The team still has a long way to go, but it is pretty hard to say at this point that the team is NOT well coached.
The Bucs moved on from the GOAT, went relatively young and inexperienced. Bowles likened the Bucs to a college team.
He has them playing hard. They just overcame a bad national television defeat to win in a place that has been very tough, historically. They've won with injuries to starters. The locker room seems to be together, not a ton of penalties. Winning.
Bowles picked Canales, that seems to be working out. They picked Mayfield and that seems to be working out. Defense flying around, creating turnovers. Top ten, I think? Mostly disciplined.
Can all change quickly, but credit where due . . especially because there were some pretty animated critics last year, even when it was pretty obvious he want in total control.
Not saying he is the long term solution. Just saying the team is well coached.
Last year after the 49ers loss, Bowles said this and PR questioned whether this was the right approach:
"“We have to decide what team we want to be,” Bowles said following the loss. “We can’t be one set of Bucs and another set of Bucs. It’s got to mean something. We’ve got a one-game lead – with four games to go. Either we want it or we don’t. You can’t care more than everybody else. As a coach you don’t go on the field."
Bowles was right.
he went on to criticize his own coaching, but note this part: "We can’t be one set of Bucs and another set of Bucs."
he may not end up being a great NFL head coach. His overall HC record says he will not, but he is a good coach and so is Canales*
(*On Canales, this is one sign he has a very bright future: “I think coming out of the first three games, I just felt like maybe I wasn’t trying hard enough to just get first downs – make yards while we’re learning the core of our system, while we’re trying to learn the fundamental blocking schemes that we’ve got to get good at.”)
Going give him his credit for the development of Delaney and McCollum because last year those guys were not ready for the bright lights.
They look completely different this year. I'd love to see PR breakdown Zyon's coverage tape this year + Izien. Both are pleasant surprises. Pass rush should pick up when Kancey gets back in the line-up.
Bowles has had a chance to oversee the putting together of an offense to complement the defense. "No risk it no biscuit" is gone in favor of a complementary offense. It's the defense that is the bread and butter. That's where it starts. That's what Bowles knows how to do. Licht got him the players. And they've shown they can still win with a couple pieces missing. With all the talk about Baker Mayfield this and Baker that, all they did is not screw it up for the defense. The star of the show is the Todd Bowles defense which has shown it is one of the best in the league right now.
There's one player we can't win without. IMO one player on this team that if they got injured, we'd be screwed, and it's not Baker Mayfield. That player is Vita Vea.
Are we talking about the same coach that a certain poster claimed has a low IQ and should have been shown the door along with Lefty. That same poster ( that dumbass donkeyman ) also said when Brady left, the winning attitude would leave with him because he was the only reason we were winning.
I would say that one player we can't win without is Tristan Wirfs.Bowles has had a chance to oversee the putting together of an offense to complement the defense. "No risk it no biscuit" is gone in favor of a complementary offense. It's the defense that is the bread and butter. That's where it starts. That's what Bowles knows how to do. Licht got him the players. And they've shown they can still win with a couple pieces missing. With all the talk about Baker Mayfield this and Baker that, all they did is not screw it up for the defense. The star of the show is the Todd Bowles defense which has shown it is one of the best in the league right now.
There's one player we can't win without. IMO one player on this team that if they got injured, we'd be screwed, and it's not Baker Mayfield. That player is Vita Vea.
There a disconnect with many fans. When the Rams or the Eagles (for example) RUN and play defense to win games the coach is lauded as a "genius" or something similar. Bowles wants to run and play defense . . . but, not a "genius" . . .
I don't think this team is that great, but Bowles has them playing. He's getting a lot out of lesser talent than last year, in part because its his team (for better or worse)
“It hasn’t changed,” Bowles said. “We were having fun in the beginning. Again, we write our own narrative. It doesn’t make us any difference whether they say we are good or bad. We write our own narrative, [and] we create our own narrative. Everybody loves each other in this building. We play for each other, we coach for each other, and we’re having fun with it.”
would like to see more than 4 games before we give him a pass for last year's debacle
Leftwich was god awful and Brady wasn't ideal behind a line that cant protect; i.e. mobile Mayfield this year. The team started out 2-0 last year then lost 5 of 6 games. Believe we started out 2-0 in the Fitzmagic year then ended up 5-11.
Let's see how this plays out.
but yes, i do agree to this point, have to like that Bowles actually has some balls. i think the key though is that we have a mobile QB and an offensive coordinator that can actually clal something other than a run on first down.....although that safety run in the eagles game was full leftwich.....and you never go full leftwich...
Bowles might be our coach for the next decade, Licht who I didnt like in his rookie gm seasons has done a really good job at developing the roster year in, year out with the trenches though he does make mistakes(but what gm doesn't), and Bowles is schematically sound on Defense. Good defense and turnover free football is literally the Ravens blueprint to playoffs every year. It literally feels like a completely different vibe in Tampa than its ever been since my entire time as a fan. Licht and Bowles can keep this team good for a longgg time. I'm riding the hype train but I can definitely recognize good football and smart players who are developing year in year out(White, McCollum, Dean, Davis, Hall,Vea, Shoy, Nelson). Even with the playoff teams in 05' 07' I never felt we had a chance at a NFC title but this team we have can definitely surprise people especially if we see Philly again in the playoffs. 9ers and Bills will be a fun test and measuring stick if we can stick with the big conference teams
Bowles might be our coach for the next decade, Licht who I didnt like in his rookie gm seasons has done a really good job at developing the roster year in, year out with the trenches though he does make mistakes(but what gm doesn't), and Bowles is schematically sound on Defense. Good defense and turnover free football is literally the Ravens blueprint to playoffs every year. It literally feels like a completely different vibe in Tampa than its ever been since my entire time as a fan. Licht and Bowles can keep this team good for a longgg time. I'm riding the hype train but I can definitely recognize good football and smart players who are developing year in year out(White, McCollum, Dean, Davis, Hall,Vea, Shoy, Nelson). Even with the playoff teams in 05' 07' I never felt we had a chance at a NFC title but this team we have can definitely surprise people especially if we see Philly again in the playoffs. 9ers and Bills will be a fun test and measuring stick if we can stick with the big conference teams
that's a stretch. i would say he is somewhere in between getting fired during this bye week and being coach for the next decade...that's how much of a stretch your next 10 years prediction is lol
Bowles ended Tom Brady's career. Outsiders looking in will see Brady had 3 coaches - Bill, Bruce, and Todd. He was successful, MVP caliber with the first two, and had his first losing season ever with the Todd. No matter the reason, outsiders looking in will see the failure that was the 2022 Buccaneers....no way around that.
Now listen, this is a great start to the 2023 Bucs season - 3-1; and while i think Todd certainly "cooled" off his hot seat entering the season, would like to see how the rest of the season goes. We can admit he entered the season on the hot seat, right?
The Bucs next 4 games - vs Detroit, VS ATL, @Buffalo, and Houston. no reason this team, if legit playoff contender, isn't 6-2 through the first half of the season.
what's more likely is 5-3 with losses to Detroit and Buffalo which to me would signal if we cant beat Detroit at home, we likely cant beat any potential playoff team at home.
then what if the Bucs pull a 2018 Bucs, started out 2-0, and finished 5-11. God forbit, this team is sitting at 3-5, or 4-4 at the halfway point; you still saying Todd is the man
listen alot of reason to be excited and certainly happier with Todd's coaching this year in terms of being more ballsy then i was last year; but there's plenty of season left. hang tight.
Committed a ton of penalties vs the saints
whatd We have 10 or 11 penalties? Around 100 yards?
Not very disciplined but no doubt the defense is balling.
no team is perfect obviously but we still need OL and RB help.
Bowles ended Tom Brady's career. Outsiders looking in will see Brady had 3 coaches - Bill, Bruce, and Todd. He was successful, MVP caliber with the first two, and had his first losing season ever with the Todd. No matter the reason, outsiders looking in will see the failure that was the 2022 Buccaneers....no way around that.
Agree with many of your takes but not this one. I think it’s actually “insiders” who think that way. Outsiders likely think of last year as Brady staying one too long.
The tougher thing for Bowles is overcoming the Jets record, at least with fans because fans mostly set a concrete opinion and stick with it
you don’t see many of the posters who were hating Bowles last year in the thread now, right?
Bowles probably sees this as an opportunity.
PR breaks open the SECRET . . that everyone knew:
"The sneaky secret about the Bucs’ 2023 season is the fact that this is a developmental year. Tampa Bay is trying to three-peat as NFC South champions along the way, but due to salary cap constraints, the Bucs were on a budget this year and were forced to play – and start – a lot of young players from the last three draft classes."
One reason why Bowles seat at the end of last year was NOT as hot as some suggested. He might still get kicked to the curb -- its a long season - but so far he's shown his coaches can develop players, the players buy in etc. The team is over-performing its current talent, for now.
