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

QUESTION: Todd Bowles seems to lack the elite leadership skills an NFL franchise needs in a head coach. With the division crown theirs for the taking the entire team came out flat and were clearly out-coached (a common theme in the Bowles era). Do you think he’s back on the hot seat?

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: Yes, Todd Bowles is certainly back on the hot seat after Sunday’s 23-13 loss to New Orleans. With the NFC South title on the line at home against a hated division rival in the Saints, there was no excuse for the Bucs to come out so flat and unprepared on both sides of the ball. Bowles is now 16-17 as Tampa Bay’s head coach and even with a win on Sunday in Carolina, he would only be at .500.

I like Todd Bowles a lot. I think he’s a good man and at times can be an incredible defensive play-caller. But do the Bucs want a .500 coach or a winner? I know that if Tampa Bay wins on Sunday, it will have won three straight NFC South titles, including two with Bowles at the helm. But the reality is that the division is one of the most downtrodden in the league – and the Bucs will have barely won it twice in the last two years.

Bowles is not the caliber of head coach that Tony Dungy, Jon Gruden and Bruce Arians were in Tampa Bay. I think he’s more on Dirk Koetter’s level, but better than Lovie Smith and Greg Schiano. The Glazers and general manager Jason Licht have to ask themselves after the season, “Can we win a Super Bowl with Bowles as our head coach?”

If the answer is yes, then Bowles winning back-to-back division titles did the trick. If the answer is no, then Tampa Bay will be looking to level up in the coaching department in the offseason.

QUESTION: Do you think Todd Bowles can survive with a 9-8 record, or does he really need to win a playoff game too?

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: No, I think at this stage Todd Bowles needs to win the NFC South division with a victory on Sunday in Carolina and then win a home playoff game. The Bucs want to see two things from Bowles this year. The first is an improvement over last year, and technically, getting to nine wins would be a one-win improvement. The other thing is that the Bucs want to see if he’s the caliber of coach that can win a championship. Because at the end of the day, that’s the goal of every NFL team.

The fact that Bowles and the Bucs were beaten so soundly at home against the Saints with the division on the line was quite damning. But if Tampa Bay can win in Carolina and get a home playoff win, Bowles could be redeemed with his first postseason victory.

Everything ramps up in postseason football. The Glazers would love to see if Bowles can win a home playoff game because if he can’t, then Tampa Bay will likely never win a Super Bowl with him. Finishing the regular season 9-8 with an 0-2 playoff record at home over the last two seasons would likely mean Bowles gets fired in my opinion.

QUESTION: Can we agree Devin White has shown his true colors? Humbled, plays lights out the next week and once his spot is secure he goes back to free-styling on the field. Once this guy secured a bag he was gonna shut it down. Tell me Jason Licht sees what we all see.

Bucs ILBs Devin White and Lavonte David – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: I’m not going to speak for general manager Jason Licht, but Devin White’s tape this year is what it is – inconsistent and largely uninspiring. White had two great games – at Minnesota and versus Jacksonville – combined with a few decent ones. But I would suggest that half of the games he’s played in this year – even when he was healthy – were bad from a consistency standpoint and a lack of plays made.

It was not surprising to see White ball out against the Jaguars and then have such a blah game the next week in a loss against the Saints, where he failed to make a single splash play. That’s been White’s story over the last two years, especially.

And yes, I believe that if a team gave White a multi-year contract with a lot of cash, that his effort level would wane. Yet I think White will be lucky to get a one-year, prove-it deal worth $7 million elsewhere in free agency. And if I’m the team that signs him I am making sure it is loaded with incentives and not guaranteed money.

QUESTION: Have the Bucs ever played a game and said, “Wow, the soft zone coverage really worked out there today?”

Saints TE Juwan Johnson – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: Lol! Great question. The Bucs’ use of soft zone against the Saints was quite maddening, especially after a more aggressive approach had worked in previous weeks during the team’s four-game winning streak.

Bucs head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles said after the game that the plan was to limit the big plays from Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed outside. That worked, as Olave was held to three catches for 26 yards and Shaheed had just two receptions for 14 yards.

But New Orleans’ tight ends combined for 11 catches for 133 yards, including eight receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown from Juwan Johnson. Taysom Hill also scored a touchdown for New Orleans. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. picked an awful time to have his worst game of the year in coverage.

QUESTION: Does Todd Bowles not trust his defensive players? He seems to have gone from an attacking defense to a “soft pillow, try to tackle them seven yards down the field.” Where is the disruptive force that we need?

Saints TE Taysom Hill and Bucs S Antoine Winfield Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: I agree that Todd Bowles’ use of soft zone coverage led to the Saints converting 8-of-18 (44%) on third downs, which led to New Orleans having a 13-minute time of possession advantage on Sunday. The Bucs were not as aggressive as they needed to be in getting after Derek Carr, who was only sacked once and not hit at all in his 32 dropbacks.

Although he has not been terribly effective this year at age 31 coming off a torn Achilles tendon, the Bucs missed Shaq Barrett on Sunday. Rookie YaYa Diaby made two tackles for loss in the running game, but did not provide consistent pressure at all. The same could be said of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, who started in place of Barrett and finished with just three tackles.

Bowles’ blitzes didn’t work, either. Carr had all day to throw and found the Saints tight ends for big plays and touchdowns all day. Tampa Bay will need to find a better edge rusher next year to replace Barrett, who could be a salary cap casualty in the offseason with Tryon-Shoyinka likely just a backup entering his contract year in 2024.

QUESTION: Why did we not utilize Rachaad White as a receiver out the backfield? We have been extremely successful with that.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and RB Rachaad White – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: I too was surprised that the Bucs didn’t turn to their screen game against the Saints. Rachaad White was targeted four times on Sunday and caught all four passes for 24 yards. But we didn’t see White have much room in space to operate in the passing game, and his longest catch was just seven yards.

Where was the screen game? Where was flexing White out in the slot and forcing either linebacker Demario Davis or Pete Werner to cover him downfield? I think there were some missed opportunities against New Orleans and I think it was one of offensive coordinator Dave Canales’ worst games of the year in terms of play calls. Tampa Bay had just 44 yards and zero points at halftime.

It’s worth noting that in Sunday’s game, White only had 11 carries for 42 yards (3.8 avg.), yet it seemed like Canales ran him 20 times. Most of those runs were ineffective as the Saints defensive line that dominated the Bucs offensive line and tight ends in the trenches.

QUESTION: Why do the Bucs wait so long to start passing? The second half there was pretty reasonable yardage by Baker Mayfield. First half almost no throws and next to nothing in yards. I don’t get that philosophy.

Bucs OC Dave Canales and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: Again, Sunday was one of Dave Canales’ worst games as a play-caller. The Bucs had just eight carries for eight yards in the first half as Tampa Bay was outscored 17-0 and managed just 44 yards of total offense. Baker Mayfield was 5-of-10 for 43 yards at halftime, as Tampa Bay was almost 50-50 in terms of run and pass.

Yet despite being down 17 points, the Bucs continued to run the ball in the third quarter with seven more carries for 49 yards, while Mayfield attempted just seven more passes with five completions for 46 yards. While Tampa Bay ran the ball more effectively in the third quarter, it didn’t lead to points and only chewed up more clock as the Saints added a field goal.

In the fourth quarter, Mayfield was turned loose and went 12-of-16 for 220 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Tampa Bay outscored New Orleans 13-3 in the final quarter, but it was too little too late. Canales should have led with the passing attack to get Mayfield and his receivers into a groove and then added the running game for balance.