Pressed by Mina Kimes about Bucs edge rushers, Foxworth countered that plenty of teams with good pass rushers have poor defenses.
“Todd Bowles, his schemes are the best pass rusher,” Foxworth said.
Kimes knows more than Foxworth
One take
If you go and look at the history of Todd Bowles defenses, it’s probably going to get better. Like [2024 is] one of the worst defenses he’s ever fielded,” ESPN NFL data nerd Ben Solak told the NFL Daily podcast. “He’s a pretty reliably good defensive coach, has a system that’s been working for a long time, they invested a ton in that back-7. So I think that defense is going to take a step back to normalcy.”
One take
If you go and look at the history of Todd Bowles defenses, it’s probably going to get better. Like [2024 is] one of the worst defenses he’s ever fielded,” ESPN NFL data nerd Ben Solak told the NFL Daily podcast. “He’s a pretty reliably good defensive coach, has a system that’s been working for a long time, they invested a ton in that back-7. So I think that defense is going to take a step back to normalcy.”
It god damn better
@bucsbits - the problem is that offenses are figuring his schemes out and he hasn’t been very flexible. Most of the time, you are who you are as a coach. You go back to what you are comfortable with when things get tough. Bowles is a rush 5 or 6 and play soft zone behind coach. Teams have more consistently been picking this apart as the years have gone on. Can he start playing more man, or even match zone? Sitting in traditional zone and not disrupting routes, is more oldschool. Even college defenses play more match zone, when not in man.
We faced Daniels, Goff, Nix, Hurts, Cousins, Young, Lamar, Mahomes, Purdy, Herbert and only needed to give up 1.5 points a game less to have a top 10 defense. With all of those injuries. Slow down on teams figuring out his schemes. His schemes are fine. He needs his players to stay healthy. Which could be his fault as well (he likes players who play with reckless abandon), but it aint his schemes.
We faced Daniels, Goff, Nix, Hurts, Cousins, Young, Lamar, Mahomes, Purdy, Herbert and only needed to give up 1.5 points a game less to have a top 10 defense. With all of those injuries. Slow down on teams figuring out his schemes. His schemes are fine. He needs his players to stay healthy. Which could be his fault as well (he likes players who play with reckless abandon), but it aint his schemes.
This isn't the flex you think it is. From #10 (21.4) to #17 (22.7) scoring defenses, there is a difference of 1.3 points.
The defense was average at best last season. You can't squint to make it look better. It is was it is.
We faced Daniels, Goff, Nix, Hurts, Cousins, Young, Lamar, Mahomes, Purdy, Herbert and only needed to give up 1.5 points a game less to have a top 10 defense. With all of those injuries. Slow down on teams figuring out his schemes. His schemes are fine. He needs his players to stay healthy. Which could be his fault as well (he likes players who play with reckless abandon), but it aint his schemes.
This isn't the flex you think it is. From #10 (21.4) to #17 (22.7) scoring defenses, there is a difference of 1.3 points.
The defense was average at best last season. You can't squint to make it look better. It is was it is.
We are better heading into 2025 than we were heading into 2024 on defense. And we didn't get worse on offense. We should be a threat this season to win it all.
Bowles isn't the problem everyone makes him out to be.
@theknees - the whole NFL is about scheme. Bowles’ defense has been getting dinked and dunked on for a few years now. We always blame his corners for not getting many interceptions, but his scheme doesn’t set them up for success. He hasn’t had a corner with over 5 picks in years. He covets safeties over corners and DTs over edge players. The opposite over most teams. Now, I do think there’s hope. I like that he went after some athletic corners that can actually play M2M in this draft. And I hope he’s seeing the advantages of having a solid front four that can rush the passer, that can then surprise offenses when he brings an extra man or two. Unlike now, when teams are expecting it and hitting grass routes and over the middle quick hitters.
@bucsbits - the problem is that offenses are figuring his schemes out and he hasn’t been very flexible. Most of the time, you are who you are as a coach. You go back to what you are comfortable with when things get tough. Bowles is a rush 5 or 6 and play soft zone behind coach. Teams have more consistently been picking this apart as the years have gone on. Can he start playing more man, or even match zone? Sitting in traditional zone and not disrupting routes, is more oldschool. Even college defenses play more match zone, when not in man.
I don't see how a blitzer is also a soft zone guy. And how is Bowles not flexible?
defenses play more zone and defend red zone when they feel that is their best chance to win with what they have.
when it mattered most - in the playoffs- we played man often and against one of the best receivers in the game. We have 2 man corners and we just drafted more. Bowles is quoted this offseason saying he wants more pressing
i guess we will see
We faced Daniels, Goff, Nix, Hurts, Cousins, Young, Lamar, Mahomes, Purdy, Herbert and only needed to give up 1.5 points a game less to have a top 10 defense. With all of those injuries. Slow down on teams figuring out his schemes. His schemes are fine. He needs his players to stay healthy. Which could be his fault as well (he likes players who play with reckless abandon), but it aint his schemes.
This isn't the flex you think it is. From #10 (21.4) to #17 (22.7) scoring defenses, there is a difference of 1.3 points.
The defense was average at best last season. You can't squint to make it look better. It is was it is.
so YOU ARE SAYING that with 1 LB and a different backfield most every game the Bucs defense was about an extra point from top 10.
the offense is better with one WR but the defense that was 1.3 ppg away from top 10 WITH MASSIVE INJURIES is not likely to be better with multiple new players, from Reddick to draft picks?
For whatever reason so many people have blinders on when they discuss Bowles. His history at the Bucs is a top-10 defense. The defense is the witst in the league when Bowles gets here and then there is the 2019 draft ..,and those players become a top 10 top 15 defense 2020 to 2024. They are something like 7th, 7th, 15th, 5th, 17th in scoring. That's 10.1 ranking?
Here we are again with another heavy defense draft and a key free agent (like Barrett) before. The defense might regress. Anything is possible. BUT ONLY AN INSANE PERSON would look at that history and predict 2025 defense worse than heavily injured 2024. That makes no sense, as a prediction. The prediction has to be that barring a bunch of injuries again the defense is much more likely to be top 10 than not.
@bucsbits yeah, I can see that you’re not getting that. The fact is that we often bring blitz packages while playing cover 3 behind it. He’s trying to get QBs to make quick mistakes. Problem is that the coverage leaves too many holes when not rolling in m2m more often. We did it some more in the playoffs, but not “often”. Dean is not a m2m corner. Zion can play some man. He didn’t draft them to play man. Now I hope he has drafted Morrison and Parrish to play more man.
And another thing. You don’t just start playing more man2man in a game. You have to be playing man to be good at it. He doesn’t do that with his defense. I do feel he is seeing that as a problem this offseason.
I’m allowing for the possibility that it isn’t Bowles scheme, or the way he calls his plays - but rather the lack of pressure from the front 4 - and the dearth of talent in the secondary last season. Even the highest paid safety in the league (and typically worth it) wasn’t up to the task after the injury, he came back anyway, he just wasn’t himself.
I am reluctant to give Bowles any undue credit until I see improvement in time-outs, less dependence on playing nit to lose rather than playing to win, and clock management, but I’m not going to ignore the realities we all knew were going to impact the effectiveness of his available defensive talent going into last season.
The GM got him what he needed, the offense added depth and intrigue. Call it an experiment. Too many good defensive coaches like & respect Todd Bowles as a DC, and many of us have commented on the job he did the last two years keeping this team together and motivating them to bounce back to make the playoffs each year, despite a lack of defensive talent/depth.
That being said, no one is wrong to place high expectations on him for this year. My personal expectation is 11 wins and making the NFCCG.
I want him to succeed, rebuilding after you lose a HC and coordinator - well, historically (around here) would be detonating this team without a net.
Has all the hallmarks of an exciting season.
