Below average is being generous. We are top 3 worst.
Whereas the offense has had 3 weeks of injuries
Luke Goedeke chuckled at this. And Mike Evans to a degree, as he has been dealing with the Hammy long before the Baltimore game.
Who we’re the “guts of the defense” that were out for long stretches?
Why are we making excuses for Bowles? He's shown us who he is.
Just look at Kirk Cousins stats on the season and see where LITERALLY 1/3 of his stats came against us in 2 games.
Excuses?
A reason the offense struggled last game was….no Evans or Godwin, right?
is that an excuse or a reason? Lol
if a poster wants Bowles gone then anything another poster mentions about the circumstance becomes an “excuse?”
Reality is an excuse I guess.
For my part I am not excusing any of Bowles shortcomings just pointing out that you can’t really evaluate his defenses performance without considering the impact of injuries. Just like you wouldn’t judge Coen by the no Godwin/Evans version of the offense.
by the way, who is the defensive equivalent of Evans and Godwin? Is not LVD anymore. Maybe AJW but he’s playing terrible. Vea I guess but is he a HOFer? To start the season the offense is pretty loaded. The start the season the defense is not, at least by comparison. So, injuries should be more relevant
Offense isn't loaded imo. The scheme is largely responsible for the success especially in the run game.
I think offensively we are top 15 talent and top 7 play calling. Could make the argument we are top 10 talent tho
On defense we are bottom 15 in talent, bottom 10 in depth, and bottom 5 in coaching.
They’re loss of availability is on them and the OC as much as it is on the HC (perhaps more).
Kinda like how you said it was just as much on Coen that we didn’t go for 2 against KC.
I mean, my God, the words “accountability” and “Bowles” never collide in the same sentence with you.
Offense isn't loaded imo. The scheme is largely responsible for the success especially in the run game.
I think offensively we are top 15 talent and top 7 play calling. Could make the argument we are top 10 talent tho
On defense we are bottom 15 in talent, bottom 10 in depth, and bottom 5 in coaching.
I think that ^^^ is exactly right.
There was a lot of preseason talk about the Bucs and playoffs and even Super Bowl, mostly because last season's UNEXPECTED success.
But, the Bucs are NOT a very competitive team trying to push over the top. They area team VERY MUCH IN TRANSITION. That should JUMP off the page to everyone by just comparing pre-SB JPP, Suh and Barrett to NO ONE (to speak of) last year or this year.
So HOW are they transitioning?
Well, they already had a LOT of offensive talent (2 HOFers? and maybe the best WR2 in the league), and then picking up Mayfield (Bowles, by the way) out of nowhere SO with the draft as really the ONLY resource they are using:
2023 - the team drafted for defense three players who should have a long term impact, Kancey, Diaby and even Dennis. However, these picks are still having a modest impact due to INJURY and youth. The team used ONE premium pick on OFFENSE (Mauch). Half the board wanted to murder him early this season lol. He's doing better
2024 - the team used its MOST PREMIUM pick on OFFENSE, on a guy who seems to be a CORNERSTONE type player (Barton) and then BACK TO DEFENSE to get Braswell and Smith, one of those guys (Braswell) arguably being a bit of a NEED pick BUT (in my view) because of the BRADY ERA need drafting of JTS and Hall.
Right now, the Bucs are struggling because of Bowles defense, but that defense is also CURRENTLY the PRODUCT of MULTIPLE . .. multiple . . .premium pick BRADY-era (win now) DRAFT PICKS THAT HAVE NOT PANNED OUT (Hall, JTS, White).
Thats NOT an "excuse" that is just reality. So, especially when you add in INJURY the defense is understandably far behind the offense and when you throw in the relatively poor play of a STAR (AWJ) on defense and the MISS and injury of several vdefense FA moves (Safety and Corner) and then DEAN out and no MLB . . .
I am surprised it has not been worse
One reason it has not been worse is?
Bowles.
The team fell short against the Chiefs and 49ers -- partly ON BOWLES -- but what honest person would deny that a depleted team really stepped up against much superior teams? That is ALSO . .. ONE PART BOWLES
pointing that out only makes you a "Bowles nut gobblin" to "I am a GM" trolls covering up for bad football takes. LOL
Kidding, but Bowles is on his way out but man the stuff here is over the top sometimes lmao
@white-tiger - excuses. And our injuries to our defense haven’t been bad or unusual to any team. It’s okay to cheer Bowles on and still call him out for poor coaching and scheme.
Have been critical of Bowles, and you can “google it”. When your coverage ILB is Britt, and your CB’s are Funderburke & Hayes - something happened…right?@white-tiger - excuses. And our injuries to our defense haven’t been bad or unusual to any team. It’s okay to cheer Bowles on and still call him out for poor coaching and scheme.
When your Starting NT & Safety are playing through injuries and trying to cover for the CB’s - you can see why they’re performance suffers.
You can criticize the lack of players at key spots but we all knew that would be a problem (Edge, CB, ILB) coming into this season - while knowing we handcuffed the coach - without calling for the HC’s job. You don’t have to use what the GM couldn’t do to address those issues last season to make a case to fire said HC, you do that because that’s what you wanted last season.
See, it’s all a matter of perspective.
@white-tiger - I love the “Google it,” comment. 😄
Bowles personnel decisions are a big reason for your above comments. He stuck with Devin White too long; moved Winfield to nickel; relies on JTS every year; and now went into 2024 thinking Britt could be an every down ILB, believed in his depth at corner; and thought he had the guys at Edge to bring pressure. The defensive failures all point back to Bowles. There are no excuses for his defenses play.
Sorry, I’ve been waiting to use the Google it line since yesterday…@white-tiger - I love the “Google it,” comment. 😄
Bowles personnel decisions are a big reason for your above comments. He stuck with Devin White too long; moved Winfield to nickel; relies on JTS every year; and now went into 2024 thinking Britt could be an every down ILB, believed in his depth at corner; and thought he had the guys at Edge to bring pressure. The defensive failures all point back to Bowles. There are no excuses for his defenses play.
I agree with the Devin White issue, but ignoring the fact that the Bucs brass weren’t going to start charging up the credit card again - and that the defense was the side of the ball most effected by that (no trades and picking deep down the draft board the last several seasons) - is pretending it’s all Bowles. We rebuilt the offense with limited resources, that’s not all on Bowles. That’s making tough decisions to get the team healthy.
Again, we knew the holes on defense going into this season. We knew it meant paying down the card balance, and we knew Todd wouldn’t get to get much attention for his defense until next season.
Not surprising that against the toughest part of our schedule, it all got revealed, especially during the worst injury spat this team has had in several years.
Shoukd be an interesting stretch-run.
@white-tiger - hopefully our decision makers don’t see it your way. Bowles defensive scheme has holes no matter who we have playing. I’m as diehard Bucs fan as they come, but it would be infuriating to have this lack of coverage scheming for another year or two.
I think if this SB winning coach can make another run down the stretch, it will be very difficult to can him.
However, if the Bucs decide to go with Coen, and bring in a top-notch DC, I’ll be good with that too - I think it will initially cost us some wins - but I’ve lived through worse.
All about perspective. We’ll win more than we’ll lose, either way.
See, for me, another Superbowl win, winning the division several times more, and poised to make a run - means the organization has leveled up- and this is the golden era of Bucs fandom.
I think if this SB winning coach
This is in reference to Todd Bowles? Is he pretty good at Madden or something?
He was the coach with a defense that shut down KC when we won the Super Bowl. So, yeah, post was accurate.
Wrong.They’re loss of availability is on them and the OC as much as it is on the HC (perhaps more).
Kinda like how you said it was just as much on Coen that we didn’t go for 2 against KC.
I mean, my God, the words “accountability” and “Bowles” never collide in the same sentence with you.
But only one of us will be twisted if Bowles is retained next season.
I recognize that Bowles gets another 6 chances to see if he can motivate his guys - who may just prove, again, that they love playing for him - and show he’s learned to leverage experience to make critical in-game decisions that can help his team win.
