Todd Bowles: Bucs Are Playing Good Defense
October 2nd, 2025
Happy for defense.
Lost in the anxiety of losing last Sunday and half of Philadelphia invading The Licht House, a fairly important thing happened in the second half of that first Bucs loss of the season.
The Bucs did not allow Eagles star quarterback Jalen Hurts to complete one pass. Joe is not sure he’s ever heard of that before (in the Super Bowl era).
To pull that off, especially with the Bucs losing players to injury (Jamel Dean, Greg Gaines, Benjamin Morrison), that’s extraordinary defense.
Yesterday, Todd Bowles was asked about the lack of forced turnovers this season; the Bucs only have two. Almost shockingly to Joe, he sort of dismissed that and instead bragged about how good the defense has played.
“It’s not disappointing – the season’s still young,” Bowles said of the low turnover total. “They’re playing good defense.
“The key is to play good defense. You want to get turnovers so you make shorter fields and make it easier for the offense. So, we’ve got to help out a little more in that category.”
Hallelujah! Joe thought for a moment there that the way Bowles was stressing turnovers this offseason and through training camp, that Bowles was starting to turn into lousy Lovie Smith. For Lovie, that’s all he cared about.
Joe has been and always will be of the mind that a team should play good defense first. Once that is established, eventually turnovers will come. What good is it if a defense gets, say, three turnovers in a game but is otherwise boat-raced up and down the field, giving up touchdowns?
Good defenses don’t often have slumps. And good defenses often travel.
If you can predict turnovers, you’ll make so much money in Vegas you’ll get blackballed by the sportsbooks.
October 2nd, 2025 at 7:03 am
I think Hurts bad a concussion
October 2nd, 2025 at 7:28 am
I don’t think he had a concussion Beeej. But he definitely had a headache!!
October 2nd, 2025 at 7:33 am
Good defense includes getting take aways. On the season we have two. Our opponent this week has 7 interceptions that’s good defense. Todd is fine with his defense, the season’s young. No sense of urgency there. Wonder why we play that way, now you know. Don’t worry, be happy, instead of not good enough, we need to take the ball away.
October 2nd, 2025 at 7:51 am
They put on a clinic in the second half against Philly! Gosh this team is going to be incredible if we get healthy!! Cue the Bowles trolls that are upset at our fantastic 3-1 start. Just keep winning Bucs!
October 2nd, 2025 at 7:57 am
The Bucs are winning and playing well. It’s not perfect by any means but considering the circumstances 3-1 is damn good.
How is it that SEA played last Thursday and this week our next opponent (49ers) plays tonight? Seems strange that for two weeks in a row our opponent gets extra rest before playing the Bucs.
October 2nd, 2025 at 8:04 am
Man… Bowles defense this year is just getting Ridiculous!!
I don’t know if there IS a better defense than ours, No Matter What the stats say!
Now, for Todd to Actually get his credit for the “MASTER PIECE” that he called and the guys executed in the second half against Hurts and “last years” Champs, He’ll HAVE TO put that together for a Full Game. Two halves, Sixty Minutes…
I wasn’t nice in the off-season to Todd about “his” defense. But I gotta say, I cut him a Fresh Batch of a “Dozen Roses” for what we All saw in the second half of that game!
You Just CAN’T ask for better than NEGATIVE-1, MINUS NO YARDS, “NOT ACHIEVED” in an ENTIRE HALF, from an Offense such as the eagles are capable of unleashing…!!
IMPRESSIVE!
October 2nd, 2025 at 8:05 am
The picks will come along with the pass rush. The four man pass rush is still bad, so I’m not expecting many picks.
The few times when the blitz or pass rush gets to the QB, the tackler needs to at least tackle the ball and QB together for a chance at a strip sack. Strip sacks aren’t being coached and the Bucs are missing opportunities.
October 2nd, 2025 at 8:12 am
Yes our defense plays really well when we are down two scores and the other team takes their foot off the pedal.
October 2nd, 2025 at 8:23 am
SURE BOWLES SURE!!!!
October 2nd, 2025 at 8:37 am
Not taking the ball away much, but we are forcing alot of punts. What doesn’t help is that we’re getting the ball back to an offense that’s been struggling to score points, evidenced by the fact we’d be 2-2 if it weren’t for a defensive score.
What hasn’t been mentioned much, is how our reserves we’ve been using in place of Kancey(with less Logan Hall) are playing well and 1 of those guys is a day 3 pick while the other is a UDFA(shoutout to the scouting department) who’s only been with the team for < 2 weeks.
Tykee has been playing his ssa off along with a healthy Antoine Winfield, and Jacob Parrish got some love from Mina Kimes after this past game.
What would make the defense look even better, is an offense that can cobble together some consistent play and turn a few of the many FG attempts into touchdowns.
Fans that want sacks and INT, you should realize that our scoring output plays a big part in that. You put a team in the hole and force their hand in terms of what they have to use off their play sheet, you then have increased chances of passing opportunities. No doubt in my mind if we can get the offense to maybe score TDs on consecutive drives we can start getting after the QB with more regularity and that’s when the 2 stats columns some of you ONLY care about start to get tallied up.
To me, a forced punt is as good as a takeaway but it’s all useless if the offense can’t do anything with it and that’s sort of where we are right now as a team.
Takeaway the 2 special teams TDs against us that the defense gets credited afaints them and our PPG allowed is at a solid 19 which would tie for 8th best in the league with the KC Chiefs.
Our pass defense has also improved, but I don’t hear many Bucs fans pointing that out or giving the unit their credit.
October 2nd, 2025 at 8:54 am
Look at the great Defenses. The TOs are higher when the other team is playing from behind. Several times this season already, the Offense had a chance to shut the door and blew it.
The blaming of the injuries on the Offense is not going to cut it. They have who they have.
The Offense needs to start faster, play more consistently, run more clock down, and score more points.
October 2nd, 2025 at 8:59 am
Seattle is going to beat the Bucs up some more rest assured. At this point we should be playing who’s going on IR next. Don’t know what the spread is but whatever it is it’s not enough.
October 2nd, 2025 at 9:34 am
Seahawks got by the Cardinals by 23-20. So let’s not act like they are Super Bowl champs.
October 2nd, 2025 at 9:35 am
You can tell the Bucs make adjustments and shut the other teams down. Once the team gets healthy they will be hard to beat.
October 2nd, 2025 at 9:38 am
bowles finds suckers every day to believe his bs. “oh yea no things are good just have to clean up and communicate a bit more. seasons young” yada yada
October 2nd, 2025 at 10:17 am
Defense has looked a lot better than last year.
October 2nd, 2025 at 10:30 am
This team was 3-0 vs teams that were a combined 1-8 (now 3-9), and actually had to rely on the offense to pull out last minute wins vs all three. If not for 2 fluke 70+yd TD’s last Sunday, that game wouldn’t even have been close. Todd can wax all he likes, and likely is only looking at yds/game stat (4th). Obv overlooking the pts/gm (20th), turnovers (30th), sacks (17th), def rtg (20th), etc., which are all right in line with where this team has been the last 3-4 years. It’s ok though, fits right in with the “OK with mediocrity” mantra the franchise has adapted by leaning on and being satisfied with the “success” of winning the worst division in football and having the honor of getting booted by the first legit playoff team they face lol.
October 2nd, 2025 at 10:32 am
Expecting more of the same this year btw, if they can hold off Atlanta for that coveted NFC South crown lol
October 2nd, 2025 at 11:03 am
Sunday second half was biblical fire and brimstone stuff.
Now.
— Start the game that way, force a punt on opponents opening drives. For variety.
— If you have a lead in the 4thQ, Todd, resist the urge to go soft shell turtle, ignore your sore foot and keep it on the gas. Defense played like middle school JV in the 4thQ of the 3 wins. Fix it.
— And, fix Mr. Magoo’s bus. Nowhere to hide on that, no margin for error, any more gaffes like the opening 4 weeks and it won’t only be your foot on the hot seat.
October 2nd, 2025 at 11:47 am
not fair teams are getting ten days off rest, recovery and practice ahead of us, is this and the officiating a conspiracy against the bucs?
October 2nd, 2025 at 11:50 am
WBL
great points!!!!!
defense has been playing great…
moving T.Smith to safety has helped limit big plays…
we’ll continue to improve…
GO BUCS!!!!
October 2nd, 2025 at 11:52 am
Aside from the normal mediocre defensive performance so far this season, one thing that should be getting more attention is the overall performance of the rookies. Obv loving Egbuka, but Morrison & Parrish are also looking like legit core players for the future as well. Good chance we see at least 12 starters, if not more, in ’26 just out of the last 3 drafts. Abs props to Licht & Co, amazing job.
October 2nd, 2025 at 11:55 am
All this hate.. I can assure you the buccaneers pass defense is know where near the BOTTOM of the NFL it was at last year… as a matter of fact its top 10 in the league. Stop crying over nothing. Defense is playing good ball.. and reality is, if the defense continues this pace and the offense can be the offense of last year. The bucs will go 14-3.
Take away special teams tds, and the bucs have given up, 20,19,20 and 24…. In a league where the ball starts at the 35 yard line. Thats great. Lets not forget, a blocked kick in hou gave them a short field, 2 missed field goals gave atl great field position.
October 2nd, 2025 at 12:03 pm
ModHairKen … ‘The blaming of the injuries on the Offense is not going to cut it. THEY HAVE WHO THEY HAVE.’
Love that last line Ken. Once the season starts, you pretty much HAVE WHO YOU HAVE like you wrote. Players, coaches, front office … you pretty much HAVE WHO YOU HAVE. Teams creating turmoil personnel-wise probably aren’t gonna win the Super Bowl. Do the best you can with what you’ve got, fix the problems as best you can, and hope to high heaven that it all works out.
Bucs have taken a real beating in these first 4 games, BUT … WE ARE WHERE WE ARE, at 3-1. Five more games until the BYE, then 8 games after that until (hopefully) the playoffs. At this rate of taking injuries, the playoffs might be nothing but a distant hope; none of us know for sure. We’ve gotta get some of our starters well, play some good ball, and hopefully finish the season strong. Reminescent of 2020 when we finished the season strong (4 wins in a row after our BYE week), made the playoffs as a wildcard, and then took out 4 good teams to win the Super Bowl.
October 2nd, 2025 at 12:20 pm
We’re going to need the defense to step up in Seattle. If they play the whole game like they played in the second half against the Eagles, our offense may be able to overcome the injuries and pull off a victory against the Seahawks!!
Go Bucs !!
October 2nd, 2025 at 12:29 pm
Btw making them punt is not a bad way to get the ball back.
It’s just as satisfying.
Go Defense!!!
October 2nd, 2025 at 12:39 pm
todd is gaslighting everyone to cover up what lavonte said what, a day ago?
good teams dont have mental breakdowns the way they did coming out flat yada yada. lavonte said it. do you think he wasnt telling the truth or he doesnt know what he is talking about? if you think lavonte david is a troll who doesnt know what he is talking about when referring to the bucs defense, keep talking.
October 2nd, 2025 at 12:56 pm
Bucs defense in the first and fourth quarters are horrendous, to say the least. they are giving up 34 and 37 points in the first and fourth quarters to start off the season. the middle two quarters are great! 16 and 10 points.
so, the Bucs defense start and finish games horribly. not a good look for Todd’s defense.
October 2nd, 2025 at 1:12 pm
I hear what you’re saying Bucfan951, but I’ll add 21 of those 37 4th quarter points came in 1 game and another 7 was set up by Buckys’ fumble in the 2nd half this past Sunday. Still no excuse to allow it, but that 28 of those 37 points is just 2 games.
Still I agree, we should all want 4 quarters of sound football in all 3 phases. As much as I like being 3-1 at this point, I’d also like to string together some wins heading into the bye week above .500. Seattle is game 1 of our early-mid season bounce back IF we can iron out the team-wide execution issues and our guys get their heads out of their collective ssa.
Just got an alert about Grizzard having a PC right now, I’m hoping somebody asks him how he plans to move forward if Bucky is unavailable. C’mon Joe
October 2nd, 2025 at 1:20 pm
Aqualung Says:
October 2nd, 2025 at 11:03 am
Sunday second half was biblical fire and brimstone stuff.
—————
Which you said would NEVER occur as long as we had retarded Todd Blowes as our coach. OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN
Reptile pom pom cupcake blah blah blah. Todd says kiss his a$$…. No room on the bus for people who’ve spent 2 years throwing rocks at it 😭
October 2nd, 2025 at 1:22 pm
ATL carved the pass defense up for Penix’s best game of the season and couldn’t get off the field to slam the door shut
Houston, defense played good but not great
Jets, defense allowed 2 4th quarters TD’s while they were in prevent mode
Philly, defense played great in the second half but couldn’t do much in the first half
Todd has been here for 7 seasons and still can’t consistently field a competent pass defense, this is when he KNOWS teams are going to pass. Knowing what is coming is half the battle on d.
Why did we keep him instead of keeping Coen??? SMH
October 2nd, 2025 at 2:49 pm
WIN vs Seattle
The doubters go away. We chalk it up to defending SB champs.
LOSE vs Seattle
We’ll start talking nonstop about another Bowles midseason losing streak.
Bowles needs a win. His talk track however sounds a lot like a losing streak.
October 2nd, 2025 at 4:17 pm
The Eagles were coasting more than a car running out of gas in the second half. Now if Bowles and the D can play a full 60 minutes against the Seahawks then we can crack a bottle open.