The Good And The Bad About Penalties
July 9th, 2026
Smart team.
Penalties are self-inflicted wounds. Most penalties are just players with their heads up their rear ends.
The best example Joe can use is the immortal John Bullock last year. His head-up-his-ass penalty for head-butting (!) on the final kick return at Carolina likely cost the Bucs a playoff berth.
(Instead of making an example of the guy and sending a message that moronic plays won’t be tolerated, the Bucs embraced his dumbass stunt by bringing him back! Are you telling Joe a nondescript no-name player on one of the worst special teams units you will ever see is irreplaceable??? Instead, the Bucs took Bullock and others to Dairy Queen after the game and once they wolfed down their Blizzards, made sure to tell Bullock he’d still get his participation trophy.)
Aside from Bullock’s highly costly stunt, the Bucs mostly played penalty-free football. That means the Bucs mostly played smart football. Mostly.
Given all the lineup jostling on offense due to injuries, this was even more impressive. Well done, gentlemen (except you, Bullock).
Breaking down the Bucs and penalties in his Warren Sharp’s 2026 Football Preview, Sharp largely praised Tampa Bay staying mostly penalty free.
The Good
-The Buccaneers ranked second overall in net penalties per game and net penalty yardage per game advantage versus opponents, behind only the Rams in each category.
-The Buccaneers ranked 30th in penalties per game on the road.
-Tampa Bay ranked as a top-10 penalized team on less punitive first-down plays, with 40% of the team’s overall penalties coming on the opening down. The NFL average was 33.4% in 2025.
-The high penalty average on first downs resulted in the Buccaneers ranking as a top-10 least penalized team on all-important third-down plays.
-The offense was a top-three beneficiary of automatic first downs via penalty. The Tampa Bay offense ended the season as a top-10 beneficiary of defensive pass interference, illegal contact, and roughing the passer infractions.-Because of the aforementioned penalty categories, the Buccaneers recorded the highest net automatic first down via penalty advantage versus their opponents in 2025.
The Bad
-The duo of offensive holding and offensive pass interference comprised a disproportionate 33% of the team’s penalties. The league average was 21.1% in these two categories.
Yeah, the first down penalties are confusing to Joe. Many first downs come after an offense has had a break and gone over plays, etc., and then take the field. You’d think on first downs, a team would see the fewest penalties.
What was former Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard telling these guys before they took the field? Perhaps that is a (minor) reason Bucs coach Todd Bowles booted Grizzard?
But yes, the Bucs overall did a solid job of being smart (except Bullock) and for that, the coaching staff and players should be lauded.
July 9th, 2026 at 9:14 am
Consistently behind on down and distance on first down is not worthy of praise. Another example of the lack of discipline instilled by coaching.
Dogging Bullock is uncalled for. As I recall, LVD did almost the same thing as a rookie. Should we have cut LVD?
Grizzard had enough to deal with without being sabotaged constantly by his own players lack of discipline. Play calling starting out in a hole is a lot harder than being on time. It’s no small wonder the amount of punting and field goals we forced upon ourselves. Bucs beating Bucs. Clear example of lack of accountability.
July 9th, 2026 at 9:26 am
With increased aggression, our defense should be getting a lot more penalties…so expect it to be an issue during the season. A lot of them will be the refs not letting the defense succeed.
July 9th, 2026 at 9:56 am
Sharp: “The Tampa Bay offense ended the season as a top-10 beneficiary of defensive pass interference, illegal contact, and roughing the passer infractions.”
Evans seemed to draw a lot of defensive pass interference and illegal contact penalties, so that’s a side benefit of Evans that the Bucs will lose.
Baker getting hit with roughing the passer penalties probably contributed to his progressive wear as the season went on – playing behind 3rd team guards. I’d like to see Baker get out of the pocket more – not to run but to pass. Escape the pocket to the flat and throw the ball. Probably fewer picks, more completions, and less wear and tear.
July 9th, 2026 at 9:57 am
ME13 is the career leader in PI yards in NFL History which is a testimony to how difficult he is to cover. So many things that Bucs will miss with Mike gone and a bunch of those things go unnoticed by the fans-Mike will be missed.
July 9th, 2026 at 10:04 am
Mental Errors, it’d be nice to have a standard where players check one another over these because they hurt the team. Eyes on overeager Goedeke who likes releasing off the LOS a little too hastily in pass pro. It’s supposed to be cool hand Luke, not Itchy Palms Luke
July 9th, 2026 at 10:06 am
“ME13 is the career leader in PI yards in NFL History which is a testimony to how difficult he is to cover. So many things that Bucs will miss with Mike gone and a bunch of those things go unnoticed by the fans-Mike will be missed.”
It was awesome when we literally took advantage of this, it was like the instant ramen of field position. Phantom chunk plays
July 9th, 2026 at 10:06 am
Late hits. I don’t mind the occasional late hit. Might get the ball rolling. Bullock made an egghead mistake, but with 2 minutes remaining why was our kick return team out there? Oh yeah, our defense had just squandered our late 4th quarter lead. So Baker had less than 2 minutes and 92 yards to go. Our head coach said at the time “we had them right where we wanted them”. I called for his head that night, Baker flung us right down the field into field goal range. Why call a pass? Ask Grizz-oh, yeah. And if I’m remembering right the intercepted pass was where it was supposed to be- the “hall of fame” receiver, not so much. Bullock and his penalty didn’t lose that game. I remember that game.
July 9th, 2026 at 10:26 am
Kenton,
More than once last season Mayfiield was intercepted because either a crossing receiver stopped or in the case of the interception regarding Evans, Baker clearly thought Evans would continue to run to the outside rather than turning inside. Include at least 2 balls that were wrestled away from Cade Otton for additional INT’s. Baker does have a tendency to try to keep a play alive rather than throw it away. More often than not his ad lib plays are successful. This is a primary reason why he so fun to watch.
July 9th, 2026 at 10:46 am
“…Most penalties are just players with their heads up their rear ends…” this was especially true for Donovan Smith
July 9th, 2026 at 11:06 am
Gipper, yeah, but there were definitely a few picks he threw where good defenders made great plays, or camouflaged coverage and fooled Baker and that’s how it goes in football. Sometimes you get knocked on your a$$. It’s how you respond. Baker has always- always come back mentally more focused after those times.
July 9th, 2026 at 11:13 am
BA would have cut the guy on the field after the play.
July 9th, 2026 at 11:28 am
Execution as a whole was just not where it needed to be. Its funny, I watched some of these guys in college and they were on top of it, then they came to the Bucs and started making mental errors you never saw during their college careers. The difference has been coaching. They played for some of the best HCs in college, where they were managed effectively daily. Then they landed on the Bucs with Bowles and Bowles does not know how to manage young players and develop them. Bowles has communicated many times the players just need to be self-disciplined, but they are still young men developing and young men need leaders to teach them what it means to be a professional. Leaders lead. If you want to be hands off I suggest retirement as your next career choice.
July 9th, 2026 at 11:50 am
The only “good” about penalties is when they do not occur.
Penalties drop by about 2.5 per game in the “let them play” playoffs, showing how purely subjective the decision to throw flags can be.
Superstars usually receive the benefit of the doubt, and most agree an o-lineman could be flagged on nearly every play.
Despite our loathing, referees have a tough job, and ‘most’ are human.
Some like to see themselves on TV when they watch their game replayed, and some like to remain in the background.
So where does this leave us? Could it be … Coaching!
The team who best teaches their players to block legally or illegally but covertly, usually wins the penalty count of the fewest.
And if coaching plays an important part in the reduction of penalties, where does that leave the Bucs?
July 9th, 2026 at 12:09 pm
Mike Evans lol,you people must see him in your dreams! He gets thrown in every article.. lol miss him? no ! It was time for him to go…He was hurt all the time and slowly turning into more of a Diva he already was…
July 9th, 2026 at 1:55 pm
The above comment is the quintessential example of a know nothing.
But they do say Ignorance is bliss.
July 9th, 2026 at 2:35 pm
No shiite!
July 9th, 2026 at 3:06 pm
@ Todd Jr… Missing 12 games in 2 seasons a fact! Temper tantrum on TV fact =DIVA!
July 9th, 2026 at 3:10 pm
“BA would have cut the guy on the field after the play.”
Arians had a starter take his uni off, quit on the spot and run around the field on national television. But he’s the poster boy for discipline ? Yeah, ok
July 9th, 2026 at 3:32 pm
Simple T its a wonder that the bucs won any games without ariens and evans! Now theres 2 second comings of Christ! UGH!
July 9th, 2026 at 4:58 pm
So you’re saying BA would have cut LVD. I think not. One stupid play is not usually a career ender.
July 9th, 2026 at 5:16 pm
Bowles wants a whole team of John Bullocks. He likes the effort!
Licht says John Bullock is going to shock the world in 2026.
Well we’re already shocked he was invited back for more mediocre performances.
Losing teams do everything in their power to keep losing games.
It’s Todd’s super power. He’s the Sultan of Suck!
July 9th, 2026 at 5:21 pm
In his rookie season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David was flagged for a crucial, game-costing 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty for a late hit out of bounds on Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith in the final seconds of a Week 1 matchup on September 8, 2013.The penalty moved the Jets into field goal range, allowing kicker Nick Folk to hit a 48-yarder and secure an 18-17 improbable comeback victory for New York.
July 9th, 2026 at 8:44 pm
SteveVenix rides a short bus. That much is certain.
July 9th, 2026 at 9:36 pm
LOL
July 12th, 2026 at 3:46 pm
Shiloh Sanders was booted for slapping a Bills’ helmet after an obvious uncalled DPI. He was booted not long after the game. Our db room was pretty crowded at the time but the reasoning is apparent. Last season was a huge disappointment.
July 13th, 2026 at 4:01 pm
I’d like to remind everyone about a boneheaded penalty committed by Mr Levante David costing the team a game and himself millions (potentially) during his 1st season. While he wasn’t a practice squad nobody, it was REALLY boneheaded, and I seem to remember that he turned out just fine, LOL.