“Impose Your Will”
October 8th, 2025
One snap Sunday really shot up Todd Bowles’ pride meter to great heights.
It was 3rd-and-7 at the Seattle 32 yard line with 45 seconds on the clock and the game tied at 35.
Everyone on planet NFL knew the Bucs were about to run the ball and force Seattle to call their final timeout. Then the Bucs would kick a field goal to, hopefully, win the game.
So what happened?
Rachaad White ran right — toward Luke Haggard and Charlie Heck — and rumbled for 12 yards before taking a dive to keep the clock moving and the ball out of Seattle’s hands. The 39-yard field goal was good. Ballgame.
“Offensively, to run the ball when they know you’re gonna run the ball, that says a lot about your team — and you impose your will anyway and you get the first down on the 3rd-and-7 when they have everybody stacked up in there,” Bowles told the Buccaneers Radio Network. “And then [Rachaad White] gets down and still [has] the wherewithal to get down and run the clock down to win the game says a lot about the entire team.”
It was a special play, the kind of play championship teams make.
Bowles had lots of love for offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard’s approach all game. “We came out aggressive and we stayed aggressive the entire game,” Bowles said.
What a “W.” But about that defense …
October 8th, 2025 at 11:11 am
There were a ton of fluky plays in that game.
I saw 3 plays that very easily could have been sacks that were missed.
If Diaby could catch or McCollum could catch.
More missed tackles that are uncharacteristic than anything IMO.
David very rarely misses a tackle like that but that TE Barner is a monster.
October 8th, 2025 at 11:14 am
lvd more than made up for his mistakes… his upside is mvp!! our offensive is looking better and better
October 8th, 2025 at 11:18 am
Yes, that was a key play that showed the improvement in White and the H boys (Haggard and Heck). However, the Bucs ran for only 2.3 yds/rush on Sunday.
October 8th, 2025 at 11:22 am
Joe’s, it’s Wednesday…….
Where’s the post-game Ira podcast this week??
Everything ok??
October 8th, 2025 at 11:33 am
I’m getting tired of Bowles’ defense. Quite frankly it sucks. I’ve seen regression not improvement as the season progresses.
October 8th, 2025 at 11:38 am
I take nothing away from the Todd Bowles’ 2025 Buccaneers. Still, I remember so vividly the many games over many years where they put up a good fight but lost at the end. Most notably, I’m thinking of the game at Kansas City last year as well as the one against the 49ers here. We deserved to win those games and did not! Those two would have given the Buccaneers 12 wins instead of 10. I wouldn’t necessarily call us “lucky,” but there is no denying that the Atlanta kicker had a very make-able field goal in game one and the bounce off the helmet against the Seahawks was good fortune. All 4 wins have been by tiny margins and that can’t continue. That has me worried. Last year, KC had the smallest win margin of any team and yet they got to the Super Bowl. This year, they are losing those small margin games. I’m taking nothing away from the Buccaneers, but I’m looking forward to some games in which we outgain the opposing teams.
October 8th, 2025 at 12:07 pm
People look at one game where the defense was missing two CBs and now say the sky is falling. This defense has played a lot better this year than they were last year. Before this Sunday they played closer to the line of scrimmage and played more aggressively. One INT was called back by penalty, Diaby had an interception go through his hands, Darnold should have been sacked on the 4th down play. Any two of those things happen the defense looks differently.
October 8th, 2025 at 12:49 pm
BucU Says:
October 8th, 2025 at 11:33 am
I’m getting tired of Bowles’ defense. Quite frankly it sucks. I’ve seen regression not improvement as the season progresses.
^^^^^^^^^^^
It’s the OLB. The team thought Yaya, Braz, and Riddick were it. They’re terrible. Bowles is changing the scheme. It’ll take a little time.
October 8th, 2025 at 1:04 pm
My problem is the receivers run wide open on us we play so dam soft
October 8th, 2025 at 1:23 pm
Gotta agree with Sly, OLBs are incapable of providing a happy ending. Oh, they’ll apply “pressure”, get some movement in the pocket, but no happy ending. Frustrating. Teases.
October 8th, 2025 at 1:28 pm
DB might actually have better shelf life too, if plays didn’t run on forever guaranteeing completions, and DBs having to make a tackle ever play. Not to mention the necessity to slame them into the OL to get a pass rush. While it is scheme to some degree, this is on Licht too for nor demanding, trading for, or drafting better OLBs. This cannot all be placed on Todd at this point. Sure, for a yr or so after losing JPP, but come on JL do you notice anything missing from your team?
October 8th, 2025 at 2:28 pm
Heck is playing OK.
October 8th, 2025 at 2:47 pm
TombsEN Says:
October 8th, 2025 at 12:07 pm
People look at one game where the defense was missing two CBs and now say the sky is falling. This defense has played a lot better this year than they were last year. Before this Sunday they played closer to the line of scrimmage and played more aggressively. One INT was called back by penalty, Diaby had an interception go through his hands, Darnold should have been sacked on the 4th down play. Any two of those things happen the defense looks differently.
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SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE FOLKS IN THE BACK!!!!!!!!
4-1!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
October 8th, 2025 at 4:35 pm
The Buc’s need Yaya, HR5, and Vita to impose their will!! Get it done!!
October 8th, 2025 at 5:20 pm
Yes the defense has played a lot better this year that’s for sure. It has been fun to watch. Out of the last 20 quarters of play this season the defense has played over 16 quarters with much tighter coverage. Forcing punts at a much higher rate than last year. The last half against Seattle because we were missing so many players TB did run a lot more of that soft zone and it wasn’t pretty. Watching receivers run wide open with so much room to make catches was ugly. Haven’t seen that since last year but that has been the exception not the norm.
This year we have forced more punts and KJ has been exciting with the ball returning punts gaining valuable yards.
There will be highs & lows in any season but the Bucs Defense has keep us winning this year and been the strongest unit on the field until Sunday. The defense has strong allowing the offense and Baker to finally have that finally drive to win 75% of the games so far.
Then right on time when the defense had a weak game the offense finally had a strong game.
Awesome Team Win!
October 8th, 2025 at 5:22 pm
Sly, you left out ILB. They thought Dennis was the next big thing, he’s not. Should’ve been benched after the first game.
October 8th, 2025 at 5:35 pm
some world class cherry picking lol
seahawks offense imposed their will passing for 341 yards, 5 TDs and over 100 yards rushing, twice that of the bucs rushing game, which was paltry.
the bucs won a shootout by having the ball last, and that almost didnt happen. lets not try to reframe history with nonsense like “impose your will” lol.
“it was a special play. a championship play. made by championship playing players playing their play.” l
you lose all credibility in a fraction of a second. a split second. a nanosecond. the kind of second that divides winners from losers. not a normal second. a championship second.
October 8th, 2025 at 6:15 pm
If you don’t like those uniforms, you’re just a bad person. A very bad person.
October 8th, 2025 at 7:39 pm
It would be nice if the defense stayed aggressive all game like grizzard
October 9th, 2025 at 6:59 am
LOL
They did not exactly run that play as it was designed. More kudos to White for kicking it outside as soon as he saw the running lane was not there.
Go Bucs!