“Angles And Fundamentals”
October 21st, 2025
So at his morning news conference today, Todd Bowles called out four Bucs missed tackles last night.
He named no names and offered no specifics, other than two were on the Lions’ first drive and two came later.
Yes, there were other tackling woes, too. Joe almost felt like the Bucs weren’t used to the artificial turf and looked a lot slower than Detroit.
“Overall, we can be better at open field tackling. That has to do with angles and fundamentals,” Bowles said.
Safety Tykee Smith led the Bucs in tackles with 13, including two tackles for loss and a sack. Smith is beasting but it’s rarely a great defensive night when a safety leads a team in tackles.
SirVocea Dennis had 12 tackles with one for loss and a sack. Antoine Winfield had eight tackles, which won Joe a few bucks.
Joe is only partially through the game film, but last night was no award-winning tackling night from cornerback Zyon McCollum.
October 21st, 2025 at 12:59 pm
We were running past ball carriers all night.
October 21st, 2025 at 12:59 pm
Another lame excuse
Who teaches angles and tackling.
Duh, the coaches. Fire Bowles
October 21st, 2025 at 1:03 pm
Joe’s gotta mute people calling for Bowles head every week when there is no way it’s ever going to happen. Or at least make their font smaller. Such an insufferable part of the fan base. Swear these guys would rather suck with another coach than be good with Bowles.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:10 pm
Disappeary had a bad miss when we had them down deep in their own territory. Frustrating.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:10 pm
Zion and Dennis both got beat ike drums on Sunday. They missed so many tackles, I thought they were bobbin for holloween apples.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:11 pm
The two signs of hope for the defense was the second half of the eagles game and last night. IF we get a defense like that the rest of the way we will do well in the playoffs.
I have even more reason to want a deep playoff run this year (which will only happen with the defense playing a that second half Eagle’s game level.
IF we make a deep run we should see Evans again and I’d like to see him retire NOT out on an injury at least being able to take the field . IF we don’t then it even more likely he will retire although I do think its time to hang it up regardless .
So do it for Mike defense
October 21st, 2025 at 1:12 pm
Tired of racist fans who dislike Bowles because he is black. No other sensible reason. The players missed tackles last night, Todd didn’t.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:12 pm
Some of those missed tackles were part of a great start and stop by the back/receiver but also a bad angle/overrun by Morrison on 1 play and a couple more times by others. He’ll learn that real quick.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:13 pm
It’s fundamental. Have to breakdown in open field and get square to ball carrier. Dennis and McCollum overran target and were in horrible fundamental position to make a tackle. With Dennis it is habitual. Need a lot of help at linebacker. That’s not new info. Also, Reddick, I guess, is a linebacker who has been invisible all year as has Braswell. What is TB saving Braswell for? Let us see him. Licht was effusive about him in camp. He looks like he is paralyzed by analysis.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:14 pm
Dennis, Parrish and Morrison were probably part of 4 many missed tackles he’s referring to. Two are rookies,,plus Morrison hasnt played much. Dennis I dont know man. Sometimes he just seems too small, which worked to his advantage on that sack he got.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:15 pm
lol hello AWJ got TORCHED by gibbs. Todd doesnt have to name names we could read the back of his jersey as he chased gibbs for 78 yards after getting caught flat footed in the middle of the field.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:16 pm
Dennis and Hall were dreadful tackling. McCollum and Winfield not much better.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:17 pm
Still though, the D did enough the 2nd half to get us back in there but the O couldnt execute. Still had opportunities even with the refs against us. Just need to regroup, learn from it and play better from here on out. If we played like last night against the aints, they will win.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:18 pm
This defense was exposed in the 1st half…
The Lions coasted the 2nd because they knew they could score at will if they really wanted to… It becomes a time of learning.. You get ahead a couple scores and then put away your best plays… try plays you haven’t and see if it works or don’t to add it in games against BETTER defenses… IYKYK!
This Bucs team will NOT make it past the first playoff game…
Could NOT stop the run or pass when it counted…
Good news is the Saints are up next so bounce back in their confidence, the bye and then a string of tough games for them…
BUT hey, the division should hand them another division crown..
the ceiling for this coaching staff!
October 21st, 2025 at 1:21 pm
We are definitely better with him, but not so sure Winfield is performing up to that contract
October 21st, 2025 at 1:34 pm
when your excuse for team or players for a bad half or more of football is fundamentals you arent doing your job Head Coach Todd.
it was fundamentals a few weeks ago with the punting team. now its fundamentals again? hold the players and coaching staff accountable, thats what a head coach should be doing….
so lame. lame as lame can be. “uh i dunno dog ate my playbook. next question. no i’m not naming names, cause it would impact the culture”
October 21st, 2025 at 1:39 pm
Zyon seemed like he was scared to tackle almost like he was still hurting no effort
October 21st, 2025 at 1:41 pm
Tackling has always been an issue under Super Todd. This is nothing new. If you are just now noticing then you havent been paying attention.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:46 pm
The fans calling for Bowles head are clueless.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:52 pm
Now I’m not in the room, but I can say with maximum confidence that behind closed doors, whether it come from a team leader or Bowles himself, names will be named, and those responsible will have consequences.
Literally 0 point in telling the media specifics when the vibes of the season still point to a division win and playoff appearance. Especially with how vindictive the general media is.
The players know who missed the tackles and they probably knew before he came out in the press conference.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:00 pm
Is it me or is Tykee a better safety now than Antoine Winfield? Tykee is the guy that pops off the screen. The guy is absolutely everywhere, he’s a freaking animal. That USED to be 31…
October 21st, 2025 at 2:18 pm
Whatevs … ‘Another lame excuse. Who teaches angles and tackling. Duh, the coaches. Fire Bowles.’
Seriously Whatevs? These players have all gone through mega-years of playing the game of football to reach this point in their career. They make millions upon millions of dollars because they represent the very top expertise in the nation.
Defensive players don’t even get a look-see unless they know how to tackle. It’s being able to do it against the best offensive players in the world that counts. And those who can’t don’t hang around long.
If folks wanna chastise Todd Bowles for poor game planning or bad time management, have at it. But for bad tackling? Chastise the bad tacklers & wish them well in their next career as a Walmart greeter or Pzza Hut delivery person.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:27 pm
Somebody ask Todd when his defense is going to stop an opening possession TD or FG. Asking for a friend.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:32 pm
I could swear Todd Bowles teaches the scheme not the angles that’s the position coach still funny Todd Bowles is one of the reasons we have a Super Bowl just saying his defense I admit it hasn’t been The bell of the ball lately but at some point you do have to call out the offense in any other game we’ve played if we would have had those same stops strip, sacks and interceptions. We would be winning games by 20 points instead of three, but yet the offense failed to produce this time.
#stopblamingtodd
October 21st, 2025 at 2:34 pm
Deuceswild78 … ‘We are definitely better with him, but not so sure Winfield is performing up to that contract’.
I agree with you. Absolutely no way his performance to date is worth even close to $21 mil a year, but he’s still a damn good safety. Nothing about this year such as spectacular plays is jumping out, but he’s been fairly solid. And yes, Tykee Smith has thus far outplayed him IMO.
Winfield’s field time is back up (99% def snaps this season), and he has 1 sack, 3 QB Hits, 3 TFLs, 1 FF, 2 PDs plus 35 combined tackles (22 solo). His pass coverage is the best of his career so far: 52.9% completion percentage allowed (17 targets against 9 completions) with only 1 TD allowed. I guess it’s just that in the past Antoine made quite a few spectacular plays, game-saving plays, incredible tackles. This year? Not seeing them. Is it lowered motivation because he’s now been paid, or just that the opportunities aren’t presenting themselves like they did in the past? I’m hoping it’s the latter.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:49 pm
Tye … ‘BUT hey, the division should hand them another division crown .. the ceiling for this coaching staff!’
Between our 2 Super Bowl victories (2003-2019 … 17 years), the Bucs won the NFC South exactly 2 times: 2005 & 2007. Heck we didn’t even win it in 2020 when we won the Super Bowl. So 18 years with 2 division championships.
BA won it in 2021 … 1 year to his credit. TB has now won it 3 times since then … 2022, 2023 & 2024. That’s as many times as 6 other Bucs head coaches have won it in those other 18 years since 2002.
Yup, Todd ought to be ashamed of himself. Or maybe the ones who should be ashamed are those fans who feel they’re now ENTITLED to a division championship each year, and don’t appreciate what it takes to actually accomplish that.
October 21st, 2025 at 3:43 pm
I understand a few of the missed tackles with angles, those RBs are paid to do, especially the elite ones. My problem was the fourth down on Gibbs, when Nelson and then a few others could not get him down. The Bucs eventually made the kitty cats punt, but they could have started from midfield with that stop instead of the ten-yard line
October 21st, 2025 at 3:49 pm
The first big play out of Gibbs… first, how are we not prepared for that!? It was Bijan for 50 on the 2nd play all over again. Anyway, Zyon had the sideline and Dennis just gave up the middle. He is so bad at times. That was completely on Dennis.
Then Nelson and those guys missing Gibbs on the 4th down. That was awful.
October 21st, 2025 at 3:57 pm
Right on, Sask. Hint….Dennis the Menace.
October 21st, 2025 at 4:01 pm
Nicholas Carlson and others talking about the Bucs overrunning tackles:
“We were running past ball carriers all night.”
The NFL has enough money to improve their product by taking the steps necessary to play all games on quality grass fields.
Yes, the Detroit Stadium has the latest and greatest artificial turf that statistically reduces all excess injuries versus grass except lower leg injuries. (Those aren’t important?)
When you practice on grass and play on a surface that yields as grass does when you plant your feet, you do have a tendency to skate pass people when you are closing at high speed on rug covered cement no matter how much cushion is under the rug to reduce impact injuries.
And, squaring up and breaking down just doesn’t work the same when the grip of your cleats is different than the grip you practiced with since minicamp.
October 21st, 2025 at 4:02 pm
And, yes, the other player is moving faster than you anticipate making the angles you have practiced since minicamp less effective.
October 21st, 2025 at 4:11 pm
Maybe when you’re playing indoors practice indoors? Using the field turf is really the lamest of excuses.
October 21st, 2025 at 5:55 pm
Whatevs -You get taught angles and fundamentals in high school football
These are grown ass men that should already know this. I love how the trolls blame Bowles and always fire Bowles crap.. You don’t think Bowles is pissed off this? You sound like a person that knows nothing about football
Go back to playing shuffle board you clueless clown.
October 21st, 2025 at 6:21 pm
Just four? Unless hes talking about per quarter…