SR- I’ve got to ask you about something that has confused me. Sometime around the middle of the second quarter of the season you were very pointed with your disapproval of Coach Bowles and shared that you felt he should be fired at the end of the year, if not immediately.
As we rounded thru the third quarter of the season you backed off that belief and started focusing solely on the need to fire Leftwich. Why the change of heart? I thought you were spot on with your initial belief. A lot of where leftwich failed this offense was due to Bowles ideas on how we should attack. Did you hear that Bowles had no reins on leftwich and let him do what he wanted with the offense? Did the team ask you to back off the Bowles witch hunt? It just appeared like a sudden shift although I thought you were right on.
Great question
Did you hear that Bowles had no reins on leftwich and let him do what he wanted with the offense?
In the article I quoted yesterday SR attributes the emphasis on running to Bowles and Brady:
"As a result, the Bucs had one of the most dangerous passing games in the league for nearly two years, with Brady throwing 83 touchdowns from 2020-21. But when Brown quit on the team late last year, Gronkowski and Pro Bowl left guard Ali Marpet retired, and Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen missed the regular season, Leftwich’s offense couldn’t simply out-talent the opposition.
Instead, the Bucs needed Leftwich to scheme Evans and Godwin, who was coming off a torn ACL from late in the 2021 season, open and get more creative with the play-calling. Both Bowles and Brady wanted the Bucs to run the ball more and be more balanced on offense after Brady led the league in pass attempts and completions in 2021 at age 44. None of that happened, and the Bucs struggled with predictable play-calling, which led to poor third down and red zone efficiency as a result."
Sometime during the season the run game coordinator/assistant HC also came out and suggested that Leftwich was abandoning the run ie they need to run more
interested to watch it all play out
BC - I agree. But I get the sense that something was said to SR for him to make such a quick u-turn on firing Bowles.
Bottom line is the offense was pathetic. And force-feeding the running game was a big reason why. So we were one dimensional in the first half of games running the ball on 1st and 2nd downs, setting ourselves up for 3rd and longs. And then we were one dimensional in the second half of games having to primarily pass the ball because we were playing catch up due to no production in the first half. What is going to change?
Bowles has his finger prints all over this. And… the defense looked unprepared on Monday night, to the point that it was embarrassing. SR was originally right… we must clean house.
Great post hope SR responds
I clearly remember him criticizing Bowles as many of us have, but the only thing I recall about "Bowles" and "firing" was him simply saying, the only way he can see him fired is if they don't make the playoffs and they completely collapse. He has always said, best I remember, "its his first year and not his staff" so he would have the chance to make changes if this season was a failure. SR was fired up on Celsius Energy drink and Pirate Republic and raged about Bowles simple answers after a couple games but otherwise he has been on Leftwich all season.
Lol! Probably. But he definitely was on the fire Bowles train a little before the Ravens game. More recently he has taken a step back.
@BC- I hope SR gets around to answering it as well but he’s definitely busy this week. Probably the best way to put the question is… Why the change of heart? And then, “Aside from how you think the organization will handle it, what would you do with Coach Bowles if you were the decision-maker.”
Well, they made the playoffs AND completely collapsed in the home playoff game. One of the most embarrassing losses that I have ever seen in person at RJS. The defense was abysmal and couldn't do anything to stop the Cowpukes from moving up and down the field at will. Who is responsible for the defense? And the offense couldn't do squat either, zero points at the half, 14 points after the game was decided. Who is responsible for the offense? Keeping Bowles is just delaying the inevitable. 2023 lost season.
Well, they made the playoffs AND completely collapsed in the home playoff game. One of the most embarrassing losses that I have ever seen in person at RJS. The defense was abysmal and couldn't do anything to stop the Cowpukes from moving up and down the field at will. Who is responsible for the defense? And the offense couldn't do squat either, zero points at the half, 14 points after the game was decided. Who is responsible for the offense? Keeping Bowles is just delaying the inevitable. 2023 lost season.
I agree with you but Bowles easy defense is that the 2022 season was the lost season. Because of Brady and Arians he got the job too late to hire his own staff. He will say AND DID SAY TWICE AFTER THE GAME that 2023 will be the year he changes the culture.
I don't believe that is true (ie that he is the agent of positive changes), but I believe he has a strong argument to make if you just look at all the dysfunction this season
He cant say any of that though it Brady comes back
The thing that SR learned or confirmed midseason was that Bowles would survive most house cleanings because it wasn't his staff?
Just a guess
@bucsbits - you’re probably right. I just remember how strongly he felt about making that move and at that time it had nothing to do with whether the team was going to do it or not.
And then at a certain point he stopped pushing for it. Probably a smart idea really, because he needs to not burn bridges over there. But deep down there is no way SR thinks Bowles should still be our coach. There’s no way that’s changed.
@bucsbits - you’re probably right. I just remember how strongly he felt about making that move and at that time it had nothing to do with whether the team was going to do it or not.
And then at a certain point he stopped pushing for it. Probably a smart idea really, because he needs to not burn bridges over there. But deep down there is no way SR thinks Bowles should still be our coach. There’s no way that’s changed.
agreed
More and more it looks like SR became aware that there was plenty of dysfunction inside the team created by Bowles late hiring, Arians staff, reduce talent/failure on the field, so he likely realized that the Bucs were keep Bowles to give him his own chance to shape the team, change the culture etc.
there are two articles now talking about the dysfunction
If living off the super bowl, or not working as hard as expected were the case, then how come Bowles didn’t meet privately with those players to reset expectations? Bowles had the chance to instill new culture during the 2022 season, not beginning with the 2023 roster. Granted he didn’t have the chance to hire his own staff, but certainly these issues could have been addressed with the players he thought weren’t living up to his standards. Just like any other workplace. I’m prepared for the 2023 season to be a failure. IMHO the Bucs won’t even win 8 games in 2023. Wasted year except for the high draft pick.