Hidden Reason For Todd Bowles’ Sudden Obsession With Takeaways
August 9th, 2023
Fumble recoveries vs. points.
Joe has remarked more than once this training camp, tinged with more than a hint of sarcasm, that if Bucs coach Todd Bowles isn’t careful, he’s going to start sounding like lousy Lovie Smith for the way Bowles is so hungry for takeaways, and paranoid about turnovers.
If Bowles utters the phrase “Minnesota-Ready,” we all might have to start worrying about the man’s well-being.
Joe thinks one hidden nugget as to why Bowles is stressing takeaways so much is because the Bucs were bad when it came to grabbing fumbles last season, per Scott Spratt, typing for the Aaron Schatz Football Almanac 2023.
The Buccaneers had one of the lowest fumble recovery rates in the league at 39%, including just four of 14 fumbles on offense.
So of Lady Luck smiles on the Bucs this year (let’s face it, most turnovers are just blind luck), and the Bucs somehow flip the script on fumble recoveries and become, oh, top-10 in the league in recovering fumbles. Will that be enough for two, maybe three wins?
Will that be enough to keep Bowles’ job safe so he can return in 2024?
Or will scoring more points be a smoother, more consistent, less risky and stressful route to winning games and saving Bowles’ gig?
August 9th, 2023 at 12:02 am
Percentage wise, the team that wins the turnover battle usually wins.
Just plain logic.
August 9th, 2023 at 12:04 am
Trask did throw for 69 tds to 14 ints in the SEC in only 20 games.
I know it is college but he never had Chis Godwin and Mike Evans either.
Just sayin’. I had given up hope on him for a bit but maybe he gets a fair shot here. All I really care about is that the Bucs WIN!
August 9th, 2023 at 12:30 am
There is no scenario that I can foresee, except for a team mutiny, that will cause Bowles to lose his job this year or, after the season. The defensive players love him and technically, this is his first full season. So, stop it Joe about Bowles job being in peril.
August 9th, 2023 at 12:31 am
Bowles might as well go full Lovie and bring in Tim Jennings and Mike Jenkins as starting corners.
August 9th, 2023 at 1:46 am
I like takeaways. Gotta be smart about it though. I’ve seen a lot of TDs given up by defenders selling out for the INT and whiffing.
August 9th, 2023 at 2:37 am
SB – he had Tight end Kyle Pitts and Kadarius Toney at wideout at first, then Van Jefferson, Freddie Swain and Tyrie Cleveland emerged and were drafted while another (Joshua Hammond) made the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent. Running back Lamical Perine ,
August 9th, 2023 at 3:18 am
Hidden nugget? Nah, getting more takeaways & giving up fewer giveaways is just pure common sense. Teams with a positive Turnover Differential typically have winning records.
Todd Bowles history with the Jets & Bucs proves that … to him. Every year the Jets or Bucs had a NEGATIVE Turnover Differential while he was with them (2015-2022) they had a losing record. Every year they had a POSITIVE Turnover Differential they had a winning record. And besides, the Bucs 22 giveaways last season were the most since 2019, and their 20 takeaways were the least this defense has had under Bowles (by quite a bit). Focusing on ball security & getting more takeaways is just common sense given the trends & history.
August 9th, 2023 at 3:19 am
From a detailed study by Harvard Sports Analysis Collective:
+1 turnovers in a given game wins 69.6% of the time
+2 turnovers in a given game wins 83.9% of the time
In 2020 – the top 12 teams in turnover margin ALL had 10+ wins
In 2020 – the bottom 10 teams in turnover margin ALL had losing records
August 9th, 2023 at 3:26 am
Jeffery Becker all those guys came into the league with heavy expectations.
All have under delivered.
How much of it was Trask? Literally every receiver he threw to made it to the NFL.
August 9th, 2023 at 5:28 am
Gruden not only wanted turnovers, but wanted the defense to score 10 touchdowns each year. 2002 they did!
August 9th, 2023 at 6:20 am
Since turnovers give the team the chance to change the momentum of the game and an opportunity to score more points, Bowles focus on them is justified. The
key is take advantage of them and not waste the chance to score from them. Since its a feast or famine with turnovers, we also need an offense that can win the game with or without them.
August 9th, 2023 at 6:48 am
Just win baby. Don’t care if it’s Baker, Trask or the Amazon driver pulling up with a delivery.
August 9th, 2023 at 6:50 am
Why does JBF have this nervous tick thing going with belittling turnovers as an important measure of team effectiveness, both defensive and offensive?
It’s just weird. Then, JBF seems to spend much of his time writing here in attempts to belittle and insult both Bucs coaches and team members as well as Bucs fans who don’t share his weird positions on such things.
Everybody knows that decisively winning the turnover battle nearly always results in winning the game.
August 9th, 2023 at 6:51 am
A defensive head coach emphasizing takeaways. Whatever can this mystery be….
August 9th, 2023 at 6:59 am
Mayfield has thrown for around 100 touchdowns but has about 120 negatives , ( interceptions, fumbles, and sacks).
August 9th, 2023 at 8:04 am
Without Brady under center, we’re going to turn it over a LOT more, D has to offset
August 9th, 2023 at 8:45 am
All coaches are like this Joe. Well, all of them except for 4th and Staley out in L.A. Takeaways strongly correlate with winning.
August 9th, 2023 at 9:01 am
Shoot to Increase 1/2 sacks. One guy strips and the other guy FALLS on it. Forget picking it up and making the highlight real. Even if it’s at your 5 you’ve taken points off the board and increased your chance of winning.
I can still visualize Joe’s mention of the NFL Blooper of guys trying to pick up that weird shaped object in Practice.
August 9th, 2023 at 9:41 am
So now schatz has a stat for dumb luck?
Come on man!
Go Bucs!
August 9th, 2023 at 11:14 am
“Or will scoring more points be a smoother, more consistent, less risky and stressful route to winning games and saving Bowles’ gig?”
Amen lol.
August 9th, 2023 at 12:52 pm
Bowles harped on getting turnovers LAST PRESEASON , and we know how that turned out. I hope he learned that last year’s prep didn’t work and he’ll do something else this preseason and during the year. Get the guys on the jugs, actively work on stripping the ball in practice, get a better pass rush, play more zone coverage (?). Unfortunately, I think we can count on more turnovers from Mayfield/Trask compared to Brady. The defense will really need to deliver to overcome offensive turnovers.