Focus on fundamentals, please.

Usually, this same trope comes from defensive coaches way, way too often. And long ago Joe was just sick of it.

Sadly, Bucs coach Todd Bowles is afflicted with this same disease, though the inflammation is not nearly as bad as the virus lousy Lovie Smith carried around.

Way, way too many coaches think the magic elixir to solve any team’s ills is winning the turnover battle. Not first playing good football, not first blocking, not first tackling, but winning the turnover battle.

Last Joe checked, the team with the most points won games, not the team that had the most takeaways.

Turnovers are way, way too unpredictable. They are as much an accident as they are technique. A defense has to hope the opponent is sloppy with the football in order to get a takeaway.

Joe noticed last year, by way of handicapper-turned-stathead Warren Sharp in his Warren Sharp’s 2026 Football Preview, the Bucs did well in the turnover battle, but lost the war of wins and losses.

Sharp is not bullish on the Bucs this fall and he believes last year the Bucs were lucky to win eight games.

With injuries and offensive performance such as we saw in 2025, and the struggles for Bowles’ defense, how did the Bucs actually win eight games in 2025?

Luck and beating bad teams.

Turnovers, fumble luck, and penalties are the three massive non-repeating gifts, and the Bucs were handed the fortunate end of all three.

Tampa Bay finished +7 in turnover margin, the #6 mark in the NFL.

Their turnover-related EPA of +35.34 ranked #5.

They recovered 3.6 more fumbles than expected, the #7 rate in the league. Opponents lost 10 fumbles (#4 most).

The Bucs recovered 72% of their own offensive fumbles and also recovered 48% of opposing fumbles.

Takeaways are nice but they are far from an absolute they will win you a game alone. Think about it: The Bucs were +7 in turnovers last year and missed the playoffs. In 2024 the Bucs were -5 in turnovers and they won 10 games.

Rather than banking on so much hope an opponent is sloppy securing the ball, why not put as much if not more effort into playing good, solid, fundamental football? Block. Tackle. Hustle. Score points.

Joe seems to recall Tom Brady throwing three picks on the road in the NFC championship and the Bucs finished the game as NFC champs.

There is much more to the game of football than takeaways. And Joe’s tired of so many putting so much emphasis on turnovers and overlooking or ignoring so much else.