The Idiocy Of OLBs Covering Passing Targets Blew Up (Again)
December 12th, 2025
Look, Joe fully understands that every team, on occasion, will have a defensive lineman drop into coverage from time to time. This is nothing new.
Shoot, one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history (which took place in the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway) was a linebacker dropping back from the line into coverage, James Harrison for the Steelers, and he picked off a Kurt Warner pass for a 99-yard pick six that proved to be the difference in the game. That was in 2009.
But this wild notion that an outside linebacker in a 34 defense needs to cover receivers (or tight ends) rather than getting after the quarterback, well, Joe never heard of such a thing and still believes it is an act of heresy.
Thursday night, it reared its ugly head. Again.
In a key third down for Atlanta in the second half, Chris Braswell shocked Bucs fans, alright. He covered Kyle Pitts who was in the midst of a career night.
(Gee, an offensive player having a career night against a Todd Bowles defense? Can you imagine?)
Predictably, Pitts caught the pass and moved the chains. The Dixie Chicks would score on that possession.
Joe can understand an outside linebacker dropping into pass coverage two, three, maybe a half-dozen times max a game. You want to throw the offense a curveball.
But damn near every set of downs is way over the top. Does anyone on the coaching staff or someone at One Buc Palace ever walk up to Bowles in a meeting and say, “You know, Todd, we might be able to get off the field quicker if we used outside linebackers to get after the quarterback and used are better athletes to cover receivers”
Anyone? No one? Bueller?
Because this just in: IT AIN’T WORKING!
December 12th, 2025 at 1:36 am
Yep! Genius todd….well, he’ll be gone soon, thankfully.
December 12th, 2025 at 1:43 am
Genius
December 12th, 2025 at 1:46 am
I feel better about this team now than I did before the game. Anyone see Mikes eyes on the sidelines end of game? Godwin is almost as good as Mike. JMac and Egbuka are naturals. 10 days from now we will look like a different football team. The defense should never be put in a position to lose that game. That’s on Baker. So we lost and got better? Yes, and alot better.
December 12th, 2025 at 1:49 am
Third and 28, then 4th and 14. We all knew Bowles would go soft zone. All of us, I knew it, the Joes knew it, the American people knew it. And he did it after having success bringing extra pressure to get to third and 28 in the first place. It was so predictable and so illogical. And it cost the Bucs the game. It is so ironic too, because the worst call of Bowles career was the zero blitz against the Rams in the playoff game. It is almost like that experience made him incapable of bringing a blitz in the key moment of a football game going forward. No excuse for the soft zone on those two plays.
December 12th, 2025 at 1:50 am
When you’re a defensive HC and your defense is terrible year after year with no signs of improvement or progress, you have to be replaced eventually.
And that time has come.
We need an Offensive HC and a new defensive scheme.
December 12th, 2025 at 1:50 am
Am I the only one that thought Bowels should have been fired after the playoff loss to the Rams? And then following the 8-9 season with Brady at quarterback? Then after the playoff loss to the Lions when he squandered a time out the lied about the reason for it? And now we are all assuming this season is the final nail in the coffin.
Is it really?
December 12th, 2025 at 1:52 am
The Glazers need to have someone in their media department put together a string of these explosive plays caused by Bowles using edge rushers and lineman to cover when the y grill him during his exit interview. The guy is as stubborn as Lovie Smith and will leave One Buc Palace, just like Lovie, a losing head coach. I know us fans will have to endure three more bad defensive performances before the season is over but could Santa give us fans a present. Can Todd resign in disgust?????? Do we have to wait until Black Monday to hear of the launching of Todd Bowles???????
December 12th, 2025 at 1:53 am
Yeah Mike was yelling something at Todd, go rewatch that one, i was laughing and shaking my head….Big Mike knows!!!
December 12th, 2025 at 1:54 am
Kenton Smith,
I’ll bet you that we lose AT LEAST 2 out of these last 3 games…
December 12th, 2025 at 1:55 am
It is Time. Enough with this Defensive scheme madness !
December 12th, 2025 at 1:56 am
I’m just waiting for the day when we have the secondary line up as DEs & DTs to go up against 300 lb. OL.
December 12th, 2025 at 1:57 am
I’m just waiting for the day when we have the secondary line up as DEs & DTs to go up against 300 lb. OL.
December 12th, 2025 at 2:09 am
He is a Guru. The opponents do not follow his lead. It is their fault they win. We should throw our Guru in the Bay.
December 12th, 2025 at 2:12 am
We need to go to the simple Tampa 2 defemse….Plug in some good players…etc
December 12th, 2025 at 2:26 am
Do Not Panic! This is planned out at Bowzo HQ. THIS was the Bowzo game plan. The players did their jobs perfect. The Bowzo Regime has this under control.
December 12th, 2025 at 2:46 am
Jose Rimeriz was on the practice squad a few years with a lot of hype about how well he gets after the QB and created havoc in the backfield. Todd said he doesn’t play because it was the only thing he did excellent. It’s just like my job, handymen are good, but having qualified technicians for specific tasks makes all the difference.
December 12th, 2025 at 3:20 am
isn’t this same defense that won a Super Bowl? it is. do you see talent at linebacker? because I don’t. not even close…. well ok close. Lavonte David … but he’s a shell of himself. no one is playing at Whites level that year.. go get some linebackers and the defense will be respectable. how many RBs carve us up with pass?