In a game where the Bucs seemed to prioritize time of possession over the actual score, they fell to the Panthers 23-20. This loss is a stark reminder that time is running out for this team.
With a defense that hasn’t been able to stop anyone lately, the Bucs opted to speed up the game by running as much clock as possible. The problem? This approach puts immense pressure on your own offense to be perfect and convert third downs. After seeing the opposing offense get only four drives in the first half, but ends up scoring on three of them, which offense are you really slowing down? The Panthers… or your own?
Despite rushing for over 160 yards and winning time of possession by nine minutes, the Bucs struggled to find any rhythm on offense. Baker Mayfield threw for just 145 yards and hardly had the opportunity to make plays on first down.
It’s hard to tell if the coaching staff lacks trust in the defense, the offense, or both. The offensive strategy of running on first and second downs, then playing for third down while trying to chew up the clock, clearly isn’t working.
Defensively, the Bucs played a bend-but-don’t-break style, but ultimately broke at the worst possible moment. A last-second touchdown pass from Bryce Young to Tetairoa McMillan before halftime was a gut punch. I’m still shaking my head at why Todd Bowles called a blitz from Antoine Winfield’s safety position, 10 yards off the line of scrimmage, with so little time left, leaving Jamel Dean in a one-on-one situation. Why wouldn’t you just hold them to a field goal?!
This team is a mess, and the coaching staff doesn’t seem to have any answers. Please, just do us fans one favor… Go down swinging! Bowles, step away from the offensive meetings and let Baker and the receivers win or lose these last two games for us. Our only chance lies in scoring—and lots of it!
Nailed it.
As DH was fond of saying during Liam Coen’s brief time here…”All gas, no brakes…” that has to be the way we go out - more shots to the end zone/chunk plays.
Lets we how that plays out - because slowing us down isn’t working.
In a game where the Bucs seemed to prioritize time of possession over the actual score, they fell to the Panthers 23-20. This loss is a stark reminder that time is running out for this team.
With a defense that hasn’t been able to stop anyone lately, the Bucs opted to speed up the game by running as much clock as possible. The problem? This approach puts immense pressure on your own offense to be perfect and convert third downs. After seeing the opposing offense get only four drives in the first half, but ends up scoring on three of them, which offense are you really slowing down? The Panthers… or your own?
Despite rushing for over 160 yards and winning time of possession by nine minutes, the Bucs struggled to find any rhythm on offense. Baker Mayfield threw for just 145 yards and hardly had the opportunity to make plays on first down.
It’s hard to tell if the coaching staff lacks trust in the defense, the offense, or both. The offensive strategy of running on first and second downs, then playing for third down while trying to chew up the clock, clearly isn’t working.
Defensively, the Bucs played a bend-but-don’t-break style, but ultimately broke at the worst possible moment. A last-second touchdown pass from Bryce Young to Tetairoa McMillan before halftime was a gut punch. I’m still shaking my head at why Todd Bowles called a blitz from Antoine Winfield’s safety position, 10 yards off the line of scrimmage, with so little time left, leaving Jamel Dean in a one-on-one situation. Why wouldn’t you just hold them to a field goal?!
This team is a mess, and the coaching staff doesn’t seem to have any answers. Please, just do us fans one favor… Go down swinging! Bowles, step away from the offensive meetings and let Baker and the receivers win or lose these last two games for us. Our only chance lies in scoring—and lots of it!
They shortened the game to help out the defense but it hindered the offense. With ST they lack trust as well because they were conceding the 35 yard line every time which gave the Panthers very good field position.
Bowles played not to lose but it backfired.
Just think for a moment. Licht had an opportunity to lock in Coen as HC but instead went with Bowles who has yet to give us a great defense as a HC... He can't even give us an average defense.
Licht fucked up. It's that simple..5 year extension for Bowles and let the great young offensive mind go kill it a mere 200 miles away?
Licht got cocky after beating the saints and trolled them and look at us now.
Licht put together one of the worst front 7s this team has ever seen.
He should keep his GM job but he's on thin ice for all these shitty decisions.
We had Liam right there in our grasp..what the fuck was he thinking going with Bowles?
Inexcusable management
They shortened the game to help out the defense but it hindered the offense. With ST they lack trust as well because they were conceding the 35 yard line every time which gave the Panthers very good field position.
Bowles played not to lose but it backfired.
This. Agree.
There are a handful of plays that stood out live as examples of a lost team. Dean lack of effort to seal the edge on a run and LVD saying something to him about it etc. Lost.
Just think for a moment. Licht had an opportunity to lock in Coen as HC but instead went with Bowles who has yet to give us a great defense as a HC... He can't even give us an average defense.
Licht fucked up. It's that simple..5 year extension for Bowles and let the great young offensive mind go kill it a mere 200 miles away?
Licht got cocky after beating the saints and trolled them and look at us now.
Licht put together one of the worst front 7s this team has ever seen.
He should keep his GM job but he's on thin ice for all these shitty decisions.
We had Liam right there in our grasp..what the fuck was he thinking going with Bowles?
Inexcusable management
Licht does NOT have the final say on coaching. I think its pretty clear that comes from the Glazers.
We can’t keep firing coaches because of Licht’s drafting. Excluding the Brady years this is the 4th coach unable to win with his roster
Just think for a moment. Licht had an opportunity to lock in Coen as HC but instead went with Bowles who has yet to give us a great defense as a HC... He can't even give us an average defense.
Licht fucked up. It's that simple..5 year extension for Bowles and let the great young offensive mind go kill it a mere 200 miles away?
Licht got cocky after beating the saints and trolled them and look at us now.
Licht put together one of the worst front 7s this team has ever seen.
He should keep his GM job but he's on thin ice for all these shitty decisions.
We had Liam right there in our grasp..what the fuck was he thinking going with Bowles?
Inexcusable management
Licht does NOT have the final say on coaching. I think its pretty clear that comes from the Glazers.
Based on what you exactly?
We can’t keep firing coaches because of Licht’s drafting. Excluding the Brady years this is the 4th coach unable to win with his roster
Licht is an above average drafter (recently).
But he fucked up with our front 7 no doubt and he wasted 2+ years for Evans and Godwin.
This from SR:
"The Bucs are broken, and I don’t think Todd Bowles is the guy that can fix them. A big reason why is that his defense is a big part of the problem.
Maybe the defense wasn’t quite the culprit in the loss to Carolina as it was in the loss to Atlanta on Thursday Night Football, as Bowles’ unit only gave up 23 points to the Panthers. Yet those 23 points were four points more than the Panthers’ season average – and that was enough to beat the Bucs on Sunday.
And did you see anyone on Tampa Bay’s defense make any plays in Carolina?
Did you see any consistent pass rush from any Bucs defender?
Did you see any takeaways from the defense?
No, I didn’t, either."
The offense AND THE GAME PLAN were the real problem this Sunday, but the entire team plays like it is broken. If this was a team that was fighting for its first playoff appearance in years, you dont have:
a backup LB head butt someone on the critical change of possession,
Reddick and Dean feigning tackles.
intentional touchbacks on kickoffs,
KO return guys not play the ball late,
5 or 6 penalties from a RT who is supposed to be one of your foundational players.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY. . . you don't think that the way to win is to take all the air out of the ball, slow down the game by running etc. You let your offense LIGHT UP the Panthers
This team is broken.
We can’t keep firing coaches because of Licht’s drafting. Excluding the Brady years this is the 4th coach unable to win with his roster
Licht is an above average drafter (recently).
But he fucked up with our front 7 no doubt and he wasted 2+ years for Evans and Godwin.
Post Super Bowl he’s missed on 7 1st and 2nd round picks
Just think for a moment. Licht had an opportunity to lock in Coen as HC but instead went with Bowles who has yet to give us a great defense as a HC... He can't even give us an average defense.
Licht fucked up. It's that simple..5 year extension for Bowles and let the great young offensive mind go kill it a mere 200 miles away?
Licht got cocky after beating the saints and trolled them and look at us now.
Licht put together one of the worst front 7s this team has ever seen.
He should keep his GM job but he's on thin ice for all these shitty decisions.
We had Liam right there in our grasp..what the fuck was he thinking going with Bowles?
Inexcusable management
Licht does NOT have the final say on coaching. I think its pretty clear that comes from the Glazers.
Based on what you exactly?
The GM makes recommendations. The owners make the decision.
I think it’s pretty clear the Glazers extended Bowles. Not sure if Licht was on board or not.
Just think for a moment. Licht had an opportunity to lock in Coen as HC but instead went with Bowles who has yet to give us a great defense as a HC... He can't even give us an average defense.
Licht fucked up. It's that simple..5 year extension for Bowles and let the great young offensive mind go kill it a mere 200 miles away?
Licht got cocky after beating the saints and trolled them and look at us now.
Licht put together one of the worst front 7s this team has ever seen.
He should keep his GM job but he's on thin ice for all these shitty decisions.
We had Liam right there in our grasp..what the fuck was he thinking going with Bowles?
Inexcusable management
Licht does NOT have the final say on coaching. I think its pretty clear that comes from the Glazers.
Based on what you exactly?
Optics, according to "Dave."
We can only speculate, butJust think for a moment. Licht had an opportunity to lock in Coen as HC but instead went with Bowles who has yet to give us a great defense as a HC... He can't even give us an average defense.
Licht does NOT have the final say on coaching. I think its pretty clear that comes from the Glazers.
Based on what you exactly?
1) Licht is the one with the football knowledge.
2) Licht is the one who put together the roster.
3) Licht stands on his principles which is to show loyalty to his people.
4) Licht gets a lot of respect around the league and I presume with the Glazers as well.
5) When it became clear that Coen was being seriously courted by Jacksonville it would have been out of character for Licht to flip the switch and dump Bowles.
So given all that I imagine that Licht made the decision to stick with Bowles and the Glazers of course had to sign off on it. But I think more than that they were totally on board. I don't think they were like "OK Licht if you say so but this is on you!..." No, I think they were fully behind the decision. They like Bowles and didn't want to make a panic mode decision to dump him. Retaining Bowles over Coen was Lichts decision but totally supported by the Glazers.
That brings us to now, and the tables have turned. The Glazers were the ones who have wanted to stick with Bowles reportedly (although that support has to be waning), but Licht is the one with the incentive to move on.
Put yourself in the shoes of the Bucs GM. Licht put together the roster through the draft and gave big contracts to guys like Winfield and McCollum and Reddick. He thought Bowles was the one to maximize the performance of his players. Now the defense is crap, and in Licht's mind the talent is still there. They stayed in house for the OC and the final decision on that was on Bowles. Licht has to do something with this shit show before his beloved roster of talent turns into crap. You can all think what you want about the talent level, but this is Licht's baby. He thinks the talent is there I guarantee it.
Bottom line - It will be Licht who will have the itchiest trigger finger and he'll fire Bowles while the Glazers agree to it, a little reluctantly, but at this point it's clear as day what needs to happen. But it's not a case of the Glazers overriding Licht -far from it IMO.
Should the Lions fire Campbell? They’re wayyyyyy more talented than the Bucs
