Yeah agreed. I’d put that loss more on the offense than the defense
do we have the 2002 buccaneers defense? No. We shouldn’t be expecting to win a game 20-17.
we won with offense that year and they didn’t show up that game. Two brain fart plays in the 4th. Believe the score was 17-13 Bucs in the 4th before the momentum killer turnover
We can spin this all day, who’s your favorite? Whose mine? I strongly feel that Bowles had a voice in that offense and was hoping the offense could pound the run game and the clock. Even though that wasn’t our strength all year. And Bowles knew he would have a tough time getting his defense off the field, which it did. He wanted to shorten the game, but our defense wasn’t good enough to win a game like that. He should have leaned on the offense to do what they do best, open it up early. In the end, the offense tried playing a game it hadn’t all year, and the defense couldn’t get stops.
We can spin this all day, who’s your favorite? Whose mine? I strongly feel that Bowles had a voice in that offense and was hoping the offense could pound the run game and the clock. Even though that wasn’t our strength all year. And Bowles knew he would have a tough time getting his defense off the field, which it did. He wanted to shorten the game, but our defense wasn’t good enough to win a game like that. He should have leaned on the offense to do what they do best, open it up early. In the end, the offense tried playing a game it hadn’t all year, and the defense couldn’t get stops.
football is a game of inches
First quarter - 3-0 Bucs.
- First drive ended after back to back incomplete passes, led to a 50 yard field goal by Chase
- Riverboat Dan Quinn going for it 4th and 2 at the Bucs 20, turnover on downs. Dean burned on a big play to McLaurin
- Bucs call 2 runs in a row for 2 yards. Mayfield in shutgun, nothing open, scrambles for a yard. Bucs Punt
While not ideal that Washington was driving, bucs still forced a turnover on downs. Offense also did ok with not going 3 and out constantly but still at 3-0, Bucs D performed well this quarter
2nd quarter - 10-10 tie
- Bucs D couldnt get off field, allow a 92 yard TD Drive.
- Bucs go 3 and out. Ugly ass sequence - Mayfield scramble for 1 yard, Mayfield incomplete pass, Bucky 15 yard penalty, short pass to Bucky Wirfs holding penalty, 13 yard pass to White on 3rd and 22n, Bucs Punt.
- Bucs D couldnt get off field, allow a field goal
- Bucs respond with 74 yard TD drive
Bucs D was ass this quarter, offense wakes up at end of half to make it a game
3rd quarter - 17-13 Bucs
- Redskins get a field goal
- Bucs answer with a touchdown
Good complementary football. Anybody complaining at this point 17-13 Bucs lead in a competitive football playoff match
4th quarter - 23-20 Redskins
- Washington driving but Bucs force a turnover on downs.
- Bucs get ball at their own 4, Bucky for 4 yards, Bucky for -1 yards, 3rd and 7 and Baker hits Evans for a first down. Hell yeah!
- Jet sweep play on 1st and 10? WHAT?!?! Bucs Fumble.
- Washington drives 13 yards to make it a 20-17 game. WHY?!?!
- Bucs get ball back, McMillian for 26 yards, bucky for 6, Otton for 20, Bucky for 9. We are cooking with gas!
- Sitting at 3rd and 1, whats this? Barton can't get the snap off. Leads to a Bucs field goal at 20-20
- Washington controls rest of the game leads to game ending field goal
so while no one is saying the Bucs D played great, i look at two plays from a top 5 offense that year that was disappointing.
Were the Bucs more conservative? Think they ran 41% of the time in the regular season (when excluding QB rushes/sacks) compared to 48% in this game.
I question the rumors of Bowles getting involved in offense. The dude so focused on defense, that i would surmise he relies heavy on offense guru particular that year when we were top 5. That be like Gruden critiquing Monte Kiffin. Now last year, who knows, all three phases sucked.
He should have leaned on the offense to do what they do best, open it up early
They didnt succeed, but they did.
The first series is 9 plays. They come out passing 5 plays and running two. The only difference is that the last two pass plays are misses and one being a first down drop by McMillan
The second series they come our running, but successfully and I agree that after a 1st down they have two bad run plays, but I just doubt that is Bowles to run as much as its just bad execution. The O-line definitely had a rough start
But maybe you are right about that. Who knows?
Shortening a playoff game is pointless if you can't force a punt. Asking Baker Mayfield to channel his inner RW3 is not realistic to win the game. Bowles had meddled with the offense twice (playoffs with Coen) and during the collapse last season with Grizzard.
When the Bucs turtle up they don't score as many points. A running game in the modern NFL is to defend sizeable leads not to shorten games when you don't have a sizeable lead Shortened games that are very close tend to favor defense that can force a turnover or a punt. That is why the Commanders won.
Washington controls rest of the game leads to game ending field goal
Thank you for the summary. That’s a good review. But again, we lose with the defense on the field. Not able to get a stop.
Where does the "Bowles meddled with the offense" thing come from? Its what people deduce or its reported somewhere?
I get it as a deduction, but genuinely curious about the source, if there is one?
FWIW its worth, I think the 2025 Jags lose in the playoffs to the Bills and they:
1) get off to a slower start than usual (like the 2024 Bucs in the playoffs)
2) even though they were one of the best 1st Qtr scoring teams in the NFL (like the 2024 Bucs during the season) and
3) they under perform their season scoring average (like the 2024 Bucs in the playoffs).
4) They are also about 5 minutes off their normal TOP for the season (just like the 2024 Bucs).
Where does the "Bowles meddled with the offense" thing come from? Its what people deduce or its reported somewhere?
The fact that Bowles gets in the OC’s ears was proved by Bowles words and the offense’s actions against the Panthers in Carolina last year. “Teams beat the Panthers when they run 30 times,” and we went out and did just that, and lost to the Panthers, and lost the division. Bowles defense is his baby. He wants his offense to shorten the game. But that’s a problem when it doesn’t allow your offense to ever get in sync. The main story here is that Coen has shown to be a better coach over his 2 years (1 as a OC and 1 as a HC). I said after 2024, don’t complain when Coen goes and wins a division title somewhere else, our offense falls off, and our defense is as bad as it always is. Then, I would have taken Coen as our HC, now would take him, and I probably would always take him over Bowles. Now if we want to focus on this team, don’t bring up Coen right before the season. I’m hoping our Bucs do a little better this year.
I blamed that loss on the whole team tbh. Hated everything about that game. Our defense sucked couldn't get off the field and our offense sucked couldn't stay on the field. Game plan was awful. Plenty of blame to go around for good ole coach Bowles. Our strength of the team was the offense that year and a defensive game plan like that was never going to win that game. Or any playoff game for that matter. Bowles is cooked before he even starts. Why so many want him gone.
@bucballa85 - I agree with that. We came in with a conservative approach, instead of saying, we have to play our best game. We’re not good enough to play like that. I’d take Bowles over Coen as a human being all day. Just not as my coach. And the players want to be set up for success.
Where does the "Bowles meddled with the offense" thing come from? Its what people deduce or its reported somewhere?
The fact that Bowles gets in the OC’s ears was proved by Bowles words and the offense’s actions against the Panthers in Carolina last year. “Teams beat the Panthers when they run 30 times,” and we went out and did just that, and lost to the Panthers, and lost the division. Bowles defense is his baby. He wants his offense to shorten the game. But that’s a problem when it doesn’t allow your offense to ever get in sync. The main story here is that Coen has shown to be a better coach over his 2 years (1 as a OC and 1 as a HC). I said after 2024, don’t complain when Coen goes and wins a division title somewhere else, our offense falls off, and our defense is as bad as it always is. Then, I would have taken Coen as our HC, now would take him, and I probably would always take him over Bowles. Now if we want to focus on this team, don’t bring up Coen right before the season. I’m hoping our Bucs do a little better this year.
Hell, he made it clear last offseason.
He was very vocal about how he would have a heavy hand in the offense.
And, the result was about what one would expect.
Washington controls rest of the game leads to game ending field goal
Thank you for the summary. That’s a good review. But again, we lose with the defense on the field. Not able to get a stop.
nobody is saying the defense is good. It has gotten progressively worse each year under Bowles.
Somehow that has earned him an extenstion
Again, knowing that we had a top 5 offense, and call it a bottom 15 defense heading into that game, one unit short of matched expectations where the other didn't.....
Scored 20 points on 7 drives in playoff game
Scored 37 points on 8 drives in week 1
Again, knowing that we had a top 5 offense, and call it a bottom 15 defense heading into that game, one unit short of matched expectations where the other didn't.....
Seems obvious. The lesser Bucs defense came up with several key stops including a goal line stand. The greater Bucs offense underperformed against it sown stats and against a weak defense and even turned the ball over deep in our own end.
Again, knowing that we had a top 5 offense, and call it a bottom 15 defense heading into that game, one unit short of matched expectations where the other didn't.....
Seems obvious. The lesser Bucs defense came up with several key stops including a goal line stand. The greater Bucs offense underperformed against it sown stats and against a weak defense and even turned the ball over deep in our own end.
it's one of those things that many fans wanted Bowles gone long before that game happened so basically would blame defense for any and everything.
so by some on this board, by just pointing out facts, you get called a Bowles leg humper. Doesn't mean we want Bowles here! Shit, im shocked there are still some supporters of his after the 2025 collapse. Doesn't mean we cant give blame to where blame is due!
So with us all agreeing that Bowles should have been fired after the 2025 season (and to some after the 2022 and 2024 seasons!), let's level set
the average points scored in the NFL is 23 points. Anything under that and the offense didn't do their job. Anything over that and you'd argue the defense perhaps
so in a game of 23-20 loss, one would suggest defense performed to average and the offense underperformed. Factor in the offensive turnover setting up the Redskins in the redzone and from a distance, a no brainer loss on the offense
Now let's go to the 2025 collapse.
- Bucs sitting at 5-1 in which the defense did their job in 4 of the 5 wins, allowing less than 23 points. Similarly, the offense did their job in 4 of the 5 wins, scoring 23 points or more. In the Eagles loss, special teams screwed the pooch with a TD so basically offense scoring 25 and defense allowing 24. A pretty well balanced complementary output.
- Now onto the collapse. Offense scored: 9, 16, 23, 32, 7, 17, 20, 28, 20, 17, and 16. That's...1.2..3...11 games! the offense did their job in what we will say 3 games. Ironically, the organization went 3-8 but not the same games the offense did their job. The defense allowed: 24, 3, 28, 44, 34, 17, 24, 29, 23, 20, and 14. The defense did their job in 5 games and allowed 24 points in 2 additional games.
- 5 wins instead of 3.....and we are 10-7. Not too shabby. add the 2 toss-up ones at 24 points and 12-5 record!
- So while the defense sucked, try to see it from my "smooth brained" view that the offense was atrocious.
It's why i was harping on Baker all off-season. Dude got a free pass because of the absolute disdain for Bowles. I just wanted to hold the leader of the offense accountable.
I am hoping like hell i am enjoying that dish served cold crow when Baker returns to 30+ TDs this year!
