Five Things
December 8th, 2025
A disgusted Lavonte David (54) stares into the crowd as Bucs coach Todd Bowles tries to offer encouragement Sunday.
Yesterday’s weather sure fit the mood of Bucs fans. The sky cried as what we witnessed at The Licht House may be the closing of the Super Bowl window that first opened in 2020.
“This Is A Bad Bucs Team”
You’ve probably heard one Joe say that on Ira Kaufman’s podcast a few weeks ago. You may have read that here, too.
This is a bad Bucs team. Joe has no idea what happened, beginning with the loss to the Lions (other than Mike Evans got hurt). This is a far cry from the team that traveled cross-country to Seattle and won a shootout, then came home and won a physical game against the 49ers.
Joe doesn’t know if the Bucs, not exactly a young team, all of a sudden grew old. It does have the whiff of the 2008 Bucs that grew old in November and lost its last four games. That season, too, was the closing of a Super Bowl window that re-opened after the Bucs gave up on Bruce Gradkowski in 2006.
Lavonte David sure does look like he’s on his final legs. Vita Vea isn’t a young pup either, though he is producing.
That’s Joe’s best guess for this collapse. Either that, or the Bucs have tuned out Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
Six weeks ago it appeared the Bucs were in the running for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Now? They basically need to two of their final four games to win the division. They surely aren’t going to get a wild card berth.
This is when the Bucs were supposed to bounce back. The team is getting healthier yet the Bucs are playing horrible football. Sure-handed receivers can’t buy a catch. The defense can’t stop a cool breeze.
Only once in the last seven games have the Bucs scored more than 23 points. When your defense is hot garbage like the Bucs, that’s not going to cut it.
Joe really has lost faith in this team. If they play like crap the way they have the past two weeks, what makes Joe think they will snap out of it and play good ball in December?
Yesterday in the locker room, Joe had never seen Bowles so crushed. It’s like his soul has been zapped. He looked like a man who had no answers how to fix his team.
And Joe doesn’t know how you fix this team, specifically a defense in December.
What Happened To The Offense?
Joe is at a loss trying to describe or explain what the Bucs are doing on offense. It looks like a Chinese fire drill with zero direction or focus.
Sure-handed rookie Emeka Egbuka, almost overnight, can no longer catch. Is he using Michael Clayton’s old locker?
The Bucs don’t run well ranking 18th in yards per carry, even with Bucky Irving. You hear the Bucs talk about “hot hand” yet when Sean Tucker gets warmed up and starts breaking off nice runs to the left side that turn into six, why on earth would you go from a hot hand to cold turkey and have Bucky run to the right for nothing? And then try to throw and have a pass tipped?
This offense is bizarrely east-and-west. And when Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard does try to go north-and-south, he way too often has his receivers run routes short of the sticks. Mindless!
Remember last year when Liam Coen crowed the Bucs owned third downs because of Grizzard? Well, yesterday the Bucs were 3-13 on third downs and 2-7 on fourth downs.
That’s beyond atrocious!
And these passes (too often too short) targeting tight end Cade Otton on money downs, why? For what are you paying Chris Godwin? Otton, as good of a guy as he is, is really playing his way out of a contract with mostly poor, inconsistent play. His play has rapidly slid over the past three games.
Joe thinks the offense is fixable. The defense? Sadly, Joe thinks its already established, for better or for worse.
Predictable Bumbling
The slimy Saints sure got the Todd Bowles haters all worked up to open the game. The slimy Saints exploited the Bucs on three issues fans have been hollering about for months.
Mason Tipton of the slimy Saints returned the opening kickoff 54 yards. That still hasn’t been fixed?
On the first play from scrimmage, the slimy Saints target Zyon McCollum. He apparently wasn’t bored and the pass was incomplete. Predictable.
The slimy Saints exposed the Bucs on short passes over the middle. That still hasn’t been fixed?
McCollum had an OK game, save for that weak attempted tackle at the goal line late. Geez, why even try to tackle if that’s your tackling fundamentals, or lack thereof.
The Bucs have been giving up chunks of yards on kick returns all year. And the defensive coordinator still hasn’t adjusted to take away the short passes over the middle, an area opponents have exposed all season long. You’d think by December the defensive coordinator could have figured out an adjustment
Nope, not the Bucs.
If players are making the same mistakes on Pearl Harbor Day (boy, that was fitting) that they made in Week 1, that’s on the coaching. If teams are still exposing the soft underbelly of the Bucs’ defense on Pearl Harbor Day as they were Week 1, that’s on the defensive coordinator for not making adjustments in order to take away that play.
Joe is confident these same near-weekly snafus are being discussed and studied this very moment in the highest reaches of One Buc Palace.
If the Bucs don’t watch it, if they don’t straighten out the pirate ship like in a couple of days, why would Mike Evans want to come back to this next season?
Wasting A Rare Sack
Joe isn’t sure how many people caught it, but it was like a sighting of Sasquatch. There was a Chris Braswell sack. And the Bucs threw that down the toilet not being able to take advantage of such a rare feat with a win.
That was Braswell’s first sack of the year. Joe has seen a player as invisible as Braswell in years. Joe often sees him on the field but only rarely does Joe see Braswell do something. You know, like an assist on a tackle?
Last offseason, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht told the Ira Kaufman Podcast he felt Braswell would shock fans this year.
The only shock so far is that Braswell has been so invisible. So Joe was bummed out that on the day Braswell got his first sack of the season (Dec. 7), that it was a waste of time. All for naught.
Don’t Look Now…
The Bucs have a quick turnaround that Joe believes nearly every Bucs fan right now is dreading. A Thursday night game. Oh, no. We all know how well Todd Bowles teams play in primetime. But here come the Dixie Chicks.
Atlanta has lost 7 of their last 8 games, which means at the very least, whoever is the underdog will cover. It very likely will be Raheem Morris’ final visit to The Licht House as an NFL head coach.
You know he would just love to stick it to the Bucs and pull off a win.
And oh yeah, here comes Kirk “509” Cousins. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Joe has heard how Cousins looks washed right now. He did last year, too, (remember, he eventually got benched). But when Cousins faced Bowles’ defense, he absolutely roasted the Bucs for 509 yards passing.
Joe would not be one bit surprised if Cousins did that again. And it could be the death knell of Bucs playoff hopes of 2025.
December 8th, 2025 at 5:35 am
Yesterday was den of depression level at Ray Jay. Licht thought he put together a SB roster. He needs to pay for his incompetence along with Bowles. Time to clean house.
December 8th, 2025 at 5:39 am
Before the season the media was saying this was a Superbowl team with a Superbowl roster and I was so confused. This is the same team that lost to a rookie at home in the playoffs and the best players they added were Ebuka and Reddick. This has been the same team the past 3 seasons but it’s progressively getting worse. Doesn’t matter if this team is mostly healthy or injured, you still get losing streaks and below average coaching and play.
Time to face facts that the tandem of Baker and Bowles isn’t working. Its time to start fresh with a younger offensive HC and a young QB.
December 8th, 2025 at 5:44 am
All the head coaches that have been fired under Glazers’ tenure: Wyche (23-41); Dungy (54-42); Gruden (57-55); Morris (17-31); Schiano (11-21); Smith (8-24); and Koetter (19-29). Bowles is presently 27-24. (All data is regular season only.)
Obviously several on this list were imbeciles through and through, but focus only on the better ones during the year they were fired.
Is Bowles better or worse than the best on this list? And if you can’t say he’s better, remember that all of these guys were fired.
P.S., I know that “better” is totally subjective, but so is the reason most coaches get fired. I would consider it from an owner’s perspective in terms of future profit, player development, strategy, and overall winning.
I’m afraid ir may be time for change.
December 8th, 2025 at 5:50 am
Memo to the team. Atl will be playing like it’s their Superbowl, just like the aints were. We are such a nice team to give other teams such reasons to celebrate. Maybe he should use some positive energetic emotion instead of sadness. Constantly hear how calm and consistent Toddy is and how it helps the team stay grounded. Yeah right! Them the other players have to try to compensate. Fire over confident mistake prone clueless Bowles!
December 8th, 2025 at 5:53 am
I feel like a good OC and HC would work on Throwing mechanics. Baker can’t complete a deep ball to save his life. WRs look lost. What happened to Bucky? The defense has been struggling since JPP left. A Defensive minded HC that can’t develop a pass rush. How many red flags do we need to see?
December 8th, 2025 at 5:59 am
If the bucs lose the franchise wins , closer to Firing Bowles, Barely winning in the weakest division of football isnt a flex.
December 8th, 2025 at 5:59 am
Paying the Bucs on Thursday night is the greatest elixir for a struggling team. We are hot garbage in prime time and even worse on Thursdays. Expect Atlanta to throw fit over 500yrds AGAIN, and the game to be a blow out. Sorry but this Buccaneer ship has sunk
December 8th, 2025 at 6:00 am
The Panthers and the Jags have greatly improved this season and the BUCS regressed. That=? COACHING!!!! Baker gets a pass for this game. He has pulled everybody else’s weight all season. Baker tried to tell us what was wrong with this team weeks ago when he said they have no killer instinct. He was right! Players on this team don’t give a100% because they know they will have no consequence no matter how bad they play. Todd instills nothing in anybody, especially killer instinct. The team looks badly coached, because it is. Everybody now says this is a bad team. It’s the same same team it was in the first half of the season.It’s not a bad team, it is a badly coached team. Grizzard is in way over his head and is not up to the job. Licht has ignored team needs in the draft for 4 straight years and it is inexcusable. No pass rush, abysmal tackling, a trash secondary is not working. Change is necessary.
December 8th, 2025 at 6:04 am
In a twisted way, the Bucs circling the drain is hurting teams like the Saints, they might have lost the chance to draft a top QB next year thanks to that win. As for the ATL, if they win though, it does not matter as they have traded their top 10 draft pick away to trade up in last year’s draft so they have nothing to lose in boat racing Bowles. It is Carolina’s division to lose thanks to Todd Bowles. I know it is not how the Glazers roll, but sometimes I wish they would just announce that Todd is no longer HC, what can it hurt, the team sux as it is and cannot get much worse.
December 8th, 2025 at 6:05 am
Egbuka is overrated.
Last 8 games, he’s 29 catches on 72 targets (40%)
The #1 Role is too big for him right now
December 8th, 2025 at 6:12 am
The Panthers and the Jags greatly improved this season after hiring former BUCS coaches. The BUCS have greatly regressed. That=? Coaching!!!!! Baker told us this team has no killer instinct because none is being instilled in it. Team needs have been ignored for 4 drafts. Grizzard is in over his head. Everybody now says this is a bad team. No. It’s the same team that we had in the first half of the season. It is a poorly coached team that has not focused on what is necessary to improve this team. Baker gets a pass for this game. He has pulled everybody else’s weight all season.
December 8th, 2025 at 6:19 am
The superbowl window closed when brady left #!!
December 8th, 2025 at 6:20 am
Honestly, I would keep Licht, wipe all the coaching and strength and conditioning staff. Yes, Licht has missed on some defensive picks, but we don’t know what our those picks could do given a proper coach that doesn’t use linemen in pass coverage. The only thing I remember Reddick doing in this game was blocking a pass on a tight end. Maybe if Reddick was rushing the passer consistently, he would show up on the stat sheet. I’m over this coaching staff and I really hate saying this, but I hope we lose out for the sake of the future. Otherwise, next year will be the same…barely making it to the playoffs only to be beaten by a REAL playoff caliber team. And don’t say we need to move on from Baker for f***’* sake, what? He was the only one putting it on the line in that game AND playing injured. If all our team had Baker’s heart, we’d be unstoppable. I feel bad for him having to start so many games behind and having the pressure of keeping pace because our “special” teams and defensive is high school level.
December 8th, 2025 at 6:21 am
“He looked like a man who had no answers how to fix his team.”
“Do not believe your lying eyes.”
December 8th, 2025 at 6:26 am
Baker is playing hurt and it is crippling this team. If Licht and Bowles actually got a decent backup qb like just about every team in the league has, perhaps we would not see our qb going 6 for 22 after his first drive. Bowles is responsible for the bad D and as HC he is accountable for the bad O and special teams as well. He has to go but now to Licht, does he get a pass as he is the one that bought the groceries??? I know he brought Brady in but that is now a long time ago and yes, he did not lose that playoff game to Cooper Cupp and the Rams, that was Bowels but man, is he not somewhat accountable as well????????
December 8th, 2025 at 6:32 am
All that and not a word on Mayfield. He was bad yesterday. Between missing wide open touchdowns and throwing to covered receivers we had no chance.
December 8th, 2025 at 6:34 am
Licht and Bowles have destroyed this team. It’s infuriating to see what Liam Cohen has done with the Jaguars while we flounder aimlessly with a coach that has absolutely no clue how to coach an NFL team. All I can ay is it sucks.
December 8th, 2025 at 6:34 am
They didn’t get old.
They quit.
December 8th, 2025 at 6:38 am
You forgot to add that the game with Atlanta will be played in the orange Creamsicle jerseys – something the team has never won in!
December 8th, 2025 at 6:43 am
Plus 1 Becky, Aints were fired up from the get go. I see the pocket collapsing more since the bye. Surprised about Ee backsliding but it’s correctable. Our linebackers are not fierce enough we need animals in there. I thought Dean was ok. We can’t seem to tackle hard anymore to many soft tackles.
Maybe some fear motivation might work like there’s the door give 100% or else.
I think Arians comment about tuning out the coach applies here too. Bucs need som fierce bad arse mfers who who want to hit hard once in awhile and step on the opponents neck like Sapp Brooks and Lynch would do.
December 8th, 2025 at 6:54 am
They will limp in again and we get 1 home playoff game to lose. Owners happy then same thing next year,
December 8th, 2025 at 7:01 am
Well said, Joe.
Raheem is a coach on the hot seat too. It’s going to be quite a battle on Thursday. And we don’t really know which Cousins we will get.
Have to agree with Ira too. The Bucs have been complicit since the bye. Don’t know what is going on but something is. It’s been up and down, all over the place. Grasping at straws. Both offense and defense yesterday. Agreed “Predictability.”
Yes, it rained and conditions were bad, for both teams, and on our own grass. It snowed in Buffalo and they won. Unless we are planning on getting a new stadium with a bubble wrapped dome, the Bucs probably should take every chance they get to practice in the rain.
December 8th, 2025 at 7:16 am
I don’t think fans are dreading, Bowles might be, not the fans. By now if the fans don’t see major problems then you’re probably the same fan that thinks Winston should be the starting QB in Tampa. This team has imploded in on itself and the only thing that will save them is averaging 35-38 points a game and that still probably wouldn’t let you beat the good teams in the NFL.
December 8th, 2025 at 7:17 am
Bucs have some glaring deficiencies in special teams-Fixable if?
Bucs have some glaring deficiencies at LB group-Fixable if?
Bucs have some glaring deficiencies at Oline group-Fixable if?
Number one is an easy fix-fire special teams coach.
Number two could have been an easy fix had Licht done his job and traded for Jordyn Brooks at the deadline.
Number three same as two-trade deadline additions.
Now we are stuck with a team that will likely give up a huge play on special teams, a LB group that cannot cover or tackle middle routes, and a line that will end Bakers season prematurely.
I blame everyone from GM down through the coaches. The question is will the Glazers do anything about this after the season?
December 8th, 2025 at 7:25 am
I could not care any less about Todd Bowles record measured against previous coaches. Apples and oranges in soooo many ways. Do we want to be viewed as a top 5 organization or no? Do we want to be happy with 8-9 or 9-8 and back dooring our way in to the playoffs buoyed by a bad division. Too many people, including people that work for the organization are too traumatized with the 2010’s. Pathetic. Weak. 9-8 teams don’t win superbowls. And while I respect Licht for wanting to bring in nothing f but good guys that walk around with a bible in one arm – we need to bring in a little nasty. We aren’t mean. We aren’t feared. We are soft. When I watched the bears and packers game yesterday played in 8 degree weather with two tough teams delivering knockout blows and hard hits in the elements, I bc couldn’t help but think we would have gotten embarrassed. We are limp, soft and SLOW
December 8th, 2025 at 7:30 am
Bowles is 27-24 as a Bucs HC…..
Glazers have settled for piss poor coaching.
December 8th, 2025 at 7:38 am
Well I don’t think we’ll have to worry about someone stealing out OC this year….
December 8th, 2025 at 7:49 am
I wish other defenders with more speed had lavonte David’s brain…watching him miss that tackle for a loss when we needed it hurt just as bad as kancey missing jayden Daniel’s last year in the playoffs…we are in a funk that needs to go and fast can’t stack l’s in December…injuries hasn’t helped at all but that why you have a 53 man roster sucks but the reality of our situation right now…I’m here until the smoke clears
December 8th, 2025 at 7:49 am
You can see how well Coen and canales are doing. Licht and Glazer should have made Coen co head coaches. Bowles needs to retire. All the coaches now are young fiery types
Like in LA. Also Egbuka is definitely a rookie. The pass was was slightly high but really that was an wasted touchdown. As far as their QB guess the scrambling touchdowns c were just individual effort. Slough is a taller baker.
December 8th, 2025 at 7:57 am
Curse’s Five Things:
1. Fire Bowels
2. See above
3. See above
4. See above
5. See above
December 8th, 2025 at 7:58 am
It’s Mayfield, People.
December 8th, 2025 at 8:00 am
Alanbucs – Mayfield has literally won us games this season with his hustle and bustling. Unfortunately, he and others got hurt. He is still hurt. They also haven’t really looked good since the bye.
December 8th, 2025 at 8:05 am
Slough is NOT a taller version of Baker, Slough is a faster version of Baker.
December 8th, 2025 at 8:07 am
Licht has built a competent roster despite drafting in the 19 +/- slot every year. The team is in good cap shape as well.
Fire Licht and he’ll have a job in a week.
Its the coaching
Its always been the coaching
For years guys have voted “Confident” and have forgiven failure because we won a terrible division.
Aside from Bowles’ family, how many are going to be voting anything but Little/No Confidence this week?
Enough is enough.
December 8th, 2025 at 8:11 am
It is not just about building a roster through the draft to create a quality roster, it is also about adding quality pieces when they are available mid season by making trades-LICHT IS A FAILURE AT TRADE DEADLINE-PERIOD.
December 8th, 2025 at 8:36 am
Todd, you know Licht covets those draft picks to get guys like Braswell and other day 2 and day 3 picks which never help the team instead of actually filling a need immediately. Even with a good draft pick, it sometimes takes a player years to develop. This might be ego on Jason’s part. Bringing TB12 in was amazing but was like lightning striking twice and hitting the lotto at the same time. He also obviously thinks he can grab guys like Shaq Barrett off the FA bargain bin but that was like hitting the lotto yet again. The JPP trade was sweet, but nowadays it seems like Todd would rather spend a day 2 pick on a player who has a 30-40% chance of contributing like Braswell, Logan Hall, Aguayo, Noah Spence, MJ Stewart, etc etc…….
December 8th, 2025 at 8:47 am
If McCollum hadn’t grabbed Olave’s jersey, the first play from scrimmage would’ve been a touchdown.
Dude was beat on the first play.
December 8th, 2025 at 8:48 am
Fire Todd
December 8th, 2025 at 8:50 am
Brady had ONE season with a losing record during his career? WHO was the head coach?????????????????
December 8th, 2025 at 8:53 am
LVD will probably retire. No reason to keep beating your own body to death for nothing. Love you Lavonte!! Mike will probably think much harder on returning next season. Love ya Mike. As many have said, Todd is too loyal. McGaughey needs to go and probably will (after the season of course SMH). Did we really expect to be so lucky as too hit on three excellent OCs in a row? Grizzard is over his head. I think Todd is on the hot seat for real this time. Here comes prime time. Ugh
December 8th, 2025 at 9:03 am
Joe, unfortunately, you nailed it!!. That was spot on. Yes, does anyone think Cousins isn’t going to come in here an absolutely torch this defense!!. Morris is definately playing for his job, or even win a win he still may be out. However, rest asured ATL is desperate and will likely play that way. THe Bucs, they may have packed it in. Terry Bradshaw on national tv saw it best. The Saints had nothing to play for and the Bucs everything and look what happened.Yes , apparantly the whole team is on a different planet.
December 8th, 2025 at 9:04 am
It wouldn’t have mattered if Licht brought anyone in at the trade deadline. Exactly what do you think Bowles would have done with them? He would not have played to their strengths.