Todd Bowles Praises Baker Mayfield For Speaking Up
November 10th, 2025
Likes players being honest.
Yesterday in postgame remarks, Baker Mayfield said his team lacked a “killer instinct” which may have been a big reason the Bucs dropped a critical game to the Patriots.
Asked about Mayfield’s words, Todd Bowles said in his day-after presser that Mayfield is right, at least he was yesterday.
And Bowles praised Mayfield for keeping teammates straight with direct words.
“We encourage our players to have accountability,” Bowles said. “I don’t think we had a killer instinct yesterday. I thought we played like we had a bye week from an energy standpoint.
“You know, we have [a killer instinct] when we get rolling, and it’s good for him to speak up and say those things. He’s one of our captains. So guys listen when [captains] speak.
“Accountability is making sure the guy next to you is doing their job. And you know, [Mayfield is] one of the guys that advocates that. He leads by example on offense. Lavonte [David] is the leader on defense that way. And you know, we got to follow suit.”
Joe wonders when Lavonte David says guys aren’t ready to play in the wake of a loss. Why weren’t they?
If guys are the leaders they claim to be, how about taking leadership and making sure your teammates are ready and have a “killer instinct” before kickoff for a change?
Joe doesn’t want to hear from self-anointed “leaders” about not being ready to play when guys are licking their wounds after a loss.
November 10th, 2025 at 1:10 pm
No excuses they had rest and 2 weeks to prepare for this game. Came out strong and then flatlined for rest of the game. They better get prepared for a dog fight with a pissed off Bills team. The Bucs have never won in Buffalo so this week will be a challenge.
November 10th, 2025 at 1:29 pm
I would hope there’s some accountability among the players, because they sure don’t get it from Bowles.
November 10th, 2025 at 1:36 pm
“If guys are the leaders they claim to be, how about taking leadership and making sure your teammates are ready and have a “killer instinct” before kickoff for a change?”
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Did YOU (JBF) ask Bowles this question of himself ? If not, why not?
We can talk all day about players holding players accountable. In fact, I was very pleased to hear Bowles say what he did say. But the above question is a very good question and one that should have been asked of Bowles himself. Ultimately he is the man that is accountable! Bucs fans are tired of seeing this team not ready. Every single year we go through this.
Bucs fans want Bowles to be held accountable.. Bowles all too often does not get held to account. It is incumbent on the local media to hold him accountable by asking these same tough questions.
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“Joe doesn’t want to hear from self-anointed “leaders” about not being ready to play when guys are licking their wounds after a loss. ”
Good, neither do the fans. So ask the man in charge.
November 10th, 2025 at 1:40 pm
Bowles is just like the Gator coach that got fired for not giving up play calling. The only difference is that Bowles calls the defense. When your team gives up two runs over 50 yards and numerous long passes there is a problem, its name is Todd Bowles.
November 10th, 2025 at 1:41 pm
It’s the players that need to be held accountable, how the hell is it Bowles fault or any of the coach’s? They don’t play a damn down. You think it was the coach’s that had guys like Ray Lewis, Brady, Watts, any of these guys ready to go? Stop with the “coach’s didn’t have them ready to go” BS, that is a lame A** excuse.
November 10th, 2025 at 1:44 pm
I fully expect us to be sitting at 6-5 2 weeks from now.
Our defense gives up huge plays and our offense can’t score more than 20-25 pts right now.
Hopefully we snap out of it before we go on a losing streak. We’ll see…
November 10th, 2025 at 1:49 pm
Can we all accept the fact that todd bowles is marvin lewis part 2
November 10th, 2025 at 1:50 pm
61
I AGREE!!!!
coming out flat is on the players!!!!!
Bowles held them accountable before their actions last week when i told them, “DONT BE THAT TEAM”….
if coaches have to get players hype to play the game, coach might as well strap em up too!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
November 10th, 2025 at 2:03 pm
The coaches and team captains are responsible for team accountability and players have individual accountability. You need both to be successful. I do believe the “team” was rusty from having time off. Can’t do that in the middle of a season. The bye week should have been business as usual minus a game on Sunday. The team only gets time off after the season is over.
November 10th, 2025 at 2:05 pm
all that killer instinct. coming out flat is on the team. coaches and players.
November 10th, 2025 at 2:07 pm
before the bye they were “mentally tired” because of the stretch of tough games, injuries, yada. now its “oh we’re flat”. next week “mmm communication” funnny how guys paid millions forget the fundamentals in a week or two.
November 10th, 2025 at 2:22 pm
The two long td runs by Henderson are unacceptable. Just like the Gibbs run on MNF.
If you get beat, so be it. But allowing those types of breakdowns shouldn’t be happening to a veteran defense with a veteran defensive head coach. Let alone happening three times.
November 10th, 2025 at 2:51 pm
I’m looking EVERYWHERE for my Rossey Colored Glasses so that I can PRETEND that it has NOTHING to do with the coaching staff… I CAN’T FIND THEM ANYWHERE!
How is it that the PEOPLE IN CHARGE are NOT RESPONSIBLE for the Attitudes and Platitudes of the team? Have ANY OF YOU EVER BEEN ON AN ACTUAL TEAM that plays Football, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Rugby, heck… Water Polo?
It ALL Begins and Ends with the COACHING! Forever and Always! The ENTIRE ATTITUDE Comes from the Coaching Staff and ESPECIALLY THE HEAD COACH!
If the “WILL OF THE TEAM” is Flat…. IT IS COACHING! If the players are Constantly Screwing up…. IT IS COACHING! If they CAN’T Communicate with each other…. IT IS COACHING!
About the ONLY thing the coach Isn’t Responsible for is Contract Negotiations.. AND THAT IS ALL!
Why are you people PRETENDING that it’s not coaching? BECAUSE YOU’VE NEVER ACTUALLY BEEN ON AN “ACTUAL TEAM” AND HAVE NO ACTUAL CLUE AS TO WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT!
I feel sorry for the rest of us who D@mn Sure know better because We Have and WE KNOW what the REAL TRUTH IS!
If the coach is fired up, YOUR FIRED UP! If he or she don’t give a crap, You Don’t give a crap! IF YOU’RE NOT TAUGHT PROPERLY, YOU DON’T PLAY PROPERLY! EVERYTHING FLOWS DOWN HILL!
And THAT IS WHY there are “some” coaches in the HALL OF FAME for every legit sport ever known, and MOST coaches ARE NOT IN IT!
And for those who think that the bowling league that you and a few of your buddies are playing on is related in some way…. IT’S NOT!
November 10th, 2025 at 2:58 pm
This team reflects their head coach. Overweight, full of excuses, unprepared, lack heart. This is Todd ball at it’s finest.
November 10th, 2025 at 3:00 pm
Quick show of hands.
How many here think that after Coach Bowles is finally let go of his duties, he will get an offer to HC another NFL team at…say…$15 million for three (3) years? Ten million? Six?
OK…how ’bout a couple million and a lifetime supply of cheeseburgers….
Be honest…
November 10th, 2025 at 3:08 pm
Next year’s draft. The Bucs need to use all 7 picks on offensive line. If you can’t block for Baker and you can’t block to run the ball , you will never win anything
November 10th, 2025 at 3:08 pm
So Baker is a self anointed leader? He’s a captain, he shouldn’t speak up? When you say he’s self anointed that implies he doesn’t have the position to do so. He hasn’t done enough these last 2 and a half years to merit speaking as a leader? Doing so while they’re licking their wounds might be the best time. Maybe it’ll be just in time to save their season.
November 10th, 2025 at 3:13 pm
And by the way,I just re watched the game in its entirety and also the all 22 and I don’t know what the hell some people here are seeing but the defense is total at fault in this game. People that say the defense did enough to win this game are delusional, it’s the offense that did enough to win.
November 10th, 2025 at 3:18 pm
Another exciting year of Wild Card losers. Baker is a fraud. Bowles is a fraud. Fluke comeback wins against bad teams are keeping this site from talking draft picks before Thanksgiving.
November 10th, 2025 at 3:25 pm
It’s 10-7 Bucs with 7 minutes left in the half and the Pats drive all the way down the field and score a touchdown with 2 seconds remaining, reminiscent of what the Commanders did to them last season in the playoffs. Then the Pats drive get the ball and score immediately on a run up the gut to start the second half and the offense, that was leading 10-7 when they last had the ball, find themselves down 21-10 before the offense touches the ball again!
November 10th, 2025 at 3:39 pm
At the end the Bucs are down 21-16 approaching the two minute warning and are in scoring position with a third and 3. Baker hits Otton in the chest with a pass and Otton gets blasted by two defenders and can’t hold on. No one’s fault, just a good play by the Pats defense .Then on 4th down, someone whiffs on a block in the middle of the line and Baker is sacked and the Bucs turn it over on downs. But there was still 2 minutes left and we had 3 timeouts and the defense then allows another long run for a Pats touchdown to seal it.
The multitude of 50 plus yard plays given up in this game in addition to the multitude of third and longs that this defense allowed the Pats to convert into First Downs was pathetic and cost the Bucs this game.
With that said, I’m not down on the defense going forward, I think they’re showing some great potential to turn this thing around on defense. But in this game they really screwed up big.
November 10th, 2025 at 3:40 pm
“…that was leading 10-7 when they last had the ball, find themselves down 21-10 before the offense touches the ball again!”
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@Oscar
Thanks for posting that. I was going to post the same thing. That was nuts. Baker and the offense had the ball it was Bucs leading 10-7. The next time Baker and the offense touched the ball they were down 21-10. Un-freakin’-real. Only the world of Todd Bowles (defensive) football could that happen.