The noise has grown louder over Todd Bowles and if he should continue to be the Bucs head coach after a disastrous 29-28 loss on Thursday night football that saw the Bucs choke in the fourth quarter.

Looking from a macro perspective, this is the blueprint that Bowles has had since becoming the Bucs head coach. His teams start out hot at the beginning of the year. Then they go on a losing streak, including falling to a team they shouldn’t lose to. Then, they pick themselves up off the ground, get on a winning streak and win the worst division in football.

Bowles and Tampa Bay were on pace for that this year. They had a 5-1 start, then lost three in a row after the bye, then won, then lost to the Saints when they shouldn’t have. This was supposed to be the game where they start the winning streak. But they let the lead slip away.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

Technically, the Bucs can still win the division by beating the Panthers twice, but this team has a hard enough time with the worst teams in the league.

Todd Bowles Explains His Tirade

Todd Bowles has never been one to show panic. His demeanor hardly ever changes whether it’s win, lose, ugly, or inspiring. He delivers the same calm, steady presence.

But gone was his stoic nature following the loss to the Falcons. Instead, it was a fuming Bowles, who put together seven F-bombs in a tirade after the game. It was very uncharacteristic of him, and it could’ve been a sign that the fact that this game could cost him his job is getting to him. Bowles said it was just all emotion.

“That definitely wan’t by design,” Bowles said on Friday morning. “That was how I fell at that time. That was honest, raw and right off the top. Usually my sons watch and I don’t cuss as much but I was still pissed off from the time I came in, I didn’t design that at all.

“That was how I felt, that’s what I said and they heard the same thing in the locker room so we don’t keep secrets from each other.

Todd Bowles is likely coaching for his job down the stretch. Regardless of player execution, his message and game plan is getting stale. The same reasons they get beat happen every week, and they make below average players look like All-Pros.

Falcons RB Bijan Robinson and Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Buccaneers have hovered between competitive and inconsistent. At times, Bowles’ team looks disciplined, opportunistic, and capable of hanging with anyone. At others, they look flat, predictable, and undermanned — a reflection of a roster still trying to find its identity, but also of a coaching staff that hasn’t always maximized what it has.

This team is too talented to be scratching and clawing to a division title. They should be going into next week’s game at Carolina with a chance to clinch it with a win. But instead, they likely have to win out.

Bowles hasn’t always been dealt the best hand as head coach of the Bucs. His first year in 2022, he was named head coach after Bruce Arians abruptly retired and didn’t get to make any changes to his coaching staff if he wanted to. Yes, he had Tom Brady, but a big off the field issue in Brady’s personal life likely resulted in a subpar season.

Then in 2023, the Bucs found their future at quarterback with Baker Mayfield, but overall were financially strapped and had to go bargain hunting with many positions that didn’t work out the way Mayfield did.

The 2024 season saw an offensive explosion, but was also a very injured season with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr. out at different times, plus Antoine Winfield Jr, Jamel Dean and several players in the secondary being injured at various times.

This season in 2025, the injuries have been even worse across the board.

Falcons TE Kyle Pitts and Bucs S Christian Izien  – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Can Bowles And The Bucs Salvage This Season?

Through three seasons, Bowles has won three division titles. But that’s come with records of 8-9, 9-8 and 10-7 as Tampa Bay has evidently benefitted from a lowly NFC South. This season, he and the Bucs are 7-7 and can only match last year’s record if they win out. They’d have to sweep the Panthers this year, and that doesn’t seem likely.

With a 1-3 postseason record, that’s not enough for Bowles to hang his hat on and keep him around either. It feels as if he needs to win three straight and a playoff game to remain the head coach.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

The truth is this: in the NFL, fair or not, coaches are judged on results, not circumstances.

So is he coaching for his job? Is this impacting the locker room? Bowles has his mind on the next game, and that’s it.

“I don’t think I worry about it at all,” Bowles said. “It doesn’t creep into the locker room. Players play and coaches coach. I got more years behind me than I do ahead of me. We’re in a situation where we’re right back in it. Our only focus is to win a ball game.”