It’s been a while since I’ve posted a Monday Rant because, honestly, it feels like every post lately has been one. Our Bucs are at their lowest point since well before Dirk Koetter arrived at One Buc Place, and there are plenty of reasons to point fingers.
Baker Mayfield is Awful
While I (and many of us) have directed much of our frustration toward Todd Bowles… and he deserves the lion’s share… quarterback Baker Mayfield can’t escape major criticism. His performance has been downright terrible since the bye week.
On Sunday against the Dolphins, the offensive line provided Baker with plenty of time in the pocket, yet he was again hesitant to make decisions. His timing is off, and while pressure has affected him at times this season, that wasn’t the case yesterday.
Baker had open receivers and plenty of time, but he focused too much on his primary reads and again failed to see the field well. He had Chris Godwin open on both interceptions but instead forced passes to double-covered receivers.
I’m not sure if it’s an injury or something else, but right now, Baker is not playing like a reliable quarterback. It’s very disappointing.
Bowles’ Defense Continues to Struggle
Bowles has been blaming players for a lack of execution during this losing streak, but eventually, the coach needs to look in the mirror. A great defense is built on scheme and assignment familiarity, allowing players to operate instinctively. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with most of Bowles’ defenses over the years.
His defensive backs frequently blow coverages. A prime example came from safety Tykee Smith, who took a terrible angle, allowing the Dolphins to tie the game on 65 yard touchdown pass on a 3rd and 5 in the first quarter. This was so demoralizing, especially after the Bucs offense had just scored on their opening drive. It was a chance to put a Dolphins team, with nothing to play for, on their back foot, but instead, they executed a simple passing route combination for a long touchdown.
Later in the game, with the Dolphins backed up to their own 2-yard line on a 3rd and long, pro bowl safety Antoine Winfield took his eyes off his man during a play-action, abandoning his assignment and giving up a crucial first down pass. He had backside run gap responsibility on a 3rd and long, yet he lost focus, rushed up to fill his run responsibility, and left his primary responsibility, who caught the pass to convert the first down.
Yes, these players made mistakes, but it often comes down to what Bowles is asking of them. The defense isn’t making plays, which leads players to press for results. This lack of trust in the system is a significant problem.
Glazers Need to Step Up and Lead
Sometimes owners hesitate to intervene, thinking it might worsen the situation. But playing it safe can be just as damaging. The Glazers must be part of the solution and make tough decisions. Last year, they chose not to act, and now they’re watching Liam Coen lead his new team to a potential 12 or 13-win season while the Bucs have lost 7 of their last 9.
They can respect Todd Bowles as a person, and at the same time, let him know it’s time to pass the torch. Doing nothing out of fear of making a poor hiring decision isn’t leadership. Bowles’ coaching staff isn’t going to transform this team into a contender anytime soon.
Yes, there’s a chance you might make a bad hire (like Dirk Koetter), but you certainly won’t add transformative leadership like Tony Dungy or Bruce Arians without taking a risk. I’d much rather take that risk than settle for the current state of affairs. It’s time to aim for championships or at least strive toward that goal, and this coaching staff isn’t the way forward.
Please show us leadership, Glazers.
yeah Baker is playing to the point that not only has it cemented the right football move not to prematurely extend him this off-season but 2026 becomes a make or break year whether he's the guy or not.
Baker hasn't played well at all. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt because everything is a dumpster fire right now. We've seen what he can do with component coaching the past two years. I don't know if he's pressing or injured or both but he never looks comfortable in the pocket and his decision making is being is being affected by it.
Defensively its just an absolute mess. Seems like YaYa is the only guy playing with any fire. The back end looks clueless and out of position more often than not. Winfield looks like a shell of himself-albeit it looks like he's being used completely different than he was two years ago. He used to line up all over the field and now it seems like he's just playing a high zone 90% of the time. The tackling by that unit yesterday was atrocious.
Vibes are as bas as we've seen since 2008. Glazers need to shake things up.
