Bucs To Meet Again With Dan Pitcher
February 6th, 2023
Bengals QB coach Dan Pitcher.
Would the Bucs dare turn to a 36-year-old playcaller with limited experience under Todd Bowles?
Per NFL Network this morning, Tampa Bay will have a second chat with Dan Pitcher for their open offensive coordinator gig.
Pitcher, 36, is the Bengals’ quarterbacks coach. He’s been an offensive assistant there since 2016 and was promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2020 for Joe Burrow’s rookie season.
NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo says other coordinator candidates for the Bucs met with the team in person but Pitcher’s first chat was online. Joe assumes either impressed enough for a true second interview, or the Bucs want to meet him in person for more of a legitimate first interview. Apparently, the Bengals were still in the playoffs at the time of the Pitcher’s virtual chat.
Pitcher was a college quarterback at Colgate and later jumped right into working in the NFL. Prior to joining the Bengals, Pitcher was a four-year scout with the Indianapolis Colts.
Joe supposes the main reason to give a guy like Pitcher the job would be to develop Kyle Trask or a rookie QB.
February 6th, 2023 at 12:15 pm
I don’t mind it build for the future! Let this years chips fall where they may. No bs stopgaps.
February 6th, 2023 at 12:15 pm
Colgate huh? Rich folk and lots of drugs.
February 6th, 2023 at 12:18 pm
anyone who comes in under bowels is a lame duck. I’m sure he’ll have better options. this team is a dumpster fire until bowels is gone. many a career will have been ruined for the sake of PR.
February 6th, 2023 at 12:18 pm
Yeah.. the top notch candidates are lining up to play under Bowles…as we expected. But then, if Bowles is a one year wonder this year, easier to part ways with a guy like this, who can now add a year at OC on his resume.
February 6th, 2023 at 12:20 pm
I believe it because then Bowles would have complete control of the offense. Which is probably what he wants.
February 6th, 2023 at 12:20 pm
Might as well, they aren’t going to get anyone with credentials with Bowles as the coach. We really should be looking for a Head Coach, keeping Bowles is ridiculous!
February 6th, 2023 at 12:22 pm
All of the OCs we’ve interviewed thus far, with the exception of McCardell & Kubiak has had some sort of recent success with young QBs.
February 6th, 2023 at 12:22 pm
The guy that won the mvp in the senior bowl looked ok maybe get him with a 4th or 5th rounder. We don’t have a 4th rounder well time to trade some dead weight.
February 6th, 2023 at 12:26 pm
Just give him the film and plays from the first half of any of last years bucs games to watch. Then give him 30 minutes to come up with what adjustments he makes, if any.
February 6th, 2023 at 12:36 pm
Couch Fan Says:
February 6th, 2023 at 12:20 pm
No evidence for this blatantly negative assertion.
I’m confident they’re looking for the best guy to take control of the offense and mentor a QB, not someone to be a lackey to Todd Bowles.
February 6th, 2023 at 12:37 pm
Hire Pitcher after Bowles is fired hire Brian Callahan as head coach and find a motivator as a defensive coordinator.
February 6th, 2023 at 12:40 pm
A Bucs Fan…..”Rich folk and lots of drugs.” Not really. As a proud 1981 graduate of The ‘Gate, that’s not an accurate depiction. I will tell you the women weren’t too hot back in the day. I went to the Colgate/Cornell game on campus last fall and they look a whole lot better now. The beauty of the campus is second to none. Also, cold as absolute hell in the winter and very hilly. We used to take trays from the Student Union and slide down the hill on em.
Now, if you want to talk about beer consumption and lots of student who drank too much, I’ll agree with you there.
February 6th, 2023 at 12:49 pm
We are going to get a 3rd rate coach because of the situation.
The Glazers and Licht are to blame.
They don’t have the nads to do what needs to be done.
February 6th, 2023 at 12:59 pm
Colgate has a beautiful campus (in the summer). Visited it for a short time when I went to Cooperstown.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:03 pm
Time after time I have had doubts about the Glazers decisions and yet my bucs have won 2 Super Bowls. The Glazers do take chances as we’ve all seen with Lovie and Gregg S. But it seems that they always right the ship. I think they will make a good call for this team for the 023 season. Remember, B Belichick was fired from the Brown. I thought he was a garbage coach at that time. We all see how that one turn out.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:05 pm
Alvin Scissors Harper Says:
Back in the 1960’s lived in a little town called Earlville, NY.
It was clearly anything but rich. But just 6 miles from Colgate.
I remember going to school after the blizzard of 1966 and the snow drifts being over 20 feet high and me at 4 feet.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:05 pm
@the Anomaly
One word, ~ “AMEN”!
GO BUCS!
February 6th, 2023 at 1:09 pm
The Anomaly Says:
February 6th, 2023 at 12:49 pm
What makes you think this guy is 3rd rate? Sounds like b!tching and being negative is your default mode. Or are you connected on the coaching community and you just know. My guess is the former.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:10 pm
“I’m confident they’re looking for the best guy to take control of the offense and mentor a QB, not someone to be a lackey to Todd Bowles.”
bwahahahahah. SRSLY?
Todd?
February 6th, 2023 at 1:11 pm
Nobody is coming here for a lateral move. Whoever they hire will be a QB coach, or a college guy. I’m fine with this guy.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:12 pm
Every Bengals fan I hear from talks about how bad the play calling is, how predictable it is, and how it’s not even remotely creative. So it’s a perfect fit for a loser like Bowles.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:14 pm
bowels is like the dumb a$$ driving 50 mph in the fast lane on the interstate.
a danger to everyone around him…not because he is clueless….but because it is all about him. I do not remember him owning one mistake of many….MANY just this year.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:14 pm
All you Bowles haters think you know Todd and make negative assumptions about him that go beyond what we’ve actually had any evidence of… such as the fact that he wants a lackey to run the offense. What a bunch of crybaby boobs! You realize you’ve just made that up. It’s one thing to think he’s not a good coach, it’s another to make broad negative assumptions about how he runs a team. Miserable ph0uecks is what you sound like.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:21 pm
What’s Marcus Arroyo up to?
I find it very hard to believe that Bucs players would buy into a 36 year old QB coach with 0 play calljng experience.
But it sounds like a move Todd Lovie Bowels would do
February 6th, 2023 at 1:22 pm
All you guys complaining when everyone of these candidates is probably an upgrade over Leftwich lol
February 6th, 2023 at 1:23 pm
Perfect for Coach Bozo. He looks like the Midas Muffler Repair Man. “can I help boss?”
February 6th, 2023 at 1:26 pm
sasquatch – I think Bowles is a good defensive coordinator, just a terrible head coach. I defended the guy for most of the year, until he punted from the Cleveland the 39 yard line and played for OT. The guy is a loser and in over his head.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:27 pm
“All of the OCs we’ve interviewed thus far, with the exception of McCardell & Kubiak has had some sort of recent success with young QBs.”
A dog could be Joe Burrow’s QB coach and Burrow would still be an elite QB….QB coaches barley do anything. It’s a nothing position.
Clyde Christantan didn’t have anything to do with Brady’s success in 2020 and 2021 or lack thereof in 2022.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:28 pm
There is a very specific reason we can’t find anyone to take the job
Todd Bowles history with OC
Chan Gailey – #11 ranking, fired after 1 year
John Morton – passed too much, fired after 1 season
Jeremy Bates – horrible coach – fired after 1 season
Byron Leftwich- fired after 1 season
Anyone notice a TREND?????????
Bowles always blames others for his lack of ability to lead
February 6th, 2023 at 1:29 pm
Off topic, but I’ve just got to mention that JBF has a lot less glaring factual errors and jumbled, garbled verbage that I constantly find on pewter report or pewter plank.
I was just trying, and I do mean trying to read both sites just now, but they had their facts so backwards I couldn’t read them. Example Brady’s last season was 9-8 and Brady played 22years.
The Joes mess up once in a while too, but it’s rare and they correct the more obvious mistakes quickly.
Plus those other two start each and every essay with a long boring biography about their authors that you have to scroll through to get to the word salad you’re trying to attempt to read. They’re probably the ones who constantly gripe about the articles.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:30 pm
@Munch,
That’s a reasonable point of view… what I can’t stand is the piling on by some people, like thinking he wants to hire a lackey or that he wants a stone-age offense. I don’t see any reason to believe those things.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:31 pm
Fans on every team seem to complain about play calling.
Name me a team, and their fans complain about the play calling.
Buffalo fans hate their play calling.
Apparently according to Munch, Bengal fans complain about play calling.
Dallas fans complain about play calling.
Green Bay fans complain about play calling.
Charger fans complain about play calling.
Vikings fans complain about the play calling.
And boy do San Fran fans complain about the play calling.
Maybe KC fans don’t complain. Anyone else’s fans. Maybe not Philly most of this year. But they sure were last year and during the end of the regular season.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:31 pm
BucDaWorld Says:
February 6th, 2023 at 1:22 pm
All you guys complaining when everyone of these candidates is probably an upgrade over Leftwich lol
————-
That is a very true statement. What made Leftwich so criminally bad is that all he had to do was to keep doing what Arians told him to do for years, instead that moron thought he’d improve on Arians offense by becoming dramatically more predictable and including a bunch of 0-year WR screens, and, as the Ravens players said, “run the same plays over and over again from different formations.”
However, when you have a choice, you should want to do better than slightly less awful. But I’m not sure who is making the call on this, if it’s really Bowles or if its Licht who just scouting a bunch of guys who he thinks might one day be headcoaches, and he’s collecting intel. In that case, it would make sense to talk to everyone, since the Bucs will likely clean house after 2023.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:33 pm
This NFL season proved 2 important things:
1. That 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th string means little when it comes to quarterbacks. Many such QBs saw their starting quarterback go down with injuries and they stepped right in and shined.
2. That a late second-round quarterback with a poor rookie season and an only slightly better second season can blossom his third season and go to the Super Bowl. His name is Jalen Hurts.
I know, I know. These concepts are alien and unacceptable to Tampa Bay, home of the dumbest fans in the NFL.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:34 pm
Is it me or does this guy’s picture look like he’s been hitting the bong?
February 6th, 2023 at 1:34 pm
ClwJB, I didn’t know that about bowlzo. So he’s never kept an OC for a second year… Fascinating. Telling.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:36 pm
It does not look like we are going to get one of the top flight OC candidates, which leaves you with people like quarterback coaches and wide receiver coaches
February 6th, 2023 at 1:37 pm
wow. the negativity is just so overwhelming… Tampa hires a re-tread and the complaining begins that all we can get is an old washed up yada yada….
Bring in an up and coming coach and complaining that he is a nobody or 3rd rate.
Now fast forward a couple years if the re-tread above or the “nobody” gets hired by another team and SUCCEEDS???? OOOOOH BOY!…
then we get to hear what an idiot Licht is or how the Glazers can’t run an organization because RE-TREAD and/or NOBODY is just killing it with TEAM X and if only ….yada yada and rinse and repeat.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:39 pm
sasquatch – yeah, I agree with you, there’s a ton of simpletons on this site who just hate everything and don’t have any idea what they’re talking about. As for his offense, from what I read, he went to Leftwich during the year and was telling him to implement in some new college concepts – so assuming that’s true, I don’t think he wants to go back to 3-yards and a cloud of dust offenses. I do think Bowles wants to run more, but when you lead the league in pass attempts, that’s not that much of a goal.
Last year I don’t think Bowles was involved with the offense at all, I mean nothing. If he had to go begging Leftwich to not be so insanely predictable and to try new stuff, that alone tells you he didn’t have much say in anything. This time around I’m sure he does want a guy who will listen to his input, but I also wonder if he wants someone who will do 99% of the work on offense so he can just focus on defense. To me, that would be ideal, so long as you got the right guy.
Personally I’m resigned to this being a Tank with Trask season, and the Bucs going after the #1 pick in the 2024 draft. So I expect very very little, but we shall see. If Trask turns out to be good, and the OC does a great job, then fantastic, I’m certainly not going to root against them.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:48 pm
You can’t have if both ways. Either Bowles wants and demands input into the offense, or he’s a DC masquerading as a head coach. I’ve never heard of a HC worth his salt that didn’t have a say into the overall offensive philosophy, even defensive coaches. It’s simple complimentary football. Bowles enjoys blaming others. He hired an 18 man staff in NY. By his final year 14 of them had been fired. He either can’t get people to coach how he wants them too, or he’s a meddling micromanager. I don’t know which it is. My guess is the former.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:55 pm
I believe it because then Bowles would have complete control of the offense. Which is probably what he wants.
What head Coach doesn’t have control over the O, the D, and the Special Teams? Sure they have coordinators. But the authority and responsibility over the entire team is their job.
February 6th, 2023 at 1:55 pm
bowels could have had zero input on the playcalling and still be a total failure.
his punting, clock management, playing not to lose, never holding himself accountable……the list is very long. he is a loser plain and simple. I do not even want him as a DC…he cost us a SB in that position as well.
and yall say we’re just a bunch of complainers. it’s not about my happiness…..I just won’t watch. it’s what his impact has on people careers that irritates me simply because the glazers cant fire him.
February 6th, 2023 at 2:00 pm
Why do so many think the bucs are just bad and they might tank next year. I think this team is still a good team. Last year we had a lot of people hurt, Brady threw some bad interceptions and Leftwich didn’t seem to adjust as the season went on. I think we get a decent coordinator and QB and we could make the playoffs
February 6th, 2023 at 2:01 pm
Rod Munch … ‘Last year I don’t think Bowles was involved with the offense at all, I mean nothing. If he had to go begging Leftwich to not be so insanely predictable and to try new stuff, that alone tells you he didn’t have much say in anything. This time around I’m sure he does want a guy who will listen to his input, but I also wonder if he wants someone who will do 99% of the work on offense so he can just focus on defense. To me, that would be ideal, so long as you got the right guy.’
Great insight Rod, and well worth repeating (although ‘the simpletons’ you refer to probably will never read it). Every HC makes mistakes with time outs, punts, etc but that’s not a deal-breaker for me. It’s critical though that they have top-notch people working for them, that they listen to those folks and allow them to do their jobs without micro-managing (I seriously doubt that Todd Bowles is a micro-manager BTW).
But a HC also needs to ‘pull the trigger’ when it’s warranted (like BL being in over his head last season?). Allowing that to continue when it was obvious BL had no answers was Bowles most critical mistake. Still, that’s water under the bridge to me, and like you, I consider him to be a very good DC and that’s what we NEED right now. Finding the right OC will be a critical decision, but I suspect Bowles won’t be making it alone. He’ll have lots of ‘guidance’ from the Glazers, JL and maybe even BA (if he can get over himself & BL’s firing).
February 6th, 2023 at 2:16 pm
you ladies making excuses for bowels deserve this team and coach. you’re as hard headed as him.
heck you probably watched all the games last year. I turned a few on, only to shut it off and spend my time elswhere when it was obvious nothing had changed and they would lose. even turned off the playoff game in the 1st qtr…….it was obvious they were playing not to lose and the game was already over. only watchable game was the last one where TB waived off the coaches and they beat carolina
February 6th, 2023 at 2:17 pm
If he has a pulse he already is far better than Leftwich. Unfortunately, Bowles is still here.
February 6th, 2023 at 2:46 pm
This OC job sucks. It’s perfect for a guy like Pitcher that needs a long shot opportunity in order to breakthrough in the coaching world.
February 6th, 2023 at 2:46 pm
About Bowles, I agree with some of what everyone here says. I agree he doesn’t except much blame for his results!! I also agree he was thrown into a position, by ailing BA, not of his making!! Both sides have valid points!!
Still the bottom line is how many wins do you have!!! How many losses do you have!!! In Bowles case after being a head coach for an NFL team for 5 seasons (he’s no rookie coach) his record is 34 Wins and 50 Losses!!!!!!! This includes inheriting a team that was 13 wins/ 4 losses the season before!! Loser!!!!
Sure there are always enough excuses to justify anything you believe or want someone to believe!! But results tell all!!! BA’ s first 5 seasons as Head Coach he had a record of 49 Wins 30 Losses 1 tie. Winner!!
Bottom line, winning coaches win…losing coaches lose!! After 5 seasons, Bowles record speaks for itself!! No one to blame but himself! He’s the head coach, he’s responsible for the results!! Like most things in our society, the NFL is result driven!!
February 6th, 2023 at 2:51 pm
There’s a difference between excuses and reasons. Some people like to pretend to be all “hard” and talk about the bottom line. That’s simple-minded when there are so many variables involved, especially when many of those variables are out of one’s control. But people love to hate and and are inflexible about their opinions.
February 6th, 2023 at 3:01 pm
Or the only candidate who has not blocked the Bucs phone number
February 6th, 2023 at 3:35 pm
If we hire this guy it’ll make Bowels a little more confident in his position. No need thinking that Pitcher is any threat to becoming head coach the following year. Are we are tanking with Trask? Nawwww.
February 6th, 2023 at 4:03 pm
DO IT! PLEASE! To heck with all these tired names who have been floating around NFL circles for years. Time to get out and discover the guys who will lead the league for the next 30 yrs because if we don’t go find them some other team might take a chance and will.Who knows this kid could turn out to be the next Sean Payton. We desperately need an infusion of youth, guys who will take chances, think outside the box and push the game forward in terms of creativity. This organization has yet to bring in a coach who has embraced the new style of offensive play that is prevalent in today’s game. GO FOR IT! (If he sucks we show him the door next year along with Todd “Toilet” Bowles or, perhaps, this kid might replace him…crazier things have happened, sometimes all somebody needs is an opportunity)
February 6th, 2023 at 4:20 pm
Sounds like a perfect candidate for Bowles to bully and ignore. Pass
February 6th, 2023 at 4:26 pm
Why not offer the Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric B. He doesn’t have full control over the offense there.
February 6th, 2023 at 4:40 pm
Sure is lots of whining going on. Buccaneers will hire the coach they fell will help the offense.
February 6th, 2023 at 4:46 pm
“Sure is lots of whining going on.”
Welcome to the internet
February 6th, 2023 at 4:58 pm
Of course! Hire him now! This is the work of a week later. A week later will hire a weaker associate that’s Bowles for you. What a joke. (SMH)
February 6th, 2023 at 5:18 pm
Not sold on this Pitcher dude, because Joe Burrow and JMarr Chase would make any offensive coordinator look good.
Although Cincinnati does run the ball well.
February 6th, 2023 at 6:20 pm
Roberts, Bowles will hire a subpar coach that is not a threat to him. Simple as that. He will never choose Monken, never.
February 6th, 2023 at 6:43 pm
Never heard of him, so really don’t have an opinion without more info.
However, I am a fan of OC Moniken and the job he has done with QB Bennett at Georgia. They have 2+ years of working together and have won 2-NCAA championships. Therefore, if the Bucs are not going to bring in a veteran, then why not bring in Moniken and draft Bennett around the 3rd or 4th round and then let Moniken pit Trask against Bennett to find our next starter and let the best QB win?
February 6th, 2023 at 7:44 pm
@sasquatch if Bowles trotting out Succup not once but twice to attempt FGs he damn well knew were out of his range isn’t enough evidence of his incompetence then I don’t know what is. His game management is terrible, his overall record as a head coach is terrible, his lack of self-accountability is terrible, his offense was terrible and he as the HEAD COACH failed to make in season adjustments and had plenty of justification to do so. Didn’t mind him as a D coordinator but he’s not fit to be a head coach
February 6th, 2023 at 7:55 pm
The Bengals offense over the last three seasons has done by far one of the best jobs of involving all of their playmakers in the gameplan. Their recievers get hurt and the offense doesn’t skip a beat.
February 6th, 2023 at 8:01 pm
Let me know when they fire Bowles
Till then we’re hopeless
February 6th, 2023 at 8:01 pm
We are probably going to have to hire a young unproven guy like this. Big name OC who have lots of playcalling experience likely won’t want to come here with our situation and possibly having HC fired in a year. Doesn’t mean he won’t work out.. hopefully he does
February 6th, 2023 at 8:26 pm
Spot on Coburn
Nobody wants to get
on the sinking USS Bowles
February 6th, 2023 at 8:33 pm
Would this guy work well with Sam Darnold?
February 6th, 2023 at 8:54 pm
It really doesn’t matter if this guy succeeds for the crowd that wants Bowles gone, so on this topic all I hear is complaints.
This guy probably would work great with a rookie QB and Hendon Hooker is an interesting prospect.
Probably there at 19 but who knows and I get the Josh Freeman hibee jibees just thinking about it.
I legit think this is the best year to roll with Trask/Veteran for dirt cheap/rookie draftee.
I doubt Bowles likes any of those options.
He probably wants Rodgers.
Anyway this guy works great in my book for what they should do.
February 7th, 2023 at 12:51 am
I was really hoping to see who the new oc would be. Have not been on all day. Super busy for the next few days
February 7th, 2023 at 2:10 am
Defense Rules – I don’t think Bowles even had the ability to fire Leftwich last season. He got the job on March 30th, had no chance to change his staff, and when you listen to Bowles after the season, the offense was supposed to just stay the same, basically just be on autopilot. Also with Arians in love with Leftwich, if Bowles made a big stink during the season, that would have meant running off Arians as well. I think Bowles believed, with Arians getting more involved at the end of the season, that Leftwich would stop being an idiot, but again, I don’t think Bowles had any say in the matter.
This year, his real first year as Bucs headcoach, he’s making changes that I think we would have saw last year had he got the job in January like coaches normally do.
February 7th, 2023 at 2:14 am
Redeemer Says:
February 6th, 2023 at 1:48 pm
You can’t have if both ways. Either Bowles wants and demands input into the offense, or he’s a DC masquerading as a head coach.
———-
Last year, when he got control of the team on March 30th, he was just a DC with the headcoach title. This year, he’s got control of the team, and is now putting his staff in place. He ‘requested’ changes on offense, but didn’t actually have the ability to implement them. Leftwich is a dimwit, he thought he knew better than Bowles AND Arians AND Brady, that’s why he was FIRED.
Also, wouldn’t you think every other team out there would be begging to hire him, to get the OC of a team that has been top 5 in scoring for years, well, except for last year.
The downside for Bowles right now is that everyone knows that he’s almost certainly going to get fired after 2023, so he’s basically giving guys 1-year deals, and it’s hard to get coaches from other teams to leave their more stable jobs for a 1-year stint.
February 7th, 2023 at 7:40 am
The “right coordinator” will be the one who is highly inexperienced and would never be able to threaten Bowles’ job. Expect bargain basement quality I.e. the guy from the Bengals. Never called a play, never ran an offense, never game planned. Yep, he’s our guy. Bowles would NEVER hire Monken. Too much of a threat because he is outstanding at what he does. The Bucs will rue the day they kept Bowles.
February 7th, 2023 at 4:25 pm
crazyhorse54 Says:
February 7th, 2023 at 7:40 am
Nice cut and paste from another Buccaneers message board. Make sure you spread BS on as many platforms as possible.