The Collapse Of The Defense
November 29th, 2025
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
Only twice before the bye did the Bucs cough up 28 or more points in a game.
Since the bye, it’s every game.
The Bucs defense has absolutely collapsed. It’s like dudes’ heads are still in the DR or in Tulum, or back in their old college town or wherever the hell these guys visited during the bye week.
Did the loss of cornerback Jamel Dean help make things this bad?
Rich Hribar of Sharp Football Analysis documented how far the Bucs defense has fallen off and is on the cusp of pushing the Bucs out of the playoff chase in a division they had a death grip on.
* Over their past six games, the Bucs are averaging 1.72 points per drive, 26th in the league.
* Tampa Bay has allowed a league-high 13 touchdowns from outside of the red zone.
Joe hopes the Bucs’ head coach has had a sitdown with his defensive coordinator and figured things out. If the head coach can’t help the defensive coordinator fix the defense, when both guys are defensive guys, then you have a real problem on your hands. (Yes, Joe knows who’s in charge of the defense.)
The Bucs were play9ing decent defense after Calijah Kancey’s pectoral injury. Can’t blame that.
Simply put, if the Bucs allow a sad sack team like the Cardinals to win in their house on the day Simeon Rice is inducted into the Ring of Honor, there must be serious appraisals of job performances at One Buc Palace.
November 29th, 2025 at 10:09 am
Did everyone forget that over half the team had the flu 3 days before last week’s game? Would you expect anyone with a lung impairment to bring in enough oxygen for that much exertion? Most can hardly walk to the next room, much less run for three hours with the flu.
November 29th, 2025 at 10:14 am
Will Defensive Guru Todd Bowles allow another personal best for Bissett? Like a reoccurring nightmare.
Bowles dropping pass rushers back to cover wide receivers is getting very old. Just blitz the hell out of him and play man to man. How much worse can it get?
Getting like Zion, bored with this crap.
November 29th, 2025 at 10:24 am
Fire Todd
November 29th, 2025 at 10:25 am
Hey Dave we’re tired of the excuses
November 29th, 2025 at 10:28 am
If our defense isn’t built to survive Dean & Kancey missing games, I’ve got bad news…
November 29th, 2025 at 10:28 am
The flu only accounted for one game what about the others fired Todd
November 29th, 2025 at 10:35 am
Vegas it’s gonna be a long couple of years for ya watching Bowles at the helm.
Maybe start rooting for your Vegas raiders? Lol
November 29th, 2025 at 10:36 am
What’s our record in ROH games?
November 29th, 2025 at 10:38 am
Joe … ‘Tampa Bay has allowed a league-high 13 touchdowns from outside of the red zone.’
SURRENDERING EXPLOSIVE PLAYS, both running AND passing! There-in lies the biggest problem with this year’s Bucs’ defense. And they can’t blame 1 or 2 players; it’s the whole team. Can’t help but feel that opponents have seen SOMETHING (?) in our schemes that they can take advantage of. We just haven’t figured out yet what that is.
It seems unprecedented though for a Bucs’ defense. They’ve given up 4 rushing TDs of greater than 20 yds each (25, 78, 55, 69) and 9 passing TDs of greater than 20 yds each (50, 29, 21, 27, 72, 43, 52, 25, 24). Interestingly, only 1 long rushing TD and 3 long passing TDs occurred in the first 6 games (when we went 5-1). In the last 5 games, our defense has given up 3 long rushing TDs & 6 long passing TDs (and we’ve gone 1-4). Coincidence? Sure, we’ll go with that.
November 29th, 2025 at 10:46 am
Can’t blame this on Jamel Dean and most people didn’t even want him here plus he will be gone next year anyway. No coaches have a shelf life just like players and Bowles is trash. He needs to get a coordinator and focus on game day duties man you’re old af in this game
November 29th, 2025 at 10:51 am
Kancey who? Yet, everyone was afraid of Campbell’s shoulder. We like to point out how Kyle can’t make an active roster? Yet, where was Bridgewater before the bucs mercy hired him? Oh wait, Dean is brittle? Yet, AWJ (and soon to follow, BM) has a similar injury history. Sure would be nice if Licht could grab the reins and start drafting some football players. Nice guys finish last. Leaders don’t need nice guys, because they are not afraid to lead
November 29th, 2025 at 10:51 am
Dave makes a great point about the flu. I am sure many oy the players on both sides of the ball were in a weakened state. It is true that the defensive woes span 3 games, but the first half of the Rams game was easily the worst.
November 29th, 2025 at 11:00 am
Brissett and the McBride going eat we all know how bozos defense plays against back up QBs
November 29th, 2025 at 11:01 am
i think the defense is just bored with playing good teams. they’ll be more attentive the next couple of weeks, leading to a minor blip in stats. they knew they cant win with either the DC or OC they have, so they checked out. everyone is waiting for a couple of wins down the stretch, the inevitable playoff exit, and then the offseason. not sure the glazers have the guts to fire bowles, but they should. the fanbase deserves better than this…..look at what the bears have done after refusing to accept garbage coaching…
November 29th, 2025 at 11:01 am
Serious job appraisals?
Hopefully that ship has sailed.
3+ years of mediocrity is about all anyone should be forced to accept. The Bowles legacy is under achievement. Time for a change.
November 29th, 2025 at 11:07 am
Bowels is a BUST….
Who is a great option out there to replace him….
Todd Monken would be an exciting HC of the Bucs…
Maybe Klint Kubiak who is doing well with Darnold…
November 29th, 2025 at 11:19 am
Here we are- –2/3 of the season and and we are praying for a win against one of the worst teams in the NFL! How could a team with such lofty aspirations have fallen so far? I don’t want to hear sh!t about injuries. Look at the 49rs. Their injuries are worse than ours and they have 8 wins. The difference =Kyle Shanahan and a GM that breaks his azz trying to improve his team other than the draft. Folks, that the reason.
November 29th, 2025 at 11:21 am
Bridgewater was backup QB for Detroit in 2023 and 2024.
Look it up. First.
November 29th, 2025 at 11:22 am
This defense is lifeless, clueless and helpless.
November 29th, 2025 at 11:32 am
Plus the 49ers actually have a good DC.
November 29th, 2025 at 11:40 am
Todd Bowels is tied with Dave Canales for the lowest paid Head Coach n the League.
That tells you all you need to know.
Liam Coen makes 4 times as much.
Why can’t Tampa get this right?
Thus is 4 straight years of losing after the bye.
Move on, this season is toast already.
November 29th, 2025 at 11:47 am
Pewter Power, I am glad you brought up Dean. A big reason the Bucs lost the Pats game is that Bowles ahd to sub his draft pick, untested and inexperienced rookie Benjie Morrison in to sub for Jamal Dean during key parts of that game even though Morrison has been injured, missed training camp and it seemed like Bowles was adamant to give the kid reps at Dean’s expense. Sure enough, Morrison was on the field for the explosive plays which made the difference in the game. Thanks Todd.
BTW, you guys mentioning the flu have a point but other teams surely have also had issues with a bug and did not manage to get boatraced. It seemed like the Bucs were ready to quit after they had to punt on the first possession. I guess feeling like dog dung and having to try to implement Bowles’ exotic schemes are enough to make the players quit for the night.
November 29th, 2025 at 11:57 am
Opposing offenses are in charge of our defense.
Fire the DC!!!!
November 29th, 2025 at 11:58 am
Loosing Reddick hurt .. 2sacks in 3 games ..I know he did not put up the sacks but he was helping
November 29th, 2025 at 12:05 pm
I must agree absent a few players the whole defense is not playing. That is what needs to be fixed. If the offense does not score a ton of points tomorrow they will lose The Cardinals are averging over 20 poits a game.The have pretty good receivers and they will likely go after McColumn. I sure think he needs to be benched. The way he is playing it certainly would not hurt.
The Cardinals have a poor recored but have penty of fight and don’t give up. They are playing good teams close. This will be a close game in my opinion. I just think this defense has imploded and the Bucs lose this game and the season tomorrow.
November 29th, 2025 at 12:43 pm
I think people underestimate the effect of injuries plus going through 3 tough opponents. We definitely looked and played deflated last week. A lot of players are coming bag. If we can get our confidence back we are a solid club. If that happens it’ll be interesting to see how good we are in the playoffs.
November 29th, 2025 at 2:20 pm
Trask was a back up QB for Tampa in 2023 and 2024. So
November 29th, 2025 at 4:43 pm
Our Bucs will lose if we do not get some kind of pressure on Brissett. He can throw the ball with accuracy. The man has proven he can play in Arizona.
November 29th, 2025 at 5:07 pm
Mike Johnson Says:
November 29th, 2025 at 4:43 pm
Our Bucs will lose if we do not get some kind of pressure on Brissett. He can throw the ball with accuracy. The man has proven he can play in Arizona.
——————
And there in lies the issue – same issue year after year. Nothing against our draft picks this year but WR, CB, CB when the biggest glaring need was the DL is rearing its ugly head – again. I know DR here’s that.
November 29th, 2025 at 5:22 pm
Joe has been harping on an edge rush and sacks for years now. It’s never been more obvious than now, with this version of the Bucs, that it is sorely lacking, killing the D.
Now, do Todd and Jason look at team sacks and pressure and havoc totals, which according to Sharp and others they still rank fairly high in and think that’s not the problem?
Cause Todd is having to run a ridiculous scheme with sacks and havoc coming from all 11 guys to get those numbers instead of letting DBs be DBs and creating noise up front with 4-5 guys.
November 29th, 2025 at 7:24 pm
All we need is QB pressure’s.
Toad Bowels is happy with his defense.
Mediocrity is celebrated in Tampa now.
Perhaps things will change after 2028.