“It’s Playoff Mode”
December 1st, 2025
Todd Bowles walks back to the locker room after the Bucs beat the Cardinals.
The playoffs have begun.
That’s what Bucs coach Todd Bowles said yesterday. The playoffs are here.
The Bucs currently have a half-game lead in the NFC South. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the Stinking Panthers are going away.
By beating the Rams yesterday in Charlotte, the Stinking Panthers (7-6) kept pace with the Bucs (7-5). Just last week, the Rams sealclubbed the Bucs in Los Angeles.
The Stinking Panthers are no joke and the have their bye next week. And while a win is a win in the NFL, the Bucs’ win against a sad outfit like the Cardinals, who have now lost 9 of their last 10 games, sure didn’t give Joe much confidence the Bucs have put their troubles in the past.
Yes, there were positive signs. Chris Godwin looking like Chris Godwin. Bucky Irving shaking off rust to give fans flashbacks to last year. The defense getting a four-and-out (!) to seal the win.
Were those bright spots, accidents or a sign the Bucs are beginning to turn things around? After the win yesterday, Bowles admitted the Bucs have a dogfight on their hands to win a fifth-straight division title.
Was the weight a win off the team’s shoulders?
“I don’t think so,” Bowles said after taking a deep breath. “We are going to be like this every week. It’s playoff mode and it’s playoff time and we embrace the grind and embrace the pressure.
“We [have] to execute and make plays in those situations.”
Yes, Joe knows the 17 points the Bucs defense gave up was the second-least scored by Arizona this season. Still, did the defense impress you yesterday? Seemed to Joe that Arizona didn’t have much trouble moving the ball, specifically through the air.
And let’s not get Jacoby Brissett confused with Matt Stafford.
Every game, save for the slimy Saints next week, is going to be a dogfight.
December 1st, 2025 at 4:22 am
Don’t sleep on the Saints. We are not that great. We should beat them handily, but it’s a Bucs life.
I’d love a blowout, but it’s divisional. Also we look like a mediocre team until we show otherwise.
December 1st, 2025 at 4:52 am
No, the defense did not impress me, I think there’s something seriously wrong…I wonder if trotting out guys like Devin White, JTS, and Zyon (who either ADMIT to or SEEM to be BORED playing football) has caught up to them. Playing guys that are “bored” is coaching malpractice, IMHO.
December 1st, 2025 at 5:05 am
N.., please !
That dude is whacked , crazy azz coach speak! The playoffs are here ! We played like a big BM for weaks , NM injuries, look at defense Bowels ! Now u talk about playoffs here at the podium ! ROFLMAO and pizz my pants !
December 1st, 2025 at 7:07 am
Based on what I saw yesterday, the panthers will probably hand two losses to the Bucs. I hope not, but yesterday was a mess. Hopefully the quiet search for a head coach has begun.
December 1st, 2025 at 7:36 am
Really???
I ain’t seeing ANYTHING like PO football out of this team ALL SEASON!
December 1st, 2025 at 7:39 am
Show me a Supervowl winning team that had a HC performing DC duties?
December 1st, 2025 at 7:40 am
Zyon needs to see the bench no matter what extension he got. Ray Charles could see that! Carolina is wildly inconsistent and they still have a tough slate of games to play. I still believe we can start to get hot at the right time. Baker played the best he has in weeks. He just needs rusty receivers to return to form. Which is happening. Who would have thought that Dean would be the best corner in Tampa , put Morrison opposite and let’s see what happens. Better than watching Zyon “bored” or not consistently get beat on the same routes over an over throughout a game. Teams are coming after him every game and for good reason.
December 1st, 2025 at 7:42 am
WTH that pass defense…nope. I had no faith they’d stop Brissett on the final drive…Jacoby Brissett not Goff, Hurts, Mahomes, Allen…Brissett
December 1st, 2025 at 7:42 am
Insert obligatory Jim Mora “PLAYOFFS?!?!?!” retort here.
The only thing that can save this defense is getting back injured offensive players so we can score over 30 points and come back in the last minute because this coach loves to go into prevent mode in the 3rd qtr for christ sake.
Lavonte even kind of hinted at it in his postgame
December 1st, 2025 at 7:52 am
JohnQCitizen … I think the Bucs will beat the Panthers in at least 1 game this season, and end up with a better division record. Assuming both teams finish with identical W-L records, that should get us the NFC South crown.
However, like Joe in Michigan said … ‘there’s something seriously wrong’. And it’s not JUST the defense. The offense looks out of whack too, but has moments of brilliance. I hate settling for FGs, but we’ve already attempted 26 FGs in 12 games (made 22 of them), putting us on-track to attempt 37 FGs this season. That’s a HIGH number.
Good teams don’t settle for FGs as often as we do; they score TDs. Bucs have attempted 26 FGs & scored 29 TDs in 12 games. Look at what the opponents we’ve lost to have done in the same 12 games:
o Rams: Attempted 17 FGs & scored 42 TDs.
o Patriots: Attempted 21 FGs & scored 33 TDs.
o Eagles: Attempted 16 FGs & scored 31 TDs.
o Bills: Attempted 19 FGs & scored 40 TDs.
o Lions: Attempted 20 FGs & scored 42 TDs.
All of them are better at scoring MORE TDs and attempting FEWER FGs. Coincidence? Sure, let’s go with that.
December 1st, 2025 at 8:04 am
Playoffs?!?! We’re talking about Playoffs?!?!?
All coming aside, if they play like that in the playoffs, it’ll be another one-and-done.
December 1st, 2025 at 8:04 am
Coming = joking.
Stupid autocorrect.
December 1st, 2025 at 8:31 am
The Defense comtinues to play a soft and passive football the last couple of years.
Every team after a point takes the personality of the HC to a degree.
With Bucco Bruce the Defense had some dawgs like Suh and JPP and they were hunting. The Defense was more physical with Bowles as only a DC.
Since coach Bowles became the HC we have seen this unit becoming more passive and more soft. No edge guys that can constantly bring the pressure.
The coverage more soft than ever. We continue to see at least 80% of the time the receivers making a catch with the closest defender 4 to 5 yds off.
Dont give me the excuse we dont have a good pass rusher, its the job of the HC and DC to find someone if the guys dont produce.
If the mentality and the philosophy of the coach is keep it close and find a way to win, a pssive approach of dont lose instead of go out and take the win then the team will become passive. Even when a blitz is called the coverage is passive sitting back 10 yds instead of attacking the receivers and playing it close.
There is no aggression in this Defense no hunting. Just sitting back and wait to make a play or two.
You cant win many games in todays NFL like that. You cant win against good QBs like that. But that passive Defense is what we continue to see.
Go Bucs
December 1st, 2025 at 8:31 am
I also can’t see is beating Dave twice, that guy should get coach of the year, happy for him. We DO have to beat Cousins again. Can I assume it’s a given we’ll best slimy Saints? That leaves us 11-6, I’ll take that, with the grief we’ve had this year.
Going into the off-season after one and done in the playoffs, I can see us spending REAL money on free agents, now that the last $37 million dead money of the Brady era is gone. Would LOVE to see us trade up into the top ten and draft a Jalen Carter-esque DL, you simply don’t find those guys at #21
December 1st, 2025 at 8:33 am
It was mentioned in a previous post how the Bucs defense needed a tongue lashing from Bowles before the final series and its telling. This team, particularly the defense constantly comes out flat and IMO that’s a reflection of Bowles. Players feed off the energy of their leader and while there’s certainly value in remaining calm during the ups and downs of a season/game, it seems Mayfield and David have both mentioned on multiple occasions of having to get guys fired up. Arians brought the juice every day, every practice and every game. Same with Gruden….i dont think its a coincidence that we won both our SBs with two offensive minded, emotionally intense coaches. I’m convinced we have the talent to contend but the talent we have particularly on defense is consistently misused and unmotivated. Look around the league at the teams that are consistently in the mix….their coaches are energetic/engaging during the game. McVay, Campbell, McDermott, Vrabel, Payton, Coen, Harbaugh, Johnson, etc…..these guys show emotion and know how to get their teams energy up when needed. Bowles is who he is, and as a DC its probably acceptable but as a leader of men, he’s too passive in personality and ultimately game management.
December 1st, 2025 at 8:35 am
Pass defense
Pass defense
Pass defense
Every year it’s a problem, and this CLOWN has ZERO answers for it. Team is going no where with Todd here
December 1st, 2025 at 8:37 am
Cards averaged 6.3 per rush , if Bucs cannot stop the run defense is done.
December 1st, 2025 at 8:46 am
Fire Todd
December 1st, 2025 at 8:51 am
Inept is the Monday word
December 1st, 2025 at 9:00 am
Bowles will do and say anything for self preservation. The fact he had to chew his defense out during the game tells me your guys don’t care about team success, let alone keeping their HC. His D runs around celebrating on the field like a bunch of jackasses because they get a TFL occassionally. If I was the GM I would have told Bowles, “Be a HC, or nothing at all”. Instead JL listened to Bowles nonsense about being the HC and DC and here we are 4 years later with the same BS defense that continues to be the achilles heal of this team. Its not a talent issue, its a coaching issue. No accountability, no discipline, just the same garbage every game. FIRE BOWLES!
December 1st, 2025 at 9:19 am
Sweep Carolina and they are in, regardless of what else happens.
December 1st, 2025 at 9:23 am
I see the Bucs going 10-7, a split with Panthers, and crap the bed on Thursday Night Football, making Cousins look like league MVP. Will that be enough to beat the Panthers? Well, it may come down to their game versus Seattle. They win it (both the Bucs and Canaleses beat the Saints) and they could also be 10-7 with 4-2 records in division. Assuming the Bucs beat the Fins, both teams will be 2-2 vs AFC East so it would be tie-breaker time.
December 1st, 2025 at 9:27 am
The last 6 games following the 49ers game. The Bucs offense is averaging 19 points per game while the defense is allowing 25. Not playoff or winning football.
December 1st, 2025 at 11:03 am
Not playing in playoff mode yet. Griz and Bowles under coaching their units. Offense underperforming and defensive unit is giving up easy catches on 3rd and long or missing tackles and letting short gains turn into explosive gains.
Are some of these players just here for the paycheck and scared to come up and use proper fundamentals to make a physical tackle like John Lynch , Ronde Barber or Derrick Brooks did.
Take off the headphones and look up at the names on the Ring Of Honor. That should be the identity of. Buccaneer. Play with energy and don’t wait for someone else to make the play. It’s on the players and coaches to do their jobs.
This is a team with potential that makes too many errors and is outcoached by the McVays, Siriani’s, Payton’s and Campbell’s every time they play.
Look out Bowles Canales has his Panthers team playing harder than your Bucs. Better get your team focused ASAP! 11 games in and yet to see a single game where all 3 phases of team prepared and being coached up.
December 1st, 2025 at 12:51 pm
The head coach is responsible for all three phases. That is, if you have a real head coach. We don’t.
The defense is its usual soft porous self, but at least the tackling has deteriorated along with the run defense, to go along with the intermediate middle of the field being eternally wide open.
The offense sucks. Last year it was good. Bowles was the head coach last year and this year. He saw what good offense was last year, what good play calling was last year. A real head coach would take game film and play call sequencing from last year, sit with his deer in the headlights rookie and devise significant improvement. Get Baker in the room to do it. Not our Todd, he’ll just jabber at us about communication and execution, a’la Tony Dungy.
The special teams are like a drunken frat party. When has anyone ever witnessed the Bucs allowing so many blocked kicks, and return yards? How can that happen? Oh yeah. When the coordinator is as capable as Mr Magoo but with poorer eyesight, and reports to a boss who likes to hear himself talk but not force improvements.
It would be intriguing to see Jason’s list of head coaching candidates. It’s too hard to stomach anymore of this red-nosed babbler.
And to think going into the bye I was starting to believe Todd was doing a good job. As The Who sand, “We Won’t Get Fooled Again.”
December 1st, 2025 at 1:03 pm
5 games left. Lets see. Can Bowles light a fire under his sorry Defense? Because the only way I see us winning games is outscoring opponents everytime. Just get off the field 4 or 5 times during the game Defense. Is that too much to ask?
Todd need to become more vocal with his Defense and start jumping some players A..Arizona really kinda just gave us that game yesterday. Next yr, we need to concentrate on a Defensive game changing player likw we had of old. Remember those Rice, Sapp, Lynch, Brooks days? Man, teams were afraid of us.
Who scares you on our Defense? I’ll eat lunch while you think about it.
December 1st, 2025 at 1:18 pm
7+ yards per play given up on D
Arizona with effectively 4 turnovers and 1 missed field goal — if I were a Cardinals fan I would feel hopelessness
generally did just enough as a team to win — was able to close out the game on D and chew enough clock and time outs on final possession to win
definitely not a confidence boosting win against a losing team
December 1st, 2025 at 4:05 pm
Already looking past the Saints, eh? You should know better than that.
Apparently Joe has forgotten how rookie and backup QBs fare against Bowles Cover Zero Pressure Zero scheme….
December 1st, 2025 at 5:18 pm
If we only had a pass rush, what this D would be.
December 1st, 2025 at 9:44 pm
So tired of the same people with a zillion accounts trying to get us to fire Bowles and enter yet another lost decade. We can win *NOW* when our offensive players finish getting healthy. Against anyone. The defense will even play better when it doesn’t need to carry the team every week and has a nice big lead.
Let’s get our players back and see how we look, shall we?
December 1st, 2025 at 10:54 pm
StOeteMatt, what color is the lace on your cheerleader skirt?