Loaf Watch: Buccaneers-Falcons
July 17th, 2026
Time stood still last month when Todd Bowles broke from repeated claims that effort was no issue with his Buccaneers in 2025.
The head coach referenced guys “just taking plays off.” That sure sounds like an effort issue, so Joe launched operation Loaf Watch.
Joe has been disssecting Tampa Bay’s post-bye-week games, the ones that sent the Bucs from a 6-2 record to a sad 8-9 conclusion.
Who was “just taking plays off?” This is Joe’s search.
The first installment of the Loaf Watch series (Bucs-Patriots) was followed by Part II (Bucs-Bills) and Part III (Bucs-Rams) and Part IV (Bucs-Cardinals). Then it was Bucs-Saints from their Dec. 7 game in Tampa.
This exercise is about clarity following the Bowles comment, and after Lavonte David admitted to being called out for loafs and YaYa Diaby wagged a finger of shame at Bucs film.
Today, it’s time for the soul crushing Bucs-Faclons game.
Joe will start by noting that over and over again Haason Reddick half-assed his play.
“Disinterested” is a word Joe would choose. Early in the third quarter, the Falcons chose, by design, not to block Reddick on a run play and he had no interest in attacking the ball carrier to chase him down. Unblocked! It was a loafing clinic.
However, Reddick got motivated very late in the game and had a strip-sack of Kirk Cousins that somehow the Bucs did not recover. That play could/would have made Reddick the game’s hero and, subsequently, handed the Bucs a division title.
The play illustrated how checked out Reddick was for most of the night. The defense literally played/looked better when Chris Braswell was in for Reddick. But then Reddick stepped up late — which is probably why he was on the field in the first place.
Joe can’t chastise former Bucs guard Michael Jordan for loafing, but the guy was too overmatched too often. That’s probably why he has no 2026 team — neither does Reddick.
Shabby fourth-quarter tackling effort by Jamel Dean. He might as well have been wearing a sign, “I don’t want to hit Bijan Robinson.”
That’s about it for pure loafs.
*Despite knowing what was coming, Joe needed medication after cornerback Zyon McCollum was called for offsides in the red zone. The field goal was wiped out, the Falcons got a first down and put up seven points instead of three.
*Back-to-back plays early in the third quarter, Dean drops an interception and Jacob Parrish whiffs on Bijan Robinson in the backfield before Robinson made Deion Jones look like a 70-year-old man chasing a chicken for a 20-yard gain. Those two plays kind of summed up the Bucs defense.
*Rough moments for Baker Mayfield. In addition to the bad interception, Mayfield earlier ate two sacks that didn’t have to be.
*On one sack, Mayfield sat in the pocket staring at open Rachaad White in the flat after Mayfield’s initial read and wouldn’t throw it to him. Instead, Mayfield looked back downfield and ate a sack a full 6 seconds after the ball was snapped. Falcons edge rusher James Pearce dropped Mayfield to set up a 3rd-and-15. The other major blunder was at the Falcons-26 with 13 seconds remaining in the first half. Mayfield ate a 9 yard sack — for no good reason. A 52-yard field goal bailed him out.
*On the upside, it sure was fun watching Vita Vea block as a fullback. Christian Izien and Lavonte David had special forced fumbles that weren’t recovered by Tampa Bay. And Mike Evans had an iconic night as the Bucs moved the ball at will when they weren’t shooting themselves in the foot.
July 17th, 2026 at 10:49 pm
@Joe
I’m willing to believe there were loafs on film. Every NFL team has them over the course of a game. But let’s not pretend that’s why Tampa finished 8-9.
The bigger issues were explosive plays allowed, poor third-down defense, penalties, missed tackles, untimely turnovers, and inconsistent situational football. Those problems showed up week after week, regardless of who was on the field, and the root cause of my ulcers.
One player taking a play off might cost five or ten yards. Giving up explosive plays, extending drives with penalties, missing interceptions, lining up offsides in the red zone, and failing to recover multiple forced fumbles costs you football games. If loafing was truly the root cause, why did the defense struggle in those same areas all season? That’s a coaching, communication, and execution problem, not simply an effort problem.
And here’s the question nobody wants to answer: if the loafing was as widespread as suggested, why did Todd Bowles continue giving those players the overwhelming majority of defensive snaps!? Either the effort wasn’t nearly as pervasive as portrayed, or the coaching staff believed the alternatives were even worse. Either way, that’s as much on the coaching staff as it is on the players.
That’s exactly why Bowles’ seat should be scorching hot. Not warm. Not uncomfortable. Scorching. Because if players were repeatedly taking plays off and nothing changed, that’s a failure of accountability. And if loafing has been exaggerated, then the defense still collapsed because of poor preparation, communication, and execution. Either scenario leads back to the head coach.
Loafs deserve to be called out. But if we’re ranking the reasons the 2025 season unraveled, they’re nowhere near the top of the list.
🔥 LFG!
🍞 NO LOAF ‘26!!
July 17th, 2026 at 11:29 pm
wow I will pull this game up and evaluate. Joe says this about Jamel Dean wearing shirt, ” “I don’t want to hit Bijan Robinson.”” so funny. Sirvocea Denis could of had a shirt the first Falcons game that said, “I am too slow to even dream of tackling Bijan, I am not that man” The game I remember as being full of loafs was the Saints game at home when it was raining continuously. Last year was sooo disappointing. It is beyond comprehensible that Todd Bowles is still the head coach of the Bucs. Thursday night football loss to Kirk Cousins was inexcusable. I have picked a new team now as well as the Bucs. Unfortunately there is no JoeBearsFan web site to go with it.
July 17th, 2026 at 11:36 pm
Joe says this as well”*Despite knowing what was coming, Joe needed medication after cornerback Zyon McCollum was called for offsides in the red zone. The field goal was wiped out, the Falcons got a first down and put up seven points instead of three.” I agree with this, this kind of defensive bullsh** plays were soo crazy–my husband kinda freaks out when I start screaming at the TV. He has no belief in the Bucs anyway. So I needed another team to root for after the Bucs last season.
July 18th, 2026 at 12:52 am
Both Reddick and Dean were out the last several games- probably because they were benched, not injuries. Cannot say 100% for sure but I’ll bet it’s very likely.
July 18th, 2026 at 4:32 am
Dean could cover, but his “delicate” nature was psychological poison for the Defense as a whole.
July 18th, 2026 at 4:37 am
BoriMex 813 … ‘That’s a coaching, communication, and execution problem, not simply an effort problem.’
You’re most likely right on all 3 (coaching, communication, execution), but there’s ALSO an effort problem involved IMO in some cases. One other factor applies to some … LACK OF TALENT (or physical skills).
Sometimes me thinks that us fans don’t give opponents enough credit. Opposing OCs are all adept at sniffing out weak links & relentlessly attacking them. And who can blame them? Lions don’t attack the strongest & the fastest wildebeast in the herd. They go for the slowest & the weakest.
July 18th, 2026 at 5:08 am
StPeteMatt … ‘Both Reddick and Dean were out the last several games- probably because they were benched, not injuries.’
You got me curious with that observation Matt.
o Dean was hurt in game 4 (only got 14 snaps) then missed Game 5. He got hurt again in Game 10 (only got 2 snaps) then missed Game 11. Only played about half Game 16 against Miami (34 snaps), then missed all of Game 17. Other than that, he played 66% – 100% of all the other games for a total of 660 def snaps (63.2% availability).
o Reddick was hurt in Game 7, then missed the next 4 games (Games 8-11) due to an ankle injury. Still he got 570 def snaps on the season (54.6% availability).
So if we focus on just the 9 games after the BYE (Bucs went 2-7), Dean effectively missed Games 10 (2 snaps), 11 & 17. Reddick missed Games 9, 10 & 11 (all due to injury). Good chance though that Dean was sat down in Game 17 because he was moving on after the season. Parrish & Morrison were our 2 corners that last game, and both did reasonably well (and we won 16-14).
July 18th, 2026 at 7:27 am
The Bucs were a soft team last season especially on defense. Coaching wasn’t the best, but you can lead a horse to water. Bucs went out, and got a bunch of new horses. We’ll see if Bowles, and his coaches can lead them to water, and hopefully they drink up.
July 18th, 2026 at 9:12 am
LMAO! I keep seeing articles on how much “James” Dean “Martin” is going to be sooooo missssssed. Then I see he leads the hit parade in every single one of these loaf articles. Not sure he is going to be missed as everyone says he is.
Still would love to see these Loaf articles appear every Thursday (or whatever day is best and practical for the Joes, Bucs and us fans) during the preseason and season.
July 18th, 2026 at 9:29 am
Yeah agree with Antonio Scotty–lets keep up the loaf watch all season along with a superstar column
July 18th, 2026 at 10:21 am
Note to Jason: If there is doubt about a dudes effort? Go look elsewhere. Sadly we have somehow gotten a few dudes that don’t love football Sir.
July 18th, 2026 at 12:41 pm
Reading that turned my stomach.
July 18th, 2026 at 2:18 pm
I just wish the Bucs had somebody they could pay to make sure this doesn’t happen, or yank the guys off the field when it does happen…Like what a Head Coach is supposed to do.
July 18th, 2026 at 3:18 pm
Hodad… if you lead one of these horses to water and he doesn’t drink… you replace him.
Yeah it’s a PS or backup guy who probably has a small mouth/stomach(?) but they will attempt to drink as much as possible.
Accountability. Send a message. Bowles won’t send a message until it’s too late.
July 18th, 2026 at 3:46 pm
Firethecannons Says I have picked a new team now as well as the Bucs. Unfortunately there is no JoeBearsFan web site to go with it………
I could never and don’t want to ever just pick a new team. Is this a new thing Gen alpha or z or perhaps Gen minus 3 could it possibly be you do love your enemy maybe it’s me who should go up a tree, leave quietly, by land or by sea , I’ll take a ship with a flag slightly ripped, a skull and swords a deep red that absorbs, the sun shining bright and with this flag I will fight, by day or by night the cannons explode such a glorious sight. At last we have won, but were now missing someone, He was firing the cannons, he took a small ship and almust habe abandoned. Now minus one. We still drink and have fun. We raise up the flag still intact we’re all glad. Buccaneers stick together, through thunder, lightning any kind of weather, a captains hat with a feather, our knives sheathed in leather, always a.new battle, always together.
July 18th, 2026 at 3:59 pm
ME13 will be missed! Hopefully the revamped offense makes us forget that fact.
July 18th, 2026 at 10:41 pm
Whether loafing is common etc Is irrelevant.
Fans hate it. I hate it. I get energy management. But a play nearby is not the time.
There better not be any more this year or bowles is out.
Its akin to death. Don’t do it.
Don’t empathize about loafing.
Even hiring a loafer like Hassan will get you fired even if he made a play once.
No wonder evans left