Locker Room Is Trying To Fix Team Energy

December 4th, 2022

Candid talk from the rookie.

NFL teams, especially good teams, have firm identities this time of year.

The Bucs seems to identify as weak-hearted.

It’s painful for Joe to type that, but that seems to be the cold reality. Todd Bowles doesn’t have all phases of his team sharp and playing with fire for 60 minutes, and Bowles certainly wasn’t interested in playing to kill for 60 minutes against the Browns.

Consistent energy has been a Bucs problem all year, and rookie running back went there on The Rich Eisen Show last week on The Roku Channel.

“Keeping up the energy. That’s been the main talk of the week,” White said of the Bucs’ locker room. “You know, we gotta play for four quarters. There’s times in the season, especially some of the games we lost and some of the games we won, that we haven’t played four quarters and played with energy and played for one another. That’s been a big [mood] in that locker room.”

It’s one thing to lose close games because you’re not good enough. It’s another to lose because you’re not jacked up to play for 60 minutes.

Is it a Bowles thing? He is the major change in the team in 2022. But there are other differences in the team, of course.

The Tom Brady Effect certainly has waned. There is no denying that.

36 Responses to “Locker Room Is Trying To Fix Team Energy”

  1. BucsFanSince76 Says:

    Bowles is a change , but losing Suh,JPP, and Gronk out of the locker room is wherein your problem lies. Veteran leadership is hard to come by and even more difficult to replace.

  2. Marine Buc Says:

    What energy?

    This team is just an empty cadaver slowly limping through the season with a head coach who couldn’t motivate a team if his life depended on it and an offensive coordinator the entire NFL is laughing at…

    Dumpster fire.

    What a joke!

  3. SufferingSince76 Says:

    It’s depressing just thinking about it. He’s admitting their hearts aren’t in it. That’s the same as quitting.

  4. ClwJB Says:

    We just coast through quarters and halves doing nothing and Bowles just stands there staring at the grass…can’t motivate a fly obviously

    This team plays with zero sense of urgency

    Dude is so over his head

  5. Deeez NATZ Says:

    Butthole toilet bowl has to go,FIRE THE TOILET BOWL!

  6. AmauryGuzman Says:

    Now i have to root for the squealers today. 🤦‍♂️

  7. DungyDance Says:

    The Brady effect waned because he let it wane. His body language in too many games speaks to this. Almost as if he decided that he wasn’t going to cover for something he doesn’t agree with anymore, or like he wants to expose a truth about something. Really confusing, because at the same time he always has BL’s back (why, I have no idea).

  8. SB~LV Says:

    Weak sauce

  9. Goatfarmer Says:

    Brian Flores

  10. NEfan Says:

    Dungy, what would you like him to do? Ravens 4th in 1 on Ravens 4yd line (offsides), 2 point conversion GB (backup center doesn’t snap the ball, delay of game) D. Smith twice last game two scoring drive killing penalties not to mention the most dropped balls in the league. How can you not get frustrated.

  11. DungyDance Says:

    NEfan – totally agree, and there are many more examples of those types of things you said, which are products of BL. But then he keeps sticking up for BL. I don’t get it.

  12. Redeemer Says:

    I think more than a few players don’t trust this staff. When you’re not being put in situations to succeed, energy can be hard to maintain. I think these players are as surprised as anyone to be 5-6. Everything came so easy the last two years, especially on offense. The term front runners comes to mind. Just because you roll out largely the same roster, doesn’t mean squat. These injuries have also taken the air out of the locker room.

    Brother D-Rok has been preaching identity most of the season. They don’t have one. At least nothing positive.

  13. NEfan Says:

    Dungy, I didn’t get Brady backing BL either, my best guess is that Bowels may have his hand in everything forcing this conservative approach. I have yet to hear Brady praise Bowles. I sense there is some tension between them.

  14. Kentucky Buc oh Says:

    DungyDance. Brady will never ever throw a coach or teammate under the bus. Never has never will.

  15. S04 Says:

    Only a matter of time before Joe said s… about Brady.
    The Brady effect?
    How about Joe’s effect for mostly focusing on the negative? You keep bringing back the 11 days (another post of yours)

    You mad that your revenue will go down once Brady is in gone?
    Hope none of you as… ever go through life changing events in front of the cameras and so called fans tearing you apart. Be grateful that him not Arians got you a SB.
    You never posts my comments but there you have it.

  16. Kentucky Buc oh Says:

    NEFan. I’ve said it all year. Bowles has his hands in the offense. There’s no doubt in my mind. The days of having a defensive mindset as a head coach are over. The signs have been there all year. The constant running on first down is obvious but the one that gives it away to me is the running on second and short. Prime spot for a play action shot .

  17. Buc4evr Says:

    I don’t think it’s team energy. I think it is stupid play calling, a bad OLine , TE’s that are mediocre, and a QB that is one dimensional and is not playing well.

    I think the defense has played well enough, but can’t shoulder the load when the offense can’t score more than 17 points and goes three and out all the time.

  18. HC Grover Says:

    The Chicks are lousy in Atlanta. This NFC Clown Division is pathetic.

  19. Joe Says:

    How about Joe’s effect for mostly focusing on the negative? You keep bringing back the 11 days (another post of yours)

    Sure. There is so much to be positive about. If you think that’s all Joe writes, you either are not a regular reader (very likely) or you have an agenda (more likely).

    You mad that your revenue will go down once Brady is in gone?

    Brady wasn’t going to be here forever. Didn’t think he’d be here this year. What’s your point? Are you saying if your boss said on Jan. 31 you would have your salary cut, would you tongue him in appreciation?

    Be grateful that him not Arians got you a SB

    Brady never would have come to Tampa if not for Jason Licht and Bruce Arians.

    You never posts my comments

    Wrong (again).

  20. D-Rok Says:

    Thanks for an article on Identity, Joe. 🙂 We can all only hope the Bucs find SOME identity starting Mon nite. If so, they can make the rest of the season at least competitive.

    Just think though – IF the Bucs can turn this season around and win the SB, it will go down as one of the greatest accomplishments in football history. It is still possible, and until it’s not, I choose to be optimistic and hope for the best.

    Agree, Redeemer!!

    GO BUCS!!! Let’s do this.

  21. Lakeland Steve Says:

    Familiarity breeds contempt. The Bucs players would have ran through a wall for Brady the first couple of seasons. They were playing with the GOAT and had a limited window to play with him. Now it’s as if, oh Brady, so what he’s just another guy. We have some very immature players emotionally on this team. Not sure why that is but they all got paid and have forgotten what it’s like to have that fire in your gut, that desire to be great. Maybe it’s because a lot of the players were young when we won the Super Bowl and they are satisfied with just one.

  22. firethecannons Says:

    Yes it a Bowles thing, lack of energy. Playing for a coach who demands accountability the flat lies about time management or was playing to lose either way TODD BOWLES IS A FRAUD and lets not forget who was responsible for the loss to the rams in the playoffs. (todd bowles in case any of you forgot)

  23. Bobby Says:

    Boo hoo, these players are on a Brady led team that somehow is still in playoff contention, getting paid really really well to play a game in front millions of people on national television and in front 10s of thousands of people in a stadium. And your telling me their problem is they can’t seem to stay motivated for 4 quarters of a game. Omg, this is ludicrous, we as a society need to wake up to the reality of the insanity that is. Tell those players let me have your talent and I’ll trade places with you. Even the 3rd string QB or even a practice squad player you can come do my job and I will do yours in a heartbeat. These players have news media writing articles, talking about your teams on tv, radio, podcasts, etc and millions of people across the nation chatting back in fourth about these players and there lives on social media. Myself and most other joes across the nation don’t even garner attention for a our names to mentioned in any news media. I have no sympathy whatsoever ever for these spoiled over paid athletes. If motivation is there problem then either the coach needs to go or that player needs to go flip burgers or dig holes for a living for a week. Ridiculousness!!

  24. D. B. Cooper Says:

    @Joe – Respectfully, Brady did not come to Tampa because of Licht and Arians. They were factors in the decision, but likely closer to 18 and 19 on his list of pros and cons.

    He was looking for a partial say in decisions which he was told he would have and did have (Gronk, Fournette and AB in 2020 being 3 examples).

    He wasn’t even initially looking for a team that could compete for the super bowl, he just wanted a change from Belichick’s style. Though, I do believe it sure sure didn’t hurt to see that Tampa had some solid offensive weapons and an acceptable OLine.

    He wanted to stay close to his son Jack (Tampa is a quick flight to New York).
    Arguable the most important point being, he had a desire to feel appreciated, to feel wanted.

    Tampa simply lucked out because after he had completed a few phone calls on the down low (the anti Peyton Manning approach), it turned out that he really only had 2 teams seriously interested in him….. Tampa and the Chargers. He ended up likely going with Tampa for

  25. Anonymous Says:

    Sorry, hit submit by accident on my previous post

    He ended up likely going with Tampa for 2 key reasons:
    1- Proximity to Jack
    2 – NFC vs AFC

  26. Dubcity Says:

    Jpp, suh, marpet, Jensen, cappa, whitehead, gronk

    All high energy guys

    Players matter

  27. August 1976 Buc Says:

    ENERGY, really, we have to actually play like we care??????

    We got to keep the energy up????? WHAT IS THAT?????

    This team is lax, and it starts with the Head Coach.

    Keep the energy up!!!!! WHAT!!!!!

    Maybe actually remember you get paid very well to play a game.

    To even hear that, shows you that the leadership is not the right leadership.

    SIEGE THE DAY

    THROW BOWLES IN THE BAY, AND START A NEW DAY IN TAMPA BAY!!!!

    GO BUCS!!!!

  28. Joe Says:

    @Joe – Respectfully, Brady did not come to Tampa because of Licht and Arians.

    He absolutely did. Arians and Licht had to sell Brady on the Bucs. They had to outline how they were going to use him. This is all well-documented by Albert Breer who was informed (likely from Don Yee who he is tight with, and verified by Arians/Licht) the details of the phone conversations between Arians/Licht and Brady/Yee.

    Brady would never have come here if not for Arians and Licht. It’s no more complex than that.

  29. Roc Says:

    When your coach is a friend and not a coach it doesn’t work

    Raheem had the same problem remember

    Lacks practice

    No Accountability

    Equals SORRY LOCKERROOM

  30. Your Mom Says:

    they’re all doing the TB12 diet of avocados and stretching instead of good ole American beef and lifting

  31. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    Hold up now…I don’t think player energy is the problem. They’ve been fighting thru each game.

    Some young backup guys maybe, but the primary guys have been fighting.

  32. garro Says:

    Publishing a quote from D White about team energy? Come on he’s got zero credibility in this area. Wastes more energy celebrating his below average play than anyone else on the team! Bucs management really needs to put a clamp on this dudes media availability.
    I think we have seen the teams identity. poorly coached and poorly led by some players who have yet to back up anything they rah rah about.

  33. garro Says:

    Please disregard my earlier post I mistakenly got the wrong White. Please excuse my stupididtynous.

  34. Erik Hesson | Fine Artist | Founder of UniqueModernArt.com Says:

    Us not having any loyalty to Suh & JPP art they fought their hearts out here for the party seasons, started our bad decisions and bad karma this season. (And downgraded our Defense)

    Then bouncing Arians (our Sean Payton-caliber Legendary HC), ruined the offense because of bad game plans being allowed to be installed without BA’s approval on Fridays any more.

    The inmates are running the Asylum into the ground.

    Bring back the Warden! At minimum!!!!

  35. Erik Hesson | Fine Artist | Founder of UniqueModernArt.com Says:

    *after not art….. But speaking my art autocorrect (or Freudian slip) I do have alot of unique original art/ gift items on my website if anyone loves art

  36. unbelievable Says:

    It’s not a Bowles thing.

    This was a problem all year last year as well. Almost every single game last year- the Bucs would play 1 good half and 1 sloppy, pathetic half.

    The difference was the offense could easily score a boatload of points in a short time and make up for this deficiency. This year? Not so much.