Atrocious Special Teams
September 24th, 2025
Special teams chatter.
Man, Thomas McGaughey should be thanking his lucky stars.
The Bucs defense is playing solid. Not outstanding, but solid.
The Bucs offense is historic, putting together game-winning drives in the final minute of each of the Bucs’ three games, all wins.
If it wasn’t for that, McGaughey, the Bucs’ special teams coordinator, would be getting crucified right about now.
This three-game stretch has been the worst special teams play Joe has seen from the Bucs to start a season. Man, it’s been awful. Blocked field goal returned for six. Blocked punt. Missed field goals. Missed extra point. Just a nightmare. An absolute nightmare.
Then the cherry on top came in Houston late with the Bucs nursing a lead. Riley Dixon punts the ball right to Houston’s return man Jaylin Noel, who returns it 53 yards.
Why in the world was that ball not punted out of bounds? Criminal!
Earlier this week, Bucs coach Todd Bowles said all the injuries and having to replace them on the fly on special teams was a factor in the dismal special teams.
“We’re playing with a lot of different guys every week, especially on the field-goal team,” Bowles said. “You lose your entire offensive line, pretty much, you’re playing with new guys each week at different spots.
“So, that’s going to take some work to get everybody on the same page. We’ve just got to be sharper there.”
Joe doesn’t disagree with that at all. But man, it’s not like an offensive line is having to hold back a zero blitz. It’s a field goal attempt for crying out loud. They can’t hold their blocks for two seconds?
The blocked punt is different. While the Bucs did not block well on that play in Houston, it wasn’t like Dixon got the ball off with lightning speed (though Joe thought Troy Aikman sort of blew that angle out of proportion a little).
Because of all their injuries, the Bucs will have to play damn near perfect ball this Sunday against the Super Bowl-champion Eagles. So the Bucs don’t need to keep shooting themselves in the foot on special teams.
Get things cleaned up!
September 24th, 2025 at 12:05 am
Inexcusable. Special teams has always sucked under Licht and Bowles. What’s Rich Bisaccia doing these days?
September 24th, 2025 at 12:11 am
I read somewhere actually that Dixon’s time to kick was not above average at all on that blocked punt, so Aikman was way off. Perhaps it just appeared slower and more methodical, but it was not slow.
September 24th, 2025 at 12:53 am
I agree Joe, if you are gonna boom a punt in the fourth quarter and you have a lead, boom that bïtch outta bounds! If you’re out kicking your coverage that ball has to be in returnable. On the blocked punt they brought more men than we could block and nobody picked it up before the punt. Bad ball, gotta do better
September 24th, 2025 at 12:53 am
What bothered me the most was how that fg kick was blocked for a score…how did they allow him to jump over our line like that?….ridiculous! Dont know who that was on but come on man. Need to make sure you stand up next time!
September 24th, 2025 at 1:07 am
Get off the bus and walk home behavior.
September 24th, 2025 at 2:36 am
The play was suspect because another player held down the RG, while he jumped him. He still could have stood up IMO, be a grown man.
The pressure off the right on FGs has been an issue for years.
Put Desmond Watson in there at RG.
We gotta start faking some stuff to keep teams honest too.
Just quit doing the same damn thing every week please.
September 24th, 2025 at 3:38 am
Something different is needed. Teams scout weaknesses. We have not self scouted those weaknesses.
Jumping over the center? End man unaccounted for? Slow punts… yeah plural. I have some knowledge of punting. For a veteran punter not to see pressure and get the ball off quickly? Place the punts. This is punting 101. To be fair, it is not easy to speed up your routine but this is the NFL. Hell call a time out even! That is on you McGaughey.
Go Bucs!
September 24th, 2025 at 6:02 am
I would love to see the Bucs beat the Eagles. But if I told you the Bucs would be 3-1 at this point before the season started – especially given our injuries – most people would take it.
September 24th, 2025 at 6:02 am
McGaughey was fired by the Giants for his terrible special teams work. But TB hired his buddy anyway. So now we’re reaping benefits of bad special teams coaching.
September 24th, 2025 at 6:08 am
How does our kickoff coverage & return stats stack up? Wouldn’t be surprised to hear bottom 10%.
September 24th, 2025 at 6:29 am
The kickoff teams don’t seem great either. The Bucs run it out to about the 25 or 30, while on coverage the other team runs it out to about the 35. I haven’t looked at the replays, but that’s my impression.
September 24th, 2025 at 6:31 am
“Leaping” is an actual NFL penalty — unless you are standing at the line of scrimmage. The guard and center went very low and McDonald leapt right over them.
September 24th, 2025 at 7:02 am
Scary to think about how the Bucs will hold back the Eagles special teams rush. Also, might be time to try Josh Williams as the primary kick-off return guy, he is shiftier than Tucker.
September 24th, 2025 at 7:19 am
Fully agree.
Feel bad saying this, but the buck stops at McGaughey too.
September 24th, 2025 at 7:21 am
Ko is going to be sorely missed on special teams.
September 24th, 2025 at 7:22 am
From here on out I’m calling our special teams coach Mr. Magoo. At least until we open our eyes and get our sh** together. Or until Aqualung comes up with something better!
September 24th, 2025 at 7:40 am
losing Ko Keift is not good for ST
September 24th, 2025 at 7:45 am
Thank-you Captains Obvious (the Joes) for pointing out how UNSPECIAL and special teams continue to be.
September 24th, 2025 at 8:40 am
Title of this story pretty much explains it and it will cost them a game or 2 this season unless things change for the better.
For what it’s worth – the Will McDonald blocked FG was a super human play made and perhaps will be the special teams play of the year in the NFL. I give McDonald a lot of credit. What athleticism he displayed.
September 24th, 2025 at 9:01 am
The ballsiest play of the game was having Chase kick his first FG attempt from 55 yds!! Dudes head and career was on the chopping block after missing easy fgs and extra points in prior 2 games….he misses that, which is a low percentage kick, and the fans, team would want him cut, and his physce would be super fragile….and he nailed it!! And then backs it up with a 56 yder…to right his ship….those 2 kicks might have saved season, let alone the game…huge
September 24th, 2025 at 9:05 am
@Newbie
If you’re what your name describes, new here, WELCOME.
Two things can be true at the same time. Yes Bucs special teams have sucked even without the blocked FG/TD. But that play was almost like Divine intervention. The ball bounced perfectly into the hands of the Jet headed for the end zone but that followed what you posted.
“For what it’s worth – the Will McDonald blocked FG was a super human play made and perhaps will be the special teams play of the year in the NFL. I give McDonald a lot of credit. What athleticism he displayed.”
What a freaking concept. Recognition that the other team has talent as well.
I’ve felt like the Lone Ranger here trying to give credit where it’s due even if it goes to the other side!
I think some here consider recognition of the other team’s talent as ruining their chance to point out where the Bucs suck.
I’m thrilled to have at least one other poster who can view a play that didn’t work out for the Bucs not always as a Buc’s failure but sometimes reality says it’s just the other teams talent and the props should go to them..
September 24th, 2025 at 9:06 am
so true kidflo
September 24th, 2025 at 9:07 am
Maybe someone besides Joe could explain to me the theory that the ball had to be kicked out of bounds there.
Well let me rephrase. I dont mind if a punter kicks out of bounds — but the whole idea that it was crazy not to kick it out of bounds — well that seems “crazy” to me to call it crazy.
September 24th, 2025 at 9:08 am
eagles have great timing being down two outside corners. lucky
September 24th, 2025 at 9:12 am
It’s inexcusable that it’s 2025 and people think punting out of bounds is still a viable option…. they don’t do it anymore. Do you watch football?
September 24th, 2025 at 9:32 am
We did it again last Sunday Brandon. I told you the other day you might try watching the games.
September 24th, 2025 at 9:35 am
Either pin them on the sideline or it’s out of bounds. Not a deep middle punt that may outkick the coverage and allow a returner that chance. Mostly situation plays, usually you do boom it down the middle. But NOT Always!
September 24th, 2025 at 9:37 am
Go watch the game winning FG vs. the Jets..guy for NYJ came around the end and got alarmingly close to getting a piece of that kick as well!
September 24th, 2025 at 9:47 am
Geno711 is much closer to the fact of the matter. With just under 4 minutes to go against the Texans did we mean to kick it out of bounds or at least be trying to pin them on the sideline? Our coverage sucks if we can’t cover a sideline punt. Don’t often see a punt return success from the sideline like we saw on that punt. Anyway Geno711, with the situation (time left and game score) I think he was kicking to the sideline. Your argument he was punting deep has equal value. Close call. Without rewatching we did the same against the Jets. I can’t remember, was it at the end of the first half?
September 24th, 2025 at 10:13 am
The Jets guy jumping over our Center; he took a step before jumping (penalty) and kicked the leg of our LG (penalty).
We almost got completely screwed by the refs (from NY I presume).
September 24th, 2025 at 10:14 am
RG, not LG.
September 24th, 2025 at 10:41 am
Too bad Jake Camarda fell off. At the very least, he would have chased down Will McDonald after the block.
September 24th, 2025 at 10:45 am
Oh, so the Jets ST guy kicked the leg of our RG, and then jumped the center, both penalties. The striped bozos ‘missed’ them, yet again. You know, the Jets must really stink with all the help they had to beat the battered Bucs. Glad I listened and didn’t see all that. Just listening to the game (especially in the first half) was bad enough! I sure hope somehow, some way, Tampa Bay can pull off the near impossible, and beat the Eaglets, etc.
September 24th, 2025 at 10:50 am
Todd’s got this .
He’s got his accountability sheet, he will have all Magoo’s deficiencies lined up and be directly involved with Magoo to ensure improvements happen.
Oh, wait. That was BA who had the accountability sheet.
September 24th, 2025 at 10:51 am
@stpetebucsfan
Been an avid reader of Joe for a few years and changed my name recently – that coincides with with last name not the Bucs. Been a Bucs fan since 1976. Been here for all 50 years!
Yea, I agree McDonald got a lucky ball bounce – but still… to time it perfectly, leap over LOS and then leap again to block FG is quite the play. As it unfolded I looked over at my wife and son who were watching with me and told them that’s gotta be the play of the year.
September 24th, 2025 at 11:01 am
From here on out I am calling Kenton Smith Aqualung’s lover!
September 24th, 2025 at 11:08 am
“Special teams has always sucked under Licht and Bowles.”
This actually started under Bruce Arians (with Keith Armstrong), and has continued with Bowles, who replaced Armstrong last year with McGhaey.
September 24th, 2025 at 11:44 am
Who asked you Woodman? Besides, what’s it to you? Was supposed to be a secret. Jeez.
September 24th, 2025 at 11:48 am
If you’re talk about the ST coordinator, use his proper name.
It’s Magoo.
September 24th, 2025 at 12:44 pm
And Kenton Smith — Woodman is just jealous
September 24th, 2025 at 1:44 pm
Worth noting that Special Teams scored 15 of our 29 points. 17 counting extra points.
The defense scored another 7.
Special teams, defense, offense all played a part in us almost losing, BUT actually winning.
September 24th, 2025 at 4:58 pm
Our special teams have always sucked under Bowles because of his coach choices. This year alone we’ve watched other returners get out to the 30-40 where as we’re lucky to get to the 20-30 on a regular. It seems our returners look for people to run into and the guy they kept to make returns isn’t.
Troy Aikmen wasn’t wrong when he said Dixon is to deliberate in his actions because that’s exactly what I thought. Based upon how close guys were getting to him by the time he pointed I knew that block was only a matter of time.
On the blocked field goal I’m being facetious with this but if I was a betting man I would think that our center has money on that play because he sure enough didn’t move one iota after the snap to block that guy right in front of him. If he had just stood up he would’ve saved that blocked fg and td. They scouted him very well on that play. Too bad or own ST staff didn’t see it first.
September 24th, 2025 at 6:09 pm
Some reptiles don’t actually have a brain, rather only a nerve center that controls involuntary functions.
September 25th, 2025 at 6:37 am
@Kidfloflo
I thought was also ballsy to kick the game winner. I was stewing as we burnt down the clock at game end, but the old Chase came out and “made it so”! I have noticed the Bowles does not want to leave time on the clock for some of those defensive melt downs we had last year.