Can The Bucs Go Worst To Ninth?
May 14th, 2026
When Joe thinks about a pending revival of the Buccaneers defense, Joe thinks of one thing Todd Bowles has a great handle on but somehow fumbled in ugly fashion last season.
That would be red zone defense.
The Bucs ranked last in the NFL in red zone defense after ranking ninth in 2024 and third (and best in the NFC) in 2023. So, for the Bowles bashers, it’s impossible to argue Bowles doesn’t know how to coach up keeping offenses out of the end zone.
For some reason(s), the Bucs’ red zone defense went to crap last season. That’s on Bowles. But Joe has several reasons to believe that should improve greatly.
The Bucs defense had plenty of issues in 2024, yet it still was good in the red zone. The personnel is at least as good this season and it was in 2024, so perhaps the red zone fix is the Bucs’ fastest pathway to respectability on that side of the ball.
Speaking on SiriusXM NFL Radio this week, former Jets linebackers coach and personnel director Pat Kirwan suggested his good friend Todd Bowles practice red zone defense daily, including through the 2026 season.
Sound advice.
May 14th, 2026 at 11:32 am
Well yeah, we added some players to the defense who actually seem to want to play hard and win.
That alone should add a few more wins than last year.
I’m optimistic the D will be improved this year – how much, who knows?
May 14th, 2026 at 11:35 am
-practice red zone defense daily
-practice tackling daily
-practice pursuit angels daily
too many walk thrus and not enough urgency!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
May 14th, 2026 at 11:42 am
How’d Bowles rank on 3-28 and 4-14?
Do you believe the players that quit on him last year are onboard with him this year?
Why?
Once things go south mid-year, they’ll mail it in. They know what he’s about.
5-12
May 14th, 2026 at 12:01 pm
Does Kirwan know that they didn’t practice this daily? Why would he say that publicly? Hmmm
May 14th, 2026 at 12:02 pm
IF Bowles uses these guys to their strengths, they’ll be better. What are the chances that Bowles does that, though? He seems to enjoy jamming square pegs into round holes.
May 14th, 2026 at 12:06 pm
OLDSCHOOL1976 Says:
May 14th, 2026 at 12:01 pm
Does Kirwan know that they didn’t practice this daily? Why would he say that publicly? Hmmm
^^^^^^^^^
Bowles is known for having easy practices and/or “walk throughs” to supposedly save the players from injuries. How has that worked out?
May 14th, 2026 at 12:09 pm
“So, for the Bowles bashers, it’s impossible to argue Bowles doesn’t know how to coach up keeping offenses out of the end zone.”
Correct. That is a mission impossible scenario for those of us that chose to believe what our eyes tell us.
Bowles did not earn his job. It was gifted to him from BA. Some would say that BA held the Glazers hostage to force them into the hire.
They did not sign him out of fear that 31 other teams were clamoring for his services.
Just ask a Jets fan. They’re well versed in the reality of the defensive Guru’s lousy Swiss cheese scheme.
May 14th, 2026 at 12:18 pm
More than pretty sure Red Zone defense is practiced every time they practice. It’s better player’s, and better prepared players, and healthy players, that will turn this horse cart around.
May 14th, 2026 at 12:33 pm
Thats where Bain and the Dline needs to do their job! You cant expect a corner/ DB to cover for 15 seconds a play sort a speak! Pressue/ penetration
May 14th, 2026 at 12:33 pm
It just doesn’t matter.
Spinning our wheels with Todd.
They can be 4th best red zone D again and improve on both sides of the ball… once you reach high leverage games against the top coaches and teams in the league… Bowles doesn’t have the jam or game management chops to hang.
Been obvious for awhile.
May 14th, 2026 at 12:50 pm
Our Linebackers were too weak to be a good RedZone Defense. So, that makes sense they were WORST in the league. They were THE WORST group of Linebackers on a NFL team that I can ever remember seeing. We literally saw Lavonte loose all interest and hit the age-wall in real-time.
May 14th, 2026 at 1:45 pm
Our front 7 was a huge disappointment last season
In 2024, we were a lot better up front
This season we will be a lot stronger, physical up front
May 14th, 2026 at 2:16 pm
The Bucs should be a notably improved team this year. Games like the three games they lost by 3 points or less should be wins. And, the three games they lost by 7 points or less should be toss ups. To me, that makes 11.5 wins a fair over under.
The Bucs Offense should be stronger this year:
OL stronger – healthy and better depth with the return of Skule and possibly with the addition of Schrauth
TE stronger? Sharp and Fletcher both very interesting, and Kieft healthy
WR ? Evans gone, but Godwin and McMillan healthy, and Hurst added?
The Bucs D should be stronger this year:
DL stronger
Edge stronger
LB Stronger
DBs – could be stronger, and should not be much weaker -Scott is the unknown X Factor:
– Safety – about the same – does Scott have a role?
– Outside CB – weaker with Dean gone, stronger if McCollum is healthy, Parrish? Is Morrison healthy and any better?
– Nickel – stronger with Scott teaming with Parrish
May 14th, 2026 at 2:18 pm
Nap anyone?
So the lazy walk through’s didn’t work??? O…… hmmm. Who would have thought?
May 14th, 2026 at 2:23 pm
Obvious one
As strange as this sounds
Some Buc players were injured doing those lazy walk throughs
Imagine them practice in pads, going full strength
May 14th, 2026 at 2:29 pm
Yes, the same guy that drove us into the ditch is going to repair the vehicle he crashed.
Makes so much sense that I just can’t believe it didn’t dawn on me!!!
Must be the same logic Bowles doctor uses.
Overweight?? Eat some Kit Kats Todd!!! Solved.
May 14th, 2026 at 2:39 pm
Just ask a Jets fan. They’re well versed in the reality of the defensive Guru’s lousy Swiss cheese scheme.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jets still suck and finish in the bottom of their division, at least the Bucs win their division or at the top since Bowles has been coach.
May 14th, 2026 at 2:45 pm
I just notice something strange about this picture
There’s Tykee Smith and Antoine Winfield Jr combining on a tackle
You rarely see a Free Safety and Strong Safety combining on a tackle
Or is this a old pic when Tykee was the Nickel
May 14th, 2026 at 2:47 pm
Well with better corner LB and Edge red zone will improve. Big problem now appears to be we are short on outside corners. We need one badly
May 14th, 2026 at 2:47 pm
Well with better corner LB and Edge red zone will improve. Big problem now appears to be we are short on outside corners. We need one badly
May 14th, 2026 at 2:47 pm
Well with better corner LB and Edge red zone will improve. Big problem now appears to be we are short on outside corners. We need one badly
May 14th, 2026 at 2:56 pm
Football 1. We learned the hard way 2 years ago that you can’t have enough corners. Oh, wait. Check that. Ugh.
May 14th, 2026 at 3:19 pm
11-6
Top 10 offense and defense.