Bowles says the players are 100% at fault. If they are not executing shouldn't he do a better job of teaching? It seems that he is not making any adjustments during the game/year because this has been happening all year on defense--see the 27th ranked pass defense. This is MORE on Bowles if you ask me.
I am happy for Canales and the Panthers, the NFC South Champs. Better than the Saints or Falcons winning it.
While Bowles is right, the players need to execute, at a certain point, you can't fire 53 guys. It's Bowles responsibility to get the best out of his players.
The defense played so bad Thursday night that it was almost an inside job sabotage. what needs to question if they played that poorly on purpose
Zyon jumping offsides on a 4th and 4 on a chip shot field goal? Not sure if coaching said, "try to block it" or if they said, dont jump offsides
The infamous fumble there 5 guys did not get the ball. Wow.
a 3rd and 28 and a 4th and 14
the drive prior, i believe Atlanta scored on like 3 plays. like WTF?
and there's some quality players on that defense, so when has to ask...did they sabotage this on purpose?
and if the answer is clearly NOT...then yeah...Bowels, what are you doing?
look at the turnaround that New England, Jacksonville, and Chicago just had with their first year head coaches
Look at Seattle, Carolina, Denver, and Los Angeles Chargers have had in year 2
don't tell me those teams just overhauled their entire roster. The Bucs have talent and there has been limited injuries on the defensive side of the ball all year. No excuse
Bowles ain't it. We knew that back in 2022. Baker had some magic in 2023 and 2024 to carry it; but its crumbling now and time to move on
Bowles says the players are 100% at fault. If they are not executing shouldn't he do a better job of teaching? It seems that he is not making any adjustments during the game/year because this has been happening all year on defense--see the 27th ranked pass defense. This is MORE on Bowles if you ask me.
I am happy for Canales and the Panthers, the NFC South Champs. Better than the Saints or Falcons winning it.
Bowles is ultimately pointing the finger at himself because he's responsible for the players. I dont think he's saying it to save himself (he's been a coach for decades and has a big fat contract), I think he saying it about a FEW players because its true and a last gasp way of trying to motivate them.
it was almost an inside job sabotage
that is a great description and I think sort of Bowles point
The Falcons were not exactly playing lights out. Tons of penalties etc. The Bucs beat themselves over and over
I don't think Bowles is going anywhere. Young up and coming offensive coaches are what owners usually seek out, it excites the fan base and finding a good one is rare. We had two and let them both walk, we chose Bowles over both of them. Letting Bowles go just one season later makes the Glazers look extremely bad. This entire situation is a clinic on how to sabotage your franchise, and just the latest example backing up my claim that the Glazes are the worst ownership group in all of professional sports.
it was almost an inside job sabotage
that is a great description and I think sort of Bowles point
The Falcons were not exactly playing lights out. Tons of penalties etc. The Bucs beat themselves over and over
that's the thing though
the Bucs weren't beating themselves, if was a 28-14 game in the 4th quarter
the defense gives up a 4 minute drive and 65 yards touchdown. 18 yard pass to Pitts, 20 yard pass to Stills, then a 6 yard TD run by Bijan. defense collapsed there
on the next drive, the falcons can't even kick the ball off right and Bucs get the ball at the 40; 6 yard pass, a 8 yard pass, and we are sitting at 2nd and 10 at the Atlanta 45. Seriously need like 7 yards to get into field goal range and Baker throws a terrible pick. like holy shit.
Falcons then proceed to have a 5 minute drive for a touchdown which includes 10 yard to Pitts, 15 yard run by Alligeir, and a fuckin fumble that somehow the Bucs don't recover; Falcons have a false start because they suck and Cousins has a 7 yard pass to Pitts for a TD.
offense gets ball back and does dick with the football
defense does their thing on 3rd and 28 and then 4th and 14 and thats it; like this team isn't that bad. WTF happened. I am not sure they could beat a college football team if they played next Sunday
I don't think Bowles is going anywhere. Young up and coming offensive coaches are what owners usually seek out, it excites the fan base and finding a good one is rare. We had two and let them both walk, we chose Bowles over both of them. Letting Bowles go just one season later makes the Glazers look extremely bad. This entire situation is a clinic on how to sabotage your franchise, and just the latest example backing up my claim that the Glazes are the worst ownership group in all of professional sports.
you may be right but the only miraculous thing that in my mind would change Bowles' fate is somehow sweeping the Panthers to win the division. They go 9-8 and win division and get crushed in first round; i think he has a coin flip chance to retain job.
I think most likely they move on anyway given these mid season skids but that's his only chance in my mind.
if he goes 7-10, 8-9, or 9-8 and misses the playoffs, after a 6-2 start....yeah not sure how you DONT move on.
the thing that doesn't add up is the contract extension last year when the team regressed from 2023 to 2024 in terms of playoff success and you just lost the OC that carried the teams success.
realize there was injuries on the offensive side of the ball but losing Coen clearly had an impact on the offense. We actually looked functional last night with our guys back which was comforting but still, losing to the Saints and Falcons has nothing to do with injuries and more to do with the lockerroom being lost. that's on the coach.
Glazes are the worst ownership group in all of professional sports.
ha I could see that from ManU fans, but they delivered two SBs to Bucs fans
These last two games were not examples of the coach just totally screwing up. It has been the players, but I'll just call the in-game coaching "uninspired".
One small example of uninspired coaching is the fact that they didn't call a timeout on 3rd and 28 or 4th and 14. They could have made sure Vildor and others were on the right page. They didn't. They weren't.
Glazes are the worst ownership group in all of professional sports.
ha I could see that from ManU fans, but they delivered two SBs to Bucs fans
Malcolm Glazer was a good owner, his children are not and that's who I'm referring to.
There are no more Tom Brady's coming to save this franchise, now we need solid decision making and roster building and letting two promising young coaches go is not that.
These last two games were not examples of the coach just totally screwing up. It has been the players, but I'll just call the in-game coaching "uninspired".
One small example of uninspired coaching is the fact that they didn't call a timeout on 3rd and 28 or 4th and 14. They could have made sure Vildor and others were on the right page. They didn't. They weren't.
but why are the players screwing up. the defense has much more talent in 2025 than it did in 2024 and somehow it's worse
These last two games were not examples of the coach just totally screwing up. It has been the players, but I'll just call the in-game coaching "uninspired".
One small example of uninspired coaching is the fact that they didn't call a timeout on 3rd and 28 or 4th and 14. They could have made sure Vildor and others were on the right page. They didn't. They weren't.
but why are the players screwing up. the defense has much more talent in 2025 than it did in 2024 and somehow it's worse
Talent is an individual thing. All star teams are by definition loaded with talent. They also get their ass locked most times by competent teams. That's because the competent team has players following a plan and system together with discipline.
that plan system and discipline breaks down with things like bad coaching and inconstant performance and motivation by the players.
so any easy example in this game is a star like AWJ not making a pretty basic play he should make on 4th and 14. The question is why? Could be not prepared like he should be. Physically not up to it (fatigue or injured). Maybe trying to do too much (ie covering a weakness somewhere else)
Why did our DB jump offiside on a FG? He's been coached not to obviously. Lack of focus? Poor game situation awareness? Those are all player execution issues coaching might be insufficient emphasis on a basic fundamental.
lot more to it than talent or coaching even
uneven motivation because of $
uneven performance because of experience. Vildor not as good in his game 1 as his game 3
My point: team sports are complicated so people say things like "it's on the coach" to simplify the critique.
for example, Licht and the player and the players agent probably have much more control over $ related motivation but it's Bowles job still to "get the best out of them"
How fo you get the best out of someone like Dean when CLEARLY his performance is tied to money a HC doesn't control.
still have to find a way to... or get fired.
My point: team sports are complicated so people say things like "it's on the coach" to simplify the critique.
for example, Licht and the player and the players agent probably have much more control over $ related motivation but it's Bowles job still to "get the best out of them"
How fo you get the best out of someone like Dean when CLEARLY his performance is tied to money a HC doesn't control.
still have to find a way to... or get fired.
The Bucs of the last 5 days are the Bucs of the lost decade between gruden and arians. It’s been a bad week for everyone involved in Tampa
Each coach deals with the same issue. You’re dealing with millionaires. How can some coaches motivate but others can’t? I don’t know. We should ask the good coaches
Each coach deals with the same issue. You’re dealing with millionaires. How can some coaches motivate but others can’t? I don’t know. We should ask the good coaches
Gruden couldn't handle Keyshawn. Arians couldn't handle AB
All coaches are plus and minus because they are human. They same Bowles trait that seemed to keep the team together in 22-24, is probably the same trait that is his undoing now.
Dungy was the same way but with different traits. His confidence that he was right kept the 0-5 ship steady until the team started winning. That sane confidence unraveled him because it was to heavily focused on defense winning it all (his Steelers experience) Gruden's BRAVADO helped us win a Super Bowl. It also made him stage a GM coup, miss Aaron Rodgers and ultimately get fired right after an extension
To each their own but it seems to me many miss the ride or maybe betttr started as ignore history and human nature. Bowles isn't the story of the Bucs. He's just part of it.
They will still play games
