“There Was Plenty Of Time”
November 17th, 2025
Bucs coach Todd Bowles winces during the loss to the Bills. So too did Bucs fans.
Joe’s head is still spinning as to why the head coach who applauded his quarterback, Baker Mayfield, for scolding his teammates last week for lacking a “killer instinct” showed on Sunday he didn’t have any either.
It was Buffalo 37, Bucs 32 with 7:48 left in the game. In the Bills’ previous three possessions, Buffalo had scored 16 points, including a one-play touchdown drive when Josh Allen threw to James Cook for 25 yards following a Baker Mayfield interception.
Everyone at the game and the millions watching across the nation on CBS knew if the Bucs didn’t put points on the board, Buffalo would get the ball back, score and seal the game.
Everyone, apparently, but Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
On fourth-and-two from the Bucs-36, with two running backs who both averaged over five yards a carry during the game, the same man who applauded his quarterback for hollering at teammates for not having a killer instinct, himself went turtle and punted.
Naturally, Buffalo got the ball back, scored a touchdown and that was your ballgame.
Bowles defended his short-sighted decision afterwards.
“There was plenty of time,” Bowles said about getting the ball back and perhaps taking the lead after the punt. “We felt like we had we had a chance.
“It was early in the fourth quarter, we felt like we had a chance to not give them a short field there.”
Well, it was midway through the quarter, not early. As in half-over. And what on earth gave Bowles the idea that his defense could hold Buffalo when the previous three Buffalo possessions the Bills ran through the Bucs like someone yelled “Free beer!” at a Bills’ table-breaking tailgate.
Joe understands a coach having faith in players but you can’t coach with your heart. It was an alarming lack of awareness to think the Bucs would even hold Buffalo to a field goal.
That decision right there doomed the Bucs.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:03 am
I’m done w bowels
November 17th, 2025 at 12:04 am
Bad coaching on both sides of the ball. But Bowles is the HC, and he continues to prove he isn’t a championship DC anymore and definitely not a championship HC. The Bucs should still win the terrible NFC South but this team will likely find a way to lose in the playoffs.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:07 am
There was plenty of time if you get a stop. But that’s the issue Bowles – everyone in the nation knew you were not going to get a stop, certainly not playing that garbage super soft zone. Literally everyone knew there was zero chance of getting a stop. Apparently everyone but you.
But at least you made up for it by repeatedly punting from the Bills 42 yard line, and not challenging a terrible spot on a 3rd down play that left it forth and inches, meanwhile you did challenge an obvious dropped ball in the 1st quarter.
That’s why people often don’t like you, don’t think you’re up to the job. You make a lot of really stupid decisions, way more than average.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:11 am
Other ridiculous decisions by Bowles during the game: (1) replay challenging the obviously incomplete pass to Tez Johnson in the first quarter. The pass was clearly incomplete and took the zebras a nanosecond to confirm. It cost the Bucs a critical timeout that would have come in handy at the end of the second quarter when we had to settle for a field goal, instead of having at least one more shot at a TD; (2) The way-too-early decision to go for the 2-point conversion midway through the 3rd quarter. We ended up chasing that point the rest of the game; (3) repeatedly kicking off short of the goal line, instead of booting it out of the endzone for a touchback. Giving the Bills the ball at the 35-yard line to start every series sucks, unless you are giving it to them at the 50 (or better), as we continued to do.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:11 am
Everyone is way too hung up on the teams record today – the big thing is we WON THE TURNOVER BATTLE! Plus we HAD MORE YARDS RUSHING and DOMINATED TIME OF POS! It was basically a perfect game, other than the score.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:16 am
Didn’t trust his OC. Getting 2 at your own 40 is very different than inside the 5 though.
It’s tiresome guys. The worst way to lose is due to coaching. Happens to this team far too often. Hasn’t happened much this season, in fairness, but it has plenty the last 4 years.
Hopefully Grizzard is struggling because he built it around a stud WR core and beast OL. There was good protection and holes to run today though. Makes it even crazier how inefficient the playcalling was.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:16 am
Listen, I am going to keep it real. The Bucs are an ok/slightly above average team at best with Todd B being the head coach. It’s just that simple and his previous records show that. While other good teams are growing and things are clicking as the season goes on, the Bucs appear to be getting worse. And please don’t get it twisted if the Bucs miraculously win 4-5 games before the season is done… they play some pretty horrible teams. Unless things change in a hurry, the Bucs might (or might not) make the playoffs but will be bounced in a hurry.
I crave for this team to just have one freaking game where they come out and are the best in all 3 phases of the game. But the simply the Bucs cannot put together a complete game. Who would have thought Dave freaking Canalas and the panthers would be nipping at the Bucs toes. Dave freaking Canalas (said in the way like wolf of wall street in the Benihana scene).
November 17th, 2025 at 12:19 am
LOL!
November 17th, 2025 at 12:21 am
And if you don’t convert, what an idiotic decision. Don’t get me wrong, the defense played horribly but if you don’t convert, you’re giving the game away. The lack of a pass rush was galling.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:22 am
I don’t think the team recovers from this. This defense has laid down too many times. At this point I don’t think we will win another game. The Glazers need to make a statement and so does Jason. If nothing happens the disease may spread to the offense. They could lose Baker over this.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:25 am
Dave and Liam both doing well. I didn’t know Liam is making more than 3 times the salary Todd is. He may get them in the playoffs. I don’t see Bucs moving ng off Bowles unless baker quietly makes it a condition to resign, which I don’t think he would. He seems to have a respect for Bowles.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:27 am
Monday morning QB is always perfect. If they ran that 4th and 2 and got stuffed on their own 36 you’d then say it was a bad decision to go for it on your own 36 with over 7 mins left in the game. If 2 yds were that easy to get they would’ve scored from the goal line after that first INT that they got on the red zone.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:30 am
Fire this asshole
November 17th, 2025 at 12:50 am
To be fair, we had a stop and a BS (but unfortunately the right call…) facemask sealed the game for us. We had em stuffed for a FG at best and we get a flag that gave em first and goal. They score game over. If that doesn’t happen we got a few mins down 8 and a ball game
November 17th, 2025 at 12:57 am
That decision says everything we need to know about Bowles – no heart or game awareness! Everyone knew that punting there was the game – except Bowles!
The team takes on the personality of the coach. No fire – no passion!
Regardless what happens – we are one-and-done IF we make the playoffs. BTW – the Panthers have more fire and momentum. They could beat us twice!
November 17th, 2025 at 12:59 am
While the article is true, it’s a microcosm of the bigger problem – that after 6 years in the same system, Todd’s defense is still too unreliable to rely on for a key stop.
What’s the point of having a defensive-minded HC if the defense is consistently the weak link? 6 years in this system, multiple high draft picks invested, yet we’re constantly plagued with the same miscommunications, mental errors, soft coverage…All the while, young creative offensive-minded assets continue to walk out the door.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:04 am
He’s a defensive coach. He’s always going to have confidence in HIS Defense getting a stop. Especially, when they need it. It is what is is. That was NOT the reason THEY LOST. It is what it is. But, for like the 4th or 5th-TIME, since going all the way back to even BEFORE the season had started… Can we please SCRAP the going for TWO midway through the FRICKEN 3RD-QUARTER. It’s Unbelievable.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:08 am
I remember this moment in the game and thought that surely Bowles would go for it, could not believe he punted. It was so clearly the wrong move. Instinctively we all knew this was wrong and we would never be able to stop the Bills and the game would get out of hand. I thought we should run it for the 2 yards. Just a really pivotal moment in the game and his defense was overpowered by that point in the game. So the truth is these moments are what make Todd Bowles nothing more than mediocre, if that. I think he is never going to be fired as well he is very affordable, he is the least paid coach in the league.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:21 am
For the life of me, I cannot understand why JL has not been way more aggressive during Free Agency, and trading for Linebackers/EDGE. It has been YEARS NOW, and this Defense is STILL WEAK. That is 💯 on JL and Bowles, then you throw-in the Godwin situation (he had is OUT and Chris was still going to get PAID… a total win/win for everyone), the Reddick move (could’ve seen that one from a MILE away, trying to cut corners, by getting by on the cheap), & choosing Bowles over Cohen. I’m sure that Baker just loooved that one!!!! And, just think… Next year we will have TWO 30+year-old $20+MIL per WR’s that we’ll be stuck with, who are now both, considered injury-prone. NICE.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:44 am
Hmmm, running 6 yard routes when you need 8 yard. It’s those two yards that killed the game winning drives last two games. Not to mention the two 2point conversions, Why does this team have such a hard time with 2 yard plays? Go Bowles?
November 17th, 2025 at 1:46 am
As long as Bowles is the coach this team will be mediocre at best and they just gave him a 3 year extension this head coach ain’t going nowhere #!! Please fire the special teams coach already they won’t back to being mediocre #!!