Do The Bucs Assume Todd Bowles Can Win It All? I am Not So Certain | Pewter Report

Is Todd Bowles the person who can lead the Bucs to the Tremendous Bowl and win it?

After Sunday’s 23-20 dwelling loss to Washington within the Wild Card spherical of the playoffs that’s the query that the Bucs house owners – the Glazer household – and normal supervisor Jason Licht have to ask themselves heading into the 2025 offseason.

If the reply is a agency “yes,” then Bowles stays on to attempt to lead this franchise to one more NFC South championship in what could be his fourth 12 months steering the Bucs’ ship. Hopefully with Liam Coen nonetheless aboard as his offensive coordinator. Coen is predicted to interview for the vacant head teaching place in Jacksonville this week.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

But when the reply is “no” – and even “we’re not sure” – then it’s time to maneuver on.

Meaning firing Bowles although Bowles has a 27-24 document (.529) in Tampa Bay, and is the one coach in crew historical past to win three straight NFC South titles in his first three years as head coach. Sunday’s loss to the Commanders gave us all causes to query whether or not Bowles is the precise man for the job.

The Bucs had simply 44 performs on offense in comparison with the Commanders’ 69 performs. Bowles’ protection did not get off the sector, giving Washington virtually an 11-minute time of possession benefit. That’s practically a complete quarter.

That’s loopy contemplating that the Commanders solely ran for 82 yards on 33 carries (2.5 avg.). It wasn’t ball management resulting from a powerful Washington floor recreation. However somewhat it was the truth that Bowles’ unit merely couldn’t make the performs essential to get off the sector on third downs or fourth downs that was probably the most damning side within the playoff loss.

“Defensively that’s where it was,” Bowles mentioned. “[Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels] was making some plays with his feet. We would be in position; he out-athleted us and they did a good job on third down and keeping it in third and short and him making plays.”

Washington didn’t punt as soon as, and transformed 8-of-15 (53.3%) on third downs and 3-of-5 (60%) on fourth downs.

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin and Bucs CB Josh Hayes – Photograph by: USA In the present day

There have been additionally questionable clock administration/timeout utilization cases that confirmed up once more on the finish of the primary half and on the finish of the sport. Bowles has struggled on this space all through his three years as Tampa Bay’s head coach.

And the Bucs protection as soon as once more did not generate a takeaway – one thing that has plagued Bowles’ unit all season.

“We got to make plays, we have to go for the ball,” Bowles mentioned. “Obviously there’s a different guy starting back there every week. It can be a myriad of things. The bottom line is we got to get turnovers.”

It didn’t assist that the Bucs misplaced beginning cornerback Jamel Dean within the second half to a recurring knee damage. That pressured second-year cornerback Josh Hayes again into the lineup the place he surrendered a 5-yard landing to Terry McLaurin on fourth-and-goal, which gave Washington a 20-17 lead. Then Hayes allowed Dyami Brown to catch a key 21-yard go throughout the center on a key third-and-6 from the Washington 34 with 3:20 left. An incompletion there would have led to a punt.

After Tampa Bay tied the sport at 20-20 with 4:41 remaining in regulation, Bowles’ protection couldn’t get a cease to drive or a punt or create a turnover. Daniels and the Commanders marched 51 yards on 10 performs to kick the game-winning subject objective as time expired.

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels and Bucs DT Calijah Kancey – Photograph by: USA In the present day

Too usually we’ve seen Bowles’ protection be the perpetrator in losses in the course of the 2024 season. Failing to get stops in regulation and in a 36-30 time beyond regulation in a loss at Atlanta, and in time beyond regulation in a 30-24 defeat at Kansas Metropolis. Additionally failing to forestall San Francisco from marching down the sector to kick the game-winning subject objective in a 23-20 loss previous to the bye week.

Defensive sort out Calijah Kancey had an opportunity to sort out Daniels on third-and-2 on the Tampa Bay 19, however simply missed, permitting the rookie QB to choose up the primary down and run the clock down to permit a 37-yard subject objective as time expired. Had Kancey made that play, the Commanders would have needed to kick a subject objective with 50 seconds left, leaving Tampa Bay a while to make one final drive for what might have been a game-tying subject objective.

Jayden takes it himself!! 1st down and in FG vary with lower than :40 to go 👀

But as soon as once more Bowles’ protection did not make the massive play on the finish when wanted.

“Sometimes it’s just making plays; sometimes we’re in position,” Bowles mentioned. “Calijah had them on the [third-] down play. We lost that one. It’s just making plays. We got to make plays.”

Coen didn’t name an awesome recreation, the Bucs offense didn’t play effectively, and there have been some premature errors and execution errors on that aspect of the ball, together with a fumbled handoff on an end-around between Baker Mayfield and receiver Jalen McMillan deep in their very own territory. However the offense has worn the superhero cape all season in Tampa Bay, whereas there was a notable regression on Bowles’ aspect of the ball in 2024.

Bucs OC Liam Coen, QB Baker Mayfield and HC Todd Bowles – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

Coen’s offense has scored no less than 20 factors in all however one recreation – a 26-7 loss to Denver in Week 3. However on a playoff weekend the place the Texans protection got here up with interceptions and held the Chargers to 12 factors, the Ravens protection held the Steelers to solely two touchdowns, the Payments protection was dominant in holding the Broncos to only one landing, and the Eagles allowed simply 10 factors to the Packers and picked off Jordan Love thrice, Bowles’ Bucs protection couldn’t observe go well with and maintain the Commanders to 14 factors or much less.

The Glazers and Licht should ask themselves if Bowles is the precise particular person to repair the league’s Thirty first-ranked go protection. Can Tampa Bay generate greater than a paltry seven interceptions in 2025?

Will Bowles do what’s mandatory and hearth a number of of his defensive assistants, together with outdoors linebackers coach George Edwards, cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross and safeties coach Nick Rapone? There was a notable regression in these areas of the protection this 12 months.

If the reply to any of these questions is “no” then maybe it’s time to maneuver on from their 61-year previous defensive-minded head coach and be part of the league-wide development of hiring offensive-minded head coaches. Of the six groups which have fired head coaches this 12 months, 5 had been defensive-minded.

The Bucs want to make sure Coen doesn’t depart for a head-coaching job elsewhere, even when it means changing Bowles with Coen. The 39-year previous offensive coordinator turned Tampa Bay’s worst-ranked working recreation right into a High 10 assault, and the Bucs had been fourth in factors scored this season with 29.5 factors per recreation.

Coen may very well be the subsequent Sean McVay, Matt LeFleur or Kyle Shanhan, and Tampa Bay merely can’t afford to let him go.

Bowles, who’s now 1-3 within the playoffs, has seemed like the subsequent Lovie Smith at instances with how his protection has under-performed this season.

There Is Priority For The Bucs To Fireplace Todd Bowles

Former Bucs head coach Jon Gruden and co-chariman Joel Glazer – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

It is going to be attention-grabbing to see what’s going to occur concerning Todd Bowles’ future in Tampa Bay. We could know Bowles’ destiny quickly – or it could take a while for the Glazers and Jason Licht to deliberate.

Jon Gruden was fired 19 days after the 2008 season concluded on January 16. Bruce Arians retired two weeks into free company on March 30, turning the crew over to Bowles again in 2022.

In my 30 years of masking the Bucs I’ve seen the Glazers hearth Tony Dungy, the architect of the franchise’s turnaround, after three straight playoff appearances from 1999-2001. Dungy had a greater document at 54-42 and a greater profitable proportion than Bowles at .563 and was nonetheless let go. Like Bowles, Dungy was a really well-respected chief of males.

I’ve additionally seen the Glazers hearth Gruden, the person who changed Dungy and gained the primary Tremendous Bowl in crew historical past. The Glazers traded two first-round picks, two second-round picks and $8 million money to Oakland for Gruden, who gained three NFC South titles throughout his time as head coach from 2002-08.

But Gruden was fired after a 9-3 begin fizzled right into a 9-7 end because of a four-game dropping streak, simply lacking out on the playoffs in 2008. Gruden had simply surpassed Dungy when it comes to probably the most wins in franchise historical past that 12 months, ending with a 57-55 document (.509).

And previous to the beginning of the 2008 season, Gruden was given a profitable contract extension by way of 2011. The Glazers moved on from Gruden regardless of having to pay him thousands and thousands of {dollars} per his assured contract for the subsequent three years.

My level is, for those who suppose Bowles is secure simply because he’s gained three straight division titles, I’ll remind you that the Glazers have fired the 2 most profitable coaches in Tampa Bay historical past previous to Bruce Arians – the one who turned the franchise round and the one who value a king’s ransom however delivered the primary Tremendous Bowl in Bucs historical past.

Did Todd Bowles’ Bucs Really Enhance In 2024?

Bucs GM Jason Licht, co-owners Darcie Glazer Kassewitz and Joel Glazer, head coach Todd Bowles and senior soccer advisor Bruce Arians – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Glazers mentioned they wished to see enchancment from the Bucs this season. Did that occur?

Sure, the Bucs gained another recreation and received to 10 common season wins, however wound up dropping one other dwelling Wild Card recreation, as they did in 2022 throughout Todd Bowles’ first season as head coach. Final 12 months Tampa Bay solely gained 9 video games within the common season, however gained their dwelling Wild Card recreation and superior to the NFC Divisional spherical earlier than falling in Detroit.

How do the Glazers and Jason Licht sq. up Bowles and the Bucs’ 2024 season?

Was there precise progress or not?

Bowles is really an awesome man, who has accomplished numerous excellent issues in Tampa Bay, together with serving to the crew win Tremendous Bowl LV by beating Kansas Metropolis, 32-9, with a defensive masterpiece of a recreation plan as Arians’ defensive coordinator. He held the crew collectively regardless of an turmoil-filled 8-9 season in 2022, and Bowles has additionally introduced the crew again from a pair of 4-6 deficits in every of the final two years to win the NFC South with sturdy finishes.

However waiting for the 2025 season, the Glazers and Licht should not fixate on what Bowles has accomplished for the crew previously. Somewhat, they have to attempt to forecast what Bowles will do for the franchise sooner or later.

And proper now the forecast appears cloudy.