Matt Stafford To Todd Bowles: Blitz Me
November 23rd, 2025
Blitzing could backfire tonight.
You live by the sword, you shall die by the sword.
Joe isn’t trying to be biblical about football but if the following plays out the way Joe fears, the Rams could hang a biblical loss on a Todd Bowles’ defense tonight.
It seems, by way of Sarah Barshop (apologies to Ms. Barshop but you don’t know how hard it was for Joe not to type out “bar hop.”), Rams quarterback Matt Stafford leads the NFL in touchdown passes, in part because he feasts on blitzes.
QB Matthew Stafford has 20 passing touchdowns against the blitz this season, which leads the NFL. According to ESPN Research, he is tied with Tom Brady (2012) for the third most by any QB in a season since ESPN began tracking blitzes. On Sunday, he will be facing a Bucs team that has blitzed at the highest rate of any team (37%) since coach Todd Bowles joined the team in 2019. Tampa Bay is blitzing 33% of the time this season.
So, it’s mano y mano. Strength vs. strength.
Given how Stafford is so good this season, and Bowles’ defense is so bad since the bye, Joe isn’t sure how any Bucs fan has any confidence in tonight’s game, especially with the Bucs’ best cornerback out in Jamel Dean.
It would be really nice if the Bucs could get Stafford on the ground a few times. But if they couldn’t do that against Drake Maye (second-most sacked quarterback) and Josh Allen, why in the world would Joe expect the perpetually flaccid Bucs edge rush to suddenly stiff up and get the job done?
Even Mike Smith is biting his fingernails over this.
November 23rd, 2025 at 12:11 am
Thats not a problem. No pass rushers in the league have as much practice as dropping back into coverage.
November 23rd, 2025 at 12:18 am
Unfortunately the “pass rushers” are about as good in coverage as they are at getting to a QB. Without blitzing and tickery they have no chance of putting a finger on a QB.
November 23rd, 2025 at 12:42 am
Maybe that’s what we need. Bowles to get in there & try to blitz Stafford this way maybe a Rams OL could knock some sense into him & then maybe he’d realize he needs to change that scheme/system around. I don’t think it would matter who we put on that D as long as the D is being run like this with this type of scheme/system.
November 23rd, 2025 at 12:48 am
Let Captain Fear take over as the defensive coordinator.
November 23rd, 2025 at 1:23 am
This could be a bloodbath, like Mike Smith type of boat-racing if Bowles calls as bad as a game as he did in Buffalo.
November 23rd, 2025 at 1:29 am
FortMyersDave…I concur.
November 23rd, 2025 at 1:39 am
It will probably be ugly for us….but you know, any given sunday.
November 23rd, 2025 at 1:58 am
Waterboy hit it right on the head… todd bowles runs the same defense he did in the superbowl year… the difference is we have no prime shaq barrett, jpp or ndamokong suh for that matter. I gotta a question ok the bucs gave up a touch down with anthony nelson in coverage… what about the other 20 touchdowns?
November 23rd, 2025 at 2:54 am
Bucs gonna get used and abused on national television they will be embarrassed in dodger town f yeah back to back go dodgers
November 23rd, 2025 at 3:06 am
Bowles is stepping into a trap of his own making. The guy never learns. Not sure I will be able to watch the entire game when it gets out of hand.
November 23rd, 2025 at 3:07 am
Go Dodgers, I said this before the bye. We are right were I thought we would be.
U see, now u see. Make a run after this lost🤙🏾
November 23rd, 2025 at 4:25 am
“Mike Smith is biting his fingernails over this.” Good one, Joe 😂😂😂 Too funny.
November 23rd, 2025 at 5:11 am
Rush three and drop 8. What could possibly go wrong?
November 23rd, 2025 at 5:13 am
This is the NFL so who the freak knows what’s really going to happen. Just the way the league wants. I think Stafford tears up the defense tonight but hoping I’m wrong. Maybe Stafford will have a back spasm or something, who knows. Just looking forward to watching my team play and hoping that they continue to get healthier for the stretch run. Four weeks from now the negatrons will still be mewling about the mid season swoon and ignore that the Chiefs and Lions are currently on the outside looking in at the projected playoffs. It’s a long season. The Bucs win the division and will be a team that nobody wants to play going into the playoffs. Book it!
November 23rd, 2025 at 5:52 am
What else is on TV Sunday night? This is going to be brutal to watch…..if only Jason did something.
November 23rd, 2025 at 6:06 am
I’m thinking trap game for the Rams. Maybe an early Xmas gift for Bucs fans.
November 23rd, 2025 at 6:38 am
Bowles stupid blitzing scheme cost the Bucs another Super Bowl when they played the rams in the playoffs a few years ago.
November 23rd, 2025 at 6:45 am
The difference in the SB years was we had a real HC in Arians telling Bowles what to do. Look how bad the offense got when Arians left even though Leftwich called plays on Sunday. The SB years we had a real HC.
November 23rd, 2025 at 6:52 am
Has Gruden been called yet?
November 23rd, 2025 at 6:53 am
I’ve grown weary following this team.
November 23rd, 2025 at 7:18 am
I suggest watching the American Revolution on PBS. At least that fight is entertaining. This will be a beatdown with a simple plot. We suck right now on D.
November 23rd, 2025 at 7:40 am
50 burger inbound. Great job to Look chat and Bowles fur all the blockading about the draft this team is a .500 team and if it didn’t play in the worst division in football both would have been gone years ago.
November 23rd, 2025 at 7:42 am
It was my hope we would come out of this mid-stretch of the season with 1 or 2 more big wins. When we took down Seattle and SF. things were looking good. The Pats were certainly improved, but beatable.
We now know Carolina is a tougher team. Luckily, the Panthers also have a few tough ones upcoming (49ers, Rams, Seahawks) that they have to battle through. It will come down to those 2 divisional games.
I want us to plow through this last part of the schedule and be a force heading into the play-offs (12-5?). In order to get deep, we have to beat those very good teams. I sure don’t want to sit through another Commanders debacle.
November 23rd, 2025 at 7:43 am
Oh yeah, and Go Bucs!
November 23rd, 2025 at 7:47 am
Wake me up when Bowles is gone.
November 23rd, 2025 at 8:03 am
lol a lot of you are traumatized from being Buc fans. lol welcome to the club, it’s always been like this
November 23rd, 2025 at 8:11 am
A lot of doom and gloom. Could be right, but you could be wrong. This is the NFL, and teams that had a great week previously can absolutely blow up the next and lose the game. Don’t think this game will be high scoring at all. Look for the Bucs to dink and dunk up and down the field. Keep Stafford off the field while forcing them to do the same. Mayfield magic at the end of the game. Bucs kick a last second field goal 24-21 win.
November 23rd, 2025 at 8:41 am
Bowels needs to shelve his pride and hire a defensive coordinator. Can anyone offer any supporting evidence that this is a well coached team? Watching this season spiral down the drain is nothing short of sickening. Defense completely sucks, defensive scheme is a complete laughable joke,
November 23rd, 2025 at 8:42 am
Stafford has always been good against the blitz. I believe he was the best in the league in the 2022 playoff game where Bowles predictably blitzed Stafford (a bunch) and left Winfield alone to cover Cooper Kupp, one on one in the open field to set up the final gut punch. Bowles will never change, sadly.
However, we have great culture!
November 23rd, 2025 at 8:46 am
Bowels needs to shelve his pride and hire a defensive coordinator. Can anyone offer any supporting evidence that this is a well coached team? Watching this season spiral down the drain is nothing short of sickening. Defense completely sucks, defensive scheme is a complete laughable joke, special teams suck and the offense is not the well oiled machine it was a few weeks back. Can this coaching staff get you to the big party? Heck, can this coaching staff win one playoff game? Stinks. Total stank coming out of one buc place of late…
November 23rd, 2025 at 8:49 am
No John, we can’t provide much evidence at all that they are a well coached team. In fact, they are always out-coached when meeting a superior or even good coach and/staff. See Rams game tonight.
I have asked before, who has Bowles ever out-schemed or out-coached?
November 23rd, 2025 at 9:19 am
You have to have perfect call and they have to be perfectly timed. Bowles is one of those belicheat dinosaurs just like a lot of his coaches and He lied about his offseason epiphany and he’s doing what he’s always done. The scheme is stale and stagnant. He was talking like he’d move all his corners around to fit the receivers meaning for example Zyon should play drake London in the slot not Parrish. It’s time to accept this team will be the exact same team they are every year under Todd Bowles because they refuse to change. It’s going to take losing the division to wake them from this slumber
November 23rd, 2025 at 9:49 am
McVay is looking to set NFL records tonight with his offense.
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:14 am
I agree with you John he should have fired himself as defensive coordinator in 2023 when he fired Leftwitch and focused on being a head coach. Then Jason light keeps listening to Bowles tell him we don’t need edge rushers. I’m personally sick of seeing opposing Quarterbacks have time to pick us apart every week every season and the coach and general manager do nothing about it.
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:14 am
Bowles wants to help McVay set a record tonight. Stafford 450 yards , 5 TDs, 0 Ints. Rams 48, Bucs 21. Bowles is the smartest DC in the league, he deserves every penney of his extension.
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:16 am
Braswell will shock the world tonight! Prepare yourself to be amazed. He may actually get in the same frame as Stafford…as Stafford launches a 60 yd td
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:20 am
Maybe Stafford will beat Brees’s single game completion rate record if 96.7% tonight. Then Cousins can top that when he visits Tampa
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:25 am
it was actually a called blitz that didn’t happen because of a communication breakdown, not a failed blitz, if I recall in that Rams game that cost us a SB… we got abused in that game to by the way, was nothing short of miraculous we even had a chance at the end.
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:28 am
Wow what can be said tha has not been stated. Yes Stafford is incredible against the Blitz. You are not going to fool him. The Bucs have no horses up front and Dean is out. I hope Parrish plays outside tonight. That and hopefully seeing Godwin on the field tonight are the only things to watch. I am just happy for Chris. It has been a hard road for him. Other than that, this game may be over by the first quarter. Yes I predicted a 50 burger a week ago and don’t see much to change that. Personally, I may tune in early just to see Godwin hopefully catch a pass or two. Then yes I am moving on. This game will be to painful to watch. It has all the markings of a hugh embrassment in prime time. Score, Rams 50, Bucs, 14.
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:28 am
I hate to say it Kayla but you’re probably right. It makes me sick as a fan to watch this team go through these bad slumps every year that Bowles has been the coach.
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:44 am
Nah, Licht should have done that. Instead, he is a maliable puppet to whatever coach du jour. That there is trickle up leadership. Great way to play the hero when team is winning and deflect when swooning
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:47 am
The punchline is “because stand alone primetime games are Viagra to loafing free agent pass rushers looking to audition for one more pay day next year”?
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:52 am
In fact, Licht and the Glazers should have put the ultimatum on the table to Bowles, “Hire a DC or be fired,” last year when they offered Coen to OC money. And, along with sed offer to Coen, a promise to inherit HC upon Todd’s retirement or immediate dismissal for not hiring a DC.
So blame Todd all you want, but leadership starts at the top and they have the powere to effect change. For instance, my child makes poor decisions, it’s my job to correct and help eliminate the negative affects of those choices. If I just stand by and watch them continue making the same poor choices, I am neglecting my responsibilities as a leader/parent. So this is on Licht
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:00 am
ChiBuc – terrific points.
It all starts with the glazers. If in fact Todd does make the least amount of HC money as several have suggested, it makes me wonder if winning the division and nothing else is just fine with them.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:02 am
Glazers also need to get after Licht as well. Get some established pass rushers. Howie Roseman wasted no time improving the pass for Philly. If we’d picked up Jaelen Phillips for a 3rd rounder (he’s played well so far with Philly) we’d have a potential replacement for Reddick. If he’d leave in free agency, Bucs would’ve mist likely received a 3rd round comp pick. So this move would’ve made sense. Who’s to say next year’s 3rd round wouldn’t be JTS 2.0 or Chris Braswell 2.0
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:14 am
Guys, realize that there will be no new DC coming to the rescue at mid-season of this year. We are locked in to whatever idiotic scheme that Bowles has in his head. He played DB in his youth and certainly feels he should know better than others. Trouble is he is outdated, bull-headed, stuck in his ways, and unable to adapt to new ways of doing things in today’s NFL.
Only JL/Glaziers can this this off-season.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:35 am
The most interesting thing this season is now the Bowleszone Question….Can Bowles do better than 9-8???? To make it he needs 4 more wins for 10-7.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:40 am
We’ve heard of the Nickle D and the Dime ,,, tonight Bowles implements the Silver dollar D,, Vita and Braswell rush and drop 9 in coverage ,,, the result will be the same amount of sacks and less big plays ,, it’s never been done but a genius like Bowles can pull this off
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:41 am
Bowles D plays look like Hurricane Spaghetti Models.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:52 am
I think our offense will be so inept tonight that the Rams won’t really need to play pedal to the metal offense. This will keep the score down a little, say, 31 to 16…but it won’t be that close. I think our goal should be to do whatever is necessary to keep the Rams health – they play the Panthers next week.
I’m not watching, I don’t want to ruin my Thanksgiving week off 🙂
Go Bucs!!
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:54 am
Bowles scheme for tonight is rush all the LBs and Drop the whole Dline in coverage. Its gonna work this time.
November 23rd, 2025 at 12:33 pm
We beat this team by out scoring them- kinda like the Seattle game.
November 23rd, 2025 at 1:03 pm
This will be a Joker Laugh tonight we will be Blown Away
November 23rd, 2025 at 1:29 pm
At least the Rams don’t have Cooper Kupp. Bowles is probably breathing a sigh of relief. It’s gonna be a long night.
November 23rd, 2025 at 1:54 pm
The bye allowed Todd to design his bloodbath defense. More Vita Vea covering slot receivers, more communication gaps in the secondary, more time to develop excuses. Jason and Todd are milking owners dry. Who thought Todd would deserve an extension… just Jason. Who thinks Jason’s a draft genius, just Todd. We have a crapping situation because Todd and Jason. No more no less.
November 23rd, 2025 at 3:37 pm
Sending 5 when you play a 5-2 is not a blitz.
As for sending a blitz, yes. Live or die by the blitz, but make sure it’s an actual blitz, not just sending 5 while playing a super soft zone so he’s got 4 wide open receivers to lazily toss the ball too on every snap.
November 23rd, 2025 at 3:52 pm
Hey Stafford: F off! Go Bucs!
November 23rd, 2025 at 4:09 pm
A night prime time game out west against possibly the best team in the nfl. Hoping for
The best but could be ugly.
November 23rd, 2025 at 6:24 pm
We already saw this in the playoffs in 2021.
Bowles spent the entire 1st half blitzing and getting picked apart.
Then he smartened up in the 2nd half and stoped blitzing, and we held the Rams in check… until the final drive when, you guessed it, we started blitzing again.