“More Like A Mediocre Effort Of Trying Not To Lose”
December 4th, 2025
It’s always a red flag when a team’s effort is questioned by a former player or coach.
The “E” word is a dangerous topic in the NFL.
Devin White is learning all about that again. The Bucs’ 2019 first-round pick ranks fifth in the NFL in tackles this season for the Raiders, but he’s getting mauled by Las Vegas fans for this goal-line loaf on Sunday.
Bucs legend Rondé Barber seems a little down on the Buccaneers’ collective effort, per his chatter this week on the The Rondé Barber Show.
“[Beating the Cardinals] was a nice win for us coming off a three-game losing streak; it was much less a win and more like a mediocre effort of trying not to lose,” Barber said.
Ouch.
Barber sees the Bucs at a crossroads, one they’ll navigate well if the defense plays with more, you know, effort.
“I’d say they’re kind of at a hinge point,” Barber said. “I think Jason Licht and his team have built a team that’s resilient enough. They can get hot. So, no collapse. Avoid the holes and play with a little bit more urgency, like a tiny little bit more urgency on defense. And then we won’t even have to talk about the if-not scenarios … having to win that last game against Carolina to get in.”
Joe asks a simple question about the Bucs defense. Do offenses face Tampa Bay and walk off the field saying, ‘Man, that defense is relentlessly physical, aggressive and swarming to the ball?”
Notice Joe didn’t reference talented. It doesn’t require talent to play with great urgency and effort.
Still time for the defense to get good enough to complement an offense that will be loaded with weapons in two weeks.
December 4th, 2025 at 5:54 am
same as last year, go down to the wire, and have to wait for someone else to lose.
December 4th, 2025 at 6:15 am
It’s crazy, I said this months ago. They don’t swarm to the football. look at Texans,
rams, Seattle, Denver. We have good players on D but I just don’t understand why there is
No gang tackling, put your foot in the ground and get to the football and WRAP UP
December 4th, 2025 at 6:18 am
no pressure on the qb and zyon can’t cover a grandma so our pass defense is at the bottom of 32 teams
December 4th, 2025 at 6:33 am
“” it was much less a win and more like a mediocre effort of trying not to lose,” Barber said””
Wait a minute. That sounds like a post from one of us posters/haters. Sounds like Rhonde is a fair weather fan folks. Surely Todd has nothing whatsoever to do with ‘mediocre efforts from HIS players according to the Bowles groupies.
December 4th, 2025 at 6:48 am
If you got paid per tackle, interception, fumble recovery, sack, instead of yearly salary there would be more of it. It’s just like my job, a few buddies and everyone else. Everyone else does all the work and a few buddies get all the money. Eventually everyone else gets tired of it and nothing gets done. Need to include more incentives in contracts.
December 4th, 2025 at 6:48 am
Ronde nailed it. It seems like on any given week at least a few of the defensive players appear to be loafing or not doing their assignment. This was a problem with Devin White during his last couple of seasons as a Buc. So this leads me, as the casual fan, to believe that this has been a problem since Bowles took the reigns from BA. The D in the second half of that Card certainly did look like “a mediocre effort, trying not to lose”. It seems like Tykee Smith and Vea usually Ball ball out and David gives his all and Dean as well but some of the other guys seem lackluster. This is something that should never happen but under Bowles it is a weekly event…..
December 4th, 2025 at 6:51 am
It’s clear the players on Def do not believe in their coach. Players bored, lack of energy, or need more effort. Simply comes down to players saying, “what we are being told to do is dumb and we don’t want to do it”
Todd has lost his def players.
December 4th, 2025 at 6:53 am
Most defenses rush the passer with 4 linemen, we only use two (Vea and Ya Ya) . I can’t recall when another D-lineman has made a play with the lone game Anthony Nelson got the start. That turned into a one game flash.
Fix the DLine to where we aren’t having to rely on blitze pkgs just to make a stop. Do that, the Secondary immediately improves, if they wrap up instead of all this flag football crap.
December 4th, 2025 at 7:07 am
The only defenders not on our d line that remotely have any “dawg” in them is #23. The rest are nice guys. A bunch of likeable dudes. Maybe they’ll fight back. But they not bringin an ounce of fight to nobody. It reflects the coach. No dawg in em.
December 4th, 2025 at 7:10 am
If the defense lined up in tight man coverage on the receivers instead of the soft zone coverage you would now right away who was loafing
December 4th, 2025 at 7:29 am
Nope. That’s what you get when you draft nice guys vs dawg. A happy cohesive arms locked locker room with nobody present to bite the hand that loafs. But hey, JL can find a gem of a small school OG every 4 years or so. Pray that another BA falls in his lap
December 4th, 2025 at 7:35 am
Think about it….what is Suh’s buccaneers legacy after 3 years vs McCoy’s 10 years? McCoy was a h3ll of a ball player, but…
December 4th, 2025 at 7:36 am
Barber knows bad Bucs football. He played for Raheem Morris.
December 4th, 2025 at 8:01 am
Bad news for Bowles haters ..Bowles is not going anywhere as long as Baker is here .
December 4th, 2025 at 8:03 am
Baker is signed for next year only, so fire Bowles and I think Baker Bolts so maybe we can get Trask back or this Balsak guy on the PS may be ready.
December 4th, 2025 at 8:06 am
Why dont you just LEAVE Ronde! Some of us are perfectly content with 8-9 or 9-8. HATER! You’re not a REAL fan! I totally predicted that we would be 7-5 by now, with our annual mid year embarrassing swoon just by looking at the schedule. This is just what we do. I am totally fine remaining content and not raising the bar. Now YAYA & Hasaan: you get out there and drop back in to coverage like a good edge rusher should! – TJ rives, rod munch and other losers.
December 4th, 2025 at 8:17 am
I have said for months that certain players are loafing on defense and not finishing plays by rallying to the ball until you hear the echo of the whistle. One of those is getting 14 million a year and the other is getting 16 million a year-I will let you figure out who that is.
December 4th, 2025 at 8:28 am
The loafing and Zyon’s boredom are both symptoms. Our scheme involves a lot zone coverage, which requires each player to have intuition and the notorious communication. But it doesn’t frequently give db’s a chance to get one-on-one and smother a particular opponent, so it seems some guys are having difficulty staying excited. And I get it, you can’t play man coverage every time. But we need to give these guys more chances to “flex their muscles” in ways that compliment their best abilities. In other words, let them have a few more chances to have some fun out there.
December 4th, 2025 at 8:29 am
Character traits like passion, discipline, intensity, desire and perseverance need to be instilled in this defense nd it cones from the top
December 4th, 2025 at 8:43 am
all 3 phases need to play with more urgency…
GO BUCS!!!!
December 4th, 2025 at 8:44 am
Need a first down? Toss a slant at McCollum…
December 4th, 2025 at 8:45 am
Yes Ronde spells it out like it is. My question, why do we keep hearing about the poor tackling, but nothing changes. It seems if tackling is a problem then it needs to be addressed until it is fixed instead of saying well we had to many missed tackles over and over, but nothing changes.
Yes also agree with Ronde it seemed the Bucs were in full control of the game for the most part, but never pu their foot on the gas to close out the game. It seems that this is the way the Bucs play. It reflects in the won , loss record, always wait til the end and barely win the division. Each game, they just barely edge out the win letting the other team hang around.
Take a look at McColumn, Bowles says he needs to cover better , play better, get coached better, but each week, he continues to get torched. If anything teams are now exploiting him every week. The team tackling nearly the same. Everyweek we expect the team to tacle better , but it only happens occasionly.
Yes, this defense has no heart and lacks talent in critical areas.
December 4th, 2025 at 8:46 am
Carolina wins the Division. Fire Todd
December 4th, 2025 at 8:51 am
The Defense needs a head coach that will give them a kick in the pants. The defense needs a coach who will not have the secondary playing back on their heels afraid to give up the big play. A great defensive coordinator puts all his players in position to make game turning plays and also the spine to slam the door on opposing offenses.
The same problem persists with Todd ‘Bowels’ as head coach. He’s the common denominator.
December 4th, 2025 at 8:59 am
Not swarming to the ball is a great way to put it.
You’re seeing lesser teams doing that to our offense.
December 4th, 2025 at 9:26 am
We need a new special teams coordinator and need to hire a DC. IF we keep Bowles…
December 4th, 2025 at 9:51 am
The,,, I tell them coaching is a theme under Jason L ,,,, It took Arians to boot Gerald and Bring in Suh and a diff mind set . Mike Smith was the Worst .
December 4th, 2025 at 9:54 am
We’ll win alot of games holding the other guys to 17. Todd says we aren’t rallying to the ball to the echo of the whistle. Through the echo of the whistle. I have noticed that lately. Coaches shouldn’t let that happen. The players shouldn’t let that happen. And after McCollum got beat on a slant and an out and it was obvious they were targeting him, the secondary coach or a defensive teammate should have told him to play bump and run- don’t let that receiver time anything. The safety can back him up. McCollum is a good athlete and has the potential to be a good corner but he’s got to get aggressive if the offense is going to target him. And some of these guys need coached up and McCollum is one of them.
December 4th, 2025 at 9:55 am
Ronde … ‘It (beating Arizona) was much less a win and more like a mediocre effort of trying not to lose.’
Ouch, ouch, ouch. Here we were coming off a 3-game losing streak (to quality teams) and playing a team that’d lost 8 games and that was a decided underdog, and voila … we barely survived. In the process we gave up 5.0 YPC to their mediocre rushers & let their backup QB complete over 72% of his passes for over 300 yds. Our good news though was that the Cards committed 2 very untimely giveaways to help our cause, and that our defense was able to stop them on their last drive.
I LOVE great defense, and we’ve all seen a lot of it as a Bucs fans since 1976. DEFENSE is our bloodline; it’s always been the very definition of being a Buccaneer. The earliest days of Leroy Selmon; only 3 yrs until we had the #1 defense in the NFL (and in the Black & Blue division no less) & made the playoffs for the 1st time. The 1980’s & early 90’s were tough on us to be sure; I think largely because we had to play the Packers, Lions, Bears & Vikings TWICE every single year (a hot-weather Southern team having to play those Northern powerhouses in cold weather half the time was kinda asking a lot, and we didn’t fare well).
Tony Dungy & his incredible coaching staff came in 1996 & changed that (and that’s when I bought my 1st season tickets & kept them for many many years). First year was a tad rough (6-10) but after that the Bucs’ defense took over & WE became a powerhouse … STILL in the Black & Blue Division. Finished 10-6 in 1997, and had a break even or winning record every year thru 2001 … always thanks to that incredible Bucs defense.
One thing very few seem to remember is that we were STILL in the NFC Central (playing Packers, Lions, Vikings AND Bears TWICE each year in our 16 games) through 2001 … the year Tony got fired & replaced by Chucky. Bucs did SO MUCH BETTER in 2002 (#1 defense AND won the Super Bowl of course). Only having to play 6 games against the Saints, Falcons & Panthers, instead of having to play 8 of our 16 games against the Packers, Lions, Vikings & Bears MIGHT have helped. But the CONSTANT was our DEFENSE.
Our defense (and team) fell on a number of hard years under Raheem, Schiano & Lovie (all defensive coaches … hmmm), and our defense didn’t get any better under Dirk Koetter (an offensive coach who hired the wrong defensive coach). But things began to change when BA got hired in 2019 and brought in Todd Bowles to run his defense. Took a year to effectively transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4, but after that, Bucs defense was back.
Far as I’m concerned, DC Todd Bowles deserves the lion’s share of credit for re-establishing our quality Bucs’ defense. Our defense ranked #8 & #5 in 2020 & 2021, and were essential to us winning 5 of 6 playoff games in those 2 years. That defense slid a bit in 2022 to #13 when Todd took over as BOTH HC & DC, but there were a lot of personnel changes involved that year so a slide is understandable. Optimistically it rose to #7 in 2023 and surrendered the fewest points since 2008.
BUT THEN … we’ve back-slid these past 2 years, to a #16 ranking in 2024 and now a #23 ranking in 2025. That’s a terrible trend, and even though we’re 7-5 right now, those types of defensive rankings don’t reflect our heritage. The problems are obvious by this point, but we’re not fixing them. And we won’t address any of them until the end of the year.
For my part, I’m convinced this dual-hatting thing isn’t working (it rarely does). I like Todd Bowles as our HC, but no longer as our DC. I’m convinced that at the end of the year, the Glazers will tell Todd Bowles to hire a separate DC and let him pick his own staff. And there’s a very good chance Todd won’t go for it, just like Tony supposedly turned down a similar ultimatum. An interesting off-season approaching …
December 4th, 2025 at 9:56 am
The DC is a 300+ lb doughboy who talks like Myron from the geek squad. His players love him like students love a substitute teacher.
December 4th, 2025 at 10:02 am
we will see if Zyon starts !! no way his sht bag effort and terrible technique should touch the field to start the game . Show him , his agent and the rest of the league. And this isn’t referencing his downfield coverage…………. If you release him right now, I don’t think anybody would pick him up with the current contract. Things can change, but that makes that a really bad signing…….I didn’t think it was a bad signing at the time !!
December 4th, 2025 at 10:32 am
Same Ole same ole…
Until contracts favor “performance equals dollars” as the Primary payday then nothing will change “ESPECIALLY” under a weak coach. It’s EXACTLY like being paid an hourly at this time with bonuses as “small incentives” mixed in. And if you’re an hourly employee, why again should you try your best and give your all? You don’t make a dime more than if you just go through the motions…. SO…
Pride? NOT TODAY’S GENERATION. That’s no more than a joke these days. Today’s generation is Smarter than the generations before. Besides, pride CLEARLY doesn’t hold the premium as it did once. Just look at our product on the field for ALL the proof you need of that.
It turns out DOLLARS Rule the day Just as in days gone by. It’s ALWAYS the dollars until they become so rich that it reverts back to “Pride” as the premium.
The CONTRACTS Can GUARANTEE the VERY BEST performance from Each and Every player IF structured right.
Players today have no financial incentive to BE “THAT” MAN. They are paid more akin to an hourly worker and guess what? THE RESULTS ARE IN!
December 4th, 2025 at 10:38 am
I’m glad someone who is as respected and still attached to the Bucs actually called the defense out. Maybe if you question their effort which was clearly lacking, these guys will take it as a challenge and play harder. It’s a matter of pride.
December 4th, 2025 at 10:44 am
Every one can see the D issues! When will the powers that be do something about it! That’s their job! I think the talent is there! Someone needs to harness it and unleash it! That’s their job. Starting with Jason and Todd, trickling down to the assistant coaches!! The time for action is now! Not after this season! The team with most momentum going into the playoffs usually goes far! Someone in power needs to step up!!!
December 4th, 2025 at 10:48 am
Most of the better teams DO NOT accept mediocrity!!! Why do the Bucs? Where is their accountability?
December 4th, 2025 at 11:01 am
Yep. Circles right back to coach radio. He’s not a good HC!!
Really your specialty is garbage now there lazy and “ bored”
wtf!!
December 4th, 2025 at 11:26 am
obvious one , you are Correct !! However it’s not that they are smarter it’s the folks in charge are the non accountable poison . Todd and many others are the poison . The second Gerald McCoy was allowed to believe an almost sack was as good as a sack , his running by the qb increased . This was the coach coddling his Ego and it was never challenged or corrected . The Guy could have been a HOF but instead he was allowed to poison the team . Arians used a SUH antibiotic and it was successful. Zyon doesn’t know any better than Gerald but a Good Head Coach or GM does ……. Sit his ass down and let him watch . Sometimes Owners must Correct Organizational issues also !!
No not Al Davis or Jerry Jones stuff lol
December 4th, 2025 at 11:57 am
I commented after the loss in the playoffs last year that Bowles was the problem. He called a terrible game taking the ball out of Baker’s hands with the fewest attempts of the entire year even tough the pass games was averaging 25% better YPA and the run game 25% worse than the regular season.
Many took issue with my comments because Bowles is a great HC and defensive mind. That despite he obvious regression LAST year on defense.
Fast forward to today, and the regression continues. Just how bad does the D need to get before ownership understands that Bowles is part of the problem and NOT part of the solution?
If the Bucs split with the Panthers this year (or lose both), the Bucs do not make the playoffs.
December 4th, 2025 at 12:17 pm
Why does every single defensive player that Todd Bowles coaches start their career fast and then regress and fail to develop?
It isnt talent, they all show their talent early in their careers, but then when they should be peaking in their development they stall out and regress. It isnt just a couple players here and there, its consistent across the board. It’s not just scheme, its not just play calling, and its not just personnel decisions, its a convoluted combination of all of them.
I understand the circumstances were going to be hard to make the decision at the time, but I can’t help but think this team missed their chance at having a consistent winner when Coen left and Bowles was kept in place. Hindsight is 20/20 and time will tell how Coen progresses as a head coach, but i think its fair to make the judgement at this point that Bowles is a mediocre head coach and is unable to properly call the defense as a head coach. As a straight up DC he’s pretty fearless in blitzing and being aggressive. As a HC/DC combo, he calls the D as a neutered pup.
December 4th, 2025 at 12:18 pm
For the zillionth time….
COACHING MATTERS.
The Loafaneers are what Tood has created and whatever pretend walk around crap he has them doing in “practice.” It sure isn’t tackling, focusing on assignments, playing fast, or getting in the film room with his deer in the headlights Leftwich clone to fix the damn offense.
It’s over.
December 4th, 2025 at 12:37 pm
Defense Rules like always great input. You and Ira make JBF better. Thanks
December 4th, 2025 at 12:42 pm
They need to move on from Todd how much staff do they need to keep hiring for his shortcomings. If he can’t keep his players focused this late into the season just hiring a DC isn’t gonna cut it even if his ego would let him do such a a thing.
December 4th, 2025 at 12:58 pm
So people are still obsessing about a close win. Well, close wins are the rule in the modern NFL. The rules were changed on the interest of “parity”. That guarentees close games most of the time.
For example – the Denver Broncos are going neck and neck with the Patriots for the AFC No 1 seed. The Broncos are 10-2. Yet 7 of their wins are 4 points or less. Two are by 1 point. They have a great defense, and an Offense led by Bo Nix theatrics in the 4th period
It’s not just us – its the way of the NFL.
And today the Falcolns are taking a look at another quarterback. Kyle Trask is parked on their practice squad, yet if the new guy does anything, he will be QB2 ahead of Stick. Trask is QB4.
December 4th, 2025 at 1:45 pm
This defense has no heart period! They have the players, but they’re running around looking at each other like they are lost. Bowels has taken this team as far as he can. If winning the NFC South was the goal he would be going to the HOF, But its not. Time to Move on.
59 Wins 69 Losses
1 Win and 3 Losses in the Playoffs
60/72 total.
December 4th, 2025 at 3:28 pm
It comes from the head coach.
If Bowles gets a 3-point lead in the 2nd quarter, he goes into turtle mode and just wants to run out the clock. He has none of the killer instinct that Arians had, which is what the team is really missing.
With that said, if Baker gets hot, the Bucs have a chance. If Baker doesn’t get hot, if he continues with his yearly mid-season slump and doesn’t snap out of it, the Bucs don’t have a chance. But getting all these guys back on offense means, hopefully, we’re going to finally see something that looked like last years offense, and that should carry the team.
On defense, as we saw last year in the playoffs when the defense gave up 16 points – they can step up at times. And if Bowles went back and looked at the tape from the SB run, he’d see an aggressive man-to-man defense with exotic blitzes, not just sitting back in a super soft zone (and no, sending 5 isn’t a blitz when your base defense is a 5-2).