it comes down to how we’ve lost these close games this season and last….poor management, and who manages things? The HC in Todd….i mean here we go again….its stupid….its time for a change and Liam is already getting looks….and we need to lock him down Jason
December 23rd, 2024 at 2:39 am
This is getting old, Todd cannot get the guys to win in a pressure situation. Simple formula, 10 wins and a playoff win = a chance at coming back i 2025 otherwise bon voyage Todd!
December 23rd, 2024 at 2:40 am
Dedication sacrifice to get what you want you have to give up something you want too
December 23rd, 2024 at 2:54 am
How is the chance to control your playoff destiny not enough of a motivating factor to focus and get the job done against a depleted Dallas offense? Cooper Rush, another guy who has no business lighting up an NFL defense, was made to look like a guy who has started for 4+ years as a Pro Bowler.
As much as this is on the coaches, it’s also on the on-field captains not holding a higher standard and taking names.
December 23rd, 2024 at 2:55 am
Coach job….teach and insist on…..fundamentals. He gotta go.
December 23rd, 2024 at 2:58 am
Fundamentally got to go. Fundamentals he says. Whats todays date July
December 23rd, 2024 at 3:03 am
Pray Lavonte David comes back. Pray Chris comes back.
Hope we sign 2 FA Edge Rushers; and draft CB, LB, DT, G that can play T
Best to keep Coen; feel more comfy with he and Bake vs Koetter and Winston lol
Need a new DC
What’s behind door #2
December 23rd, 2024 at 3:26 am
Hahaha terrific. Appreciate the comments I see above me.
December 23rd, 2024 at 3:50 am
Actually, can be summed up in three words: incompetent Head Coach
December 23rd, 2024 at 3:55 am
Did you guys actually thought we were going to win all these games to make it to the playoffs? Sorry but the bucs put themselves in a huge hole in the first place starting 4 and 6. These are the consequences on trying to catch up from bad losses in early games this year.
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:08 am
All of you clowns have been talking Super Bowl all week. I was one of the few to vote that they would lose in the poll the other day. Said multiple times, falcons swept us and it was a precarious situation at best- the 3 seed the 3 seed- what a joke
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:15 am
Bowles HC track record speaks for itself. He is and always will be a failure as a HC. Get rid of Bowels, Make Liam the HC and hire a good DC. Same formula Gruden had when of course we won our first SB.
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:41 am
Fire Bowles is two words.
The wizard is exposed that performance was almsot as abysmal as the lack of adjustments on both sides of the ball. What a waste of 3 hours.
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:42 am
Best coach ever.
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:50 am
I didn’t read Ira’s column before posting this.
I read the first line of it, and clicked back to this page because I was thinking the same thing Ira opened with.
The Cowboys wanted the win more, and they played like it. That was obvious from the get-go.
And, to be fair, fundamentals. Or lack of them on our part.
December 23rd, 2024 at 5:18 am
Think a bigger problem was the ocean in the middle of our defense Rush threw the ball into all last night. I mean the instant our receivers caught the ball they were being destroyed. Everytime a Dallas receiver caught the ball he had no one in his zip code. Todd blames tackling, I blame him for playing soft zones. No pass rush, YaYa is a bust like JTS, and playing 10 yards off coverage doesn’t work Todd. When we get punched in the mouth, and lose to Canales next week hopefully it ends the Bowles era.
December 23rd, 2024 at 5:54 am
Are 75% of you still confident in Todd Bowles…I’m confident he should be released
December 23rd, 2024 at 6:15 am
This is who the Bucs are….. a 9 or 10 win team. Most years that wins the NFC South. Unfortunately, it will be a crap shoot if they win the last two games. Carolina sucks but still plays hard every week. Atlanta has the tougher schedule but we have an incompetent HC who tends to blow 3-4 games a year with his poor coaching.
December 23rd, 2024 at 6:18 am
How about structuring a defense where the other team has people wide open all over the field all day long.
Cooper fcking Rush will get a starting contract in the NFL next year based on this game
Why do you start the game with White in the backfield. Surprise the offense doesn’t start to move until Bucky is in the game
Why the hell is White even in the game on the last drive and not Bucky. Its like he is trying to lose
December 23rd, 2024 at 6:19 am
Two words.. Todd Bowels
December 23rd, 2024 at 6:46 am
Sad but true a Bucs loss against the stinkin Panthers and a Falcons win eliminates the Bucs. Bowles should be preaching that all week!!!!
December 23rd, 2024 at 7:06 am
What a pathetic showing by the wooden Indian.
December 23rd, 2024 at 7:08 am
Two words , Time, Out.
December 23rd, 2024 at 7:19 am
One word for a team that can beat teams with a winning record but suck ass against teams with a losing record. Retarded. There’s something this team that might need a psychiatrists help to figure out.
December 23rd, 2024 at 7:23 am
Baloney Todd. The only time your defense was in the game was when the Cowboys gave up on the pass or when they were forced to try to go more than 10yds for a 1st down. He isn’t wrong about fundamentals. It’s his team, he’d know. But the gaslighting that doesn’t address the scheme that allows even marginal qbs that have decent pass pro to destroy the middle of the defense is RIDICULOUS.
December 23rd, 2024 at 7:59 am
Sometimes extra effort these things happen and in that instance there was no need for it, go down, next play unless you are trying to get out of bounds. Fight smart. Notice Bucky has not fumbled since the one at ATL.
December 23rd, 2024 at 7:59 am
With this kind of play Bucs don’t need to go to the playoffs. Cowboys eliminated from the playoffs played with more fight and dignity then the dam Bucs who are supposedly fighting for a spot. Dam shame Bucs. It’s one thing to lose a close game when you play well last night was not that
December 23rd, 2024 at 8:01 am
I said I’d shut up and root for the team until after the season, so I will. But I saw a loss like this coming, especially after the Chargers win. It’s a Todd Bowles team—this is what they do: play up to the good teams, down to the bad ones. Lose games they shouldn’t, win games they shouldn’t. Consistently inconsistent.
December 23rd, 2024 at 8:03 am
Middle of the field was open all night like 7-11 and that’s been on tape all season unfortunately
December 23rd, 2024 at 8:08 am
But but but….all week, Bowles stated this team stopped worrying about opponents and focused on themselves, technique, and responsibilities.
Bowles’s excuses sound like Dungy’s “We weren’t in sync” excuses.
December 23rd, 2024 at 8:08 am
EVERYONE knows what the problem is. The big question is what will be done about it. By the way, Joe, is the any way you can jam another advertisement on to your website? It really sucks how cluttered it is. It’s a mess.
December 23rd, 2024 at 8:13 am
We cant ignore Coach Bowles consistent inability to manage the clock at the end of the game or half. This happened again at the end of tf the cowboys first half when The Bucs got a first and goal and he calls time out and stops the clock with 50+ seconds. The Bucs score which is good, but they once again left plenty of time for the other team to come back and score 3 and end up losing by 2. Poor clock management by Bowles and leaving the opponent ( KC, Atlanta, etc time to beat you has to stop. Bowles has proven he cant do this and its been costly.
etc..) time to drive down the field
December 23rd, 2024 at 8:23 am
Todd bowles must go. He preaches all coaching issue throw in the bad game management and if defense and the players loved him so much They would play like it.. Fire him please
December 23rd, 2024 at 8:27 am
Fundamentals?! That’s the coach’s way of saying “I’m not the reason we lost, blame these crappy players I have.”
His scheme only works against about half the quarterbacks out there. And, what do you know, he’s a .500 coach.
December 23rd, 2024 at 8:30 am
Todd thinks he can confuse backup quarterbacks either his zone wizardry but throwing it to the wide open guy in the middle of the field is pretty easy for them.
December 23rd, 2024 at 8:39 am
Nothing gets said about kicker always kicking in end zone for years on end giving other team free 30 yards and then some. Bucs had poor field position most of the game. The most that gets said is ” all aspects need to get better”. What vague feedback. Constant penalties, lack of pass defense, lack of defensive picks Bucs used to rely on to keep us in games, lack of consistency from week to week. If Bucs miss playoffs, maybe they get better chance of draft or acquiring better safety, cornerback, linebacker, edge rusher, guard. Maybe they are showing their age, or need to acquire new blood, and new defensive coaching. The defense has lost their Bucs culture and talent from years past. O- line better, but come on Center, Mayfield is not 10 feet talll, learn to snap.
December 23rd, 2024 at 8:54 am
Either way it’s coaches fault if he’s blaming fundamentals at the end of the season and that sums up Todd Bowles coaching history
December 23rd, 2024 at 8:56 am
Hey Bowles, McCollum and the rest of the defense, that team that has a star on their helmet in white jerseys kicks our butts. Dallas, who had nothing to play for, wanted this game more. They were the more physical team. When was the last time Bucs secondary made plays? Dallas? Their DBs showed you how it’s done. Hats off to those guys and shame on TB and Bowles for not being ready for Dallas, esp on defense. But, par for the course. I’m the idiot for expecting something different from a Todd Bowles team, esp the defense. Once again, scheme is awful, no pass rush, secondary is atrocious. On another note, knew we were in trouble on first series when Shepherd drops the 4th down pass.
December 23rd, 2024 at 9:19 am
This team was not prepared .bowles time is up ! The jets fans warned us ! Time for the glazer boys to kick bowles to the curb. Same old mistakes ! Are we going to suffer through another year of below average coaching ? If he stays I won’t bother watching till they get rid of him.
December 23rd, 2024 at 9:35 am
Fundamentals come back to coaching. These are grown ass men on the field while been playing football for 15+ years. If they aren’t executing in fundamentals and the team plays that sloppily 3/4 of the way through the season, that’s on coaching.
December 23rd, 2024 at 9:41 am
It is amazing to me how you guys continue to give Baker a pss. He is the highest paid offensive player on offense and sets the tone. He asked for Sharpe, he has turned the ball over after holding it too long in every lose.
Baker needs to speed up the tempo coming out of the huddle. Winfield needs to tape up and play. The highest pay need to lead by example. The reality is, if the Bucs win 1 of their final two games they will make it to the post season.
Lastly, the first two drives on offense had no continuity and lead to punts. The defense has many injuries, the offense is just to inconsistent.
December 23rd, 2024 at 9:49 am
Fire your web designers…
December 23rd, 2024 at 10:05 am
Even with the mistakes we could have won pin this again on the defense no pass rush terrible secondary with a backup quarterback against us at that
December 23rd, 2024 at 10:12 am
No sense of urgency against the Cowboys. You are playing 3 losing teams your last 3 games. THEY..have nothing to gain byt pride. They are gonna play YOU..like its their Superbowl. And you..lay down. Bucs are a 500 team. They will be home with us on the couch watching the other teams in the playoffs.
December 23rd, 2024 at 10:17 am
This team chokes every damned time the national media starts stroking them as being a contender. I realize it’s a game (earning a king’s random for several coaches and players), and most young guys want to have fun playing, but I do miss having guys like Brady and even Gronk who came from a system that demanded discipline in pursuit of excellence. That SB team with Arians coaching and Brady almost single-handedly willing the other players to elevate themselves to the best they could be is a memory I’ll cherish. Outside a few Buccaneers players who should be in the HoF after their playing days (we all know who they are) this team, from coaching on down, ain’t that team any longer.
December 23rd, 2024 at 10:22 am
My one word…OUT COACHED! Again!!!
December 23rd, 2024 at 10:59 am
Fire the coach my one sentence
December 23rd, 2024 at 11:04 am
All of these players have been playing football for many years. They dang well should know fundamentals and technique. Inexcusable
December 23rd, 2024 at 11:41 am
Come on everybody! The defense has injuries. Offense has some injuries. You can’t blame Bowles for a dude holding the ball out with one hand and not tucking it. You can’t blame Bowles and Baker for a receiver getting the ball taken from him! The defended fought for it and the receiver didn’t.
December 23rd, 2024 at 1:58 pm
Meg Says:
December 23rd, 2024 at 8:39 am
Nothing gets said about kicker always kicking in end zone
*************************************************************
Dallas has a very dangerous ‘return’ man.
Touchbacks are the best way to keep him from breaking a big return.
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:20 pm
Is “WTF” one word?
December 23rd, 2024 at 9:02 pm
Joe maybe you could ask Todd Bowles how he expects players to get better at fundamentals when he gives them extra days off every single week of the season?
Are they supposed to get better at tackling and holding the ball in their dreams?
December 23rd, 2024 at 10:40 pm
Toilet Bowles…..same old s–t
December 23rd, 2024 at 10:47 pm
Anybody know how to get rid of the damn drop-down that comes over half of my phone screen to get rid of it?
December 24th, 2024 at 12:23 am
24 points should be enough to win the game, the defense needs to keep the opposing team to 20 points or less. Todd Bowles never takes responsibility for his own mistakes. I hope he gets fired. We will have to lose to the Panthers for that to happen and it will have to be a defensive collapse.I have lost all confidence, what is going to keep Panthers from dink and dunk us to death then a long ball to Thielen. Panthers almost beat us last time, now they have more confidence and more motivation to beat us. Bucs play horrible when we are the favorite. Now if they dress the Bucs in creamsicle it will be a guaranteed loss.