Todd Bowles Said Riley Dixon Needs To Shape Up
September 20th, 2025
Scolds his punter.
One thing Joe has learned in recent weeks is that Bucs coach Todd Bowles has little patience for special teams players making mistakes.
Remember how the Bucs were pushing Tez Johnson as the next punt returner? He botches a punt return in worthless preseason and the job goes to Kameron Johnson, who nobody working outside of One Buc Palace saw making the 53-man squad.
In the past, Bowles has quickly bounced punters, even a guy the team had a hefty investment in.
Then there is Bowles at the podium. If a (real) player makes a mistake, Bowles tries to soften the landing often using the ubiquitous “communication” dodge or offering some other cushioned excuse for a mistake.
But not with kickers or punters.
Asked yesterday about Bucs punter Riley Dixon who had a punt blocked and the Bucs dodged that bullet by only allowing a field goal, Bowles had sharp words for his punter.
“We need to block [punts] better and he needs to get the ball off quicker,” Bowles said.
Bowles isn’t wrong.
And yes, Bowles has been critical of kicker Chase McLaughlin, too, who has gotten off to a very shaky start to the 2025 season. Previously as reliable as any kicker in the league, McLaughlin has already cost the Bucs seven points through two games.
The special teams in Houston on Monday night was anything but special, and not just the kicking and punting. Maybe the most atrocious special teams display Joe has seen by the Bucs in a long time.
For heaven’s sakes, tomorrow, please punt the ball out of bounds if the game is close in the fourth quarter.
TEXANS BLOCKED PUNTpic.twitter.com/7D7qJfjtHV
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) September 16, 2025
September 20th, 2025 at 12:35 am
All off season the punter was “ a breath of fresh air” and nothing to worry about.
September 20th, 2025 at 3:07 am
Entire special teams is a flaming paper lunch sack of sht on our front porch. Punter included but not the biggest problem by any means. Can’t kick, can’t cover kicks, can’t block, can’t score, can’t help win ball games….
September 20th, 2025 at 3:28 am
If McLaughlin had made the field goal, we’d be talking about the outstanding tackle that Christian Izien had made on the previous special teams play that flipped the field. Ah, the life of a special teams coach.
September 20th, 2025 at 4:56 am
I guess Dixon was slow getting the ball out. My eyes weren’t deceiving me. McLaughlin needs to get his act together as well. These guys playing the whole 60 minutes are looking over at the bench and saying……Freaking kickers!
September 20th, 2025 at 5:36 am
Todd saying the quiet part out loud about Dixon says so much. Hope all goes well on Sunday. Go Bucs!
September 20th, 2025 at 5:36 am
How can we just place blame on the players without placing some of the blame on the special teams coach. Texans were trying to block previous kicks n we never made adjustments. Our punt n return special team has been atrocious over the past few years n it seems that nothing’s being done to improve on it. We need a special team’s coach who can coach players to cover their lanes and block n tackle better.
September 20th, 2025 at 5:44 am
Don’t be surprised if we end up with a bunch of 35 yard punts
September 20th, 2025 at 6:34 am
Wasn’t Bowels raving about this punter in the preseason?
The special teams coach should be held accountable. But what about the ENORMOUS medical and training staff ? Who holds them accountable. Licht? The owners? No one is talking about it and Joe isn’t even writing about it. Go back and look at the play resulting in Kancy’s torn pec. He totally wastes the blocker then tears his pec making the tackle? And why was Goedke cleared to play Monday night? Same thing with Evan’s Hamstring last year. And why are the Bucs consistently setting NFL records for hamstring injuries? Don’t tell me it is the heat when they have a freaking indoor practice facility. Why was Mauch continuing to play on a bum knee? And of course, Wirfs suddenly needs surgery in July? This is superlative failure, and no one is talking about it.
September 20th, 2025 at 6:34 am
Don’t be surprised when we have a new punter
September 20th, 2025 at 6:40 am
One week Bowles goes to sleep and thinks man what am I going to do with Chase, then the next week he thinks what am I going to do with the whole special teams unit, and then it gets worse with the OL. He is probably sweating brickd
September 20th, 2025 at 6:54 am
Is it me or is Todd slowly turning into Bruce Arians lol I love it
September 20th, 2025 at 7:14 am
Interesting he blames the punter for the block. I’m wondering if he has mentioned whether or not we were meaning to punt that next one out of bounds or not. I would have thought it was a blocking failure on the blocked punt and wasn’t sure but thought they were trying to kick the next one out of bounds. And here I thought I knew everything. Sheesh.
September 20th, 2025 at 7:34 am
“How can we just place blame on the players without placing some of the blame on the special teams coach.”
Once the ball snaps, it’s ALL on the players to make a rep positive. Routine plays get taken for granted until somebody(-ies) on the field doesn’t do their jobs and it results in a negative play.
September 20th, 2025 at 7:45 am
Much easier fix. I’m fine with Riley Dixon, he booms the crap out of his punts. Whatever. The far larger issue is our “idiot kicker” with the yips. It’s not like our offense is going to be scoring touchdowns on the regular with everyone deciding to visit the injured list (thanks to all) and the only reason we let non football players become part of a football team is to reward the real football players with points for their efforts. The real football players efforts should not be in vain, so get them their points KICKER
September 20th, 2025 at 7:53 am
I read Dixon kicked it in 3 seconds, the average time. Tucker whiffed on the block in a prior punt, the Texans noticed it, and attacked him again resulting in the block. Additionally, the block in the back against Hayes and maybe a second block in the back weren’t called. It seems like Tucker was the problem and Dixon is getting the blame. Tucker should have gotten an earful from McGaughtey on the first missed block and that would have prevented the block on the later punt. Now, McGaughty is deflecting the blame to Dixon, instead of Tucker, to Bowles.
September 20th, 2025 at 7:54 am
Play that frame by frame–The guy on the bottom of the screen gets through untouched
September 20th, 2025 at 7:57 am
McLaughlin us hitting v the post so e just needed some slight adjustments
September 20th, 2025 at 8:04 am
It looks like he is blaming both the punter and that Sean Tucker needs to block better.
I appreciate the Joes showing the lack of Tucker’s block in a recent article.
I am not sure of a strategy to kick a ball out of bounds and lose precious yardage on a punt when a team is down only 1 point.
Depending on the time — maybe. But with over 3 minutes left — every yard of field position is precious. Guys have to just cover better.
JimBobBuc. I looked it up. The worst a punter has to get off a kick is 2.3 seconds. So, 3 seconds is clearly blockable many times. They say elite punters try to get a kick off in 2.0 to 2.1 seconds.
September 20th, 2025 at 8:04 am
These things should be handled behind closed doors, or equally in a public setting. A mistake is a mistake, no matter who makes it. But don’t publicly criticize the more expendable players while knighting others as unimpeachable. This seems petty and hypocritical. Lavonte David’s dropped interception could have caused a loss just as easily as the blocked punt.
Granted, David has earned his stripes with this organization. With that comes a certain leeway when occasional blunders are made. But it’s a team game, and the implied elevation of one player over another doesn’t cut it in a public or team setting.
It’s divisive.
Heard an interview with Phil Simms who stated Bill Parcells would approach him before a practice and tell him he was gonna get a tongue lashing that day. Why? To avoid the idea of special treatment and galvanize team unity.
Bowles should pay attention to this.
September 20th, 2025 at 8:12 am
Yeah. Turble blocking.
Dixon isn’t the issue IMO. But punting 0.1 – 0.2 secs faster would feel more comfy.
JimBobBuc… A WHOLE LOT of assuming there. Maybe Tucker did get an earful. Maybe Tucker shouldn’t be in that position or needs to be coached up. Todd might have mentioned Dixon in his comment since Dixon looks like he’s kicking in Slo Mo. When foot connects, opposing players are all around him. 0 room for error.
Don’t know what’s up with McGloughlan’s kicks, but he hit the upright twice (and in prime Buc’s luck fashion, they bounce outward. In the playoffs the opposition’s kick bounces in of course). Not like they were wide 5 yards. He needs a tweak somewhere. Hope he figures it out by Sun.
September 20th, 2025 at 8:14 am
That was the worst punt I’ve ever seen in that the guy took his own sweet time and didn’t hurry it up when he saw them decending. Terrible.
September 20th, 2025 at 8:51 am
In my humbly honest opinion it appeared as Dixon was purposely kicking slow to draw a roughing the kicker penalty. The previous punt (from the blocked punt) was slow and almost blocked. My whole body tensed up as I saw the Texans close in. The blocked punt I was tense before they snapped it n seeing the sloth like punting routine I shook my head cuz I knew what was about 2 happen. I felt the same about the next punt but I blinked at the snap n the ball was already gone. I assumed it was going to be a kick out of bounds… Anyways I was hoping they would allow the Texans 2 score following the big return cuz our fg kicking was sh** IF we had anytime left 2 make a drive. (I’ve used that method of allowing a score on Madden in the past in order 2 score my own TD. Dripping dsperation but it works better than 12 seconds on the clock throwing hail maries). Big props 2 Baker 4 extending that drive. Also bucky rachaad and otton for being clutch.
September 20th, 2025 at 8:58 am
Chris Gardocki was a starting punter for 16 seasons and NEVER had one blocked.
September 20th, 2025 at 9:00 am
Yes, it was SO BAD that it was almost as if he was intentionally trying to draw a penalty! You had just ONE JOB. Kick The Damn BALLLLLL.
September 20th, 2025 at 9:07 am
@Delson – yeah, I think you might be on to something there! I just read your comment and was hoping that I was only joking, or (again, hopefully) was just way off. But, I am afraid that there could be some truth to!?:/
September 20th, 2025 at 9:14 am
@Warren Brooks Lynch – Maybe, ‘someone’ should have gone straight to the source and actually ASKED the Special Teams Coach, what was discussed between ‘kicks’ during that night, (&/or) if it had been noticed and worked on in practice!?
September 20th, 2025 at 9:17 am
@JimBobBuc – it’s still on you as the outer to recognize that they are coming after it and then speed things up, especially after you’d already dodged one bullet and gotten lucky, when they’d about got to one, earlier.
September 20th, 2025 at 9:32 am
Not sure if you’ve seen the NFL the last 5 years, but kickers don’t normally put the ball out of bounds anymore. Maybe it’s some money Ball statistic, but I don’t think it turns out to be worth it.
September 20th, 2025 at 9:52 am
Bring back Camarda! My breath can’t compute his fall from greatness
September 20th, 2025 at 10:55 am
“RagingBrisket Says:
September 20th, 2025 at 3:07 am
Entire special teams is a flaming paper lunch sack of sht on our front porch“
This is one of the funniest lines I’ve read here. ROTFLMAO! Thanks for making me waste my coffee all over the place. Well played.
Fire Mr. Magoo now.
September 20th, 2025 at 11:02 am
Brain not breath! Haha
September 20th, 2025 at 11:08 am
I was wondering whether Baker and the Bucs went for two at the end of the game to spare Chase the embarrassment of missing another kick. Full disclosure: I like the guy and expect him to get back in the groove although I think the crazy kickoff protocol may be messing up his rhythm on real kicks.
September 20th, 2025 at 1:44 pm
Todd needs some sleep. One of the blocks was a roughing the punter on TX. Their rushers never touched the football. Go back and look at it on the tube. Blatant. Now, is roughing the punter no longer a penalty?
September 20th, 2025 at 2:28 pm
dixon made an athletic attempt at a tackle on texans long punt return slowed returner just enough.
September 20th, 2025 at 2:45 pm
We have a terrible special teams coach.
Period.
I know he’s a good friend of Todd’s. And I admire the loyalty.
But too much loyalty can get you fired.
Our special teams are terrible!
And we have sucked on special teams for 5 years straight!
We need a new special teams coach.
Period!
September 20th, 2025 at 4:41 pm
orlbuc (had to correct the autocorrect from oral) — the punt was blocked. That’s what a blocked punt is. That’s why they called it a blocked punt. Defender hand hits ball, you can put the punter in a sack and bludgeon him with a hammer, there are no rules to protect the punter if the punt was blocked.
It was blocked. The punt. Not the defender. He was obviously quite unblocked.