Todd Bowles: Running = Winning In The Playoffs
January 10th, 2025
Survive and advance.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles was talking playoffs this morning. Something he’s done for the past five Bucs seasons, the first two as defensive coordinator.
Succeeding in the playoffs, Bowles believes, means a team has to accomplish a few things.
The first, Bowles said, is just getting there. Since that hurdle has been cleared, it’s time to forget it. Worry about the task at hand.
“I think you’ve got to take care of the football, I think you’ve got to be able to run it, and I think you’ve got to stop the run,” Bowles said.
Well, in that respect the Bucs weren’t perfect. The Bucs had a negative turnover/takeaway ratio, but they rank fourth in the league in rushing. Defensively, the Bucs are also fourth against the run.
“I think you’ve got to limit the mistakes and the penalties,” Bowles added. “Those things all come down to it at the end. If you can do those things, you have a chance of winning the football game.”
The mistakes come and go and that’s the danger of the playoffs. Sometimes teams show up and play a clean game. Sometimes they make head-scratching choices.
In close games, it is often the team that makes the fewest mistakes is the team that will, as the late North Carolina State basketball coach Jim Valvano would say, “Survive and advance.”
January 10th, 2025 at 4:12 pm
Run the damn ball coen
January 10th, 2025 at 4:15 pm
Coach talks about running the ball and stopping the run. Anyone except the pink muffin brigade knows that’s not why the Bucs lose.
Coach — how about stopping the pass, especially in the first half? For the sake of variety.
But he won’t talk about that, since “he doesn’t know why.”
January 10th, 2025 at 4:17 pm
Coach talks about running the ball and stopping the run. Anyone except the pink muffin brigade knows that’s not why the Bucs lose.
Coach — how about stopping the pass, especially in the first half? For the sake of variety.
But he won’t talk about that, since “he doesn’t know why.”
January 10th, 2025 at 4:24 pm
GO BUC!
January 10th, 2025 at 4:29 pm
Liam is my guy but he gets too pass happy at times (especially at the start of games) and it works my nerves.
January 10th, 2025 at 4:33 pm
Our secondary can’t get shredded as long as we have the ball.
January 10th, 2025 at 4:35 pm
I’m not worried about the offense.
Liam and Baker were forcing the ball to Mike for his 1k.
That’ll stop now.
I’m worried about the defense giving up the booty.
January 10th, 2025 at 4:42 pm
Our turnover differential was -5
January 10th, 2025 at 4:57 pm
Most importantly, you have to score more points than the other team
January 10th, 2025 at 5:36 pm
Our Offense always seems to find a way. Man, they fight like hell. Its just our Defense that gives me headaches. Every deeyham time opposing offenses have the ball, I get this feeling in my gut they are going to score. And most times? They do. Just concentrate on the Defense Bowles. The rest will take care of itself.
January 10th, 2025 at 5:49 pm
How could the offense come out flat in the last game?
Just “going thru the motions” kind of until they finally (barely) pulled out the victory in the most important game of the year.
How could the coach in charge of that unit, when asked about it, say “I don’t know why that is” and not get called out for coaching malpractice ?
Oh wait 🤔
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Re: running the ball
I expect to see RW more involved again if we go run heavy. We can’t kill Bucky with too many carries….
January 10th, 2025 at 5:49 pm
Offense has not been the issue throughout the entire season. The area of concern is defense which has been the achilles heel of this team. I don’t think fans are asking too much of him to put a unit on the field that can be relied upon to produce a quality performance week in and week out. This is after-all his (supposed) area of expertise.
Secure Coen 2025
January 10th, 2025 at 5:51 pm
Nothing more dangerous than having a confused secondary if you want to limit mistakes in your defense Mr Bowles
January 10th, 2025 at 5:52 pm
We need to pound white to soften them up and bring in Bucky gg we win 🏆
January 10th, 2025 at 6:01 pm
The Commanders are not much better now than they were in week one. Bucs defense will hold them and Bucs offense will out score them using the run to set up the passing game !!
The Bucs are a much better coached team with so many more offensive weapons!!
Go Bucs !! Beat the Commanders again!!
January 10th, 2025 at 6:08 pm
Cmon Joes….. Are you going to let me post comments at all anymore ?
January 10th, 2025 at 6:17 pm
Fire this man.
January 10th, 2025 at 6:21 pm
With Dean and Winfield being back in the lineup is going to make a big difference. Also Hayes does not need to step on the field
January 10th, 2025 at 6:31 pm
The last thing I would do, is going on the most and best public site, which is this one, and tell the opposition what I want to do just before a playoff game. Yes sir, loose lips sink ships.
January 10th, 2025 at 7:03 pm
Maybe Mr Bowles should worry about stopping the pass once in a while too…
January 10th, 2025 at 7:04 pm
Pryda
Tucker is the Hammer. Wish they’d use him more.
January 10th, 2025 at 7:43 pm
Hey Coach! It’s all about points! Score more than the other team and you win. Win in the red zone on both sides of the ball!
January 10th, 2025 at 8:16 pm
Man
McAfee is tiresome…
January 10th, 2025 at 8:46 pm
Jethro
Just wish to make sure I’m not misintrepreting your insults. Rod is clear with me. He insults my age and places me in the nursing home. I’m not sensitive about my age and so I think Rod is having some fun.
“pink muffin brigade” PINK? Correct me if I’m wrong but PINK is a double insult.
First for those of us who disagree with your BDS, are you challenging our masculinity? Simply because you disagree with us. I realize you’re probably not smart enough to realize it says far more about YOU than it does US!
2nd insult..PINK and the ladies. I read several of the ladies who post here and they are actually better than many guys. They are thoughful, observant and not full of hyperbole and do not need cheap insults.
January 10th, 2025 at 10:43 pm
We have a real run game now, and the Commanders are weak against the run. For all the problems of our defense, their second half play on the back end of the season shows they do have the ability to get the job done. It’ll be close, and I’m sure it’ll be stressful (JD has the chops for late game drives, too), but I’m hopeful we can do this. Let’s go!
January 10th, 2025 at 10:48 pm
If we lose this game it will be due to Bowles soft a$$ pass defense. After a bad stretch, run defense is back to good. Stop the pass. Play man more. Hit the receivers off the line.
January 10th, 2025 at 11:10 pm
Pound that Rock !!
Go Bucs !! Beat the Commanders again !!
January 11th, 2025 at 1:01 am
Still need to take things one game at a time, but perhaps, just maybe with good coaching, few penalties, limited mistakes and enough injured players making it back to the lineup, the team can make a deep run into the playoffs e.g. NFC Championship game or Superbowl.
January 11th, 2025 at 8:16 am
Todd is clueless. Stop the run, how about stop the pass? How about not giving up 10 yards to a receiver before the ball is snapped? How about not leaving the middle of the field wide open? Do you have a plan to keep Daniels in the pocket, not letting him burn you with the pass, and running? How about having your edge rushers rush instead of uselessly dropping in coverage? I have a feeling Todd’s defence will do neither.
January 11th, 2025 at 8:33 am
I agree with Tull and Hodad. Bucs will lose if they can’t at least do a better job of stopping the pass. I think Bowels knows that too but doesn’t mention it because he has no idea how he is going to do that.
January 11th, 2025 at 11:10 am
Just so I’m clear. If we watch Daniels throw a bomb over a backup DB for an EASY six will we blame that TD on Todd?
One thing that would give me confidence tomorrow night is if I truly believe Winfield is 100%. I’m not sure he’s been 100% at any time this season.
Winfield could cover up corner mistakes. IF Dean is healthy he can cover and so can McCollum. What’s still missing is the DW45 style LB who can run sideline to sideline and help LVD patrol the middle ground. The Bucs are basically down to ONE ILB and BOWles has been trying to cover that HOLE best he can. Not always successfully!
January 11th, 2025 at 12:17 pm
@stpetebucsfan
If you’re waiting for Jethro err Dave to explain his logic or something like that bro you’ll be waiting a long time.
I’ve given up for the most part on him rising above name calling and insinuation to supply data, information, rationale, justification etc etc for his posts.
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And of course if we play tighter to take underneath stuff away, and we get beat by a bomb(s) it will be Todd’s fault – to the turd Hunters 🙄
January 11th, 2025 at 1:27 pm
The tender muffins are so cute when they’re butthurt over criticism that the defensive coordinator has earned. Too bad the head coach doesn’t know why.
Daniels will have >200 yards passing in the first half, the only question is will the Bucs offense come out hot and set the pace, or flat like in Brady’s last playoff game against the Cowboys. Coach really had his troops ready to play that day.
January 11th, 2025 at 2:26 pm
@stpetebucsfan
See what I mean – lol? Exactly what I expected. It’s all he has the intellectual capacity to do.
Don’t let these people, or this punk specifically, ruin or alter your enjoyment of the games including ours this weekend !!!
I’m pretty close to giving up on JBF completely, at least partially because of azz clowns like him. I’ll probably hang around tho, just because it would make him/them happy to see me go.
January 11th, 2025 at 3:41 pm
This Team isn’t ready to make a play at the SB or the NFCCG, so I’m just enjoying postseason football. The next couple of years are this team’s window. An upgraded secondary and improved pass rush will be the offseason recipe.
January 11th, 2025 at 4:40 pm
Get ready for Washington to throw on the first 15 plays with Bucs in run stop defense while Bowles is on the sideline thinking this is not possible they –have– to run the ball to win. And then Bowles forcing Coen to run 70% of the time into run stopping fronts.
Do you think Andy Reid or Bill Bellicheck would say something so stupid. They just attack whatever weakness you present. Don’t care how it’s done.
January 11th, 2025 at 4:46 pm
You don’t have to run the ball, you have to have a credible ability to be successful running the ball and take what the defense gives you. I really want this team be successful but I don’t see it happening with Bowles beyond winning 8-10 games in a soft division.