Breathless In Houston
November 5th, 2023
Stunned.
Baker Mayfield thought the game was in the bag.
The Bucs quarterback spoke per his NFL-required duties today after the unspeakable Tampa Bay loss to the Texans to extend their losing record to four games. Joe is convinced the loss firmly plants Todd Bowles on a sizzling seat.
Mayfield hit tight end Cade Otton over the middle for a 14-yard touchdown pass that put the Bucs up 37-33 with 46 seconds left in the game.
It should have been over.
Then the Bucs’ defense took the field.
It was as if Mike Smith returned to call defensive plays and Alterraun Verner, Vernon Hargreaves, Sabby the Goat and Chris Conte were all back on the roster and on the field together.
It took Houston rookie C.J. Stroud all of 40 seconds to win the game.
The only sh!t that got wrecked was the Bucs defense.
Mayfield could only watch helplessly in horror.
“You never expect that when a team just has that little time that they’ll come back and win,” Mayfield said. “It just kind of takes the breath out of you.”
Well, it took the chicken wings and beer out of Joe gut. In reverse.
What an absolute choke job. Joe cannot put it fully into words.
How bad was it? Joe figures Team Glazer is wondering if Bowles is the right man to lead this team, or Team Glazer already decided he isn’t.
This is the kind of loss that gets people fired two months from now — unless things change drastically.
Bowles better find a way to turn this defense around quickly. Otherwise, he likely will have time to watch his sons play college ball next fall.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:02 pm
wow the pic of baker above… ^^^
it looks like he’s thinking:
“sh!t i bit off more than i can chew, by signing with tampa”
November 5th, 2023 at 6:04 pm
The other problem with the defense stinking? Look at the premium draft picks and contracts on that side of the ball. Outside of our WR, the offense has very little invested in it. For a defense coach to get what he wants (the players) and to perform this way says it all.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:04 pm
Did we fire Todd Bowles yet? Even Baker Mayfield can’t score 36 points without losing with his defense!
November 5th, 2023 at 6:04 pm
They had 19 yards of offense in the third quarter this game. This was against a banged up Texans defense.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:05 pm
Decision is taken. We need a new coach with a new QB. So Joe when will you start analyzing some of those qb here?
November 5th, 2023 at 6:05 pm
You all suck
All of em
November 5th, 2023 at 6:06 pm
I know how he can first start turning things around the defense ……
Bench JTS and Ryan Neal ……they’re pretty much useless on Defense anyways.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:06 pm
The offense was finally the offense the Bucs needed all season….
An offense that was exciting to watch so Mayfield did nothing to lose the start….
The defense could hold their own for 46 seconds….
November 5th, 2023 at 6:06 pm
Didn’t Houston just lost to at that time, the winless Panthers
November 5th, 2023 at 6:06 pm
Now he knows how Brady felt after the Rams game. Stricken by the Bowles Curse.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:07 pm
If the Glazers are only “wondering” then they’re even dumber than expected
November 5th, 2023 at 6:08 pm
“A HC, an OC, and the owners of a team go into a bar…”
November 5th, 2023 at 6:08 pm
Raiders up 24. Firing your coach in the middle of the night looks to work pretty dang good
November 5th, 2023 at 6:08 pm
Mike Jenkins, Tim Jennings and Leonard Johnson would’ve played better than CD300 yards today.
That’s not even sarcasm…. SAD!
November 5th, 2023 at 6:10 pm
EJ Biggers > Carlton Davis
November 5th, 2023 at 6:11 pm
Just checking to see if Bowles has been fired yet??
November 5th, 2023 at 6:11 pm
breath…heart…life out of a team and fans alike. Bowels has not only driven a wedge between the him and the players, but now fans will turn away until the Glazers pull the trigger. (Please soon!) To slide back into mediocracy is very sad to me as well as many other lifelong Buc fans. One last thank you to Tom Brady for getting us a championship.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:11 pm
Some after the season. Some after the Super Bowl. A lot after free agency.
Draft is five months away. There will be ample time to wear out all the narratives.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:12 pm
You can start checking for that in two months.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:13 pm
things will not change and people will be let go at the end of the season. put in trask and see what he can do and he’ll be part of the rebuild. literally have nothing to lose at this point what? more games? what does it matter at this point
November 5th, 2023 at 6:15 pm
A Texan team marking 75 yrds in 40 seconds to win against you, does not bide well for your coach. And he is supposed to be a good Defensive coach at that. And a rookie QB setting an NFL rookie record against your defense says you suck. Bowles knows what’s up. He’s probably already told his family to start packing bags.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:16 pm
Joe as you said in a earlier article. This defense got beat by a rookie QB and a first time ever HC the Texans offense look way better than the Bucs offense and Bucs have vet at QB not blaming Mayfield, because some of the plays called by the Bucs in this game was down right embarrassing. Todd Bowles should be embarrassed the way his team and defense played
November 5th, 2023 at 6:17 pm
Keep playing Baker if you think he is the future. CJ Stroud just proved Baker isn’t.
I’m sure Trask will suck, but I like to see for myself.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:17 pm
Just checking to see if Bowles has been fired yet??
You can start checking for that in two months.
I know Joe, I doubt they will do it at this point in the season, just pissed off at what I witnessed today.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:18 pm
Some of our worst defensive moments have come at the hands of Bowles. His zero blitz against the Rams, and today may have topped that. Bowles is what his record says it is. Loser, don’t ever see that changing.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:18 pm
This team is completely broken. Gotta get Bowels out of here. I would make him hitchhike home from Houston.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:19 pm
A team with no kicker beat us today! Yes, we’re going to be the butt of that joke for a very long time.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:20 pm
Barker Maybefield ihad 3 total yards gain n the 3rd qtr, 3 yards, but Noooo he’s not the problem. 💩
November 5th, 2023 at 6:22 pm
Joe, your pretend belief that maybe this season is still salvageable and maybe the Glazers will give Bowles another year is beyond annoying.
Just be honest. He’s done. You know it. We know it. He knows it. He’s like a weed that got sprayed with Round Up.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:24 pm
And what could he pay do to turn this around? The only way he gets a head coaching someone has to give it to him. I just because BA says didn’t mean he had to be the coach. Did he interview no probably not. Just do as BA said because he got you a ring
November 5th, 2023 at 6:24 pm
We all remember and do not forget: the January 23, 2022 playoff vs. Rams. With the Bucs and Brady having clawed back with a legendary comeback, all Todd Bowles and the defense had to do is make one stop. They failed. That failure and that entire day epitomized Mr. Todd Bowles, who was rewarded by being named HC. He promptly dragged the team hard into mediocrity, ruined Tom Brady’s last season, and here he is, still doing it.
Today’s reminder only took 40 seconds.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:25 pm
K_bassuka Says:
Barker Maybefield ihad 3 total yards gain n the 3rd qtr, 3 yards, but Noooo he’s not the problem. 💩
We scored 37 Fing points today and are supposed to have a head coach that is a defensive guru. No, it wasn’t Bakers fault, open your eyes! Look at the play calling too.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:25 pm
Any true Bucs fan should be very frustrated at this time. All the talent we have on this team and we couldn’t beat a rookie QB and a rookie HC with a new staff just damn embarrassing As I’ve said already, all I want Xmas is a HC who can bring some discipline to this team. I’ll take B Parcell from the nursing home
November 5th, 2023 at 6:26 pm
A weed sprayed by Round Up. That’s a good one!
November 5th, 2023 at 6:26 pm
Three dash Five…….
November 5th, 2023 at 6:28 pm
Do the Bucs still have the NFL’s biggest coaching stuff?
November 5th, 2023 at 6:28 pm
I’m no Baker apologist, but this game is not on Baker.
Baker just runs the plays, called in from the sidelines. He ain’t drawing up plays in the dirt.
Bucs defense, and CJ Stroud, let this one get away.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:29 pm
No worries folks, the coaching search started last Monday.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:29 pm
Todd Bowles – “I thought we did a great job stopping the run.”
Count on it.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:30 pm
74 Bucs Fan, you beat me to it. “A weed sprayed with round up” a great analogy! Perfect ModHairKen
November 5th, 2023 at 6:30 pm
Mayfield played his arse off. So did otten too.
I put this loss on a marshmallow secondary except for one safety
And clock miss management at at end of the game
And a rookie that looked like Tom Brady on a great day.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:31 pm
The Bucs should hire a couple of consultants named Bob.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:34 pm
call jim harbaugh, he will know how to fix this mess
November 5th, 2023 at 6:35 pm
On a positive note it’s great to see Young throwing two INT’s returned for TDs on a day when Stroud puts up 500 yards and 5 TDs — plus the Panthers don’t have their 1st rounder this year as well. That’s hilarious.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:38 pm
“ModHairKen Says:
November 5th, 2023 at 6:22 pm
Joe, your pretend belief that maybe this season is still salvageable and maybe the Glazers will give Bowles another year is beyond annoying.
Just be honest. He’s done. You know it. We know it. He knows it. He’s like a weed that got sprayed with Round Up.“
Hahaha! Very true. There is no way the Glazers have even an iota of remaining belief Toad is the guy to turn this thing around. A dead weed indeed.
November 5th, 2023 at 6:40 pm
74 bucs fan, I believe Baker went down and scored game winning TD, same as Stroud, should he have been covering WRs as well?? Bad take
November 5th, 2023 at 6:45 pm
And all of us who have used Round Up know it takes a few days to see the weed is dead. However, I’m afraid we won’t officially find out the weed is dead for about 9 more weeks. But, no question, the weed is dead! The Wicked Witch is dead as well!
November 5th, 2023 at 6:46 pm
At the very least we must hire a coach responsible for clock management.
Bowles should not be allowed to call timeouts in the final 2 minutes. He has no idea how to assess a situation and work the clock.
That timeout to avoid 10 seconds run off when we only needed 14 yards and we could hve 39 seconds instead of 49 gave the Texans 10 seconds.
This decision cost us the game not only the horrible Defense
Inexcusable
November 5th, 2023 at 7:02 pm
Honestly, I don’t think Mayfield is the answer long term but this mess of a season isn’t entirely on him. With a new OC, new QB, and new O line it was going to take some time to get the offense going. I don’t think drafting a QB next year is the solution.
Offensively
Need to improve the o line to help the run game.
Need a big back to pound the other team.
Defensively
Need a pass rush
Need some new corners and a safety
November 5th, 2023 at 7:02 pm
74bucs fan…. Nice reference …one of my favorites😊 clear-eyed folks know our defense let this one go. How about Texans making that go ahead score on 4th and twelve? I know Bowles has hinted his play calling is hampered by a lack of talent secondary ( reliance on zone). But damn, that last drive… my Vegas wager for Baker comeback player of year ( 25 to 1) is in serious jeopardy if we don’t start winning !
November 5th, 2023 at 7:08 pm
Worst Bucs loss I’ve ever witnessed since 1976. Just shameful. Listening to 98 Rock audio.. Dave Moore should be the Bucs offensive coordinator AND defensive coordinator. Brilliant commentary. I was screaming out loud, why in the world did Coach bowls help the Texans by taking a time out to AVOID the 10-second runoff?!? We’re already in field goal range to tie the game, why leave extra time for the Texans to do exactly what they did, score with 5 seconds! Horrible coaching, horrible play calling, mediocre talent, = bad, unwatchable product. Ps, Bowles is clearly NOT a defensive “guru”!
November 5th, 2023 at 7:10 pm
The Bucs allowed a rookie quarterback to throw for way over 400 yards today on our D. Who knows, if our offensive coordinator tried to throw the ball down field, vertically, maybe Baker Mayfield would have thrown for 400 or 500 yards! Mike Evans & Chris Godwin are legit All-Pros, and if they don’t make the catch maybe they get a penalty on the other team which is just as good. Tre and Devin Thomkins are speed burners and can stretch the field and create space underneath. Never know if you don’t try. And the Bucs coaches rarely try the long ball. Even Dave Moore commented that all these running plays straight up the middle are “not that hard to diagnose.” Imagine if Baker faked a handoff and just threw a 50-yard jump ball to our talented receivers, there’s the element of surprise that we rarely tap. Just plain bad coaching.
November 5th, 2023 at 7:10 pm
Captain Vic Says:
why in the world did Coach bowls help the Texans by taking a time out to AVOID the 10-second runoff?!?
——–
I can help you with that one.
He’s retarded.
November 5th, 2023 at 7:18 pm
Any team who can throw the ball can win against Tampa because the corners are so bad, the coaching is bad. Don’t blame Baker, with this def
November 5th, 2023 at 7:20 pm
The fact that we scored 37 pts is promising given the horrid offense at times. We should have won the game!!! Poor clock management his the game killer today!!! This wasnt the first time either for Bowles! You give up a time out to add 10 seconds back on the clock???? Why? Houston had exactly 10 seconds left on the clock when they hiked the ball and scored their final touchdown! We gifted that to them. Unacceptable! Then to top it off our defense laid an egg on the last series!
November 5th, 2023 at 7:24 pm
He’ll want $30 mill or more next year.
Pass. HARD PASS.
Play trask to see if he has anything.
I do not care about winning the midget division.
FULL REBUILD FROM JASON ON DOWN.
Licht is garbage.
November 5th, 2023 at 7:27 pm
Why are you guys so surprised that the Texans went 75 yards in 46 seconds. They went 75 yards on ONE PLAY earlier in the game🤦♂️🤷♂️
November 5th, 2023 at 7:43 pm
Why atr so many surprised?
Did you expect something different from a Bowles team?
November 5th, 2023 at 7:54 pm
46 seconds, 2 timeouts, and 2 Awesome Rookies.
Gut Punch loss like the Cleveland Game in 2022.
3-5 . Just like last year. Getting tighter with each loss though.
Defense has been doing more than its share this season and had a bad game.
No pressure. Hasn’t been the same since Sun and JPP left.
Secondary hasn’t been the same since Williams and Whitehead left.
Offense finally clicked but was it a one off like the defense this game?
November 5th, 2023 at 8:20 pm
I hope we don’t look back at this game and realize this game is the nail in the coffin for a complete tear down. Specifically any chance of convincing Evans to sign is now done. He is probably thinking wtf? I don’t see us getting a top 3-4 draft pick. I’m thinking about 6 or 7. And by then we decide if we want a 24 year old Heisman Trophy winning QB that has had 2 knees surgeries at QB. (Michael Pennix Jr). Do we dare go with a Dak Prescott style Pocket passer that has zero mobility? That’s what we always do. I myself would rather have a mobile QB and get a modern offense. Stay away from Sanders and Pennix because they have ZERO mobility. Already looking forward to next year and how we build our roster with a new coach!
November 5th, 2023 at 8:25 pm
Hey Baker, even TB12 felt that way after the TB vs Rams playoff game. It was so Bad that Tom Brady got so depressed and confused that he retired before he was ready. The only way this team can win is if you replace the underachieving cornerback like Davis, Dean and Zyon. Another upcoming underachiever. Everyone is dreaming about offense not producing. Well now you know why the Bucs can still lose!! Sorry Baker, fell bad because I can see you and the offense are really trying to put up effort only to be letdown by your corners and coaches. These guys should play flag football in the Olympics!
November 5th, 2023 at 8:27 pm
Ole TB needs to go, never was a fan of him stepping into head coach. I honestly don’t see anything changing with him in that position. Our beloved Bucs are way more talented than what’s being represented as of late. The necessary change is on the side line.
November 5th, 2023 at 8:38 pm
Just don’t know what to say
November 5th, 2023 at 8:46 pm
Fire bowels now!!!!!
November 5th, 2023 at 8:54 pm
Rod Munch says:
Thanks for the laugh man, I needed that. It was deja vu all over again like the Rams title game when Cooper Kupp got loose, with bowls playing a “prevent defense”. Oddly enough, now Brady and Mayfield have 1 thing in common – they both got screwed by bowls defensive incompetence/ clock mgmt- snatching defeat from the jaws of Victory LOL.
November 5th, 2023 at 9:30 pm
A weed sprayed with Round Up… and we’ll be the cows sick from munching on it, the rest of the season.
November 5th, 2023 at 9:46 pm
Come on everyone, we all knew what the Glazers thought of Bowles coaching job when they didn’t pick anyone up at the trade deadline. This only confirms to them they made the right choice. Bowles is done in Tampa we just have to wait for the season to mercifully end. Dead man walking
November 5th, 2023 at 9:49 pm
With what he’s working with, Mayfield has done the best a QB can do. You might want to go back and watch Brady from last year. No different except Baker can scramble. Put the blame where is should be, HC/DC, OC, O-line, RB’s that can’t block and a weak secondary
November 5th, 2023 at 10:23 pm
Anybody who thinks Baker Mayfield is the problem does not know the first thing about playing football. There’s just about one guy in all of football history that you could really heep a game on his shoulders, and we had him last year, but he retired.
It was our stinking defense that lost that Rams playoff game two years ago. This was just about the exact same scenario. I guess we just don’t learn from our mistakes
November 5th, 2023 at 10:32 pm
USFbuc said
“Need a big back to pound the other team”.
Just last night I was talking about Mike Alstott. Tampa could really use a big bruising Fullback to pound that rock and make defenders play honest.
November 5th, 2023 at 11:09 pm
Zavier De’Sine – YEAH, that’s what we’re talking about! A quarterback that is going to give you 250 yards and 2 TDs on a career day, and then a big bruising back that gets you 3.6 yards per carry! That’s how you win in the 2020s! Todd is gonna love hearing your suggestion!
November 5th, 2023 at 11:12 pm
Carlton Davis III…..this is the man that needs to be fired
If you want to blame Mayfield you’re an idiot.
November 5th, 2023 at 11:29 pm
Baker only had one TD until two minutes before the end of the game a he gainst a defense playing with their third string safeties. Yeah Baker was not the problem. Yeah I agree he was not the main problem but he got his ass kicked by another rookie qb this season. Start Trask, we have nothing to lose. He needs to gain some experience for next year. There is no upside playing Baker going forward especially if they dismiss Toilet Bowl.
November 6th, 2023 at 12:43 am
So…the record is going pretty much how I expected, though the order of wins and losses is different.
1) There is maybe a 1% chance that Boles is fired before the end of the season. It’s just not how the Glazers do things.
2) The Texans weren’t just short a kicker. They had injuries happening all over. And…they had a bad defrnse to begin with.
3) Where was that accuracy Mayfield supposedly has? He overthrew every deep ball…even though the Texans secondary was short their starters and even their second stringer.
4) I do think our offensive line played better.
5) LVD and Devin White were especially good today. They just can’t do everything.
6) Mike Evans rocked. Take that naysayers!
7) At this point, Bowles stubborness is sabotaging the team.
8) Saints are mproving.
November 6th, 2023 at 7:22 am
@RTG_BUCS you are correct the offense played the way they should have been playing all year long if it wasn’t for Bowel Movement’s inability to connect on long passes just like it happened in the 3rd quarter when Houston defense took the short stuff and run away and dared Barker to go deep, and guess what? He couldn’t connect once again. The way I see it that gave Houston hope and their offense woke up.
November 6th, 2023 at 9:03 am
Todd Bowles and his staff are nothing but an embarrassment to this great city
November 6th, 2023 at 4:13 pm
@DAVID: God, you’re such an idiot. No, that’s an insult to the other Traskite idiots on this site. You’re just pathetic excuse for a fan.
November 6th, 2023 at 7:17 pm
Hey WyomingJoe, ask the yahoos and fakes on here about the fact that the Bucs had this one stolen from them. Then go back and watch the game esp. the second half, and note the abundance of defensive holding calls. They screeched about the Hail Mary rip-off in Buffalo? This one was worse! A lot worse.
November 7th, 2023 at 7:47 am
Defense was an immense let down. Todd Bowles put a lot of $ in this squad and he’s a defense coach. There is no excuse for what happened and he knows it. I sure hope someone is barking in his ear