I have heard/read that Pederson is a dead man walking. To keep his job, he would apparently have to be either beat DET or be extremely competitive, and then sweep the rest of the slate. In other words, the only loss he can afford is vs. DET, and it would have to be by a Td or less. Obviously, still just a rumor, but that's what I've seen/heard more than a couple times in the last two weeks or so.
Interesting.Coen on the list
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Quarterback Baker Mayfield is playing the best football of his career for the first-year Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator. They hit it off so well together with the Rams in 2022 that Mayfield personally helped recruit Coen to the Bucs last offseason, which speaks to the OC’s ability to connect with his players.
Coen, 39, bounced around the New England college coaching circuit before [Sean] McVay hired him in 2018. He had two one-year stints as Kentucky’s offensive coordinator (2021, 2023) that bookended his season as McVay’s OC. Now a full-time play caller for the first time in the NFL, Coen has impressed those around the league with his creativity and feel for the game while designing plays with a purpose. Tampa’s offense is fifth in the NFL right now, putting up 27 points per game.
Coen is inexperienced on the interview circuit, so he might be at least a year away from a head coaching offer. But he should garner interview requests, particularly after Dave Canales turned his one season with the Bucs into the Carolina Panthers’ top job — and the Bucs offense has been better in 2024.
I can see Coen being a super hot candidate…for some really bad teams, but what if he interviews and decides to stay?
If Bowles wants another year and then exists, especially if he achieves another 6- 1 run to close out this season to go 9-8/10-7 - maybe getting into the playoffs - it’s going to be awfully hard to make the case to fire him.
its all just speculation at this point, but I could see the scenario @badabingbucs suggests above.
Maybe there’s a deal in place for that scenario - Todd would get another crack at landing the Edge/ILB/CB he needs for this defense in the draft (and FA) - and go out a winner. Then turn it over to Liam?
Gotta get there first, but it’s got to be on the table.
Regardless of the rest of this season, do you trust the 2025 Bucs with Bowles? If you are Licht and the Glazers and you want to spend some money on free agents and make a real run at the NFC title is Bowles your guy for that? It's not about what's fair or what Bowles deserves. Bowles will land on his feet (unlike Leftwich). It's always about taking the next step from where you are. Licht and the Glazers have to do what they think is in the best interests of the team and who is going to lead the team to where they want and expect it to go. Can this team take the next step with Bowles at the helm? Not in my opinion. I doubt the Bucs think so either.
As a fan, are you going to be excited about Bowles leading a team that went off the rails in the middle of the season two years in a row? It makes me jittery just thinking about it.
The Bowles' loyalists and their daily doses of copium.
Lolz...
To think changing the head coach, changing the DC, fundamentally changing the defense while trying to utilize current talent, and expecting that to result in additional wins, is hopium, as well as historically naive… but exactly what got us Dirk Keotter, Greg Schiano, Lovie Smith, Sam Wyche, and Richard Williamson.
Sorry, reasoning fans know we’ve had more success leveraging consistency.
know we’ve had more success leveraging consistency.
it should be the goal of all teams
Honestly, i dont get the mindset of some fans . .. emphasis on "some" and on FANS
I am a Bucs fan. Good years, great years, bad years, rebuilding years. Because I am a fan of the team, I dont think I have ever rooted AGAINST a coach and we have had some bad ones. Happy to see the Bucs eventually turn the page on some bad coaches, but coaches, like payers, are just part of the ever evolving story of the team and they all bring something.
For example, maybe you dont think Sam Wyche was a good coach. Fair enough BUT he drafted Lynch and got us Hardy and Hardy played a HUGE role in turning things around. Dungy while he was here might not have gotten the team over the top, but man did he build the team FROM ALMOST NOTHING and in his own carreer arc he goes on over the top. Gruden got us IMMEDIATELY to the top, but that came with its own cost down the line. Lovie was terrible, but that brought a top pciks here. That dint turn out well, but in the moment it was another reason to be excited
I hope Bowles succeeds BECAUSE HE IS THE HEAD COACH, not because I am a Bowles fan and certainly not because I am trying to display football IQ (silly to even type that). I am just a fan of the team. I want the Bucs to succeed.
Many fans seem to be "if this team cannot in it all, blow it up" even though that is NOT really the way a team wins it all. Just look at the Bucs history as an easy example.
I mostly agree, but Leeman Bennet, Ray Perkins, Greg Schiano caused decades of losses…they were the result of reactionary ownership - those reactions brought in even worse losers who left us with high draft picks that were then used on poor picks, or worse were traded away. That brought us other losers that the also misused cap space to augment bad draft picks with even worse & expensive washed up vet FA’s that destroyed our cap.
Sorry, I’ve just endured too many losers to see replacing the head coach as THE answer.
Figure out how to leverage what you already have to become better.
As I’ve said before, there were many times large swathes of Buc fans disagreed with the teams decisions. Han’t stopped me from being a Bucs fan.
they were the result of reactionary ownership
Agreed 100%
To think changing the head coach, changing the DC, fundamentally changing the defense while trying to utilize current talent, and expecting that to result in additional wins, is hopium, as well as historically naive… but exactly what got us Dirk Keotter, Greg Schiano, Lovie Smith, Sam Wyche, and Richard Williamson.
Sorry, reasoning fans know we’ve had more success leveraging consistency.
I agree in part, but can't get completely behind this way of thinking. Culverhouse was a shit owner that made a lot of really poor decisions, plus a complete lack of football acumen and an ego that was never going to work for this team (we once had Ron Wolf the architect of GB dynasty as our GM ). That being said getting rid of a 3 win coach in Williamson for a coach that took his team to the wire of the SB against San Fran was a move that made sense, even if at the time it didn't ultimately result in more wins it changed the culture in the locker room. I get why the Glazers switched from Lovie to Keotter as he was a relatively successful OC with a still young first overall pick. I'll definitely give you Schiano and Love though they were both way out of their depth here and never should have been hired in the first place.
To say though that changing head coach and coordinator cant put you over the hump, look no further than Jon Gruden who did just that, but the inverse. Coen is keeping this team in every game this year, and with an even average defensive on the field this year would be at least a few games better than the record currently sits. Bowles Stubborn-ness also does him no favors as he's so slow to make any changes to depth chart even when it's glaringly obvious to everyone else that what he's doing isn't working.
So, our defense, as it is right now, is great, we just need a better DC…?
So, our defense, as it is right now, is great, we just need a better DC…?
Great? Certainly not! Capable of being above average-good with the right coordinator? Definitely! I’d like to see Tampa stick with an attacking style 3-4 since that’s what we’re primarily built for…this team will definitely need upgrades at both ILB spots next year, and a bookend OLB, and maybe another perimeter CB depending on if Dean comes back, or jettisoned ala CD24, but most of the pieces are in place. If we could get to a middle of the pack defense, and someone that doesn’t play for overtime,this teams outlooks looks totally different.
Thats the thing, you tell me it’s Bowles, then you tell me the talent that’s missing & needed in order to fix the defense? That means you know the real problem. It’s not Bowles, it’s not having the talent.So, our defense, as it is right now, is great, we just need a better DC…?
Great? Certainly not! Capable of being above average-good with the right coordinator? Definitely! I’d like to see Tampa stick with an attacking style 3-4 since that’s what we’re primarily built for…this team will definitely need upgrades at both ILB spots next year, and a bookend OLB, and maybe another perimeter CB depending on if Dean comes back, or jettisoned ala CD24, but most of the pieces are in place. If we could get to a middle of the pack defense, and someone that doesn’t play for overtime,this teams outlooks looks totally different.
There aren’t a lot of DC’s floating around that were capable of holding Mahomes to 9 points…in a SB.
DC’s capable of doing that, don’t forget how to build a defense, or coach a defense. They just need a few pieces to be better than average.
Could be you’re right. Maybe you have some DC in mind that could take over a roster built on a hybrid 3-4 that are either available or looking for a lateral move to Tampa? or maybe d-line/LB-er’s/secondary coaches looking for a promotion to DC? I haven’t been looking for them so I don’t have a list of names for those guys. It could possibly work, I just haven’t been paying attention.
Bowles Stubborn-ness also does him no favors as he's so slow to make any changes to depth chart even when it's glaringly obvious to everyone else that what he's doing isn't working
He is definitely stubborn and slow to change out players but as far as this season goes some that slow changing is because he’s got limited choices. We lost Dean he went Funderbetk but pulled him almost immediately for Hayes
there’s no one after Hayes lol
Thats the thing, you tell me it’s Bowles, then you tell me the talent that’s missing & needed in order to fix the defense? That means you know the real problem. It’s not Bowles, it’s not having the talent.
There aren’t a lot of DC’s floating around that were capable of holding Mahomes to 9 points…in a SB.
DC’s capable of doing that, don’t forget how to build a defense, or coach a defense. They just need a few pieces to be better than average.
Could be you’re right. Maybe you have some DC in mind that could take over a roster built on a hybrid 3-4 that are either available or looking for a lateral move to Tampa? or maybe d-line/LB-er’s/secondary coaches looking for a promotion to DC? I haven’t been looking for them so I don’t have a list of names for those guys. It could possibly work, I just haven’t been paying attention.
It's a combination of Bowles stubbornness and poor game management as HC, as a DC it's sticking by "his guys", and the refusal to adapt the defensive to his guys strengths, as well as running so much zone coverage... This year it's Britt and JTS...Last year it was White and Neal...Injuries certainly have not helped this year as several key players have missed some time, but the majority of the of the players on the defensive side have played in and have been "communicating with each other" in this defense for at least 2 seasons. You're right that most DC's haven't held Mahomes to 9 points let alone in a Superbowl, but lets not act as if going against was it 3 backup OL ? Didn't make it easier for Suh,JPP,Shaq and co. to disrupt the Chiefs offense.....I agree they don't forget how to build or coach a defense, but sometimes the game simply passes them by.....such as with Lovie, Leslie Frasier, Jim Bates, Mike Smith
Let's also move ahead 1 year in the divisional round against the rams, and who's defense it was that called an all out blitz with 25 seconds left, from their own 35 yard line to that allowed L.A to get into position to kick the game winning FG as time expired...For the record I love that our defense is/was aggressive, but when they have to march it 50 yards to get into FG range with 25 seconds keep everything in front of you and try to keep them from being able to get out of bounds( foreshadowing poor decisions when game is on the line )
As for a possible DC, how about Brandon Staley ? He's "Assistant HC" and an unspecified defensive coach for the 9ers that's coaching this year as a freebie courtesy of the Chargers. He runs a hybrid attacking 3-4 that has generally been very good. He likely won't get much interest as a HC during the offseason, so will likely be looking for opportunities to re-establish himself in the coaching ranks, and Coen is familiar with him from their overlapping year in L.A.
