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Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds answers your questions from the @PewterReport Twitter account each week in the Bucs Monday Mailbag. Submit your question to the Bucs Monday Mailbag each week via Twitter using the hashtag #PRMailbag. Here are the questions we chose to answer for this week’s edition.

QUESTION: What has happened to Devin White? He legitimately quit on a number of plays on TNF. Warren Sapp tweeted a video reviewing on such play. It’s sad. Does he need to go?

Bucs ILB Devin White and Ravens RB Gus Edwards – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: Devin White is one of the fastest, splashiest linebackers in the NFL. But he’s also one of the most inconsistent. The highlight reel plays are just as tantalizingly brilliant as the lowlight reel plays are extremely frustrating. White has really underwhelmed over the past month, starting with a five-tackle effort against Atlanta, followed by eight tackles against Pittsburgh, five at Carolina and 10 against Baltimore.

But during those games, White has yet to make any splash plays. No sacks, no forced fumbles, no fumble recoveries and no interceptions. White’s tape has plenty of missed tackles, boneheaded gaffes and instances where he simply can’t get off blocks. His play has regressed since Week 1 at Dallas, where he had a fantastic game with eight tackles, a pass breakup and two sacks. White also had 11 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a pass breakup in a Week 2 win at New Orleans.

White had 10 tackles against Baltimore on Thursday Night Football, but also was pushed around by the Ravens offensive line, driven downfield, struggled to get off blocks, missed tackles, gave up Kenyon Drake’s touchdown catch in the flat and then was clearly loafing on at least one play, which Warren Sapp pointed out on social media. Definitely not a good look for a team captain.

The Bucs won’t cut White, nor should they. He’s only 24 and it’s too early to give up on him. But he needs to be more mature and play smarter football. Can that happen? Will that happen in his fourth year, or is this just who White is as a player? The Bucs picked up his fifth-year option for 2023, but White would have to dramatically increase his level of consistency to earn a new, lucrative contract.

In the interim, to serve as a much-needed wake up call, removing the captain’s “C” from White’s chest might not be a bad idea. Also, giving rookie Olakunle Fatukasi a series or two in a game in place of White might give White a dose of humility he might be needing right now. But I doubt Todd Bowles will do either just yet.

QUESTION: What happened to the accountability that Bruce Arians preached about when he was here? After eight games has Todd Bowles already lost the locker room? Allowing Devin White to loaf is the opposite of accountability, respect, trust and loyalty.

ANSWER: I agree that not holding Devin White accountable would be a bad look for Todd Bowles. He had the chance to scold White publicly, which was something that Bruce Arians never shied away from when it came to sending a message to a player, but Bowles opted not to in Friday’s press conference. Instead, he defended White, saying that he wasn’t the problem.

Perhaps Bowles has a “praise in public and criticize in private” approach. I’m okay with that. But sometimes giving a player a talking to or calling them out in a team meeting is not enough. Would Bowles be willing to bench White or sit him for a series in favor of Olakunle Fatukasi to help drive the point home? We’ll see, but I don’t expect it.

Yet the players are watching, and the film doesn’t lie. This coaching staff was slow to sit Luke Goedeke when the rookie was struggling mightily at left guard for the first seven weeks of the season. They finally inserted Nick Leverett and the level of play at left guard increased immediately when they did.

The players want the 11 best on the field. And if the coaches don’t make that happen and don’t hold players accountable for their mistakes, that’s the quickest way to lose a locker room. Losing a locker room never happened under Bruce Arians. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen to Bowles, either.

QUESTION: I think if Antonio Brown had not had that meltdown and stayed on the team that the Bucs would have won the Super Bowl last year and would be at least 5-2 right now. Prove me wrong.

Bucs WR Antonio Brown – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: Antonio Brown the player? I think you may be right. But Brown the unpredictable jackass human being? It wasn’t meant to be. Asking Brown to stay normal and play football for a whole season was just too much to ask. That’s like asking a scorpion not to sting. That’s not in their nature.

There’s no doubt the Bucs missed Brown’s ability to get open and make plays downfield in the passing game. I think Tampa Bay might have repeated as Super Bowl champions if he had stayed in line and played well. But AB is all about him and not the team at the end of the day.

The Bucs certainly could have used some of Brown’s speed and playmaking this year. But the fact that he’s 34 and injury-prone would have made it difficult for him to stay healthy in 2022. Remember, he battled a knee injury in 2020 and an ankle injury last year. Plus, he got suspended for lying about his COVID vaccination status.

The Bucs miss AB the player – not the person.

QUESTION: Our special teams coverage units have struggled for years. Why not kick a touchback every time? Last game they were kicking to Devin Duvernay, which was playing with fire. I’m old enough to remember almost losing the Colts game last year because of it. Does Keith Armstrong last another year?

ANSWER: Great question. If I were head coach Todd Bowles, I would direct Jake Camarda to kick the ball into the end zone every time to not allow a single kick return. I just don’t trust the Bucs’ coverage units.

And I would also direct Tampa Bay’s kick returners to just take the touchback and give the ball to the offense at the 25-yard line every time. There’s too much risk of fumbling, getting a penalty and not even making it out to the 25.

Todd Bowles might consider some changes to his coaching staff next year, as he inherited Bruce Arians’ staff when he was handed the job on March 30. That was too late to make any changes on the staff. We’ll see what happens next year.

QUESTION: Since Todd Bowles has acknowledged no major changes to staff or roster, along with his “we need to run the ball more” after having the worst running game in the NFL, why should we have any hope this team turns it around?

Bucs RB Leonard Fournette – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: Yes, it’s problematic for sure. The Bucs need to do more of something they are not really good at. It seems like an odd approach, but between the second and third quarters against Baltimore, the Bucs had five straight possessions total just 19 plays. And those drives all ended in punts.

That allowed the Ravens’ running game to wear down the Bucs defense because Tampa Bay’s offense couldn’t stay on the field and sustain drives. The Bucs need to be more committed to running the ball to help the defense stay fresh and rested in the second half.

Tampa Bay’s defense is playing well in the first half, but without much help from the offense in terms of scoring, the defense is getting gassed and gashed on the ground in the second half. I think running the ball is the right approach – but can they do it well enough to continue? I too have my doubts.

QUESTION: Why does this team exist to hurt me?

ANSWER: LOL! That is a great question – and one I legitimately don’t have an answer for! But thank you for asking – and providing some humor in these dark days as the Bucs have lost five of their last six games.

Hang in there and we’ll see how the Bucs fare down the stretch. As bad as things look at 3-5, the Bucs are just one game out of a wild card playoff spot right now, and the NFC South title is still within reach.