Todd Bowles: Heat Was A Factor In Fourth Quarter Near-Collapse
September 24th, 2025
Florida weather in fourth quarter too hot to handle for Florida home team.
Boy, maybe the Bucs ought to move their training camp practices from the Wisconsin Dells, where they practiced virtually every day this summer to One Buc Palace, where they might get used to the Florida heat.
What’s that you say? The Bucs didn’t practice on 60-degree mornings daily in Wisconsin? Could have fooled Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
When asked to explain today the fourth-quarter letdown on Sunday, when the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets rallied from three scores down in the fourth quarter to nearly pull off an upset, Bowles first said it wasn’t a letdown.
Joe will use the word “collapse.”
The Bucs led 23-6 after three quarters and with less than two minutes left the Bucs trailed 27-26.
Bowles suggested the heat was a factor for the Bucs in the fourth quarter.
“I don’t think it was a letdown at all,” Bowles said. “I thought we gave up two first downs that we could have gotten off the field on.
“The longer you’re on the field with the heat, with that temperature the way it was, and still not [being] used to playing a bunch of plays yet, I thought a couple guys got a little bit tired and, I thought, wore down, and [they] kind of went down the field. That can’t happen.”
Can’t happen? How in the world can it happen? The Jets offense played in the very same weather in the very same stadium, too. Jets players live and work in New Jersey yet they handled the heat better than the team that sets up shop just two blocks from The Licht House?
Even Haason Reddick admitted the heat got to him.
Yes, the Bucs train in Tampa. Trust Joe, Joe was at every friggin’ practice this summer.
Shoot, the Bucs have an air-conditioned indoor practice facility that Bowles rarely used but for one practice in training camp (unless there was inclement weather). Why does Bowles not like to use the Glazer Shed? Because he said the team had to get used to the heat because the Bucs don’t play in the dome.
Then a team from New Jersey comes in and handles the heat better? As the Sage of Tampa Bay Sports Ira Kaufman would say, “What’s going on here?”
If a guy coaches a Florida team and practices are out in the brutal Florida summer sun, and they wilt in the heat of a home game, that is squarely on the shoulders of the coach, plain and simple.
September 24th, 2025 at 5:57 pm
Score was not close enough for Bowles.
September 24th, 2025 at 5:58 pm
Here’s a scary thought..
Saquon Barkley vs. Sirvocea Dennis in the flat…
September 24th, 2025 at 6:04 pm
Advantage visitors. If your racing in a marathon you don’t run 10 marathons in training. You will have nothing left for the race. Same applys here. You want to be fresh and recovered on game day not worn out and broken down and suspectable to injury. Sports science? Go Bowles!
September 24th, 2025 at 6:30 pm
Bucs have an advantage on heat acclimatization.
The Bucs are disadvantaged because of chronic, unrelenting heat exposure.
It’s a continuous, day-in-and-day-out exposure to high temperatures and humidity. The body needs more energy to recover from this and if your body gets used to having recovery.
Practice more under the AC controlled tent — please. Sports science.
September 24th, 2025 at 6:33 pm
If the Jets defense had played the number of plays in a row that the Bucs defense did in the 4th Quarter – they would have been beyond gassed.
Todd is exactly right in noting these players are not fully in ‘game’ condition yet. Their bodies aren’t used to playing 50 or 60 full go full contact plays in an afternoon – much less when the heat index on the field is well over 100 degrees.
Modern NFL football de-emphasizes contact practices and ‘over-training’ so to speak. Most teams used to do two-a-days for much of training camp… Ray Perkins famously ran three-a-days with 2 of those 3 practices everyday in the blazing afternoon heat. There were 4 pre-season games and everyone played in at least 3 of those games….
These days – most teams seem to take about 1/4 of the regular season before they are fully in football shape and resembling the hopefully good and efficient team they will potentially be in Nov and Dec….
Its partially why grabbing/stacking wins early in the season – even when your team isn’t playing ‘good’ football is so important for playoff eligibility and seeding at the end of the year.
Bucs are sitting in a good position at 3-0 having overcome all these early season injuries to get there….
Now – lets go beat those Eagles!
If Wirfs and Godwin are back – and this Bucs team plays their ‘A’ game (which we haven’t seen yet) – then we are almost certain to come out of Sunday’s game victorious.
If however the ‘mistakes’ continue and we lose the turnover battle – then the Bucs are likely to suffer their 1st loss of the season at the hands of the defending Super Bowl champs…..
Let’s Git-R-Done men.
September 24th, 2025 at 6:34 pm
It’s just the way it is sometimes. It’s like the Jets were playing half speed and the Bucs full speed till the 4th. There’s no rhyme or reason for it Joe, this happens. As Bowles said, let a team get 1st downs and they’re off to the races or can be. Also the offense could have helped and put more points on the board to help the D.
September 24th, 2025 at 6:40 pm
It wouldnt have been as big of an issue but the refs called that non TD catch by lazard a touchdown when it clearly wasn’t, it was even reviewed because all tds are which made it even worse.
September 24th, 2025 at 7:24 pm
Not having a legit pass rusher was the cause .
Not hard to figure out .
September 24th, 2025 at 8:27 pm
Why do we suppose NFL teams have reduced practices and hitting so much?
I know the “manly” men here believe it’s because today’s players simply aren’t tough enough and don’t put in enough work in training camp and pre season with not enough HITTING!!!
This is how old I am. Growing up many MLB and even more NFL players had to get JOBS to supplement their salaries. Now those same players not only earn millions they are worth MAJOR $$$ to their teams. Owners understandably want to protect their investments as much as possible.
Combine that with the fact that while elite NFL players have always been exceptional athletes, the average player in 2025 is significantly bigger, stronger, and faster than their 1990(Ray Perkins 3 practices) counterparts. Advancements in nutrition, training, and sports science have driven a major evolution in player builds, particularly among linemen.
Remember the great Washington OL called the HOGs? That’s because they were all 300 lbs which was the exception. Now 300 lbers are too light to play. What was exceptional back then is now too light. The average is 310-320.
The power of the hit is determined by momentum which is speed X mass.
The guys are not only BIGGER they are FASTER creating some scary momentum at the time of contact. This is all stated better by AI
Yes, there are likely more injuries and longer-term health issues in the NFL now than in 1990, partly due to players being significantly larger, faster, and stronger, which increases the force of collisions and potential for serious injury.
September 24th, 2025 at 9:35 pm
Why the lies Bowles? Can’t take the heat you say? You MEAN you can’t take the Success. Bowles has a serious condition. It’s No Joke ok. I’m Not playing around when I make this statement….
Todd Bowles IS terrified of success and WILL ALWAYS sabotage an Established lead.
He Most Certainly IS “self depreciating”. “Tending or serving to disparage, undermine, or under value one’s self”
In his mind that Crtical Lead diminishes in value as a game goes on. He Absolutely let’s ANY AND ALL opponents right back into the game VIA SABOTAGE…
SABOTAGE) To Deliberately obstruct, destroy, or damage (the lead and momentum in Bowles case)
It’s QUITE Weird and it’s extremely hard to wrap the mind around (ESPECIALLY BEING THAT THE MAN IS A “DEFENSIVE” COORDINATOR!)
He is an oxymoron considering his position. How many “Defensive Coaches” have you Ever Heard Of that REFUSES TO DOMINATE the opponent?? How many head coaches???
Well let me tell you that THIS IS WHY nobody can figure out what’s going on with him. I’m NOT attempting to belittle him or embarrass him. He has an honest affliction.
He’s a “Self Sabotager” and that INCLUDES HIS WINNING GAME PLANS!
Be Honest… And ask yourself this… How Many Times has he gone into “Soft Zone Prevent Defense” AS SOON AS we have a lead OR it may seem we might actually win a game without having to struggle to do it? Comes Out and he proclaims that HE IS AWARE that HE HAS TO KEEP HIS FOOT ON THE GAS and then DOES THE VERY OPPOSITE??
Todd Bowles WILL SABOTAGE HIS OWN TEAM AND GAME PLAN JUST A LITTLE TOO OFTEN AND WALK OUT THE NEXT DAY AND LIE LIKE A RUG THE VERY NEXT DAY AS TO WHY IT “may have” happened….
As Joe points it out Continuously, And I am happy to “try to” explain, there is Something Wrong with this guy! He’s a “self sabotaging oxymoron”! Weird! But So True…
September 24th, 2025 at 10:26 pm
Naa Todd has all the answers. It’s some external uncontrollable force causing these 4th quarter defensive collapses. Home game. Heat that the Jets did better in?
Meanwhile the offense opened the second half with a 9 minute drive.
Todd is great! It’s not his fault or his foot.
September 24th, 2025 at 11:04 pm
Common sense aints so’s commons !!
September 24th, 2025 at 11:38 pm
Obvious One – while most are your posts are creepy…..
This is a very cerebral and on-point assessment. And it fits the “genius – seeker” accolades he relishes.
He is the one who needs the intervention.
September 25th, 2025 at 1:10 am
It looked like scheme had a lot to do with it too. Didn’t see a lot of extra rushers once they were up like that. Just seemed to be 4
September 25th, 2025 at 1:25 am
Coburn, exactly. Anyone can and should see that, but our Geeniuz dude loves him a turtle so we’re stuck with heart medication instead of a victory formation win.
September 25th, 2025 at 1:47 am
Aren’t we all just fed up of Todd’s excuses?
September 25th, 2025 at 7:08 am
Bowles is nothing if not consistent. He’ll consistently play soft defense with a lead and then consistently come up with an excuse for why it happened, which always consistently points the finger at anything other than himself. It’s always a player/playing condition issue, never a play calling/scheme issue.
Everyone keeps calling him a defensive guru. He’s the one defensive play caller that wont go for the throat when he has the chance and his players play with that mentality too.
September 25th, 2025 at 8:26 am
What about the fact the Jets had a full week of rest while the Bucs had to recover from a very physical Monday night game that went down to the wire?
September 25th, 2025 at 8:46 am
Yup – Bucs were on a short week and it caught up to them.
September 25th, 2025 at 11:12 am
Vomitous