I have written extensively about the price of accepting mediocrity, and I started that conversation long before many local publications and websites recently jumped on the bandwagon. But I never imagined it would get this bad, this quickly.
I have sat through some truly dark stretches of Buccaneers football. Fourteen consecutive losing seasons from 1983 through 1996. The long, painful rebuilding years of 2008 through 2019. I have experienced the absolute worst this franchise has had to offer. But I genuinely believed that this ownership group and these decision-makers had learned one fundamental lesson from all of it: rebuilding a winning culture is significantly harder than maintaining one. They had been there. They had done that. They watched Tom Brady walk in the door and transform this franchise overnight, and they watched what happened when he left. This franchise has a notorious history of struggling to turn things around once it hits rock bottom.
And yet here we are. Week 7. 1-5. Season over.
We kept Todd Bowles because the organization did not want to risk being worse than his mediocre .500 record. The comfort of known mediocrity over the uncertainty of something new. And now, less than halfway through the 2026 season, we are already worse. Tony Dungy said it best. If you are not getting better, you are getting worse. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting worse.
HOW YESTERDAY HAPPENED
Against a very average Pittsburgh Steelers team, this defense put together arguably its best three quarters of football all season. 16-3 heading into the fourth quarter. Everything was working. And then it all fell apart in the most familiar, most predictable way imaginable.
The offense tried to run the ball on first down over and over again without success, consistently putting themselves in second-and-nine and second-and-ten situations that completely handcuffed the play calling. Jalon Daniels could not hit open receivers in the second half. The defense, unable to make any meaningful adjustments after the 3rd quarter, surrendered five consecutive scoring drives to end the game and overtime. Twenty-three points. Five drives. No answers.
Same pattern. Different week.
THE HONEST PLAYER EVALUATIONS
Jalon Daniels is a genuinely great story and has shown flashes of real ability throughout this run as the starter. But he is a good backup quarterback. He is not the answer for this franchise at the position. That is not criticism. That is honest evaluation.
Zac Robinson has shown moments of creativity this season, but the gap between what he has produced and what Liam Coen was doing with this offense in 2024 is significant and impossible to ignore at this point.
We have no legitimate number one wide receiver on this roster. Emeka Egbuka has the talent to be a very good number two receiver if given a true stud to play alongside. Right now he is being asked to be something he is not.
On the bright side, A'Shawn Robinson recorded his second interception of the season. At this rate, maybe we should move him to defensive back. Rueben Bain Jr. finally got his first sack of the season. David Walker notched his third, continuing to be the most consistent pass rusher on this entire roster.
Lastly, our defense looks functionally identical with or without Winfield on the field. That is not an indictment of Winfield. That is an indictment of how Todd Bowles is using him. We’re 5 and 3 in the last 8 games he’s been out.
LOOKING AHEAD
It is genuinely sad to be sitting here in mid-October thinking about draft positioning and college quarterbacks. But that is the reality of where this franchise is right now. We are 1-5. The season is over in any meaningful sense. The conversations worth having now are about what comes next. New coaches. New direction. New energy. A front office willing to make bold decisions rather than comfortable ones.
At least we have our Tampa Bay Rays, who are making a run in the ALCS and giving this city something genuinely worth cheering about right now. Let's bring home a championship, Rays!
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We kept Todd Bowles because the organization did not want to risk being worse than his mediocre .500 record. The comfort of known mediocrity over the uncertainty of something new.
Been saying it since the end of the 2022 season.
Not a better assessment can be found. Thank you again, ehinote. Accurate all the way around. If I am a head coaching candidate looking at this organization, I see a team with no identity and no leadership anywhere. Basically going to have to build it from the ground up. We are in for some lean years as Bucs fans.
Let's Go Rays!
We kept Todd Bowles because the organization did not want to risk being worse than his mediocre .500 record.
Or because it's pretty rare to fire HCs who make the playoffs, especially when that's not the expectation going in.
common sense that only seems uncommon now because of the collapse.
I think Mike Mularkey was fired after playoffs but he was an interim coach really.
Bills coach but again unusual scenario. Like the Dungy scenario
see a team with no identity and no leadership anywhere. Basically going to have to build it from the ground up.
agree
maybe there are would-be leaders who might emerge, like Trotter on defense, but it's a rebuild of identity for sure
I think Trotter might be something. I am curious to see how he performs outside Bowles fucked up defensive planning. He's exceling in it currently. Walker is another great piece. I am still high on Bain although he has had a slow start to the season. That is about where the list ends on defense. McCollum and Parrish have played well in spirts but I view neither as a true shutdown defensive back. Winfield has been riding the wave of one great season and a payday.see a team with no identity and no leadership anywhere. Basically going to have to build it from the ground up.
agree
maybe there are would-be leaders who might emerge, like Trotter on defense, but it's a rebuild of identity for sure
On the offensive side, I think guys like Wirfs, Goedeke, Bucky, Hurst, Egbuka, and maybe Baker (maybe). That's really it on offense. I am not ready to give up on Egbuka. I think he has had some poor QB play behind him and some shitty OCs.
So not a complete rebuild but they have to find some leaders in that crop of players. With the new head coach (whomever that may be) these players have to determine that now is the time.
I am still high on Bain although he has had a slow start to the season.
hoping this may have been injury driven, specifically the shoulder.
In the early games he is rushing by burying his shoulder into the chest of the lineman. On his sack he extends both arms fully.
I guess we will see.
Good post.
I hope the Bucs shift gear quickly as the season is basically almost over. Carolina game will be the litmus test to see if Licht will move with more urgency this year compared to last year.
I think Trotter might be something. I am curious to see how he performs outside Bowles fucked up defensive planning. He's exceling in it currently. Walker is another great piece. I am still high on Bain although he has had a slow start to the season. That is about where the list ends on defense. McCollum and Parrish have played well in spirts but I view neither as a true shutdown defensive back. Winfield has been riding the wave of one great season and a payday.
On the offensive side, I think guys like Wirfs, Goedeke, Bucky, Hurst, Egbuka, and maybe Baker (maybe). That's really it on offense. I am not ready to give up on Egbuka. I think he has had some poor QB play behind him and some shitty OCs.
So not a complete rebuild but they have to find some leaders in that crop of players. With the new head coach (whomever that may be) these players have to determine that now is the time.
Simmons, Roberts, Trotter Jr, Bain, Walker, Parrish, McCollum and Smith seem to be the new core right now.
Diaby, Vea, Kancey and Winfield Jr have been MIA in critical situations in the 4th quarters of games now and failed to help this team seal some victories.
Robinson and Anzalone as rentals have been okay.
Nelson can come off the bench and force a turnover along with Killebrew so they are nice depth veteran aces to have.
Bucs need some of these young core guys to ascend to alpha because Kancey and Winfield Jr are no it based on what they have shown lately.
So not a complete rebuild but they have to find some leaders in that crop of players. With the new head coach (whomever that may be) these players have to determine that now is the time
It’s why I’m hoping there’s a complete regime change at this point.
Going back to last offseason, and as recently as this past week, ex-players have ripped Todd for being a joke of a coach (and multiple comments suggesting that players don’t respect him).
Licht needs to go as well.
Brady completely changed the culture in that locker room. Transformed it into a winner. Championship mindset with a “kill” attitude.
It completely disappeared when he left and neither the HC or FO operate on that kind of level.
Need to uproot this soft, losing culture.
They kept Bowles in 22 through 24 because of not wanting to be worse than .500
inexplicable to keep him after 2025 collapse. 3-8 to finish year or 2-7 however you look at it; one of the worst teams in the league in second half.
i certainly thought they could bounce back. Defense has been serviceable atleast. Offense has been atrocious
ultimately the collapse carried over. The longer baker is out, the worse it is for “fire Bowles” crowd which is 99% of us
Need baker back in fold to have a chance to win and more importantly no excuses for front office to try and keep him again
Bowles was kept around to navigate a cap crunch. But right now what you see is a coach that doesn't want to improve.
They kept Bowles in 22 through 24 because of not wanting to be worse than .500
So funny to watch people explain that period of time as fear or "committed to mediocrity"
they went to the playoffs while dismantling the SB team .... for cash reasons
Bowles was kept around to navigate a cap crunch.
And he took them to the playoffs TWICE both times with his QB (over the "Trask is Cheap" plan) and with two different OCs he picked.
That doesn't mean Bowles is great but it does mean that he greatly exceed their expectations.
Mayfield “is attempting to practice,” Garafolo said. “Because he’s got to show the Bucs that he can throw the football.
“And as they came into the week, [the Bucs] weren’t sure where he’d be. So the next couple of days, as he returns to practice here and tries to show them that he can grip the football — and it’s about that.
“It’s about functionality, not about pain tolerance. If it was about pain tolerance, Baker Mayfield probably would be back a couple of weeks ago. … You know how tough he is.”
Mayfield “is attempting to practice,” Garafolo said. “Because he’s got to show the Bucs that he can throw the football.
“And as they came into the week, [the Bucs] weren’t sure where he’d be. So the next couple of days, as he returns to practice here and tries to show them that he can grip the football — and it’s about that.
“It’s about functionality, not about pain tolerance. If it was about pain tolerance, Baker Mayfield probably would be back a couple of weeks ago. … You know how tough he is.”
dont fall out of your chair, but Baker is our only hope!
The Bucs could find themselves right in the thick of the division race with back to back wins here to get to 3-5.
Carolina got Green Bay and Denver after us
But all starts with us..one game at a time.
