Chris Long Does A 180 On Todd Bowles
August 13th, 2025
Todd Bowles
Without coaching a game, Todd Bowles apparently has flipped one of the loud voices in intelligent NFL media into his corner.
So two-time Super Bowl winner defensive end Chris Long hosts his popular Green Light podcast and is an analyst on Inside The NFL.
Long is known for in-depth takes and explanations, including this one in January after the Bucs lost to the Commanders in the playoffs. Long danced near the line of calling for Todd Bowles to be replaced.
“I’m not saying fire the guy, but I’m saying you got to put him under the magnifying glass a little bit because of the way this team played down the stretch,” Long said, after noting Bowles’ one-game-over .500 record as a Bucs head coach.
“They were undisciplined down the stretch. There were games they were not ready to play. That Dallas game, they were not ready to play. That New Orleans game, they were not ready to play. They let Washington do exactly what Washington wanted to do. I know what Washington wanted to do; Washington wanted to possess the football and go on long drives and tire [the Bucs] out. And they did it. That shouldn’t be a team that can outphysical you.
“On top of that, when you consider the fact that the record is just above .500 in the worst division in football, and the fact they could lose their offensive coordinator. I just think eventually a conversation has to be had about the future. And maybe it’s one more year but they got to [progress next season].”
Well, Team Glazer clearly thought Long was moronic and this summer gave Todd Bowles a shiny new contract (and presumably a raise) good through the 2028 season.
Last week, Long broke down the Bucs for a season preview and seemingly changed his view of Bowles without explaining why.
“Todd Bowles has won in cap hell, two and three years ago,” Long said. “He won with injuries last year, got’em in the playoffs. Really knocking on the door of elite this year and I think they walk through the door this year.”
Joe loves the predicition and all the love Long heaped on the Buccaneers’ front office. Still, Joe was stunned Long flipped so fully on Bowles without really explaining. What changed his mind?
Long went on to say the Bucs last year got in their own way too often, but he praised Bowles for having “a programmatic team” that has its own way of doing things and it works. Joe’s not a big fan of analysts shifting a position without making sure everyone knows why.
Finally, Long said h personnel upgrades and injury recoveries should clean up the Bucs’ messes. “This is a complete football team,” he said.
August 13th, 2025 at 6:56 pm
Chris Long … “This is a complete football team”.
I like his bottom line because it deals with today’s team. Last year is yesterday’s news. It’s all about what this team can do now.
August 13th, 2025 at 7:22 pm
I watched this episode, Long really went in-depth about what he liked about this team. Most of the questions being about the solutions we’ve acquired and gotten back to fix the defense, but I was suprised by his take.
Funny what the passage of time and more research/information can do to an opinion. I watch GreenLight for Beau Allen because he talks up the Bucs via Vita Vea/LVD any time he gets a chance.
August 13th, 2025 at 7:22 pm
We don’t really know what team we have on the field
Guys are in and out of the lineup, mostly because of injuries
Players have to be available, for us to know what we have
There’s too many question marks about this team and players
We’re still in preseason, and we already have core players out
And we don’t know when they will be back, if they come back
We already have core players dealing with nagging injuries
Injuries that will only get worse, when the season start
By week 6 , a lot of these guys will be limping, and day to day
These analysts only analyze the game film, and the players playing
They have no idea about the players on the field
August 13th, 2025 at 7:45 pm
I’m in a positive mood today…. And I’m tired of writing out an Entire List of Bowles Fails year after year.
I know it’s the New Blood that has things on the Sunny Side and it goes the same for me. However, if it’s the same failures again this year (and THERE ARE chincks in the armor already that HAVE Not been addressed properly “Yet”) then that’ll Be All for Todd Bowles and playing nice.
I’m going with a positive attitude “because of returning and New blood” so I’m smoking hopeium by the ounces and drinking it by the gallons in hopes that I won’t be disappointed Again this year with large scale fails across the defense this year…
Alright, you got your Ball Hawks Todd. MAKE IT COUNT!
August 13th, 2025 at 7:50 pm
Bowles did get a new contract. Unfortunately coaches contracts aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. If the Bucs don’t suffer any injuries to key players, and fall to .500, or miss the playoffs? 2028, might be 2026.
August 13th, 2025 at 8:26 pm
Hopefully, Bowles has too much talent to fail in spite of his poor coaching this year. I don’t see what everyone sees in him. Until proven wrong the guy is barely a .500 coach that can’t win in critical situations. Hope I’m wrong but he fails when it counts the most.
August 13th, 2025 at 8:31 pm
He’s right about it being a complete football team, personnel wise.
He was also dead spot on about this.
“They were undisciplined down the stretch. There were games they were not ready to play. That Dallas game, they were not ready to play. That New Orleans game, they were not ready to play. They let Washington do exactly what Washington wanted to do. I know what Washington wanted to do; Washington wanted to possess the football and go on long drives and tire [the Bucs] out. And they did it. That shouldn’t be a team that can outphysical you.
“On top of that, when you consider the fact that the record is just above .500 in the worst division in football, and the fact they could lose their offensive coordinator. I just think eventually a conversation has to be had about the future. And maybe it’s one more year but they got to [progress next season].”
BINGO.
August 13th, 2025 at 8:34 pm
I think he’s better by default based on the coaching changes, self scouting that led to the obvious need to press more and other things he’s done in the offseason but Chris Loong isn’t wrong about last year AT ALL
August 13th, 2025 at 8:50 pm
This team has a lot of talent on paper
But, how many of them will play a complete season ?
Their talent is worthless if they’re on the sidelines in street clothes
I’m not making any predictions, because I don’t who will be playing
Last season it was so bad, 3rd and 4th stringers were starting games
They were even bringing in ex players off the street
You can’t predict a team like this
August 13th, 2025 at 9:21 pm
Seems like Long intimates his reasoning in the words he chooses in his last paragraph. Upon further examination the Bucs were in cap hell the past few years after going all in on the 2020 Super Bowl. The Bucs were also beat to hell last year with injuries from the beginning of the season to the end. We battled through and won the division and got a home playoff game which ended in supreme disappointment. I do think Bowles has some blame to wrestle with and shake off this season but he’s progressing with his team and doing it his way so I understand, after a little deeper analysis, why Long has flipped on Bowles and the Bucs.
August 13th, 2025 at 9:32 pm
We had peeps starting on defense who shouldn’t have been on an NFL roster
August 13th, 2025 at 9:37 pm
Nothing to get excited about with a subpar HC…..
Hopefully their opponents will struggle against the Bucs!
August 13th, 2025 at 10:16 pm
The Bucs weren’t ready for games and played down to their opponents too many times. That’s on Bowles and our veteran player leadership.
August 13th, 2025 at 10:19 pm
This is a make or break year for Todd.
August 13th, 2025 at 10:27 pm
I’m so ecstatic the Cris is saying this. No actually I’m not. Opinions are like a$* holes (CLASS” ‘Everybody has one!” Who gives a Flunk? Johnny Lynch knew what time it was. He said wait until we strap on those chin straps and we will let our play do the talking. Great man that John Lynch.
August 13th, 2025 at 10:57 pm
In the evanescent world of media, recency bias dominates. Speaking about the Bucs after an elimination loss sets the theme as explaining the loss. Thus, we hear of defects and failures. My big quibble about the Commanders’ win is that many, indeed most, commentators do not seem to consider the hypothesis that the Commanders were the better team, if only for last season or that night. Long clearly showed them no respect. Now, however, our setting is a new season, and the perspective is the series of successful, if not all championship, seasons of the recent past. Compared not to a single opponent on a single date, but the relative achievements of the entire league, the achievements of the Bucs are real, especially in view of their long-term obstacles, like injuries and cap limitations.
August 13th, 2025 at 11:17 pm
LakelandBuc seems to think the problems he cites are unique to the Bucs. The fact is, it is the same “problem” every single team in the NFL has. The salary cap only provides so much room for depth of any kind, so you end up having to rely on totally unproven or has-been players when injuries mount up.
Year in, year out, the teams that win the Superbowl are almost always the teams with the largest percentage of their starters still playing at the end of the year.
August 13th, 2025 at 11:32 pm
^^^
B.A. harped on this every post-SBLV interview.
August 13th, 2025 at 11:34 pm
They weren’t ready to play Denver, either.
August 13th, 2025 at 11:51 pm
Chris Long is really learning how to be an analyst. Have one opinion and discard it 6 months later when nothing has changed. Good for him
August 13th, 2025 at 11:56 pm
I’ve never been a big Bowles believer. I’ve never seen a win where his decision making or moves won the Bucs a game. I’ve seen the opposite happen because of his conservative approach, poor timeout / clock management, and inability to feel the momentum swings in a game and respond appropriately.
Having said that, he’s been in a tough spot with the cap and resulting personnel, so I’m gicing him the benefit of the doubt to start this season.
He himself said that he’s got the depth to succeed. So if he can’t make it work with this group, I don’t know how you keep him for the rest of their current window.
August 14th, 2025 at 12:26 am
Green Licht podcast is a must watch.
August 14th, 2025 at 7:24 am
No, he was absolutely spot on with his analysis in January. Everything he said was accurate.
The beginning of a new season is always about hope in the NFL. Technically every team right now has a best case 17-0 scenario, and worst case 0-17. That’s the only reason for the flip-flop. The NFL as a whole sells hope before any real games can get played
Bowles has proven consistently that his teams will come out hot and win early games, lose focus and lose a bunch of winnable games, and then have to claw tooth and nail to get back into the playoff hunt. It’s been like clock work over the last three years. This season will be no different. Injuries will be the excuse, whining about a lack of turnovers will be an excuse, the run defense will be top-5 like usual and the pass defense will be bottom-10 again, like usual.
Bowles is a consistently mediocre head coach holding back a consistently talented roster.
August 14th, 2025 at 7:27 am
Let’s see him put a good defense on the field
August 14th, 2025 at 12:47 pm
“I’ve seen the opposite happen because of his conservative approach, poor timeout / clock management, and inability to feel the momentum swings in a game and respond appropriately.”
Overblown fan jibberish. Most of you can’t tell the difference between a 4-3 and a 46 w/o AI, but all of a sudden are experts on NFL head coaching decisions and tact lol
August 14th, 2025 at 1:18 pm
No Warren Brooks Lynch, NO
This IS based on the ACTUAL HISTORY and there are PLENTY of PROOF to the mean. IT’S CLOCKWORK!
Suddenly? NAH…. There hasn’t been NOTHING suddenly about it!
August 14th, 2025 at 1:44 pm
^^^
More fan jibberish
August 14th, 2025 at 1:48 pm
Can’t wait for the season to start. Sick of all the talking and prognosticating.
August 14th, 2025 at 3:49 pm
We went 10-7 last year, maintaining the standard of getting 1 game better each year. By my reckoning, that’s more than 1 game over .500
August 14th, 2025 at 3:50 pm
“They were undisciplined down the stretch. There were games they were not ready to play.”
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