Sticking To What Is Not Working
November 25th, 2025
Repeating failed plays.
Joe has held off wagging a finger at rookie playcaller Josh Grizzard. He’s pretty much in a no-win situation.
The guy has had to deal with more injuries than a hospital ER after a trainwreck. With his starting line up constantly changing, it’s hard to build cohesion or consistency or rhythm.
But the Laugher in Los Angeles brought up issues with Grizzard that Joe cannot look the other way on. We’re 11 games into the season and Grizzard should be more comfortable finding what works and what doesn’t and at the very least, adjust and stay away from what is not working.
Grizzard did not do that Sunday night.
By way of closet Bucs fan and former “Good Morning Football” co-host Peter Schrager, the Bucs constantly targeted Rams corner Emmanuel Forbes.
Not once were the Bucs successful but that didn’t stop Grizzard from throwing at him.
One would think after the fifth time targeting Forbes and coming up empty, someone among the staff of hundreds the Bucs have, may have said, “Hey, yo, Josh. Don’t throw near Forbes. Try someone else.”
Bad enough opposing quarterbacks are constantly setting personal records against Todd Bowles’ defense. Now we’ve got offensive coaches setting marks of ineptitude against opposing defenses.
Football shouldn’t be this difficult, fellas.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:03 am
Dont think this year will end well 🙁
November 25th, 2025 at 7:12 am
Fans have to understand that when you get down by 14 or 21 points, your playbook for the game gets thrown out the window. I think this is where Grizzard starts to struggle. The Bucs simply don’t have the horses to get back in a game when down by that much. This is why fans get so frustrated by the defense. Everyone in the organization knew with the injuries on the offense that the D needed to pull it’s weight. Besides parts of the NE game it really hasn’t.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:13 am
This coaching staff sucks so bad its utterly embarrassing to be a fan of this train wreck season. Wait till the Cardinals beat up this farce of a team. Players have given up. No passion. No hunger. Going thru the motions. Sound familiar? Describes Todd Bowles to a tee. Worst coach in the NFL. Maybe after we get embarrassed at home Sunday they’ll send his sorry azz packing.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:20 am
Joe … ‘He (Grizz) is pretty much in a no-win situation.’
Can’t disagree Joe; we’ve gone down in flames 3 games in a row now.
Injuries are obviously a major consideration, but can’t be used as excuses. The Lions have been impacted injury-wise even more than we have, yet they have the #2 offense & the #12 defense. And that’s with a new OC AND a new DC this year.
I think what I’m seeing is that Grizz doesn’t have the ‘feel’ for the Run Game that Coen had, and it’s costing us big time because we’re wasting valuable downs. Grizz also doesn’t seem to have a good feel for how to most effectively set up the short passing game; we’ve wasted a LOT of downs there.
The proof is in the stats, specifically in our average Yards Per Play. Overall we’re at a woeful 5.1 YPP as opposed to having a 6.2 YPP average last year. Monstrous difference.
We’re mych less productive in the Run Game AND in our Pass Game. We’re running at a 4.2 YPC clip this season, as opposed to running at a 5.3 YPC average last season. Our passing has actually fallen off even further. Bucs are averaging 5.8 Yards per Pass Attempt this season, whereas last season we averaged 7.0 Yards per Pass Attempt. Huge difference.
Yes our OLine has been in turmoil much of the year. Yes our top WRs (Evans, Godwin & McMillan) have only played in 7 games TOTAL. And yes our top RB (Bucky) has only played in 4 games. But we’ve still got some decent weapons & our OLine is solidifying. Grizz needs to learn to ‘play to our strengths’.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:21 am
You sure are an angry person. Remember, it’s just a game and find a hobby before you get an ulcer.
Bucs will be fine down the stretch run.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:23 am
(Not you DR lol)
November 25th, 2025 at 7:28 am
The Lost Season as we see it?
November 25th, 2025 at 7:30 am
I think Grizzard will be a good (not great) OC that would complement a very good defense. He just needs a little more time to learn. Sadly, we don’t have a good defense, and he doesn’t have time to learn. I like G, but this is a business, and he is not cutting it.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:32 am
gee i wonder if we’re predictable
November 25th, 2025 at 7:32 am
It’s the same thing with the D & the scheme there. Nothing’s changing but yet you’re still sticking with it. There’s no way you should have this D struggling as much as it is with some of the talent that’s there. Between Vita, Kancey, Yaya, Antoine, Tykee, Lavonte & a couple others. They seriously should consider moving Kancey to DE & get him to lose 10 or 15 lbs. Then put him with Yaya & keep Roberts with Vita. There were a couple of times in that LA game when Yaya wasn’t dropping out & he had a sack & I think a TFL & a PBU. Stop dropping them out.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:36 am
Bucs would be 8-4 with Coen as the HC. Any D coordinator would be better and Coen is an offensive genius. Look what he did last year with Baker. Baker! The trash QB nobody wanted.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:38 am
Both our OC & DC do not seem to have a feel for the game, throughout the game. They are tone deaf to the talents of players and continue trying to jam square pegs into round holes, game after game, quarter after quarter, play after play. Top that off with an emotional vacuum from the ownership down to team captains (come on LVD, ME, CG, Wirfs, AWJ are NOT guys who are gonna fire you up), and wrap it in a facade of aging superstars and serviceable starters with a steep drop off in depth courtesy of a maliable and apathetic GM. You are left holding a sh!t taco. Bon appetit
November 25th, 2025 at 7:50 am
Thank you. To Joe and DR! Very well said! God bless you all and our poor struggling coaches and players!
November 25th, 2025 at 7:51 am
Months ago, multiple posters on this site said this was not the Bucs year. The posters said this year was a “warm up” and next year (2026) was the Bucs best chance at a Superbowl. I was not one of them. I thought this year was it. I was wrong – they were right.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:54 am
Grizz relies too much on screens, both WR and RB. Everybody knows they’re coming. Run game drops off after the D adjusts to our game plans and Grizz doesn’t counter well. To be fair, WR’s aren’t getting separation and the O line looks weak. Wirfs and Goedecke are still hurting and both guards are practice squad players. But this has been a rookie year performance by a rookie OC, no doubt about it.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:57 am
i disagree regarding Grizz being in a no win situation…
Grizz was on the staff last year and he was apart of the creating offensive game plans and 3rd down calls….
he knows the personnel and the playbook….
no reason why our offense should be this bad…
GO BUCS!!!!
November 25th, 2025 at 8:01 am
He gives up on the run too quickly.
November 25th, 2025 at 8:05 am
The reason is 2 out of our top 3 WR’s are still out and the remaining one isn’t quite 100% yet but getting close. Add those remaining 2 weapons and Baker will amazingly be Baker again. Receivers will be open. And the shroud of darkness lifted.
November 25th, 2025 at 8:15 am
How many of those plays were just Mayfield choosing that receiver he happened to be covering? Is Grizzard to blame here?
November 25th, 2025 at 8:28 am
Todd’s stubbornness rubs off on one and all.
November 25th, 2025 at 8:29 am
There was no or almost no talk about Captain Yale being in a no win situation at the start of the year. Lots of yammering about a bowles coaching tree (shrub) and oh grizz is on to better and bigger things.
Now with a few injuries his useless unimaginative unexperienced playcalling is exposed and he’s in a no win situation?
Even bowles says he suc ks as far as bowles ever goes to criticize anyone. The collapse against the rams was just another iteration.
November 25th, 2025 at 8:31 am
Something I’ve been wondering about. Multiple guys on the team and coaching staff have been quoted saying that the offense runs through Evans. Coach Bowles, Grizz, Baker and others have all said something along those lines.
Last year, if memory serves the Bucs lost the 4 games that Mike didn’t play in. Admittedly, Godwin and Dean also missed those games (again, if memory serves) so you have to factor that in as well.
What I wonder is if the team “loses hope” when Evans is out/injured? The effort has not been there from this team on either side of the ball. Joes reported yesterday that YaYa was the only guy on defense that showed up with solid effort.
I just can’t shake the thought that this is somehow related to Mike not being in the game.
Or maybe Coach Bowles has lost the locker room for some reason.
I know we have a lot of injuries to key players but this is still a talented team. We should be showing up better than we are.
Go Bucs!
November 25th, 2025 at 8:32 am
“We outside, but we inside. We outside, but we inside. I want everyone to go outside of their boundaries and do whatever it takes to pull a win. We gotta be desperate for greatness.”
November 25th, 2025 at 8:45 am
Perhaps if we had a sports media and journalists in Tampa that would hold the owners, GM, and coaches to a higher standard we might see a better product.
Unfortunately all I hear are scared mice asking soft ball questions and never following up after a word salad answer is given to them.
During the offseason this site and others were very much like communist block propaganda machines for the management and coaches.
I was told 11 wins was the low water mark and that we’d get a first round bye and NFC championship game at the least.
That sure didn’t age well.
November 25th, 2025 at 8:59 am
Here’s a great idea. Don’t change anything. Bring back the same head coach and the same offensive coordinator. Bring back the same players.
Everything will be better next year.
Jesus. God.
November 25th, 2025 at 9:00 am
What’s worse is that the routes were honestly jog up to the corner and turn around once you closed the gap. The DB never took a step back. They never felt challenged over the top so you can’t get any separation on a short route. Additionally that sort 4th and 2 call, really that was out gotta have it play? A I hope Sheppard can win on a slant.