Booger McFarland Fed Up With Lack Of Sacks
November 17th, 2025
Sadly, not a cornerback.
Word is getting around in NFL circles.
Joe has hollered for years now that this Bucs team simply will not take the next step into the top shelf of NFL teams along with the Lions, Chiefs, Bills and Eagles until someone with serious clout at One Buc Palace realizes they must have a pass rush to win big.
And Joe’s not talking about winning a s(p)itty division, either.
A pass rush, specifically an edge rush, is vital. Otherwise, your defense has to be absolutely loaded with Hall of Famers and they must play perfect games to get around mindlessly allowing quarterbacks to have time to order Uber Eats and throw.
Someone please point out in great detail how pressures slowed down Josh Allen yesterday. He became the second quarterback in the Super Bowl era to throw for three touchdowns and run for three touchdowns. The other quarterback is also Josh Allen.
Well, people who know more about football than Joe are taking to Twitter and expressing their frustration with this new football Bucs coach Todd Bowles preaches — that you don’t need an edge rush to win games.
(The only Super Bowl that Bowles has been a part of as a defensive coordinator came precisely because he had an edge rush — that he inherited.)
Former Bucs defensive tackle and first-round pick Booger McFarland, who has two Super Bowl rings of his own, one with the Bucs and another with the Colts, went on Twitter yesterday and basically said the lack of a pass rush is exposing the defense.
“Bucs lack off pass rush shows its head every week,” McFarland typed.
And it is an ugly head!
One reason Joe has toned down screaming about an edge rush in recent weeks is that Joe knows that this is not going to change, short of the Bucs breaking down and hiring someone like Jim Schwartz or Vic Fangio to come in and take over the defense.
And Joe has a hunch that if the Bucs do that, Bowles would resign on the spot.
Maybe someone with serious voodoo skills can put a trance on Bowles so he begins to realize the value of an edge rush.
Joe defies anyone to try to explain in sober terms that it is a swift move to have your best edge rusher matched up with a wide receiver 30 yards downfield, which resulted in a Buffalo touchdown.
Can you imagine, an outside linebacker guarding a wide receiver down the sidelines some 30 yards downfield?
And the outside linebacker got beat. Hard to believe.
“Go longgggg” – Josh to Tyrell probably.
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/kNUd872pxk
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) November 16, 2025
Bucs lack off pass rush shows its head every week
— Booger (@ESPNBooger) November 16, 2025
November 17th, 2025 at 3:50 am
If those stinking eagles win the SB it’ll be bc they were more aggressive than other teams. I know we draft well but nexts years 3rd round pick won’t help this team rush the passer or run a route. Maybe we tried but at some point the lambs did ok without many draft picks in 2021. I believe in JL just wanted more from this team. Go Bucs.
November 17th, 2025 at 4:03 am
Totally with you Joe. Having lineman and OLB (edge rushers) try to play coverage is stupid. Beyond stupid and it’s infuriating. Maybe Bowles is paying to much attention to the 7 on 7s and is obsessed with coverages instead of basic pass rushing. I’m just tired man, tired of hearing how “exotic” and “complex” and how much of a “guru” week in and out when everyone and their mother can see even tho it’s 2nd & 20 they’re going to let a huge play go and eventually score. Let the pass rushers rush the freaking passer!
November 17th, 2025 at 4:24 am
Leopold Stotch said: “Having lineman and OLB (edge rushers) try to play coverage is stupid.” I agree 100% but thing with Bowles is that he is kind of like Lovie Smith, Mike Smith and Rah Morris in that the more someone tells him that his game plan is idiotic, he doubles down and seems to put it in play even more. We saw the results as the Buc D looked like Mike Smith was doing the play calling. Bowles never wanted a pass rusher, at least that is the feeling us fans get from the Buc outlets. Bowles should be held accountable for these inexcusable gaffes, but he will not.
November 17th, 2025 at 4:42 am
Joe, thanks for giving me my wish for XMas 2025: “May we have the Glazers force Bowles to abandon DC duties if he wants to stay head coach in 2026 and the Bucs hire someone like Vic Fangio or Jim Schwartz….” I have been asking for a visit from Kay Adams the past few years and for FSU football to be relevant again but those have not materialized so maybe the football Gods will help the Bucs fix its defense.
November 17th, 2025 at 4:43 am
Every game the announcers make a point to say that Bowles is a master of exotic blitzes and schemes designed to confuse tbe QB. EVERY GAME.
After years of being told what a genius you are, you’re not going to change your ways. Remember, everyone says you’re a genius even though your defense is consistently being ripped.
Winning worthless division titles have Bowles some job security.
Fans who blindly love the team gave him a weekly vote of confidence – even though it clearly wasn’t warranted.
He’s not a genius.
In another division, we wouldn’t have made the playoffs in 4 years.
Blind loyalty masqueraded as confidence that brought no accountability
Despite the contract extension, Bowles needs to be done after this year. Enough is enough!
November 17th, 2025 at 5:25 am
@FortMyersDave: preach brother, it’s like that’s the last hurdle he needs to actually be a good head coach. Just let someone else call the defense. Give someone else a shot. Value a pass rush. He’s gotten better with adapting and growing on other things… Except for his defense. I’m with Joe when he references egos in the NFL, at the same time, as a leader, you have to know limitations and realize it’s about the team. The OC for Detroit was amazing with how he handled Campbell taking over play calling. If we could have that? I think we’d be much better off.
November 17th, 2025 at 5:43 am
Does Bowles know how to sack QB’s? His record says NO! At each of his coaching stops he inherited a great sacker but within a year had started the downward spiral with his “unique” coverages.
Eagles DC 2012 – 5.5
Cardinals DC 2013 -11.5
2014 – 8
Jets HC 2015 – 12
2016 – 5
2017 – 7
2018 – 5
Bucs DC 2019 – 19.5
2020 – 9.5
2021 – 10
Bucs HC 2022 – 6.5
2023 – 7.5
2024 – 7.5
November 17th, 2025 at 6:00 am
People keep saying we draft well. On offensive side ok. Defensive side has been a total disaster
November 17th, 2025 at 6:25 am
I’m not taking this team serious until that invest in real pass rushers!
November 17th, 2025 at 6:27 am
Bowles isn’t the coach to get the Bucs to a SB. He needs to go.
November 17th, 2025 at 6:49 am
So we’re saying the Bills beat the Bucs because Baker was sacked once and Josh wasn’t sacked? Not buying it Joe. I know you preach this over and over but it’s a factor not the factor. I didn’t like seeing Diaby back there either but what about Morrison? Maybe Bowles is trying to help out the rookie. Maybe Diaby would have been rushing if Dean wasn’t hurt.
I’ll never win this argument with you but the Rams and Seahawks yesterday had a combined zero sacks. It isn’t just sacks. Just like it’s not just turnovers. The defense has holes for sure and that particular play needs a better solution and it’s not just whining that Diaby was dropped back in coverage. I’ll be very interested in seeing the 11 on 11 on that play. Meanwhile I’ll just keep reminding myself that everyone before the game was talking about the wheels falling off the Bills wagon.
November 17th, 2025 at 6:50 am
We should factor in a loss to the Rams but look for Baker having a great hone coming game to the team and stadium y that saved his career.
November 17th, 2025 at 6:57 am
If Bowles is fired I hope we go back to a 4-3 defense. I prefer my DE’s to rush the passer and stop the run (on the way to rushing the passer).
November 17th, 2025 at 7:06 am
The Falcons have the second-most sacks in the league and none of their guys has more than 4.5 sacks. Sure we’d love to have a Miles Garrett, but you can get sacks without one dominant guy. And when you’re not sending potential pass rushers 40 yards down field in coverage. Do you ask me, it’s the coaching, not the drafting,
November 17th, 2025 at 7:09 am
I officially threw in the towel on Todd when I saw Diaby in the endzone on that play. I’ve been holding out hope for Todd as long as I possibly could but I’m done. If we win any playoff games this year it’s in spite of him, not because of his goofy scheme
November 17th, 2025 at 7:14 am
“If Bowles is fired …”
If anyone seriously thinks he’s getting fired, you are fooling yourself.
Is he at fault for the last two games? Yes. But he’s also responsible for the 6 wins.
The Glazers will not fire him after this season.
Even if the collapse continues.
November 17th, 2025 at 7:18 am
Coach Bowles is this >< close to perfecting his revolutionary defensive scheme —- Tampa Cover 0.
November 17th, 2025 at 7:21 am
The biggest reason the Bucs defense gets ripped apart week after week is because Todd toilet Bowles has Dt’s, DE’s & LB’s going up against Wrs and TE’s being completely mismatched game after game. I get we need to disguise our defense but every QB we face Todd bowel manages to make them look like hall of famers.
November 17th, 2025 at 7:30 am
@Weebs10
I’ve been saying that all along that it’s the scheme that he’s running that’s killing them. They might look much better if they changed it around & got out of it.
November 17th, 2025 at 7:45 am
Eagles only had 41 sacks last year and top sacker had 8 ..The D probs go way deeper than a 10 sack guy ..How many Super Bowls have Garrett, Watt, Bosa , Parsons won?
November 17th, 2025 at 7:47 am
I’ve been a big Bowles supporter but what i saw yesterday was ugly and a lot of that falls on him. The tides after turning.
If I was media for the Bucs i wouldn’t show up this week to interview. None of them should. There’s plenty of material to write without having to ask questions this week. Just don’t show up. Let the coaching staff, front office, team(especially Special teams and defense) know we’re pissed.
November 17th, 2025 at 7:49 am
Sacks do not mean spit if you allow the other team to constantly have wide open receivers ..No team gets 3-5 3rd down sacks a game. You have to stop the other team and not have a DE 40 yards downfield
November 17th, 2025 at 7:50 am
You can’t get pressure if you only send 3 and everyone else stands there waiting for Josh to run.
November 17th, 2025 at 7:50 am
But Licht isn’t fed up so it doesn’t matter. Until he drafts better pass rushers or uses resources to sign an impact player then Bowles will be content to blitz his LBs.
November 17th, 2025 at 8:03 am
They make up for the lack of pass rush by not covering anybody
November 17th, 2025 at 8:12 am
Bozo doesn’t want a true edge rusher because he won’t be able to use his exotic schemes.
He wouldn’t know what to do with them.
You mean I just let that DE rush and maybe stunt?
No that’s not happening, then I won’t be known for all my creativity.
November 17th, 2025 at 8:58 am
Good coaches know their strengths and weaknesses and adjust. Bowles and his defensive staff do none of these things. They stick to the same scheme and try to force a round peg into a square hole. Low IQ coaches is what the Bucs have on defense right now. Its been this way for years now and the only reason the Bucs won the NFC South so many times is because the other teams sucked more. Sean Payton with a Drew Brees in his prime would have destroyed this team and Bowles would have been gone a long time ago.
November 17th, 2025 at 8:59 am
Yaya is trash. I call him “Almost Diaby”.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:01 am
Todd uses exotic defensive schemes because they look pretty on paper. Sadlyit takes your opponent to be impressed by pretty drawings. Not going to happen.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:21 am
Fools, you can’t even attempt to comprehend the mind of a defensive mastermind. Pass rush not wanted next question.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:32 am
Licht is to blame for a lot of what we’re seeing here.
Licht has been spoiled a little. He’s gotten lucky, and he thinks randomly that Lighting will strike again on a budget, which led to us landing Reddick, for a 1 year $14M per season, which everyone said what a good deal that was, and this was his JPP deal that he thought would pay off similarly.
Frankly, it’s not the orgs reputation to go after an elite pass rusher, again, JPP was 29 I think was maybe 2 seasons removed from blowing up his hand, who knows how many good years he had left, and then throw in the absurd wild card in Shaq Barrett, no one saw those type of numbers coming.
I don’t know what Licht could have done in the offseason, but at a minimum, veteran depth at OLB/DE would have been nice. There’s some solid talent that would have been worth taking a look at in a early trade. You didn’t need a Garrett or Crosby to make this pass rush more effective.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:49 am
7 YEARS!!!!
Todd BLOWS has been here 7 YEARS!!! Please tell me what he does well other than scheme up to stop the run?
November 17th, 2025 at 10:10 am
JOE some how you and co have to figure out how to show Jason and Bowles and even the glazer family some kind of evidence that we need real sack artist honestly we need 2. Obviously they tried with reddick but thinking yaya is the answer is not working. Some how someone has to get it into their freaking hard stubborn skulls. Jason has failed at drafting one. Spence , JTS and brasewell all failed. Jason is at least trying in drafting one and he attempted with reddick but man go trade for one. That worked out great with JPP trade for 2 dammit.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:11 am
One of the best things about Sundays loss is at least we know now for certain, Our Bucs are not super bowl contenders. With our Defense? We will not win one playoff game. Now we can sit back and watch our Bucs objectively without hope for a championship. We still couldwin 10 games. But Carolina is coming on guys.We might not even win the division now.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:23 am
Diaby was covering the flat. It wasn’t man coverage.
Shavers split out into the flat and since no one else was there when he vacated downfield in the scramble drill, Diaby went after him. Morrison blew it.
But otherwise I agree with all of you, Bowles “confuse the QB” defense strikes again.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:27 am
Head coaches tend to think they are smarter than anyone. This is the reason you see linebackers playing backyard football and pretending they are Deion Sanders.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:30 am
Yep season’s over
November 17th, 2025 at 10:30 am
Todd “Toilet” Bowles defense is trash. Sad to waste LaVonte’s last season with this trash.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:41 am
Bucs are feeling the effects of terrible Dline picks the last few years.
JTS, Hall, Diaby, Braswell, Nelson, Kancey. Either busts, JAGs, or hurt.
Licht needs to find someone who can evaluate Dline talent. Haven’t had a good Dline pick since Vita Vea although Roberts is promising.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:42 am
If Bowles valued a pass rusher he certainly pressure Licht to get one and I lean through trades.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:44 am
Buc2Blame Says:
November 17th, 2025 at 8:59 am
Yaya is trash. I call him “Almost Diaby”.
the worst stat in the world is “pressures”…
yaya is the KING of “almost” getting a sack..aka “pressures”
very disappointed in bowles…
GO BUCS!!!!