“It Make Everybody Kind Of Feel Less Than A Man”
December 4th, 2025
Will a defensive humiliation cook the 2025 Buccaneers?
Joe sure hopes not, but Joe is getting concerned. That can happen this time of year, says a Super Bowl champion and former Buccaneer.
The Bucs gave up 44 points in Buffalo and thought afterwards that the team was on the right path. A week later came a humiliating blowout on national television to the Rams. The came Sunday. The Bucs won, but the defense looked shaky and legendary Bucs cornerback Rondé Barber wasn’t thrilled with its effort.
The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles got mauled at home Sunday in a loss to the Bears. Chicago ran 47 times for 281 yards. Two Bears running back busted 120 yards each. Chicago ran it down the Eagles’ throat over and over and over again.
A late season defensive collapse can sink a team, Aqib Talib. And the former Buccaneer opened up this week about how that sank a Bucs locker room with two Hall of Famers on the roster.
“When it’s the month of December and you give up 200 yards rushing, that’s internal,” Talib told The Arena — Gridiron show on YouTube. “That’s internal, bro. It ain’t just like, ‘Awww, we can just fix that.’ I’m telling you. Man, I was on a Buc team my rookie year [in 2008], we was 9-3 going into December. We just knew we was going to the playoffs. I just knew little rookie [Talib] with Derrick Brooks and Ronde Barber, we’re going to the playoffs in my first year.
“We played the Panthers, they rushed for 250 [yards]; that sh*t lingered for the whole December. We finished 9-7 and Talib was at home on New Year’s. No playoffs. I’m telling you that sh*t [of giving up so many rushing yards] is internal. It make everybody kind of feel less than a man.”
For longtime Bucs fans, that was very interesting historical perspective from Talib. And for the record, Carolina ran for 299 yards on that ugly. It actually was 301 yards before two Panthers kneeldowns to end the game.
Those ’08 Bucs never recovered.
Joe heard all that from Talib and hopes what happened to the Bucs recently in Buffalo and Los Angeles isn’t lingering.
December 4th, 2025 at 12:30 pm
I want to see Todd Bowles more animatre on the sidelines. Start jumping in your sorry Defenses A..! Start going over to the Defensive bench during breaks. Let them know you are concerned. Bowles just stand there all stoic as if he cannot believe what is happenning. Get in their Butts todd.
December 4th, 2025 at 12:36 pm
These last five games are nut cutting time for Bowles. If this team stinks up the joint in what should be by far the easiest part of the schedule, then Bowles has to go. This season feels so much like that ’08 Bucs team, and Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen both got their heads chopped off at the end of that debacle.
December 4th, 2025 at 12:44 pm
The last few games are important but I want to see how this team plays in the playoffs. Can they put it all together, all 3 phases, in a single elimination game? We’ll see…
December 4th, 2025 at 12:45 pm
Coach passive=play passive. He was finally animated and coached on the sideline. Seems he wants to coach all week and just stand there during the games. Then the other players have to coach and get animated. Isn’t that his job? Weird. Fire over confident mistake prone clueless Bowles!
December 4th, 2025 at 12:46 pm
We just won and gave up 95 yds rushing so we are good for another week.
December 4th, 2025 at 12:46 pm
Mike Johnson Says: “Bowles just stand there all stoic as if he cannot believe what is happening.”
That’s because he clearly has no answers. Good coaches adapt. Good coaches keep their players playing hard. Good coaches have passion. Seen any of that from Bowles, especially in the back half of this season, or the back half of last season, or the back half of the season before that?
December 4th, 2025 at 12:46 pm
Last year we lost to 4 teams with a losing record this year we have lost to 0 teams with a losing record
December 4th, 2025 at 12:47 pm
Agree with gotbbucs.
Is a shame when players don’t show integrity and become thieves. They are stealing the Glazers money which is our money. We are paying our hard earned money to thieves.
NO INTEGRITY PERIOD
SMH
December 4th, 2025 at 12:48 pm
Michael Clayton anyone????
December 4th, 2025 at 12:51 pm
I also blame Licht for this mess on defense. The guy keeps drafting OLBs that can’t get to the passer and won’t trade for a premier edge rusher. The Bucs also start guys on the defense that don’t have much experience in the backfield. Guys like Zyon and Morrison. Overall Jason’s draft picks on defense are not very good and Bowles doesn’t have much to work with on defense. It’s hard to coach up guys that just don’t have much talent. There are maybe three guys on defense that could start on other teams. The rest are just scrubs or at the very best second teamers.
December 4th, 2025 at 12:51 pm
It’s been cooked joe that’s why you see the loafing.
December 4th, 2025 at 12:52 pm
If joe is hoping then you know $hit is bad. Lol
December 4th, 2025 at 12:57 pm
f you really believe that Carolina is a better football team than Tampa Bay now is the time to put your money where your mouth is. Clearly the bookmakers don’t. Carolina to make the playoffs is +360. To miss the playoffs is -600.
December 4th, 2025 at 1:05 pm
As long as “you know who “ runs practice like it’s a sleep study……wait, never mind. As long as “you know who” is head coich , things will continue to deteriorate and regress. It’s over.
December 4th, 2025 at 1:10 pm
“buc4evr Says:
December 4th, 2025 at 12:51 pm
I also blame Licht for this mess on defense. The guy keeps drafting OLBs that can’t get to the passer and won’t trade for a premier edge rusher. The Bucs also start guys on the defense that don’t have much experience in the backfield. Guys like Zyon and Morrison. Overall Jason’s draft picks on defense are not very good and Bowles doesn’t have much to work with on defense. It’s hard to coach up guys that just don’t have much talent. There are maybe three guys on defense that could start on other teams. The rest are just scrubs or at the very best second teamers.”
Or Licht goes and gets the guys Bowles says “fit his system”. I’m sure Bowles has major input on who they draft – especially on defense. It certainly isn’t Licht telling Bowles “here you go”. If I recall correctly, Bowles spends plenty of time in Indy at the combine. What do you think he’s doing there? Vacation?
December 4th, 2025 at 1:12 pm
I remember that game all to well. December 8, 2008. Williams and Stewart are STILL running against that Defense, smh.
What a brutal night.
December 4th, 2025 at 1:14 pm
The Bowleszo apologists must have had a group therapy session where they all took turns falling really hard on their heads.
December 4th, 2025 at 1:22 pm
The defense needs to improve, but in all fairness, they held the Cardinals to their lowest point total since Sep 21st when the Niners held them to 15.
December 4th, 2025 at 1:25 pm
defense has to play better…no big plays and get sacks not pressure on the QB…
but when was the last time the BUCS offense scored 28+ points and won the game?
the “injury” excuse for the offense has been BS since for weeks now…
Grizz needs to kick it into high gear!!!!….if he cant score 28+ points without Tom Moore holding his hand by now, then we have an even bigger problem
GO BUCS!!!!
December 4th, 2025 at 1:33 pm
If it is tied to Bowels, its always gonna be humiliating.
December 4th, 2025 at 1:46 pm
Don’t worry guys.
Todd is a defensive genius – it says so in Madden Franchise mode.
What’s all the fuss about?
December 4th, 2025 at 1:47 pm
I’m just waiting to see the comparison between Bowles and Canales on the sidelines….. if they show them.. Coaches reactions, emotions make a difference. You look around the league, and see the coaches that get involved with players on the sidelines. That fires them up. I’m not saying go overboard but, if you really know your players and how to treat them……. Don’t recall Gruden or Arians, just standing around. Oh, well…. you can lead a horse to water……
December 4th, 2025 at 1:52 pm
“Bowles just stand there all stoic as if he cannot believe what is happening.”
It’s crazy to me there have been multiple articles published about the fact Bowles went over and talked to his players during a game – that it’s such a rare, unique event. Something that is super basic and done on a weekly basis by every other coach in the league.
What does that say about our HC?
December 4th, 2025 at 1:56 pm
SAINTS AREN’T WINNING
The Saints are tied for 2nd worst record. They have the 3rd pick in the draft. They are $8 million over the cap in 2026. They need a great draft. You can do a lot with the 2nd or 3rd pick, especially if you don’t need a QB.
IF SAINTS DO WIN …
If Bowles and co can’t produce a must win, against a 2-win team, that doesn’t want to win – I think Licht has to fire Bowles.
December 4th, 2025 at 1:56 pm
I was at that game. Such a wild frustrating game. D’Angelo williams and Jonathan Stewart went wild
December 4th, 2025 at 2:04 pm
Joe … ‘The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles got mauled at home Sunday in a loss to the Bears. Chicago ran 47 times for 281 yards. Chicago ran it down the Eagles’ throat over and over and over again.’
Although giving up 5.0 YPC to the Cardinals’ mediocre Run Game was not thrilling, it also wasn’t catastrophic. Bucs’ defense currently ranks #6 in Rushing Yards Allowed (1169 yds for a 4.2 YPC average). And we’ve only surrendered OVER 100 rushing yds THREE times … to the Seahawks (122 yds), the Lions (164 yds) & the Patriots (166 yds). TWO of those games were losses & in the 3 games we gave up 87 pts (29 PPG).
One of the key reasons IMO that we’re doing that good is because opponents find it easier to pass on us. Kinda what happens when you have the #29 ranked pass defense … for 3 years running. Reality is that our Run Defense isn’t nearly as good as it used to be (in 2020 Bucs had the #1 Run Defense in every category). We’ve already allowed 12 Rushing TDs in 12 games (on-track for 17 in 17 games?). That’s far more than we’ve surrendered since 2018, when Mike Smith’s bottom rung defense gave up 19 Rushing TDs. We really don’t wanna be in that company.
December 4th, 2025 at 2:13 pm
the road to either a first round exit from the playoffs or not making the playoffs at all is paved with the idea that cause you held the saints to 3 or you held the cards to their lowest points in a game this season that you have a good enough defense.
idiotic.
December 4th, 2025 at 2:15 pm
D been cooked for many years now
December 4th, 2025 at 2:16 pm
My lord, do you guys not look at trends?
Our pass number have always been inflated in comparison to rush yardage, because the way we’ve played the run since Bowles got to town.
It’s always been shut down the run and force teams to beat us in the pass game, as forcing/making a team beat you 1-dimesionally is an advantage for the defense.
It’s not some new phenomena, it’s been the case every year and our best defensive years have been when we had players within the scheme who played true to their assignments and an offense that can actually build leads, as that itself also forces teams to be 1-dimensional.
Look at our defensive rankings from ’19 to now in terms of yardage in scores, you’ll see what I’m saying and NO it’s not because teams find it “easier” as it ties into having a pretty consistent track record stopping the run. Although, doesn’t exclude us from letting some big plays/runners to have a good game against us.
December 4th, 2025 at 2:20 pm
I was at that game also was in Carolina l believe was a Night game and they just ran all over us. Think Gruden was coach then.
December 4th, 2025 at 2:30 pm
I continue to be shocked at the number of guys that think that this team is better than average. The belief that the pathetic play that they are seeing week after week is not who this team is.
This is a bad defense, playing a bad scheme, with players the HC signed off on.
Its not going to get any better.
December 4th, 2025 at 3:13 pm
Like every other win the past 3 years, it shouldn’t be close, it will be close and we will all be cussing and yelling all the way to the end of the game.
We WILL make the Saints look like a Top tier team. Take the Saints and the points along with the Over. It’s going to be a shoot-out
December 4th, 2025 at 3:48 pm
Didn’t Kiffin hang it up that year? Bet that was internal, too.
December 4th, 2025 at 4:24 pm
Mike Johnson Says:
I want to see Todd Bowles more animatre on the sidelines. Start jumping in your sorry Defenses A..! Start going over to the Defensive bench during breaks. Let them know you are concerned. Bowles just stand there all stoic as if he cannot believe what is happenning. Get in their Butts todd.
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Bowles is certainly deserving of some criticism for the state of the defense, but this criticism of his personality is ridiculous IMO. Multiple Hall-of-Fame head coaches had a similar personality, standing like a statue on the sidelines during the games. Tom Landry and Tony Dungy are two examples.
If Bowles has to go off on the players during a game like he did last weekend, that is an indicator that something is very wrong, because the leadership is supposed to come from the players, and it has in the past. If the defense is failing to play with enough effort than the leaders on the defense should have been handling that.
December 4th, 2025 at 4:36 pm
Cmon now… It aint the players…It Bowles!
December 4th, 2025 at 4:37 pm
Bowles will go 9-8 or 8-9. This is the Bowleszone. 10 or 11 would be just AMAZING!
December 4th, 2025 at 4:39 pm
Staink game is a gift! Free win! Done deal….they stink.