Rarely On The Same Page
September 30th, 2025
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
Joe doesn’t know what the solution is for this other than maybe to dumb down what one is trying to accomplish early in games.
The Bucs defense has rarely started fast, often letting their opponent score first, or at least on their first drive.
Sunday. the Bucs let the Eagles build a 14-0 lead in the first eight minutes. Granted, the first Eagles’ touchdown was a blocked punt returned for six.
The Bucs cannot cough up 14 points right away to good teams and expect to win many.
Monday, Bowles said defensively, there isn’t one player or one element to blame for slow starts.
“We come out well, it’s just a different guy here or there that busts an assignment that causes a play to get going,” Bowles said. “Then, it’s another guy the next play, and another guy the next play, and before you know it they’ve got seven points.”
That tells Joe not everyone on defense is on the same page. And don’t give Joe this communication crap. Don’t these guys know where they are supposed to be on the first or second series?
And if some of the culprits aren’t communicating, then pull their arses off the field. Like Bobby Knight famously said, there is no greater motivator in the world than when ass meets bench.
The Bucs can give up chunk plays with culprits on the bench just as easily as they can with them on the field.
September 30th, 2025 at 9:02 am
Start with benching Dennis. He’s horrible in coverage and every team knows it.
September 30th, 2025 at 9:04 am
At least with a starter(s) on the bench, there’s an excuse for blowing chunks.
September 30th, 2025 at 9:12 am
Won’t hurt a bit if the offense can get going. We’ve got one of the best defenses, statistically, in the league this year.
September 30th, 2025 at 9:14 am
Why aren’t we playing Dion Jones (45). He was very capable as a starter and showed promise last year, maybe not as fast as he was.
September 30th, 2025 at 9:16 am
Realistically if special teams was normal, we have like 7 more points against atlanta, 3 more against houston, and gave up 7 less in both of our last two games.
Sure the O and D have had slow starts but if you substitute in a regular special teams we’re looking at this team way differently.
September 30th, 2025 at 9:22 am
Coaching matters. Bucs in the second half proved they can do it. What will Todd change about the first half, about preparation, and about Magoo, to fix it?
September 30th, 2025 at 9:23 am
Todd Blows has been here since 2019 and the issues on defense are still here and are not improving!!!
Retaining and promoting him is on Licht and the Glazers, it’s downright pathetic how the wins have masked his awful defensive scheme and planning
September 30th, 2025 at 9:30 am
I agree time to make some big boy decisions. Special teams coach should have already been fired and so should the punter. Time to send a message.
September 30th, 2025 at 9:32 am
imo its Dennis….
he’s wearing the green dot….if he isnt communicating effectively, we’ll have coverage bust…
it was embarrassing to see him running behind barkley while hurts is running behind him lol…
i think the workload is too much for Dennis….let LVD or Winfield wear the green dot and rotate Dennis and D.Jones…..
heck, im ready to see bullock or nick johnson at this point…
GO BUCS!!!!
September 30th, 2025 at 9:34 am
agree with @joe sea
GO BUCS!!!!
September 30th, 2025 at 9:39 am
yes it appears the defense plays lights out in the second half this year as does the offense!. However, yes the offense has had o line issues so that can be understood. The first half, pretty dismal both sides. The why is a good question. Part of the answer is yes we still have no pass rush until Bowles dials up the pressure. Dennis appears to be a big liability and appears lost often. The tackling is still often poor.
One thing stood out in the Eagles game, the tackling by their defense!!. If we tackled like that I am sure our starts and endings would be much better. Whatever the Eagles teach in the form of tackling we need to adopt.
September 30th, 2025 at 9:39 am
Bucs have the 4th ranked defense by yards, (272.8 per game) and 20th (24.3 per game) by points. Special teams have given 14pts on blocks alone. If we could block on ST’s it would be 20.8 pts a game which would be tied for 12th, and we’d most likely be 4-0. Special Teams is killing us.
September 30th, 2025 at 9:43 am
Teams know to target Dennis after 4 games. I don’t think he needs to be benched, but he should not be playing first quarter or first drive snaps. Create the hostile environment on D, then bring him in for suspected run plays
September 30th, 2025 at 9:45 am
By the time our defense took the field for the first time, our offense had already been on the field twice, ending in 2 punts (well, 1 punt try and the other a real punt). We were 7 points in the hole BEFORE the defense got off the bench. Gotta wonder if that affected any of their mindsets.
The Eagles’ 1st drive was 8 plays marching 73 yds for a TD. Hurts was 5-of-6 for 33 yds (only incompletion was a deep pass to AJ Brown) PLUS 2 runs (AJ Dillon over RG for 11 yds then a Hurts’ scramble around right end for 29 yds). That one broke our back (ended up on the 2-yd line then scored). Whole drive took all of 4 minutes.
Before we blink, we’re behind to the Super Bowl champs 14-0 … and we’re only halfway thru the 1st qtr. A blocked punt, scooped up & returned for a TD, is really demoralizing. But our defense could’ve held the Eagles on their 1st drive IF we’d contained Jason Hurts on that 29-yd scramble. THAT’S bad defense & someone blew it big-time.
We held them on their next drive & forced them to punt, but gave up another TD on the drive after that (halfway thru the 2nd qtr). Again, 2 HUGE breakdowns. Correction: actually 4:
o At the end of our prior drive, Dixon punted from our own 39-yd line, and it traveled a whopping 18 yards. But thankfully, Eagles ended up with a 10-yd penalty on that one, so they got it on their own 37-yd line.
o Hurts completed his 1st pass on that drive to Goedert for 22 yds, then another to Calcaterra for 16 yds. Those were followed by 2 runs gaining only 4 yds, but then on 3rd-and-6 Hurts completes ANOTHER deep pass to Smith this time for 20 yds. Next play (short pass to Goedert) they score another TD. Bucs behind 21-3.
So a terrible punt, plus 2 deep completions AND a short completion for 16 yds in only 7 plays pretty much doomed us. Two lousy S/Ts plays, 2 deep completions, 1 long short pass completion & 1 long QB scramble had us behind 21-3 midway thru the 2nd qtr. Those type of breakdowns are hard to recover from when you play good teams who don’t make those type of mistakes.
September 30th, 2025 at 9:51 am
“It’s something or someone different every time” sounds to me a lot like “I don’t know.” Bowles has the same answer for the special teams disasters.
Hopefully he’s not being completely forthcoming.
Without the opening drives and the special teams problems, the Bucs would look dominant this season. If they can clean those problems up, then get Goedeke, Evans and MacMillan back healthy, they will be dominant. Can’t wait!
If Dennis was as bad as folks are saying I think Hurts would have completed a pass in the second half on Sunday. He just needs to be dialed in early, like the whole defense. Lavonte said as much after the first game and it sounds like he told the team again after the game Sunday.
September 30th, 2025 at 9:56 am
supertodd doesnt think there is a coaching problem he always thinks there is a player problem. supertodd especially doesnt think there is a problem with defensive coaching.
September 30th, 2025 at 9:59 am
Bowles…and just like that they have another 7 points.
September 30th, 2025 at 10:00 am
Joe, I think the problem with the Bucs defense against the Eagles was a combination of the effect of shock,(after the blocked punt and touchdown), and players not executing their assignments/positions. You could see the frustration on Vitas face as he tried to pull the defense together amidst the chaos of the constantly advancing Eagles offense. But after that blocked punt/ touchdown, the Eagles were fired up, talking smack, and executing well on offense and defense.
The Bucs poor execution on defense and offense in the first half of the game all goes back to the blocked punt, and the sudden change caused by that blunder.
Go Bucs
September 30th, 2025 at 10:02 am
I’m curious to see if the offense scored 7 first and didn’t have to play from behind if the D would play different, or would the turtle come out.
September 30th, 2025 at 10:05 am
Not too sure the Bucs have the bodies right now to be benching guys… unfortunately
September 30th, 2025 at 10:06 am
If you’re upset now wait until Sunday evening when we see the same mistakes again and again.
September 30th, 2025 at 10:11 am
I have to wonder if the players are spread too thin to cover a large area of the field or defend the run while also defending the pass. Like requiring a defensive lineman to keep the OL off the linebacker while rushing the passer
September 30th, 2025 at 10:17 am
Defense Rules Says:
September 30th, 2025 at 9:45 am
“By the time our defense took the field for the first time, our offense had already been on the field twice, ending in 2 punts (well, 1 punt try and the other a real punt). We were 7 points in the hole BEFORE the defense got off the bench. Gotta wonder if that affected any of their mindsets.”
Very fair and accurate.
But if anything, because we’ve only just started working on improving the defense, I think we’re just seeing growing pains. They’re just at the reactionary stage.
I don’t believe they’ve got “quit” in their vocabulary. (Not that you said they do)
Todd Bowls is the kind of DC who needs to see what they he other team is bringing…which sucks…but he’s great at adjusting to it.
But, like you said…we were in the hole before the defense even took the field.
September 30th, 2025 at 10:19 am
On a side note…looking at the broadcast schedule this season…I sure am glad I didn’t sign up for Fox One to get the games. We have more games on CBS the remaindrr of the season.
September 30th, 2025 at 10:21 am
We allowed TWO hundred yards. TWO. HUNDRED.
September 30th, 2025 at 10:29 am
Bonzai … ‘I don’t believe they’ve got “quit” in their vocabulary. (Not that you said they do)’.
Veterans tend to shake off things like that very quickly IMO Bonzai (the blocked punt). The youngsters though take a bit longer from my experience (although they too learn soon enough that focusing on the LAST play does very little good). Learn from it, very quickly, and move on. And I agree with you: no one on this team has ‘quit’ in their vocabulary.
September 30th, 2025 at 10:31 am
Beej … ‘We allowed TWO hundred yards. TWO. HUNDRED.’
Good reminder Beej. This defense played a helluva game overall. Unfortunately it’s the brain farts that everyone remembers. Things like explosive QB scrambles, deep pass completions, penalties at critical times, and yes especially turnovers. It’s the nature of the beast I guess.
September 30th, 2025 at 10:35 am
The defense has started out slow, 1st drive and 1st qtr, for at least the last two seasons. My view is that the defensive game planning is poor and the defense is passive – trying not to give up big plays – early in the game. Effective defensive adjustments don’t occur until half time but against the Eagles it was too little too late.
September 30th, 2025 at 11:16 am
It’s coaching!
September 30th, 2025 at 11:17 am
Blocked punt set the tone
Stop blaming defense
Fire special teams coach
September 30th, 2025 at 11:24 am
Slow starts have been a constant for TB teams…but last season the O was scoring on their first possession alot, so wasn’t so noticeable. He just has issues getting his defense ready to go at the start of games.
September 30th, 2025 at 11:40 am
“We allowed TWO hundred yards. TWO. HUNDRED.”
and how many points? who cares how many yards, they lost. more empty moral victories. they gave up all the yards in the first half cause they played half a game on defense. thats the problem.
growing pains? what is this toddlers playing pop warner?
September 30th, 2025 at 11:43 am
The problem I see on defense is you don’t have a DC. You have co DCs, Foote, and Caldwell. On Sundays the great Oz, I mean Bowles takes over and calls the plays. There’s a disconnect there. Who’s responsible, and for what? You need one voice, one leader on defense, and they need to own it. Right now we have three guys. It’s like the telephone game. The more people giving the info up the line the message changes. That’s why this defense isn’t always on the same page. Needs to be one boss, not two during the week, than the weekend boss on Sundays.
September 30th, 2025 at 12:07 pm
Hodad … I’ve said many times that I don’t like the idea of dual-hatting HCs as OC or DCs. It’s almost always the case of trying to serve 2 masters (predominantly when it comes to time allocation). There are a few who can get away with it (Andy Reid seems to be one) but relatively few.
September 30th, 2025 at 12:10 pm
He said the same exact thing last year..
September 30th, 2025 at 12:15 pm
You don’t come at well. Starts with you. HC and DC. Fix it!
September 30th, 2025 at 12:18 pm
Hey, let’s go up to Seattle, get a faster start on offense and defense, make fewer mistakes and come back with a W!! Get it done!
September 30th, 2025 at 12:47 pm
Right now Todd wears three hats. His special bus driver is in the ditch and he is forced to assume direct oversight of that train wreck. So it’s even worse Now.
But, if there’s guacamole D can put 2 halves of excellence together in the same game, whoa. Kudos to Todd for that second half Sunday, make it the norm and fire Magoo. Promote Keith Tandy.
September 30th, 2025 at 12:48 pm
Guacamole??? LOL autocorrect off the rails. If Bowles’ D…
September 30th, 2025 at 1:24 pm
If what Todd said is accurate, that after 6 years in this system, multiple players still don’t know what to do or where to be, that’s a direct indictment on Bowles himself. Either simplify your scheme or put more effort into coaching.
September 30th, 2025 at 1:32 pm
Hodad, you make alot of great points. Never really considered the too many chiefs problem on the defensive side of the ball. But after reading your post, that makes sense regarding our ongoing defensive miscommunication problems.
September 30th, 2025 at 3:15 pm
@DR
Seems to me that there are a lot of dual-hatting HCs (calling plays on defense or offense) this season…… Just based on games I’ve watched = most of them.
Have you not noticed this? Haven’t really studied it fully but that’s been my casual watching impression.
@hodad
Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think you have inside info on the organization, preparation, communication, etc..
Do you know which coaches do what and when?
With all due respect, what you’ve just described seems like what you IMAGINE (aka fantasy) the defensive coaching strategy/structure is and your problems with it.
Seems to happen a LOT around here. If we were going on something other than how we imagine things are @ OBP I might be more likely to consider it an important issue. I understand you do and that’s fine but understand your opinion/comment is based on how you THINK, or speculate things are handled by Todd and his D staff…. possibilities and speculation not reality.
September 30th, 2025 at 3:23 pm
good defense but teams target jamel dean and svd, svd looks lost out there, i think bullock could be a star in the future, he’s a play maker put him in!!
September 30th, 2025 at 3:36 pm
Yawn…….it’s the usual complaining on here.
September 30th, 2025 at 6:58 pm
What I know is no one ever sniffs our defensive assistants to become defensive coordinators. Bowles having co DCs is like having none. It must be tough on long time assistants not getting their shot at moving up, because Todd doesn’t believe they’re as good as him calling the defense on Sunday. It’s a bad dynamic, one that could even cause resentment among his assistants. Bowles should promote one, and concentrate on the entire team. He definitely took his eye off his STs.
September 30th, 2025 at 8:16 pm
It must be difficult to go through life as a reptilian vegetable.