Hype Contrast: Todd Bowles Versus Bill Belichick
May 17th, 2025
So the head coach of the Buccaneers and the greatest NFL coach of the modern era talked about dealing with hype this week.
Listeners of The Rock Riley Show on WDAE radio today heard an interview with Todd Bowles from an Arians Family Foundation event in South Tampa. Bowles was asked about being a media/betting favorite this season after being in an underdog role in past years.
Bowles said that doesn’t change anything at team headquarters and a steady approach is always been a constant for him.
Joe found that interesting in how it compared to Bill Belichick’s take on the subject.
Belicheat is pimping his new book that’s all about winning on the football field, and he was a guest of host Michael Strahan on Good Morning America. Strahan asked Belicheat to elaborate on his belief in delivering messages “that his team needs to hear” versus getting out what he wants to say.
Belichick immediately turned to the regular praise dropped on his Patriots.
“As a coach, when things are going well, you’re getting a lot of praise, everybody’s just heaping the praise on, and I was really the voice to bring things down,” Belichick said. “It’s like, ‘Well, we’re not as good as everybody’s saying we are. Here’s all the things that we’re not doing well and we need to do better.”
The opposite also is reality for Belichick, he said.
When his teams were getting skewered by media and fans, Belicheat said he would soften up with his players, pointing out how many things they were doing well enough to win — while also noting they weren’t far off from winning if they could fix mistakes or issues in certain areas.
“I always tried to be the balance on that,” Belichick said. “When things were bad, I try to be positive. When things were good, I had a way of trying to bring things down and say, ‘Look, don’t believe the hype. We still gotta a lot of work to do.”
There are many ways to be a winning coach. Joe is not slapping Bowles here, but Joe sure hopes Bowles knows how to handle a team that’s projected to do great things and one that jumps out to a strong early record.
After 3-1 starts in each of the past two seasons, Bowles’ teams have gone into extended tailspins.
Ira Kaufman Goes Inside The Simeon Rice Ring Of Honor Selection, Talks Charlie Strong & Antoine Winfield, Todd Bowles’ Description Of David Walker, Trey Hendrickson, The Giant Jon Gruden About Face, And More
May 17th, 2025 at 4:14 pm
We seem to keep coming up with things to doubt when we have already seen how being positive works to manifest success.
May 17th, 2025 at 4:15 pm
Oh my,
Mercy!!
May 17th, 2025 at 4:19 pm
When in doubt, go with the hall of famer, rather than the guy who thinks he’s so good he can do two jobs at once better than two full time dedicated professionals.
And before some brain sturgeon comes up with “Belichick was nothing without Brady” – Bill won with Drew Bledsoe and made a Super Bowl with Bledsoe starting.
May 17th, 2025 at 4:48 pm
Comparing the two as coaches is akin to juxtaposing a ripe apple and a brick.
One is a perennial winner, some say due to his QB, but a winner nonetheless. Few coaches have won consistently with bums as their QB. The other has less than a career .500 mark without anything to show for it except a few division titles in a lackluster division.
But I will give Bowles this; I doubt seriously his status as a decent family man will come crashing down by embarrassingly dating a controlling child some 50 years his junior.
Bowles has now been gifted some decent horses to add to his stable, and an added bonus of someone to help him tell time.
We’ll know soon enough what he is able to do with his gifts.
May 17th, 2025 at 5:08 pm
‘After 3-1 starts in each of the past two seasons, Bowles’ teams have gone into extended tailspins.’
The only thing consistent about Bowels resume is his teams don’t sustain long win streaks…
May 17th, 2025 at 5:08 pm
Belichick’s record without Brady is 83 -101.
That includes his time with the Browns and his time with the Patriots after Brady left.
I have been a critic of coach Bowles on this website and I will continue to call it like I see it. But I would rather have coach Bowles as the head coach than Belichick.
And for the record, I have also been critical of Baker as our QB. But I prefer him as our quarterback over Brady.
Ya’ll pile on, I have thick skin.
May 17th, 2025 at 5:17 pm
Joe … ‘After 3-1 starts in each of the past two seasons, Bowles’ teams have gone into extended tailspins.’
You’re starting to turn into Chicken Little Joe. The sky really isn’t falling.
Back in 2019, the Bucs … under BA … started off 2-2 as a pretty much rebuilt team, then went into a 4-game losing tailspin. Did BA all of a sudden become a terrible coach? Nah, we won 5 of the next 6 games to break even at that point 7-7. Granted we lost the last 2 games to end the season 7-9, but we know why that was.
And then in 2020 the Bucs started off great at 6-2 then lost 3 out of the next 4 and our chance to make the playoffs looked to be in real peril. But as we know we salvaged it with a 4-game win streak to make the playoffs then 4 wins to take the Super Bowl.
Nothing about the last 2 years (starting off very good then suffering a mid-season brain fart) is new. Is it ideal? Heavens no. We stopped that trend once (in 2021) and we can do it again. Well, unless the sky really does fall.
May 17th, 2025 at 5:26 pm
@Knothead and D.R.
THANKS! Sometimes I think my “positivity” is a voice in the wilderness.
I’ve made Knothead’s point in the past by posting BB’s record without Brady, especially during that period when “rumors” were flying which NFL team BB would end up. Posters here thought oh great, bring in BB. Why? Unless he could bring a ‘young’ Brady with him.
D.R. Chicken Little lives here at JBF. Records are statistics. Statistics have less meaning the smaller the sample size. Many here tend to cherry pick the stats that make Bowles look his worst. So I cherry pick in return with stats that make him look good.
“The only thing consistent about Bowels resume” The only thing consistent in posters that continue to use childish insults like misspelling a person’s name because it then becomes something nasty is their lack of creativity and intellect as well as the obvious lack of maturity!
May 17th, 2025 at 6:10 pm
@stpetebucsfan
I said all that but I also want to say this.
Coach Bowles was quoted here saying that he’s learned that scoring points wins games. When that came out I said something like, now we got something, boys. And I truly mean that. If coach opens up the weapons on offense and plays the game to win instead of not to lose. And if Baker can get the interceptions down, this team will win another Super Bowl.
May 17th, 2025 at 6:12 pm
@Stpete
There are plenty of us who feel like that… The same couple of trolls don’t represent TB fans in general tho – they’re just loud mouths seeking attention. You and I both know that and we also know logic based debate or discussion with them is impossible.
“Same old blues just a different day”
May 17th, 2025 at 6:18 pm
Love the brick/Apple juxtaposition. Comparing to BA’s coaching tenure isn’t relevant or applicable. A 100% focused coaching staff, for example, is superior to a half timer at two positions who reports to himself.
May 17th, 2025 at 6:38 pm
Stpetebucsfan, you are not alone. You choose to emphasize the positive.
Let’s say I could come up with five negative things about Bowles as an NFL coach. Let’s also say I can come up with five positive things about Todd as an NFL coach. In reality all ten could be true at the same time. So as a fan I can choose which side to emphasize while acknowledging the other.
Having taken the Dale Carnegie Course I have some notions about the “power of positive thinking”. General attitudes do matter in life and in sports as well.
Go Bucs!
May 17th, 2025 at 6:41 pm
I’m feeling pretty positive myself about the upcoming season.
feel like every area we struggle or had a weakness, nothing was done about it.
Poor pass rush – √
No depth and secondary – √
Not enough debth at the receiver – √
Suspect endgame clock management – √
Mediocre punting game – √
Lack of debth at ILB – √ (maybe could’ve use 1 more LB)
WR debth not so deep – √
Need an extra player at DL – √
Now if we can stay healthy and have Griz work out, all is good.
Go Bucs!
May 17th, 2025 at 7:34 pm
OK. Here are the rules. If you are going to bust someone for something he said, quote him directly. That way readers can decide for themselves.
What exactly did Todd Bowles say? I doubt he contradicted Belichick at all.
In fact, I believe he said something that dovetails with Belichick’s remarks
May 17th, 2025 at 8:09 pm
The losing streaks after starting 3-1 are depth-related, no more. We barely had the STARTING personnel to be competitive, certainly not the backups.
THAT, is no longer the case
May 17th, 2025 at 8:16 pm
Sure seems like Joe is reading a whole lot into Bowles’ statement that isn’t necessarily there. He didn’t address player emotions one way or the other, high or low, due to press coverage.
May 17th, 2025 at 8:31 pm
Aqualung … ‘Comparing to BA’s coaching tenure isn’t relevant or applicable. A 100% focused coaching staff, for example, is superior to a half timer at two positions who reports to himself.’
Coaching staffs were just 1 of the factors that went into those respective season records.
I dislike dual-hatting more than just about anyone & have been saying that since Day 1 when Todd took over as Bucs’ HC. BUT … season records are historical documents & can be compared. BA’s first year … no Tom Brady … the Bucs ended up with a 7-9 season record & no playoffs. Todd Bowles’ first year … no Tom Brady … he ended up with a a 9-8 record & went 2-deep into the playoffs. Those are facts.
May 17th, 2025 at 8:40 pm
Most accurate and logical posts I’ve seen here in a while. If one is going to look at all the facts and reasons then one has good points to be made without being childish, that is what the trolls want, to stir the s*** pot just for the sake of being an agitator, which is a chickens*** hiding behind the keyboard, or a gutless keyboard bully trying desperately to show how smart they are with random quotes from authors they’ve never read and don’t understand anyways, it was lost on you in 11th grade.
That not withstanding, Belichicks record over all isn’t that great with out Brady, but I do believe they worked magic together. Bowles stating that points=wins was I think just him stating the obvious as to the reason for taking an offensive player so don’t be shocked, which we were. We are coming out of cap coma and as ya’ll have pointed out, had no reserves in the tank with injuries, that is a fact. Just wanted to give a shout out the logics that prevail. Thank you.
May 17th, 2025 at 9:39 pm
Looking at the talent on the roster in the post Super Bowl restructuring, Vegas oddsmakers and most of the football talking heads were forecasting the Bucs to be also rans. Bowles instead lead the Bucs to division championships.
The Kansas City Super Bowl is the portrait of what Bowles can do with a defense that is reasonably healthy and topped off with quality talent. Hype didn’t take anything away from the SB victory; there is no reason to think that it will be now.
May 17th, 2025 at 9:40 pm
DR – you said it very well. We had our starters in against Atlanta game 1 when Cousins went 509 and 4 tuddies. That was like 20% of his yardage for the whole season.
“When someone thinks too much, maybe they have too much to think about.” Great quote from you. Very on point.
Coaching must also come under scrutiny when the dual hatter coach has his specialty decline for three consecutive years and he seems more interested in crafting exotic blitzes to foster the genius reputation than fundamentally letting beasts be beasts and gazelles be gazelles.
And then there are the game management decisions which everyone knows weren’t top notch on balance.
So, let’s hope he’s really addressed the flaws, gotten more depth to plug the gaping holes, and Grizzard can keep the offense humming.
I hope so.
But I’ll believe it when I see it.
May 17th, 2025 at 9:41 pm
PS —. Baker >>>>> Jameis, DR. You know that, you alluded to it.
May 17th, 2025 at 11:18 pm
Bill lost his perpetual scowl. Maybe dating the captain of the cheerleaders from the local high school class of 2018 helped his disposition? The whole thing is kind of creepy. Have much more respect for Todd Bowles than some fake tough guy who played football at football powerhouse Wesleyan college.
May 17th, 2025 at 11:46 pm
Drew Bledsoe played good QB for the Pats.
“Under Bledsoe, the Patriots ended a seven-year postseason drought, qualified for the playoffs four times, clinched their division twice, and made a Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXXI. He was also named to three Pro Bowls and became the youngest quarterback to play in the NFL’s Pro Bowl game in 1995.”
This nonsense that Belichick was nothing without Brady needs to stop. Oh – Belichick drafted Brady, no one else did for 5 rounds previous.
Dude is the GOAT based on performance and results. Todd is not, by the same criteria.
May 18th, 2025 at 12:45 am
@Aqualung
Just for the record, not being combative or anything.
Coach Bowles is the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The NFL team that this website is pretty much built around.
If memory serves, Belichick is coaching some school in one of the Carolinas and hanging out with some chick that’s young enough th be his granddaughter.
Yeah, I’ll stick with coach Bowles.
May 18th, 2025 at 6:04 am
Ballwasher
“That not withstanding, Belichicks record over all isn’t that great with out Brady, but I do believe they worked magic together.”
As someone who does not really appreciate Belichik at all he does deserve props in one area. He was a GREAT defensive coordinator…HC not so much…DC HOF.
May 18th, 2025 at 6:21 am
stpetebucsfan, sorry about the lack of creativity and intellect. And maturity. So, here goes. Belidunce, Belidunce, Belidunce!! What a self aggrandizing head case. And he had the nerve to be brown nosing our GM last preseason! What, does he think Jason Licht is a dumbass just because he is? And that he can slide in and be our head coach just because he talks reverently about our QB? What a prize he would be! “ I always tried to be the balance on that”. What a bunch of smarmy bullspit!! That Belidunce doesn’t realize yet that it’s the players and not the coach who decides a teams success. Belidunce will be in the HOF that’s true. But seeing that every time he opens his mouth it makes my skin crawl I guess I’ll have to skip his induction speech.
May 18th, 2025 at 7:09 am
Aqualung … ‘Coaching must also come under scrutiny when the dual hatter coach has his specialty decline for three consecutive years and he seems more interested in crafting exotic blitzes to foster the genius reputation than fundamentally letting beasts be beasts and gazelles be gazelles.’
Agree with your analysis (excessive blitzing drives me nuts because it leaves gaping holes in coverage unless the blitz gets home), but it’s not 3 consecutive years. 2022 was our best Pass Defense year under TB (ranked #9). It was also our lowest number of blitzes under TB (only 250), BUT … our Run Defense suffered (ranked #15) and our Overall Defense based on Points Allowed was meh (ranked #13). So that year Todd changed up what we did defensively a BUNCH (after losing Suh & JPP), our Pass Defense improved a bunch, but overall we regressed some.
So he went back to what he’d been doing in 2023 … and blitzed about 50% more (341 times) while emphasizing Run Defense more apparently. Pass Defense went to pot (ranked #29), but Run Defense improved (to #5 ranking) as did our overall ranking (to #7 based on Points Allowed). And interestingly our defense only allowed 325 points TOTAL on the season, lowest total since 2008 under Monte Kiffin. And to Todd IMO, THAT is the bottom line … minimizing Points Allowed.
So what defensive philosophy was better? That which results in surrendering the least points to your opponents is always the best IMO, but there are any number of ways to get there. And I believe it all depends on the TALENT you’ve got to work with. You put Vea, Suh, JPP, Shaq, LVD & White in there (earlier years) with Davis, Dean, Winfield & Whitehead behind, and just about any philosophy will work. Right now our TALENT is improving, but it’ll take a few games IMO for some of the new guys to fit in. We’ll be fine defensively by mid-season.
May 18th, 2025 at 7:23 am
Am I remembering things wrong, or did Drew Bledsoe make the Superbowl with Parcells as his HC when they lost to Green Bay?
May 18th, 2025 at 7:30 am
Belichick had the DC thing down with the Giants. His Cleveland HC gig was a lot of learning how to be a complete HC. He kind of stepped into the Bledsoe thing as he was hitting full stride as a HC. And then Brady. That’s just lucky timing. Comparing Todd to Bill clearly shows respect to Todd. His HC time with the Jets probably cemented his conviction that an organization must be built with character leaders and players. I see Todd as a good HC still learning to be a great one.I hope and believe he will be a great one. The only two Bucs coaches with a better winning percentage are Bruce and Tony. Belichick became real good at time of time of possession and winning close games. I think we lost six games last year but six points or less. Several of our losses out time if possession was poor. I think in several games Liam hurt us on time of possession. Perhaps Todd should have intervened but great leaders do not micromanage people they trust. The big tuna knows and is friends with both Belichick and Bowles. I’d love to hear his thoughts on both guys.
May 18th, 2025 at 8:21 am
anyone who thinks bowles is in the same category as bill is psycho. belichek was a defensive GENIUS and proved it over 25 years. do you really think the bucs would have lost over 10 games the last 2 years by 1 score or less if belichek were coaching. NO WAY> when did you ever see belichek mismanage the clock, or let his defense give up so many winning late game drives, or not have the guts to make a tough decision. bowles might be a nice guy, but he’s not a good head coach. not even close. this is his final shot to get the bucs to at least the nfc champ. what a dumb comparison.
May 18th, 2025 at 8:31 am
Drunk Buc – unlike some of the JBF posters, your memory is spot on. Bledsoe and the Patriots went to the Superbowl with BP as their HC. Now it’s time for a drink.
May 18th, 2025 at 9:03 am
DR, I really hope so. Let pass rushers rush the passer, DBs cover pass catchers, beasts push the middle of the pile and LBs clean up the short middle. Hope they’re coached to do this with some clarity as to their assignments when zone is the call.
Yards allowed and points allowed usually correlate. 23 was an anomaly, 24 more regression to the mean.
Regardless, defense needs to give up fewer yards and fewer points.
May 18th, 2025 at 11:34 am
Kenton
I share your disdain for BB. He has the personality of a rock. He was a great DC but a poor HC.
@Lung “Drew Bledsoe played good QB for the Pats.”
What does that have to do with BB? In fact it’s a slam as BB’s first year with the Pats and Bledsoe he went 5-11!!! Selecting somebody in the 6th round is not the mark of talent expertise. IF Belichik really knew how great Brady was why did he wait until the 6th round…why did the entire league wait?
Meanwhile BB was forced by injury to play Brady!!!
In the second game of the regular season, nine-year starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who had received a 10-year contract extension in March, was injured on a hit by New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis, causing backup Tom Brady, a sixth-round draft pick in 2000, to enter the game after serving as the Patriots’ 4th string rookie the season before.
BB LUCKED into Brady, he did not “discover” him. If he thought Brady was all that he wouldn’t have given Bledsoe the ten year deal.
May 18th, 2025 at 2:26 pm
Curse of Gruden,
Yes, got one right! Time to plug in the blender, strawberry daiquiri sounds appropriate
May 18th, 2025 at 3:59 pm
Never understood the Belichick or Baker haters. It always seems personal.
May 18th, 2025 at 6:31 pm
Tjey both do the same thing.
May 19th, 2025 at 4:02 am
Michael Strahan is a dämñ disgrace