Maybe, just maybe, if Bowles made better play calls, the defense made more stops, forced more punts, and got more turnovers, the late-game opportunities for gaffes by the offense wouldn't be at all necessary.
Hive mentality has convinced you all that it's okay for the offense to fumble, botch snaps, kick FGs inside the 5, have a -14 yard drive that started in FG range because they overall finished 3rd.
Here's what you don't get. Nobody is excusing the mistakes you outlined. I was right there LIVE yelling my frustration. I've been critical of Coen largely because my expectations are higher.
When Bowles shits the bed late in game....and that's at literally a 95% clip I turn into the Comedian in Watchmen. It's all a joke...
If you grade Coen's late game offense vs his total body of work I agree it is worse. If you take into account context (like missing players, or playing with a lead, or his lack of experience) then you understand why people defend his robust offense and can excuse the issues down the stretch (which you've extended well into the early third for some asinine reason).
Bowles on the other hand has been here MANY TIMES. He hasn't adjusted in 4 years. It all went downhill during and after our playoff loss to the Rams.
Teams know what to expect late in games from him. That's why, outside of the Lions game, he has CONSISTENTLY given up game tying and winning drives.
You can a FG a failure for Coen. Bowles has a completely different set of standards for you; especially late game.
The simple truth is you don't have any facts on your side. You have a few examples of Coen NOT SCORING A GAME CLINCHING TD and a few other examples of players not executing up against Bowles with the consistency of my morning shits, allowing easy scores on soft coverage.
The way Bucs fans and media talk about how last season played out is not accurate. The offense gets put on a pedestal and the defense gets blamed for everything that went wrong. The defense got more critical stops than they get credit for. You say I don't have any facts on my side but I've given enough game situations to prove my point. The point just goes against the group think that's been pounded into everyone's head. My examples are A. more than a few, and B. lower expectations than scoring a TD, mostly.
Falcons games were defensive we scored enough points to win.I disagree with the concept of “offensive struggles” last year.
Which one do you disagree with?
vs Lions up 4 in the 4th, 27 yards on 3 drives.
vs Falcons, up 3. Fumble.
vs Falcons up 3, in FG range, -14 yards.
vs 49ers up 4, 3 and out.
vs 49ers, down 3. 3 and out. (botched snap, this game was really a clone of the Washington game)
vs 49ers, down 3, 1st and goal, FG.
vs Panthers, up 1, 2nd and 4 at the 5. FG
vs Cowboys, down 2. Fumble
vs Commanders, up 4, fumble.
vs Commanders, down 3, 2nd and 1 at the WAS 12. FG
49ers - we rushed for 110 yards - but who were our receivers for that game? Baker fumbled 3 times, didn’t lose any, but drives were stalled. Offense was stymied, 116 yards passing. Again, who were our receivers?
Cowboys - rushed for 134 yards, Baker passed for 300 yards - White fumbled. No sacks, 1 TFL. Defense struggled.
Commanders - Mayfield/JMac miscue stymied a nice defensive stand - but the defense struggled as Jayden Daniels heated up. Defense was spotty.
Strengthening the defense to help it close out games is the clear addition. In your examples, it was mostly opposing defenses being able to take advantage of missing offensive talent.
In my examples it's mostly Rachaad White's bad running and Barton imploding.
Todd Bowles a front runner for the first head coach to be inducted into the JC Hall of Fame.
Love to see it.
Maybe, just maybe, if Bowles made better play calls, the defense made more stops, forced more punts, and got more turnovers, the late-game opportunities for gaffes by the offense wouldn't be at all necessary.
JC's current "don't trust your eyes" troll is just the flip side of the "7th in scoring . . only stat that matters" troll. I think even Fire might have pointed that out. They are both INTENTIONALLY unreasonable. LOL.
Of course the defensive performance matters and could have been much better in 2024. . . and in 2023.
I doubt that Bowles would think any zero punt performance was a good defensive performance, let alone in a playoff.
Its also true that in the playoff game the defense minimized the scoring from all of that possession AND the offense definitely contributed to the loss.
You say I don't have any facts on my side but I've given enough game situations to prove my point.
You have failed to prove anything to anyone for 16 pages.
Its not a coincidence that JC's troll has the greatest impact with the "fire Bowles" crowd
If you just compare the playoff games against the Commanders
The Eagles win, in part, because they get up with two very quick TDs so they are UP EARLY. Some in the "fire Bowles crowd" blame the loss on the lack of defensive stops early, as if it denied the offense a chance to get going. The Eagles scored two TDs after their defense gave up a 7 minute drive.
The Buc only start with a field goal BECAUSE A ROOKIE WR dropped a first down. The offense then watched a 4 minute drive WITH A STOP, but then the offense did nothing and punted. I
In other words, we have the opportunity to get up early (like the eagles) but failed. Just like we had the opportunity at the end to win it, but failed.
The offense failed early and it wasn't because the defense made the sit on the bench too long. If we start fast on offense we probably win EVEN WITH INFERIOR PLAY BY THE D
You can make a similar comparison in the Lions game. The Commander were better than the depleted Bucs and better than the depleted Lions, but NOT better than a Eagles team with a great run game and a lead.
You say I don't have any facts on my side but I've given enough game situations to prove my point.
You have failed to prove anything to anyone for 16 pages.
on a string . . .
Weird timing. Jonathan Jones talking about defenses, now with the Commanders
"“Your goals kind of shift,” Jones said, via the team’s website. “Sometimes on defense, you’ll feel like you’re trying to win the game. It has to be on you. And you’ll shift to a point where there’s certain teams . . . where as a defense, your job is like, ‘Let me just get the ball back to our offense,’ and if they have the ball on the last drive, we know we’ll win that game.”
Here's another way to look at it..the offense relied heavily on inexperienced players and coaches. Those people made some mistakes, especially down the stretch. That isn't super shocking...
Coen - 1st year NFL full time play caller needed to learn to close games better.
Barton - rookie converted center had the snap yips all year..still a very good player and he'll figure it out but that's why I wanted JPP but I've beat that horse to death. Still, many mistakes came because he's a rookie thrust into action.
Bucky - great year but had a late fumble and inexplicably tried to do too much late down the stretch a few times. He'll learn.
McMillan - solid year and came on strong late but he has some key drops and mental miscues in games... Late penalty etc.
Those are critical young pieces getting critical experience and learning from their mistakes.
I'm not trying to pretend that Coen didn't feel the pressure late it games but I'm not gonna overreact to the slight decreases in production late when there's plenty of context to suggest why and the 3rd ranked offense.
Just think about the Chiefs game. Masterful drive by Coen after a masterful game against an ELITE defense missing Evans and Godwin because of decisions made by Bowles. Still marched down the field and tied the game with a TD. That's pretty damn clutch. Bowles chose to kick the extra point in bad weather after fumbling the clock managment yet again. Then the score to win in OT which we all knew was coming with his bend and break strategy.
Just do the math on all the net negative and positive stuff from Coen and Bowles and if you tally it out it isn't even remotely close....even if we take out "offensive ranked 3rd stats don't matter"
You say I don't have any facts on my side but I've given enough game situations to prove my point.
You have failed to prove anything to anyone for 16 pages.
Pfft…
Speak for yourself.
Todd has my vote to be inducted into the illustrious JCHoF
lolz @ illustrious. That's an apt word.
You say I don't have any facts on my side but I've given enough game situations to prove my point.
You have failed to prove anything to anyone for 16 pages.
Pfft…
Speak for yourself.
Todd has my vote to be inducted into the illustrious JCHoF
lolz @ illustrious. That's an apt word.
The induction ceremony is a banger.
You get to chat it up with bonafide studs like Adam Humphries and Scotty Miller.
Josh Freeman supplies the “party favors”.
Here's another way to look at it..the offense relied heavily on inexperienced players and coaches. Those people made some mistakes, especially down the stretch. That isn't super shocking...
Coen - 1st year NFL full time play caller needed to learn to close games better.
Barton - rookie converted center had the snap yips all year..still a very good player and he'll figure it out but that's why I wanted JPP but I've beat that horse to death. Still, many mistakes came because he's a rookie thrust into action.
Bucky - great year but had a late fumble and inexplicably tried to do too much late down the stretch a few times. He'll learn.
McMillan - solid year and came on strong late but he has some key drops and mental miscues in games... Late penalty etc.
Those are critical young pieces getting critical experience and learning from their mistakes.
I'm not trying to pretend that Coen didn't feel the pressure late it games but I'm not gonna overreact to the slight decreases in production late when there's plenty of context to suggest why and the 3rd ranked offense.
Just think about the Chiefs game. Masterful drive by Coen after a masterful game against an ELITE defense missing Evans and Godwin because of decisions made by Bowles. Still marched down the field and tied the game with a TD. That's pretty damn clutch. Bowles chose to kick the extra point in bad weather after fumbling the clock managment yet again. Then the score to win in OT which we all knew was coming with his bend and break strategy.
Just do the math on all the net negative and positive stuff from Coen and Bowles and if you tally it out it isn't even remotely close....even if we take out "offensive ranked 3rd stats don't matter"
+1
Bowles accomplishments as DC and HC command more respect than he gets from the fans and media.
