“We Talked About Kicking It Out Of Bounds”
November 16th, 2025
Todd Bowles
Buffalo’s first 5 kick returns went for 220 yards today. Keep in mind most are caught around the 10 yard line.
Joe asked head coach Todd Bowles about this after the game — whether he considered calling a code red.
By “code red,” Joe means aborting trying to cover kicks.
JoeBucsFan.com: What was going on with the kickoff coverage and did you give any thought to just kicking it out of bounds or out of the end zone?
Todd Bowles: We talked about kicking it out of bounds and then kicking it in the end zone, we never got it there. Not very good. We were playing 7-on-7 football starting from midfield and beyond the entire game. That’s tough to do in the NFL consistently throughout. So, the kickoff coverage and the field position really killed us.
Joe can’t recall ever seeing consistently poor kickoff coverage like the Bucs’ showcased today. And it didn’t look fluky like anyone was slipping or caught out of position.
Joe will have more later on the very leaky kickoff coverage from one of the Bucs’ core special teams players.
November 16th, 2025 at 5:38 pm
Fire the special teams coordinator. Been bad every week.
November 16th, 2025 at 5:39 pm
It starts at the top with the head coach.
November 16th, 2025 at 5:41 pm
Anyone expect anything different from this coaching staff? These are Todd’s people handpicked for their expertise.
November 16th, 2025 at 5:42 pm
Guess it was the towel boys fault your D gave up a 4 play 95 yard drive too…
November 16th, 2025 at 5:43 pm
No excuse. This needs to stop Todd. Step down as D Cord and fire special teams coach. Its all on YOU !!!!!!!!
November 16th, 2025 at 5:43 pm
Is this guy serious? All season long Special Teams has been a problem. We celebrate tackles at the 35-40 like they’re big plays. We can’t return anything to flip the field either. It’s all a sick joke.
November 16th, 2025 at 5:46 pm
Toad Bowels: “So, the kickoff coverage and the field position really killed us.”
Wrong, Toad. Your basement dwelling Swiss cheese defense really killed us.
I think it’s past time we had a mental health test run on the HC.
He’s either on the spectrum or has a brain injury.
I’m just glad he isn’t a doctor or a pilot.
November 16th, 2025 at 5:46 pm
Wow, amazing feedback Todd.
Keep up the great work.
November 16th, 2025 at 5:47 pm
2026 NFL Draft talk time
November 16th, 2025 at 5:48 pm
ST has been an issue all year and Todd just freezes in the light of day
He is such a joke as a HC
November 16th, 2025 at 5:49 pm
I don’t think Bucky and The WR’s coming back is going to make much difference this year. To many positions need upgraded and staff modified.
November 16th, 2025 at 5:51 pm
I like me the name Toad for the head coach.
Nice.
November 16th, 2025 at 5:51 pm
Toad, you are truly the best! Extend him! Dude screams mediocre. I’m totally over it. No chance this guy will ever lead any team to a Super Bowl. You could have given him the undefeated Dolphins and he would have screwed them up!
November 16th, 2025 at 5:53 pm
Imagine if…
The 3 last minute comeback wins to start the season
November 16th, 2025 at 5:53 pm
Late in 4th quarter we’re down 5. Closing on midfield. Third and 2. Pass to Shep, can’t connect. Should have been running- twice if necessary. 4th and 2 we punt. They go up 12 points after a time eating 85 yard drive. Game over. Coaches get the blame today. Griz has to run that third and 2 and Bowles has to go for it on 4th and 2. Bowles had to see our defense wasn’t gonna stop that hall of famer today. And if Baker didn’t check out of that 3rd and 2 to a run it’s on him too. The good news is we’ve got a run game. We may win out. Demote the special teams coach. I hate seeing anyone get fired.
November 16th, 2025 at 5:53 pm
Toad will say, “We gotta coach em up better and they gotta play better. And I gotta eat more so I can go from obese to morbidly obese.”
November 16th, 2025 at 5:55 pm
Grade Your Confidence In Todd Bowles (Poll Closed)
Confident
42.01% (318 votes)
Little Confidence
25.63% (194 votes)
Very Confident
15.72% (119 votes)
Totally Confident
10.17% (77 votes)
No Confidence
6.47% (49 votes)
You people are turds. Defend your votes. Why back this LOSER?
November 16th, 2025 at 5:56 pm
Whats Rich Bisaccia up to these days?
November 16th, 2025 at 5:59 pm
Don’t worry, 9-8 is still very much in play.
What is Todd’s record as a HC?
November 16th, 2025 at 5:59 pm
It wouldn’t have mattered if we scored. This defense would have given it right back up.
November 16th, 2025 at 5:59 pm
There was no kickoff coverage!
November 16th, 2025 at 6:00 pm
Confidence poll severely declining this week.
November 16th, 2025 at 6:00 pm
I hope Bowles gets fired, no excuse–these are all fireable offenses, the entire season has been a special teams disaster.
November 16th, 2025 at 6:01 pm
I still don’t get Bowles reasoning, just kick it out of the endzone
November 16th, 2025 at 6:01 pm
Bucs4Ever at least we know you can copy and paste.
November 16th, 2025 at 6:05 pm
Todd’s record as a head coach is 53 wins – 67 loses for those interested in why the Bucs fan are angry.
November 16th, 2025 at 6:06 pm
What a Guru. Yes the Bowles Genius shines again.
November 16th, 2025 at 6:07 pm
Been saying it for 5 weeks now. This team will not win their division. This team lacks the killer instinct. When the Bucs didn’t go for it 4th and 2 with 5 minutes to go I said it was over. You couldn’t stop the Bills. This team needs new coaching and I mean now. Way too good of a team. This team looks off and not fired up. Some plays yes but sometimes they look like they are just going through the motions. Should have won the last 2 games.
November 16th, 2025 at 6:09 pm
So can the kicker not consistently kick out of the end zine? What he man by “we never got it there”?
November 16th, 2025 at 6:10 pm
Elliot. Is under 500
November 16th, 2025 at 6:13 pm
“We talked about it…never got there.”
Sounds about right. All talk, no action with this coaching staff. Just keep doing the same thing. Keep starting SVD. Keep playing your DBs 15 yards off WRs. Keep Anthony Nelson at free safety. Keep running up the gut every 1st down for 1 yard.
Nothing is working, why change it?
November 16th, 2025 at 6:13 pm
**Correction** So can the kicker not consistently kick the ball out of the end zone? What does he mean by “we never got it there”?
November 16th, 2025 at 6:18 pm
Where’s 813? Toad needs someone to defend him. Maybe he’s having lunch with NDog? Remember him?
November 16th, 2025 at 6:22 pm
Mr. Bowletatohead is delusional
November 16th, 2025 at 6:41 pm
So they talked about it but did nothing.
Like how they talk about the issues in Defense and then do nothing different.
That is coaching. And we get outcoached a lot against good teams.
But is ok. We talk about it and we will continue to do the same things.
November 16th, 2025 at 6:48 pm
Better idea, how about just onside kicks instead. Might get like 5% of them recovered, but the offenses are going to score 100% of the time if Bowles is going to play his patented super soft zone – so basically it’s the smart thing to do.
November 16th, 2025 at 6:58 pm
Clueless Toilet Bowles
November 16th, 2025 at 7:06 pm
It’s been bottom 5 all year
November 16th, 2025 at 7:12 pm
It’s pretty sad when your special teams gives up more yards on returns than what your own qb threw for the game…
Pathetic!
November 16th, 2025 at 7:18 pm
Let’s check with the FBI about their sports gambling probe and find out who put big money on over 200 yards for the Bills kickoff returns.
November 16th, 2025 at 7:25 pm
“ Joe can’t recall ever seeing consistently poor kickoff coverage like the Bucs’ showcased today.” Have you not been watching our special teams all season. [Sure have. Apparently you haven’t. Feel free to let Joe know the last time the Bucs *averaged* 39 yards per return. Has to be at least six games ago — Joe]. was on top of it and talked about how our Special Team’s coach is historically awful [BS — Joe wrote about this the day Thomas McGaughey was hired — pay attention!]. He should have been fired earlier in the season.
November 16th, 2025 at 7:32 pm
I
November 16th, 2025 at 7:36 pm
It was the offense! No, it was the defense! Wait, it was special teams!
Todd Bowles says “hello”. “What about me?” “Mr.500 football.”
November 16th, 2025 at 7:53 pm
Matter of fact coach you are right! Kick it out of bounds we are that bad. Allen numbers wise looked like he had an awesome day but the reality is we spotted him 50 yards after every special teams kick off. ST coach should be fired. I have seen enough.
November 16th, 2025 at 8:14 pm
We need the “Quick Kick” and the onside kick. Every time. Then go for it on all 4th downs and 2 point coversions.
November 16th, 2025 at 8:18 pm
Please explain how our kickoffs are the worst in the league. Nobody can cover ever. Every opponent basically starts at midfield while our kickreturn is lucky if the average starting at the 25.
Is 10 weeks not enough to change the damn kickoff, try squib kicking , out of the end zone, Jesus you might as well go onside everytime I mean what’s an extra 10 yards of starting field position, he’ll does it even matter when the faking opponent goes 92 yards in 30 seconds. What a joke this defense and special teams are.m
November 16th, 2025 at 9:03 pm
we got to coach it up better and play it better lol
November 16th, 2025 at 9:27 pm
Who makes up the roster of kick coverage team? Fear that it’s offensive players given that most of young DBs are actually starting and not included in calculus for lineup. They Take lousy angles and don’t seem to shed blocks – a bad combination.
If ST coach has his hands tied so be it – chaulk it up as a derivative of the injury bug. If ST coach has the pick of the litter ….
He may be Rod Jones-esque…..Toast.
November 16th, 2025 at 9:46 pm
I noticed our kicker missing a couple of fairly easy tackles. We need to get that kicker some more tackling practice. Geez. What a mess.