Albert Breer: “Character” Determined Winner
September 21st, 2026
Character flaw with Bucs?
This wasn’t meant to be a slam at the Bucs, but Joe thinks it is rather damning.
Long-time and well-connected NFL scribe Albert Breer of SI.com typed up his usual weekly wrapup of Sunday’s NFL games. Breer doesn’t write about all of them, but several.
The hapless Browns, the worst team with the worst quarterback, coming into the Bucs’ crib and outlasting the Bucs and the Florida weather replete with an afternoon thunderstorm/two-hour and fifteen-minute lightning delay, came down to one personal feature, Breer believes.
Breer suggests “character” is what helped the Browns overcome.
The Browns were listening to everyone talking crap about them. It was clear in new head coach Todd Monken’s postgame presser when he blurted out a four-letter message to those thinking the Browns “are gonna Browns” on Sunday. It was just as clear in how the players saw the vultures circling for what could’ve been another pretty ugly Sunday six days from now.
For the time being, that has been averted thanks to what stands as a very real character-revealer of a win in Tampa on Sunday. And it wasn’t just that the Browns knocked a proud Bucs team down to 0–2. It’s how the waterlogged 23–19 victory happened.
“Character.” Former Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians always talked about that. How winners could get the job done because they have character. Arians got that from Bear Bryant, who preached “character.”
Joe remembers in Arians’ first season, when the Bucs hit a rough patch, Arians said that if the team has character, it will find a way to pull itself out of the muck. In other words, character prevents losing streaks.
The Bucs didn’t have character. Not that season, at least. Certainly not enough.
That is what is lacking on this team. Just go back and look at last year and how this team, specifically the defense, quit on the Bucs.
It sure looks like that half-ass attitude has carried over from, at least it did yesterday. Joe doesn’t know of too many teams that have such soft, whiff-a-lot tackling with strong character.
The Bucs are now in a 2-9 rut dating back to last November when they lost to the New England Russinis. That’s dangerously close to Raheem Morris territory.
55 yards for Denzel's second TD of the year 🙌#CLEvsTB on CBS pic.twitter.com/YQo9axvz0f
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 20, 2026
September 21st, 2026 at 4:31 pm
Todd Bowles and Jason Licht are not getting the job done either
September 21st, 2026 at 4:31 pm
Bowles is the problem. We are going to suck until he is replaced
September 21st, 2026 at 4:35 pm
Time to shake it up! Clean house! Why wouldn’t you??
September 21st, 2026 at 4:35 pm
Our over thirties, Vea, Baker and Anzalone are playing like they are over 30.
September 21st, 2026 at 4:35 pm
Licht and Bowles can both go in my opinion. Serious issues in free agency and draft pics for years. Utter failure to either draft or acquire a pass rusher. Complete failure of the defense by a so called Defensive Guru Head Coach. The complete unimaginative offense this season is quite concerning as well. I think a thorough house cleaning is in order.
September 21st, 2026 at 4:35 pm
This team has drifted back to the days of the YUCS
It all begin when TB12 left OBP for his final time
They were notorious bottom feeders before Brady
And they are battling the Falcons for that bottom position now
The fact is
TB12 made this team revelant
Without him, they are irreverent
Baker Mayfield could never replace Brady
Not in his wildest dreams
September 21st, 2026 at 4:36 pm
Mayfield talked so much trash about this game during the preseason …
“I circled the calendar in Spring.”
“Revenge game”
“No way to sugar coat it. This game means a lot.”
Oops.
September 21st, 2026 at 4:36 pm
@Joe the browns are no longer the worst team. Their QB is no longer the worst QB. After week 2 our beloved Bucs are now bottom of the barrel and it looks like there’s no way to the top.
September 21st, 2026 at 4:38 pm
This team doesn’t know the meaning of that word Joe. Bowles and his team are picking up EXACTLY where they left off last season. No character. No pride. A bunch of lifeless millionaires going through the motions. This is ALL ON TEAM DELUSIONAL. I figured the Glazers/Licht as anything but stupid but… I TOLD YOU SO.
September 21st, 2026 at 4:39 pm
Jason Licht was getting all of the props
Well, let’s see Licht build a Super Bowl team without Brady
September 21st, 2026 at 4:41 pm
Lakeland – He wont win another division title let alone a Super Bowl.
September 21st, 2026 at 4:41 pm
Very fair.
September 21st, 2026 at 4:46 pm
Yep
CLean house is coming.
Licht sealed his fate with Vita and Baker’s contracts.
What a shame. You can add McCollum to that list. Ouch!
September 21st, 2026 at 4:48 pm
So Joe!
When’s the draft?
September 21st, 2026 at 4:50 pm
Greer hit the nail on the head. The grossly underachieving Bucs truly lack character. And that all start with[fill in the blank].
September 21st, 2026 at 4:50 pm
We will see what kind of character, or lack of, on Sunday when there is a Vikings take over at Ray Jay, when Brian Flores brings the heat to this Buc offense, and underwhelming Kyler Murray probably ends up looking like MVP Lamar Jackson against this Bowles led defense.
I saw somebody wrote “embrace the suck”. Yea, that’s about right.
September 21st, 2026 at 4:51 pm
Bowles philosophy just flat out doesn’t work. You can see how frustrated the players are getting trying to do it Bowels way. Example when Yaya got the penalty for grabbing the facemask. You could clearly see he was beaten so he just grabbed and just so happens he grabbed the face mask. One other play where he defended a pass he could have easily been called for pi but just got lucky. Why do we ask player to do things that aren’t in their skill set? How does that gives us advantage? Dumb dumb dumb. That’s why. And Baker is emulating his head coach. This team is a joke. Clearly. It’s a Bucs life.
September 21st, 2026 at 4:52 pm
The last paragraph pretty much equals “The Race to 10….losses”
September 21st, 2026 at 4:55 pm
How could you think that the Bucs would play well when they never really played during the preseason. One series is not enough time to sync and really gel. They are playing like they did in that game too. They clearly are not practicing very hard when they do practice. Todd has lost his ability to really coach. Everyone knows his scheme now and he hasn’t adjusted at all.
Suh got into Vita Vea’s head and hasn’t left. He didn’t work hard this offseason. Wirfs went from the best tackle to average now. Baker has lost his chip and Zac doesn’t seem to be able to get in a groove calling wise, much less really put the guys in good situations. This has really become a dumpster fire faster than anyone thought.
Honestly even Madden 27 sees it.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:01 pm
Vernon Hargreaves (their first round pick in 2016) loafed on a long pass play in 2019 where he pulled up a bit and let others make the tackle. Arians cut him the next day saying that he has no tolerance for loafing. JPP had called out Hargreaves and a few other players a few weeks prior for joking around in the locker room after a loss. They cleaned some of that garbage out during the year and at the end and added Brady and the team became more intense and won a super bowl the next year. Unfortunately, I do not think that Bowles has the type of personality to toss off a starter with a bad attitude who is loafing on plays.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:05 pm
By the way for those at the game yesterday, is it me, or does Vita Vea look like he is generally pissed off about playing for the Bucs? I saw him just come walking out a few times when no other Bucs were running out and he would just walk slowly with a miserable look on his face like he did not want to be there. He looked like a guy going in for a protology exam. Something does not seem right with him.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:06 pm
If Breer thinks that Watson won on “character”, we must have very different definitions of the word.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:08 pm
The good news…we are in the running for the 1st pick in the draft!
September 21st, 2026 at 5:11 pm
Bucs didn’t have all choirboys in 2020 but they had character. Football character. Same for 2002 Bucs.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:12 pm
Go to church on Sunday and spend the rest of the day with your family.
This franchise is spent and leaderless.
We aren’t circling the drain, we are already in the sewer.
Praise God. These are just 53 average guys who collectively are inept as a pro “team”.
Start at Genesis and don’t stop. Then read again. Far more fulfilling.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:15 pm
On the bright side if we go 0-17 we have the first pick in the draft.
After firing Bowles and all his coaches, all of them, and ditching Licht so he can’t fail at the draft again, we can grab Chambliss as our starting QG.
Just trade Faker for a bag of used footballs, sweaty ones.
We can eat some of his salary. Pay him to suck elsewhere essentially.
Bring in an offensive minded HC and get a young DC.
We’ll be ready to roll once the dead weight is cut from the ship.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:19 pm
The Bucs will become irrelevant in their own home town. Tampa will become a baseball town. The money will run out and the taxpayers will revolt at giving the Glazers another handout to renovate the stadium. No quality coaching candidates will want to coach here. The owners are are not that smart. They are the tip of the tail that is being wagged by Roger. The owners lack the courage to be decisive.
They are clearly fully in tune with D.E.&I.
It’s all about the $$$$$ and perception.
It would be the smart thing for them to sell NOW while the value of sports franchises are through the roof. The ultra wealthy are sitting on so much cash and have nowhere to put it. All assets will be revalued in the near future. Take the money and run Glazers….Please.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:22 pm
All Jameis Mayfield cared about was getting paid. This time the stupid Bucs Ownership & GM caved.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:24 pm
I was pretty out of character yesterday after waiting 2 hours, just to see another overthrown pass by yours truly. I’m of the belief that Todd Bowles has lost a lot of football character along his head coaching career. It’s rubbing off on the team. He has become too predictable with defensive play calling and really his time has seen big regression for the Bucs.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:29 pm
I think the Bucs will reside (in the not so distant future) in Orlando with a new ownership group.
Disney will pony up the dough along with the taxpaying businesses in the area. The Rays new ownership group provided the model for that to get done. Sternberg and the Glazers…2 peas in a pod.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:31 pm
The Glazers will never fire toilet bowels. They’ve already fired 3 black head coaches and are terrified of what people will think if they fire number 4. Toilet bowls will have to resign or retire or we’re stuck with him. Nothing else makes sense. I wonder what the NFL record per team for fired minority coaches is. I have no idea. Joe, any idea?
September 21st, 2026 at 5:35 pm
At least Sternberg hired good people and built a perennial winner.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:39 pm
This team reminds me of worse than schiano, this team reminds me of lovie smith and his Bucs
September 21st, 2026 at 5:48 pm
Tom Brady excelled at getting the players around him to do their job to the absolute best of their ability. If you were a receiver & wanted more targets, the solution was simple: get open & catch more of what was thrown your way. IOW, earn Tom’s trust & you got rewarded. Ask Gronk. Ask Julian Edelman. Ask Wes Walker. Earn his trust & he’ll throw you the ball, more & more.
Baker doesn’t seem to think like that (well, at least now that Mike’s gone). Otton is no Gronk, and although he plays 90% plus of each game’s offensive snaps, he’s not being targetd as much as he should be IMO. And Baker seems to prefer to distribute the targets relatively equally to all of our WRs instead of ‘playing a favorite’. The only receiver who’s not doing very well thus far is Tez Johnson (1-for-5); all the rest have 7 or 8 receptions in 2 games.
And it looks like Bucky has taken Rachaad’s spot from a receiver standpoint. He’s now 11-for-11 thru 2 games, but for only 49 yds & 0 TDs. Stats show him as having a MINUS 47 YBC, but PLUS 96 YAC. Tells me that Baker is using him as a safety valve (like he did Rachaad), and that Bucky is getting the ball 4-5 yds average BEHIND the LOS, but then gaining an average of almost 9 yds each play. Horribly frustrating to watch, but for a ‘safety valve’ to average 4-5 positive yds per play isn’t all that bad.
Most frustrating of all though is Baker’s turnovers (4) and sacks taken (7) … in only TWO GAMES. That’s unsustainable for any starting QB (IF he expects to keep his job). Bengals sacked him 4 times (2 on 1st down & 2 on 3rd down), and 2 sacks resulted in fumbles. Browns sacked him 3 times (1 sack on 1st down & 2 sacks on 3rd down).
September 21st, 2026 at 5:51 pm
Bowles – and somewhat Licht – have created a culture of low accountability and softness. Its too entrenched to be corrected by this staff and front office.
The GM and head coach search should have been started today.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:53 pm
Good lord. A member of the media defines character by whether or not teams execute properly. Some of the lowest character teams in NFL history won Super Bowls (see a history of the Raiders in the 70’s).
The Cowboys were loaded with cocaine addicts during their best periods in the 70’s and 90’s and executed fine. Did that make a team with off-field violent tendencies high character?
Please.
The Bucs aren’t coached well and didn’t play well because of it. End of story.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:55 pm
Todd has at least a 3 game losing streak EVERY year as a Head Coach here
Baker has a 4 game losing streak every season as a Buc
2-9 is who they are
September 21st, 2026 at 6:11 pm
Joe: Watson’s issues go well beyond not being a choirboy. If what he has is “football character”, then the Browns are welcome to it.
September 21st, 2026 at 6:36 pm
JustVisiting Says:
September 21st, 2026 at 6:11 pm
Joe: Watson’s issues go well beyond not being a choirboy. If what he has is “football character”, then the Browns are welcome to it.
———
I still find it amazing how none of his ‘victims’ called the cops, and instead called a lawyer. And that lawyer then advertised for more ‘victims’.
Maybe I’m old fashion, but if you’re a ‘victim’, you go to the police – or maybe get some family and friends together to get revenge. But even if you don’t do that, you don’t book him as your client for the following week, over and over again.
September 21st, 2026 at 6:56 pm
Take bakers contract back and let the rookie get some snaps at least if he is bad we know it’s only a rookie making rookie mistakes not a goof ball acting like he is an elite qb
September 21st, 2026 at 7:02 pm
Rod Munch Says:
Maybe I’m old fashion, but if you’re a ‘victim’, you go to the police – or maybe get some family and friends together to get revenge.
***********
The only people who know what happened between those women and DeShaun are them. However, the odds are that what was reported is likely close to what happened. It’s probable few of them were ‘traumatized’ or ‘injured’ by what happened with him, but we know that not all of them stayed silent. Police did investigate and didn’t have enough evidence to go beyond that point.
Doesn’t mean he didn’t do something wrong. Just means they didn’t feed confident charges would stick. Clever sex predator or 2 dozen women (who didn’t seem to know each other) all bent on getting his money?
I lean towards him being a lech who thought he could get free happy endings from massage workers who might’ve been familiar with the idea. Some caved and some didn’t. Maybe one or two of them were shocked, appalled and disgusted by him trying to force himself on them. Maybe in that batch he literally did go too far with one, who had a case the cops just didn’t want to deal with – but in open court would reveal him as a sex predator. We’ll never know, because he never wanted it revealed. Which brought him to the point of paying all of them off. And that’s a win for him.
September 21st, 2026 at 7:07 pm
Mr. Man..the Bucs are never moving…I could go into the many reasons but the convo is old.
September 21st, 2026 at 7:09 pm
SO I AM THINKING TODD BOWLES IS BYRON LEFTWICH . WHEN HE IS GONE EVERYONE IS GOING TO WONDER WHY WE KEPT HIM AS LONG AS WE DID.
September 21st, 2026 at 7:18 pm
Deshaun Watson has horrible character!!! Next. The answer is that Todd Bowles is a Horrible HC/DC.
September 21st, 2026 at 7:21 pm
i wouldn’t mind if he thought he was john shaft…strutting the sidelines like a billy bad azz…
but he’s more like a laid back louie……..aww fooey
September 21st, 2026 at 7:25 pm
arians would be benching dudes come sunday…
why…?
because arians has character
gruden would be benching dudes come sunday as well…
why…?
because chucky has character
#NuffSaid
September 21st, 2026 at 7:26 pm
can we freakin’ just win one for the gipper already…!
like wtf bro 🙂
September 21st, 2026 at 7:39 pm
Bowles has no answers. The exact problems we had last year are the exact problems we have this year. He’s not capable of change. You’ll see the exact same thing next Sunday.
September 21st, 2026 at 7:50 pm
The Browns quarterback has been thought to have possibly the worst character in the league for the past five years or so, if I am not mistaken.
September 21st, 2026 at 7:51 pm
“Just because you are a character…doesn’t mean you have character.”
Winston Wolfe – Pulp Fiction
September 21st, 2026 at 7:57 pm
Just think how nice it would of been to have Harbaugh here with his staff instead we got a washed up clown Boweles.
September 21st, 2026 at 8:00 pm
Proud? 2 of the last 14 games and they are proud? Of what?!!!!!!!!
September 21st, 2026 at 8:14 pm
Light isn’t the problem here Bowles is.
September 21st, 2026 at 8:21 pm
Bowles was yelled at and booed off the field along with Licht. Things about to get a lot worse for those two after Sunday.
September 21st, 2026 at 8:56 pm
Gruden.
September 21st, 2026 at 9:08 pm
LouisFriend Says:
Police did investigate and didn’t have enough evidence to go beyond that point.
===========
They investigated only AFTER the lawsuits were filed and it become a public spectacle.
It’s the clearest case of a shakedown ever. You had Watson repeatedly booking, and even flying from town to town, the same rub down artists, that he hired off craigslist, IG, etc, and who later claimed they were victims, but they’d keep their mouth shut if he gave them a payoff.
Watson is a creep, for sure, but the idea that these ladies are victims is nonsense. And who agrees with that? The Houston Police Department who invested and found nothing worth pursuing.
September 21st, 2026 at 9:18 pm
Lovie Bowles made Kirk Cousins look like Dan Marino in his prime LAST YEAR. Failure is acceptable on every level of the Bucs and has been for a while now, from ownership not firing Bowles, Bowles having no idea what he’s doing, and most of the players not caring.
September 21st, 2026 at 9:54 pm
This team is being lead by a man who is incapable of leading men.
September 21st, 2026 at 9:54 pm
Scott…
Watson gave all the Bucs players a proctologists exam without the massage oil.
September 21st, 2026 at 10:27 pm
Rod Munch: The federal judge who reviewed four cases for the NFL was selected by both the league and the players’ union and, so far as I know, had a sterling reputation. She decided Watson was guilty of sexual assault: “predatory” and “egregious”. Although that was only by a preponderance of the evidence (civil) not beyond a reasonable doubt (civil). I also find it hard to believe an innocent man would have settled all those lawsuits…I sure as hell wouldn’t have.
That said, I could be wrong about Watson, and I sincerely hope that I am.
September 21st, 2026 at 10:27 pm
On “The Herd” today, JMac said that Monken’s comments were directed directly towards Mike Tomlin, specifically. Apparently, he made a comment about the “Browns Being The BROWNS,” and it’s why they’re doing “BROWNS Things.” Or, something like that, anyway!!!!
September 21st, 2026 at 10:28 pm
Beyond a reasonable doubt is criminal, not civil.
September 21st, 2026 at 10:35 pm
@ Rod Munch Says: “I still find it amazing how none of his ‘victims’ called the cops, and instead called a lawyer. And that lawyer then advertised for more ‘victims’.”
There was A LOT there. Suspiciously (or whatever you’d like to call-it), the “LAWYER” just so happened to be “NEIGHBORS,” with the Texans GM, who did NOT like Watson in the first place, had a fallen out, and wanted HIM GONE. I find-it awfully interesting, how all these women, just suddenly out of nowhere, started showing up and lining up at THIS “Attorney’s” front door!? Hmmmmm… With that said, I’m sure he’s a BIG perv and HUGE creep… BUT, I’m calling BS on the rest.
September 21st, 2026 at 11:44 pm
Did Todd sound like a guy with answers at today’s presser? This isn’t an anomaly. It’s a pattern. And you cant accept the notion that last years losses aren’t a past is prologue situation. It 100% is.
Sure, we might stumble onto a W here or there—but they’re anomalies at this point. NOTHING we’ve seen in ‘26 is different. The poor coaching, lousy execution, lackluster tackling, bad angles, an overwhelmed OL, communication issues and a turnover machine for a QB. Same old song. Ownership refused to see it then. I hope they see it now.
September 21st, 2026 at 11:46 pm
MelvinJunior Says:
There was A LOT there. Suspiciously (or whatever you’d like to call-it), the “LAWYER” just so happened to be “NEIGHBORS,” with the Texans GM
———
Oh yeah, I forgot about that aspect of things.
Maybe they can give the Glazers tips on how to get out of the Baker deal if it ends up as bad as it currently looks.
September 21st, 2026 at 11:56 pm
JustVisiting Says:
The federal judge who reviewed four cases for the NFL was selected by both the league and the players’ union and, so far as I know, had a sterling reputation. She decided Watson was guilty of sexual assault: “predatory” and “egregious”. Although that was only by a preponderance of the evidence (civil) not beyond a reasonable doubt (civil). I also find it hard to believe an innocent man would have settled all those lawsuits…I sure as hell wouldn’t have.
———
Again, Watson is a creep, he was shopping for massages on Craigslist – everyone in the world knows what he was doing, and everyone in the world knows what the ladies offering services there were doing as well.
I mean, again, not a single ‘victim’ called the cops after being ‘assaulted’ – and a large portion of them took 2nd, and 3rd, and 4th, etc bookings.
No idea how anyone who actually paid attention to the case can possibly think it’s anything but a shakedown. But I do understand how people who only read the headlines can think he’s worse than Ted Bundy.
September 22nd, 2026 at 2:42 am
We are staring at 0-5 currently – how is this team beating anyone but maybe Atlanta?
I said 6-11 all offseason and that was being too generous
Time to clean house from the GM down
At least in the old days, coaches like Perkins and Williamson had no talent to work with….Todd is the complete opposite, he took talented teams and ruined them, time and again
He is doing it again this year….wow
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:13 am
Teams are mirrors of the HC
Time for everyone to see this and accept this is who they are
September 22nd, 2026 at 5:44 pm
Boweles is in it for the dollar bills. Unfortunately Arians whom I respected and can’t understand how this man can rite a ship when he can’t rite himself. He needs to retire and run out of Tampa.