Flashbacks of 2024 with the defense unable to get off the field, but Bowles DIRECTLY impacted the outcome of that game and did so in a way that is very often subject to criticism on these boards.
1. He did NOT go for 2
Not sure why he should have in that scenario, but IF the outcome was different - the outcome being the key point - the critics would be chirping "why would he leave it in the hands of the deense?" He went "conservative," even with his STs giving up big returns and his defense seemingly unable to stop the Seahawks winning FG and it paid off because . . .
2. He called a very well-executed BLITZ that ended up in an interception.
And there were multiple things about the blitz that IF unsuccessful would have had everyone up in arms. Watch the blitz play out and you see (for better or worse) classic Bowles blitz
https://www.buccaneers.com/video/lavonte-int-bucs-seahawks-nfl-week-5-big-play-2025
A. The Seahawks don't account for Winfield and TRIPLE TEAM Hall . . lol.
B. Reddick DROPS IN COVERAGE. LOL, I can imagine reading "Reddick in COVERAGE . . ."
C. Vea isn't rushing as much as he is just dragging the Seahawks o-line to the Bucs left, so the play isnt overwhelming them with numbers as much as its CONFUSING them
D. The Bucs had the play completely sniffed out. Watch closely. Darnold is focused on Kupp the entire time. LVD (who was getting beaten often) slides over and drops right into where the pass is going, a pass that never had much of a chance. Its 2nd and 2. Darnold should just take the sack or throw it at Kupps feet, but the play caught him flat footed. and that is partly because. . .
E. Rainy day
Bowles held the blitz back (something some here dispute he does) until that moment. This is Bowles quoted in PR's article discussing the "rainy day" blitz that "saved the day."
"“We were saving that blitz for a rainy day, and we brought it out,” Bowles said. “We’ve been running it a lot, and we didn’t run it the entire game. Everybody was waiting on it and it finally came. [Lavonte] made the veteran play that he made, and he caught the ball just like [Jamel] Dean did [two weeks ago], which he had trouble in practice catching them. It was a heck of a ball game, and for our leader to step up and make that play was huge.”
So, Bowles deserves blame for the defense's poor 3rd down performance, but also CREDIT for THE pivotal play that changed the outcome of the game, everything from the timing to the deign (that worked) was Bowles.