Todd Bowles Addresses Poor Fundamentals
December 23rd, 2024
“Coach, how did you let this happen?”
Not quite 24 hours after the Bucs lost an embarrassing, sloppier-than-sloppy game to the sorry Cowboys and Troy Aikman Cooper Rush, it isn’t the loss that has Joe triggered so much today.
It’s that Bucs coach Todd Bowles correctly fingers his defensive players for poor fundamentals and really bad tackling.
In late December? How can that be happening? How can that be allowed to happen with playoff hopes on the line?
That is just astonishing to Joe and Bowles discussed this in his day-after presser.
“It is concerning,” Bowles said. “I mean we have a lot of different people playing so it’s always concerning. You always have to coach them.
“We had a few of those – we had less of them when we had the winning streak and then a couple of them creeped up [Sunday night] that we have to put out.
“[It’s just] discipline and practicing every day and everybody has to do their part, coaches and players.”
Well, if it takes no more “Victory Mondays” and forcing players, win or lose, to hit the practice fields on Mondays, so be it.
But dang, this team has been practicing since July. No, Joe doesn’t count underwear football. That’s basically playing grab-ass. How in the world can a team be playing with poor fundamentals in late December?
Joe can’t wrap his head around that. Players don’t forget fundamentals like they left their credit card at an adult clothing-optional establishment on Dale Mabry Highway.
Fundamentals are habitual. They are ingrained. You work on them until you don’t even think about it. They come naturally.
Talk about not having your head in the game, a critical, perhaps playoffs-killing game. This just blows Joe’s mind.
December 23rd, 2024 at 3:59 pm
“We talkin bout practice” ………
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:00 pm
So sloppy for a December team….so sloppy
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:04 pm
That’s on coaching. Bowles telling on himself.
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:08 pm
The Bucs coaching staff is responsible for getting there players ready to play both mentally and physically. They failed at both. This looked like last seasons Saints game as the Cowboys came out better prepared from start to finish. The only Bucs who looked ready to match the Cowboys energy on offense was Baker Myfield and Ryan Miller
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:08 pm
Y’all still kicking this dead horse? C’mon Joes. A grown man is going to grown man no matter what the job or circumstances are. You either want it or you don’t. And sad to say, maybe yesterday not everybody wanted it or wanted to go to work. Remember, this is still at the end of the day their job and I don’t care who you are, you don’t always want to go to work, and not everyone puts in a full effort all of the time.
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:08 pm
Ho-Hum. Same ole Buc letdown. There is always next year. And hopefully, with a new coach.
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:11 pm
Nothing is more sloppy than the caching Mr Bowles
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:17 pm
Agree we have to coach them. Mr. .500 Coach is not the man to do it.
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:23 pm
Joe’s a huge coaches’ guy having known how much better a player can be with good coaching.
We have short memories. Look what Bruce Arians did with the same core of players that Dirk Koetter had. Or for that matter, look what Liam Coen has done with pretty much the same players Dave Canales had.
Anyone reading this article really believe if the Chargers kept the same stat geek as coach they’d be in the playoffs? Or if Greg Schiano was in Minnesota and lost his quarterback that Schiano could win with Sam Darnold?
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:25 pm
My question is, although the HC is responsible for the entire team, when are they gonna start thinking about replacing some of the defensive position coaches. We’ve drafted 3 or 4 DEs in the 1st and 2nd round and none have become dominant. The same with CBs. It seems that. They play well for a few games and it’s back to mediocrity
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:32 pm
They have played multiple games this year with the same lackadaisical approach.
After the national media gushing over the Bucs game after whooping the Chargers in their house the team fell into the same trap. Some is up to the coaching staff to “remind them “ but most is up to the locker room leadership to keep them focused on their next game.
At least 3 real stinkers this year.
Considering everything that we have seen this year the Bucs while still having a punchers chance , they are not Super Bowl caliber and that is all that matters.
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:39 pm
Yes, coaching matters. When the boss isn’t looking some of the Bucs zone out. Bowles is mentally weak, and the players follow.
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:40 pm
Actually Todd Bowels has NOT addressed “poor fundamentals “
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:43 pm
The demeaner of the Coach is whats the problem ! Change that and you will have different results.
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:44 pm
Funny how so many quickly forget…. this is the same team that struggled late in the season last year with a playoff birth on the line, laying an egg in a loss NO and then struggling badly vs the worst team in the NFL before getting out of town with a forgettable 9-0 win. It’s a pattern at this point, and the teams poor focus and performance is directly tied to the HC.
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:54 pm
I have seen most all of Todd Bowles’ pressers…….I have never seen him this down….he’s usually laid back…..but this one was different.
I think he realizes that not only do the Bucs not control their own destiny….but he also doesn’t control his.
I think he realizes this could be the end.
He have 2 shots……we need to win out for both.
One….win more than the Falcons
Two….the Commanders lose two.
Eotjer way, we are dependent on their losing.
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:55 pm
Dropped his communication excuse now it’s fundamentals. No mr.500 it’s you
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:58 pm
Think of all the additional revenue that could be brought in by promoting Coen now. The renewed optimism and cooler weather along with the opportunity to beat CAR and NO at home surely would result in increased ticket sales. The national media would be all over the story. Figure out which defensive asst. runs it for the remainder of the season and go with it. I don’t see any down side to firing Bowles now. Plus it would give Coen a head start on next season. The bandaid can be removed slowly or quickly.
December 23rd, 2024 at 5:06 pm
“They need to be out there practicing fundamentals every day.”
-Todd Bowles
“Everyone take an extra day off this week.” – Also Todd Bowles
December 23rd, 2024 at 5:13 pm
How exactly do they do that when they get extra days off every week?
No team in the league practices less often than the Bucs.
December 23rd, 2024 at 5:39 pm
Well, Citrus, I see a downside. If Bowles got fired we have no head coach nor DC. If Coen got promoted we would have a first year HC with no time to prepare and no OC. I think half of you guys are nuts.
December 23rd, 2024 at 5:42 pm
Guys got overconfident after chargers win. Everybody knew we gonna feed mike to get his record
December 23rd, 2024 at 5:46 pm
Crickett Baker: You probably were a big Jeff Fisher fan, weren’t you? The only difference is Fisher was an average HC, Bowles is below average.
December 23rd, 2024 at 5:53 pm
Crickett Baker Says:
December 23rd, 2024 at 5:39 pm
Well, Citrus, I see a downside. If Bowles got fired we have no head coach nor DC. If Coen got promoted we would have a first year HC with no time to prepare and no OC. I think half of you guys are nuts.
^^^^^
Bowles is HC and DC now. Gruden was HC and OC. Just what if; Coen is HC and the team rallies around him and beats CAR and NO. When Bowles was made HC he said he had “co-DCs” on staff already. Coen could conceivably get a big head start.
December 23rd, 2024 at 5:59 pm
Bowles better have us Carolina ready, If not let the coaching search begin. Glazers wanted to see progress this season. I wouldn’t call this season taking a step up. Up to them.
December 23rd, 2024 at 6:45 pm
• Little Confidence
December 23rd, 2024 at 6:59 pm
After the way things have gone this season. Some of the embarrassing games and then last night. I am sure the HC searching and idea has already started.
December 23rd, 2024 at 7:02 pm
Todd’s a nice guy but his coaching days should be behind him
December 23rd, 2024 at 8:00 pm
One thing is for certain.
Toad Bowels cannot motivate his teams for Prime Time games.
December 23rd, 2024 at 8:30 pm
Do you see what happens Larry?
Do you see what happens Larry?
Do you see what happens Larry, when you f@ck a stranger in the a$$!
December 23rd, 2024 at 9:07 pm
Joe can you please ask Todd Bowles how they fix their fundamentals and get better at discipline and “practicing everyday” when he gives them extra days off every single week?
December 23rd, 2024 at 11:34 pm
It’s a little late to be addressing poor fundamentals, eh, coach?
Two more losses and the guru is gone.
December 23rd, 2024 at 11:42 pm
The team that we saw Sunday night has no chance of beating the Panthers. We were lucky to win the first game with them. I’m fed up with losing games due to Bowles’ brain farts and pisspoor defensive schemes. The HC/DC is killing this team. Offenses know ahead of time exactly what they’re going to face with the Bucs. Forget about halftime adjustments, Bowles can’t change the defense from week to week. We have a team that can beat any team in the league. That would be great except for the fact that, we also have a team that is more likely to lose to ANY team in the league. The Panthers are playing competitive football every week right now. We’re not. We’re lucky with this OC, and the Glazers better figure out a way to keep him, or attendance is going to plummet.
December 23rd, 2024 at 11:55 pm
Coach is great. Just not at head coaching . Thanks coach. Let’s have some beers when you’re done with football in two weeks.
December 24th, 2024 at 7:14 am
You Don’t see the Detroit Lions making critical fundamental errors with 19 players of their defense on injured reserve do you? Sorry Todd this one’s on you.!
December 24th, 2024 at 9:48 am
Fundamentals, discipline, focus, winning mentally – aren’t those what a HC is required to instill in his team?
Bowles is a failure in all of those.
December 24th, 2024 at 10:43 am
How about the fundamentals of snapping the ball? The 1st round draft pick that everyone raves about had multiple horrid snaps.
December 24th, 2024 at 10:44 am
It happens, look at the Eagles last year, we beat them in January due to poor tackling. So I’m not going all in on Bowles, look at our secondary and linebackers, how many of these guy have played that many plays in this many games. Not a lot. These are special teams guys who have played a few snaps in a few games, now they are playing full games and special teams.
December 24th, 2024 at 12:07 pm
Todd had to manufacture a win with backups, etc. All of these people should have been coached up by now. Tackling is fundamental in all levels of football. Defending passes without penalties has to be taught well in the NFL. With his exotic schemes Todd might have too many different players trying to defend passes.
Todd is a good head coach not a great one. His time here appears to be running out. Too bad.
Go Bucs!