Mastermind Win For Todd Bowles?
December 3rd, 2025
Joe spent a chunk of Tuesday catching up on Monday sports radio shows — in Arizona.
And a very common theme is under the skin of Cardinals faithful after losing to the Bucs on Sunday.
It revolves around two postgame comments made by Tampa Bay head coach/defensive coordinator Todd Bowles immediately after the game. To say many folks in Arizona were hung up on Bowles’ words would be an understatement.
The Bucs defense locked down the Cardinals twice on fourth down in the game, the second time ended the contest, a four-and-out deep in Cardinals territory.
Regarding the first stuff of the Cardinals on fourth down, a big play by Anthony Nelson, Bowles casually told local Tampa-based reporters, “The formation told us the ball was going outside. They did a heck of a job with the film study; Nellie made a heck of a play.”
That outraged fans in the desert. Bowles knew what was coming based on the formation? The Cardinals were outcoached, fans barked.
And then there was the final Cardinals offensive play, a pass breakup by SirVocea Dennis over the middle on 4th-and-2. Of that play Bowles said, “We kind of knew what the route was.”
Whoa! That set off a storm in Phoenix, especially combined with Bowles’ take on the Nelson play.
It sure sounds like Arizona got outcoached in big moments.
Former Bucs and Cardinals center A.Q. Shipley works on Cardinals radio broadcasts, in addition to his work on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN. He spoke Monday on sports radio 98.7 FM in Arizona about how Bowles is in a class with Seattle’s defensive-minded head coach Mike Macdonald when it comes to being “pretty brilliant” at picking up offenses’ tendencies.
Of course, the fourth-down success was needed to balance the Cardinals marching up and down the field on the Bucs to the tune of 386 yards of offense. But Arizona did the same thing to the Colts defense (400 yards) and hung 488 yards on a proud San Francisco defense two weeks ago, so it was hardly a shocking output.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:04 pm
Let the yokels here tell it, players are unprepared, uninspired, poorly coached and so on. Yet, players are making plays, because they’re doing film study and being clued into to tells of an opponents tendency x out of y-formation. Guess we can categorize that as fan-fiction.
“Of course, the fourth-down success was needed to balance the Cardinals marching up and down the field on the Bucs to the tune of 386 yards of offense.”
Oof, yards gained doesn’t automatically equate to points scored, but go on and cook. “hung 488 yard” as if the yardage means they moved the ball enough to win or “hang 40 points”
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:07 pm
Guess we see that a little differently Joe. In my world, if you find an advantage over your adversary, the last thing you should do is let them know so they can fix it. Odds are very good that the next time we play the Cardinals, Todd’s words will be front-and-center in the minds of every Arizona coach so that never happens again.
It’s also kinda sad that our defensive scheme has been so weak that it took ‘tells’ by Arizona for us to really shut them down. Apparently the Patriots & Rams didn’t have those problems.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:09 pm
It’s hard to get excited about this team knowing when we go against a top notch team/head coach Bowles will get out coached every single time.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:10 pm
You think Todd shouldn’t say anything because we’re going to play Arizona again in like 3 years??
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:26 pm
“It sure sounds like Arizona got outcoached in big moments.”
Oh please
3 – 9 literally means the bar is not set high
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:32 pm
Warren Brooks Lynch… what are you talking about here?
As far as I can tell, that may be the first time this season his D knew what was coming and got a stop late in the game. If Bowles was able to diagnose the other teams offense in real game time more often, we wouldn’t be talking about how lousy the D is. Let’s thank the Cards ineptitude, an outside run and a 3 yard pass to the middle is playing right into Todd’s hands. They dialed up a 10-20 yard pass and we could be talking about a Sunday loss.
Bowles got 40 hung on his D the previous 2 weeks. (Rams were getting there easily if they didn’t let off in 2nd half)
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:36 pm
Let’s see what kind of games Shough and Cousins have vs this D before we put the word mastermind in any more sentences with Todd Bowles.
If it doesn’t go well, I weep for the Bucs prospects vs Carolina.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:40 pm
WBL
dont bother brother!!!!!
folks hate the truth when it slaps them in the face….
no one has said a pep about the offense ONLY scoring 20pts vs a 3-9 ARZ team….BUCS shouldve score 30+…
but yeah, blame bowles lol
GO BUCS!!!!
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:40 pm
Cardinals are one of the worst teams in the league with one of the worst olines in the league and the bucs barely beat them last minute hmm we don’t need to focus on this or get any learned knowledge they are competing against bad teams if it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:53 pm
Mastermind/Todd Bowles – Oxymoron!
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:55 pm
Hey Saskbucs did you forget the end of the Seattle game? We also beat the 49ers and Houston. With all our weapons, this team is going to be incredibly dangerous to deal with. Imagine trying to stop Bucky-Tucker, Egbuka, Evans, Godwin, and Macmillan? Going to be incredibly difficult to avoid having someone wide open on EVERY PLAY!
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:07 pm
it took ‘tells’ by Arizona for us to really shut them down
where im from, thats called film study and preparation lol
but yeah, blame bowles lol…
GO BUCS!!!!
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:07 pm
Something to consider:
When scoring 20 points oor less, the Denver Broncos are 4-1.
The rest of the league – 24-126. We played a good game. Not our fault were were officiated out of 10 more points. If we had won 30-17, there would have been less whining.
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:12 pm
Perhaps Todd knows how he’s been ripped by the fan base the last month. Maybe he felt the need to toss a nugget , reflecting that he indeed has some knowledge and legitimacy as a defensive mind. Call it a subconscious defense mechanism . Every one needs a little validation when it comes to our careers.
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:14 pm
Man this guy gets complaints and “fans” still make excuses why he no good. You losers need to go root for one of the AFC Florida teams
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:15 pm
@Sasbucks
I didn’t write what I said in mandarin or deustche, read it again.
There’s a difference between preparation and proper execution
“If Bowles was able to diagnose the other teams offense in real game time more often, we wouldn’t be talking about how lousy the D is.”
All this prep happens in the week of preparation leading up to the game, by time the game rolls around the HCs ability to diagnosis things happening between the lines has no bearing on his players seeing it through between whistles. Basic football logic, the beauty of the game is going 11 parts to function as 1, but that seems to be lost on fans in time when teams are down.
Which prompts fans like you to start talking about coaching as if it’s as easy as sitting on a chez lounge with your bucs gear and your bucs PS5 remote controlling everything everyone does.
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:16 pm
Deeboooo Says:
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:14 pm
Man this guy gets complaints and “fans” still make excuses why he no good. You losers need to go root for one of the AFC Florida teams
SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE CLOWNS IN THE BACK!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:28 pm
I watched the game and I saw two bad teams playing bad football.
AZ was just worse than the Bucs.
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:30 pm
Nice work Tom Moore
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:33 pm
Bowles may be brilliant picking up tendencies once the game starts but his defensive gameplan always seems pretty clueless on the first couple drives, doesn’t it?
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:43 pm
Todd needs to do more at not so key moments too!
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:55 pm
What DeeBooo said!
December 3rd, 2025 at 2:13 pm
I heard that Todd Bowles needs to be fired so we can get the next Schiano , Raheem , Lovie, Koetter in here
December 3rd, 2025 at 2:21 pm
Thanks, Joe, for the report from behind enemy lines. I had never thought of Bowles as the taunting type before, but I guess when your team’s 3-9, having the opposition distinguish a run formation from a pass formation must seem like cheating. Did Brady bring that down from Boston?
December 3rd, 2025 at 3:03 pm
They will rile up the crowd and gaslight the sane
They will call a cat a dog, and pigs goats, over and over until you agree, from fear of being labeled a bigot, or worse
They will tell mothers to send their sons to die because of righteous adherence to noble concepts
But I know True North is that he’s a mediocre coach who struggles to get the best out of his talent consistently
Sincerely, The Clown in the Back
December 3rd, 2025 at 3:19 pm
Great, we outcoached a guy who probably won’t have his job at the start of next season.
December 3rd, 2025 at 3:21 pm
THat brilliance sure showed against the Rams and Bills, eh? Oh and Brissett MOntana threw for 300 yards. GEnius. Masturmind.
I just threw up in my mouth.
December 3rd, 2025 at 3:27 pm
Ahhh yes, the mastermind head coach. Football coaches are the typically the smartest dumb guy in the room.
December 3rd, 2025 at 3:34 pm
813——
“Man this guy gets complaints and “fans” still make excuses why he no good.”
Ya lost me/us. How about breaking that one down for us … please?
December 3rd, 2025 at 4:00 pm
It’s amazing how horrible the Cardinals are compared to this time last week.
December 3rd, 2025 at 4:07 pm
grizz is out of his league/ bad promo
December 3rd, 2025 at 4:07 pm
we just dont have the horses on defense and the scheme is too complicated and Zyon sucks so there!!! Imagine if we had got Micah Parsons…
December 3rd, 2025 at 4:12 pm
StPeteMatt… I didn’t forget. I’m not complaining about the offense. Those games you mentioned were in the first 6 weeks when offense was still humming.
Seattle put up 35 and just like AZ had a chance to march down for the win. Houston offense was completely out to lunch early in the season, which is why they dug themselves an early hole.
WBL… this is the bar for Bowles D? Pretty sure weekly film study and looking for tells in the offense is the bare minimum across the league of game prep. Players don’t need coaches to tell them to do that or they wouldn’t be in the league. It’s week 14 and Bowles has veteran starters blowing assignments, missing tackles… takes to the final drive when Bowles can see he’s about to blow it again to get pissed and get on the D to get their heads outta their rears! What are you Bowles kid? You think he’s making in game adjustments and the players just never execute!? You think his master plan was to let Brissett throw for over 300 and have the ball at the end of the game with a chance to win!?
Good coaches put their players in a position to make plays and win games. Bowles manages it occasionally, never in a 35-10 win though… only 1 score wins, opponent doesn’t matter, why is that?
I’m cheering for the Bucs to win every game from now through early Feb. Offense has excuses this season, the offense picked the D up all last season and people said what can Bowles do? His entire D/secondary is hurt! Well now the tables have flipped and how can anyone defend his D!? It’s garbage.
December 3rd, 2025 at 5:23 pm
Where were these “pretty brilliant” abilities against the Patriots, who had 4 different plays of over 40 yards against us?
Or against the Bills, who had over 220 yards just on kick returns?
But yeah, having those DL and OLBs dropping back to cover WRs 20 yards down the field… definitely brilliant!
December 3rd, 2025 at 5:28 pm
Eric Says
“It’s hard to get excited about this team knowing when we go against a top notch team/head coach Bowles will get out coached every single time.”
We beat the Eagles, who are currently 8-4.
We beat the 49ers, who are currently 9-4.
We beat the Lions who are 7-5.
We beat the Texans who are 7-6.
It’s not actually happening every time.
December 3rd, 2025 at 5:29 pm
Joe Sea … ‘You think Todd shouldn’t say anything because we’re going to play Arizona again in like 3 years??’
Wasn’t really the point I was trying to make (my bad); it applies to all the teams we’ll play. Every one of them will evaluate Todd’s words & do an extra-deep look at their own game-plans & play-calling … looking for ‘tells’. As they SHOULD be doing anyways.
Spent many years as a fighter pilot & instructor Joe, and one key thing that we always stressed was that if you had an advantage over your adversary, milk the daylights out of it but for heaven’s sake don’t tell the other guy about it. If you do, you’ll probably lose it in short order.
On a grander scale, our code-breaking was a huge advantage over the Japanese in WWII. Can you imagine how the war in the Pacific could’ve turned out quite differently if we’d let them know after the first US victory after the Pearl Harbor attack (the Battle of Midway in Jun 1942) that we had this fantastic code-breaking capability? That victory came about because ‘the US Navy, aided by code-breaking intelligence, ambushed and defeated the Japanese fleet near Midway Atoll.’ And we continued to use that vey effectively throughout the war.
December 3rd, 2025 at 5:33 pm
Tucker Says:
“Cardinals are one of the worst teams in the league”
Maybe so. But keep this in mind: all but 3 of their losses were decided by 4 points or less. Their record doesn’t show it, but they are better than you think.
December 3rd, 2025 at 5:36 pm
unbelievable Says
“Where were these “pretty brilliant” abilities against the Patriots, who had 4 different plays of over 40 yards against us?”
Not our finest game, certainly…but we lost by less than a TD. With lots of injuries. All hope is not lost.
December 3rd, 2025 at 5:41 pm
I have no problem with giving the team/coach/players credit for holding an NFL offense to 17 points, no matter their record. You should get compliments for that. And if you’ve done enough research to call their plays before they happen, you should get credit for that as well.
Now on the flip side – who gets the blame when one of our dlineman is out of place and Gibbs goes for 90 yards? Or how about when one of the patriots and bills pedestrian wide receivers are open by five feet and go for 50-60 yards? The instances against the lambs are too many to list? Is it just the players that are to blame?
These aren’t one off mistakes. They keep happening. The HC said one of our starters is “bored”
Hopefully my point is obvious.
December 3rd, 2025 at 6:43 pm
Hey wait a minute guys. It’s all good. We’ve got our offensive weapons back so now Bowles can show us how great of a coach he really is! O wait….
Let me revise. We’ve got our offensive weapons back so Grizz can save Todd’s job for him! Well Darn It! That hasn’t been very good either. But at least Todd has a chance to show it was He that coached us to Victory. Wait a minute…..
I just can’t get it right. Can’t seem to find a reason to keep Todd around. He CERTAINLY CAN NOT save himself with his defense so…. maybe it’s time to find a coach WHO CAN and WILL!
BTW… I see people invoking names like Koetter, Shimano, Lovie etc But there’s a BIG BUT in you fellas scenarios.
If ANY of those fellas HAD the TALENT to work with that Bowles has been “Gifted With FROM GO”, I bet ANY AND ALL of them would have had FAR BETTER records than they ended up with. NONE of them was even sort of in the ballpark in the talent level that Bowles IS WASTING!
Bowles has SCREWED UP ANY AND ALL defensive ends he was given! The ONE THING he Never taught them was HOW TO BE AN “ACTUAL” DEFENSIVE END!!!!! A Very Sad WASTE of talent and draft picks! But the One Thing that is TRUE, it’s that None of them had this much talent to work with. Not Even Close!
December 3rd, 2025 at 6:46 pm
Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!
Mastermind is not a word that should ever be connected to Todd Bowles.
Again he walks a$$ backward into success.
As soon as the schedule turns to the drecks of the league the yearly losing streak magically ends.
Some of us want to beat the good teams that we would see in the playoffs if we made it out of round one.
December 3rd, 2025 at 6:54 pm
Now, with all of that TRUTH said, we Are getting a Great Deal of our primary O weapons back on line. That does give me HIGH HOPES that we can score enough points to keep us in Any Game. There’s no guarantees but I feel A LOT BETTER about our chances to Fight Back!
Obviously we don’t have the defensive “want” to compete but we Now have the Offensive “WILL and SKILL” to stand tall. We will now see what Grizzard REALLY HAS up his sleeve. AND THAT’S A GREAT THING! We’ll find out what Grizz has under the hood. So far I’m TRYING to give him the benefit of the doubt because he’s been so so at best. Let’s all pray Grizz actually HAS the STUFF!
December 3rd, 2025 at 7:23 pm
LMAO…
Usually I don’t care if I get moderated. And I Really don’t care now either. BUT… I gotta say I’m a bit perplexed. Boy I must be a BAD BOY (I have cused in the past and gotten into a few fights) so I suppose I’m on some auto list. I gotta tell ya though I’m Tuned In on 98% of what passes and what won’t.
I was just moderate (which if it’s heated for some it’s automatic for all and frankly it happens often) but I can’t find a reason for it. Especially this last one for instance. It’s sassy but that’s all. Just like everybody else..
Now I’m not mad. No I’m LMFAO because there’s nothing there to moderate. Absolutely no reason. So it looks like they’ll switch on a program that just moderates All or a Karen is desperate and BOY IT SHOWS! It is what it is but you’d think that a bunch of “pre teens” were the target market on an ADULT FAN BLOG!
ALSO… IT’S EXTREMELY HYPOCRITICAL BECAUSE THE JOES CUSE UP A STORM WHENEVER THEY WANT TO! I CAN’T RESPECT THAT…. It’s Already a WEAK standpoint since a LARGE MAJORITY OF THE READERSHIP IS OVER 50 YEARS OLD WITH ZERO CHILDREN PARTICIPATING!
And besides…. if the Joe’s REALLY HAD A CLUE, they’d Realize that today’s youth considers cussing PAR FOR THE COURSE!
The Joe’s REALLY SHOULD stop acting like it’s a children’s pre school reading this blog. THEY ARE NOT!!! This blog acts as if it’s catholic school! IT’S FREAKING FUNNY!
Just saying…. it’s a bit much for the Adults. It’s actually funny as …. well you get it
December 3rd, 2025 at 7:24 pm
That one wasn’t moderated but the soft one before WAS…. LMFAO!
December 3rd, 2025 at 8:27 pm
Didn’t read the article or any of the comments. Todd Bowles and the word “Mastermind” should never be used in the same sentence. I just don’t understand this team at all. The defense sucks for like 4 weeks. Special teams is horrible at the same time. Then all of a sudden these guys wake up? Im not buying it. This team is one and done if they even make the playoffs.
December 4th, 2025 at 12:43 am
Bonzai – check your sheet. Eagles beat our arse . That’s when Todd failed to correct early season special teams ineptitude that mostly cost us the game . We lost to the Eagles 31-25 and it wasn’t that close.
December 4th, 2025 at 9:11 am
For those that posted that Bowles shouldn’t have said anything, nothing will be the same the next time we play Arizona. They will probably have a different system and different coaches because things constantly change in the NFL anyhow. If he would have said something like that after the first game of the season that we play against a division rival, that would be different.
December 4th, 2025 at 3:48 pm
Saskbucs you left out the part where the D closed it out with a key interception.
It’s demoralizing to have a ton of players out from injuries and really hurts your chances to win. It turned this season into a roller coaster ride with some heroic performances from Baker.
Now we get to see what we really have. And there’s not a lot of secondaries out there deep enough to cover Evans/Egbuka/Godwin/Macmillan. In fact, I doubt there are ANY. If the O’line gives Mayfield time he will dissect teams going forward. It should be a lot of fun!
December 4th, 2025 at 3:56 pm
What are you talking about Aqualung? Eagles had like a yard of offense in the second half. We have all our receivers we win that game running away.