Todd Bowles: Bucs Need More (Big) Plays On Offense
September 21st, 2026
Make plays.
This is odd: Joe doesn’t remember this much hand-wringing about the Bucs offense after Week 2 last season. Weird.
But here we are. In his day-after presser this afternoon, KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles bemoaned the lack of big plays by his team’s offense.
“We’ve got to make plays on offense,” Bowles said. “We can coach it better for sure. We’ve got to make plays.
“We’ve been in worse situations in practice in two-minute [drills] than the [28]-yard line. We’ve got to be able to execute.”
Well, Joe again will reference Nick Saban’s greatest football lesson. Without rehashing the whole thing, read here. But in a nutshell, if you want winning plays, you get the ball to your best playmakers.
Chris Godwin had but three targets yesterday. He may be the Bucs’ best receiver. In contrast, Cade Otton had twice as many targets. Otton is the personification of a “mid” player. Godwin is a Pro Bowl receiver.
OK, OK, OK. Godwin was covered, maybe doubled. Joe gets it.
Well, isn’t that why offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is paid the big bucks? Wasn’t he hired to concoct plays and scheme guys open instead of trying to be a PlayStation Warrior with a Waffle House menu in his hand?
September 21st, 2026 at 5:16 pm
Big plays? Any plays. Screen passes for 1 yard? GTFOH.
This guy is a clown, coaxing the most unmotivated, laziest team ever.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:17 pm
How about Anzalone not have a PFF grade in the 30’s
September 21st, 2026 at 5:18 pm
Joe Said “But in a nutshell, if you want winning plays, you get the ball to your best playmakers.”
Joe Facenda said it nearly 50 years ago in describing Bradshaw’s approach in Super Bowl 13 of letting it rip to his receivers—“when you go to the big, dance with who brung yuh.” Its pretty obvious to everyone the Bucs are not using their playmakers the way they should.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:19 pm
The Bucs are ranked 20th in total offense
13th in total defense
But the offense lack of scoring is dragging on the defense
Baker and his one TD pass isn’t making matters any better
They need to figure this out…..real soon
September 21st, 2026 at 5:20 pm
Bowles blames everyone except himself. How’s that for character?
Just 15 more games left for the clueless one, then on to retirement.
Very sad that 2026 is already a waste. But that’s a Todd Bowles special.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:20 pm
A lot of reading material today it’s hard to keep up. I’m tired of the finger pointing to be honest. Bowles it’s your team! The offense, defense, and special teams are ALL yours. You’re involved in the freaking game plan so don’t act like you’re not. Also, I guarantee you that the ball control dink and dunk is coming straight from you. So, get in front of whatever microphone you can find and put the entire blame on yourself because it all comes through the head coach. If Coen was head coach, there is NO WAY this team lacks passion & urgency.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:22 pm
Coach Robinson is more of a Chicken ‘n Waffle guy.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:23 pm
I forced myself to watch the all-22 this morning, SOOO many plays was 3 dudes running verts while the Browns played tight man, leaving dumpoffs to Bucky for 1.3 yards
September 21st, 2026 at 5:27 pm
This is going to be a LLLLLOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGG season. Go BUCS!!!!!!!!!
September 21st, 2026 at 5:27 pm
Where is DEFENSE RULES? I’m usually able to skim through the emotional responses and read his factual common-sense posts. Hopefully he’s looking at what the hell is going on.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:32 pm
This is only game 2
They still have more than enough time to get it right
It’s not over yet, it’s far from over
I’m not counting them out, just yet
It’s way too early to count them out
September 21st, 2026 at 5:34 pm
Very predictable desperate Bowles will throw all and anyone under the bus. Limit your musings to the film room
September 21st, 2026 at 5:35 pm
All I know is if I’m Zac, don’t get in front of any busses if Bowles is behind you. He’ll definitely throw you under it. The blame for this is all on the Glazers. Up to them, and only them to fix it.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:35 pm
Bowles is right on that one. However he left out half the team. The defense needs to make plays too. They have not now for sometime. Yes we knew the defense was going to hopefully be average and the offense would score a bunch of points. Well with no injuries the offense is not scoring a ton of points and the defense is giving up a ton of plays. Let’s not pin this on the offense please!!!.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:40 pm
not getting the ball to godwin and then egbuka running wind sprints is all you need to know about the keystone kop playcalling by robinson. wake the he ll up.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:43 pm
Bowles doesnt have sense enough to know that he should stop talking. Nothing he can say will change the product on the field.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:43 pm
Fire Bowels
If his performance and record was a player he would be CUT !
September 21st, 2026 at 5:45 pm
Lakeland you are to choose a kind word
NAIVE
September 21st, 2026 at 5:46 pm
No. The Bucs need new owners, a competent GM, a competent personnel department and a new HC. Then we can talk about the play on the field.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:46 pm
TECMO BOWL and its 2 plays you can pick on defense is better then Bowles playcalling.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:47 pm
We are not a smart coaching staff we arent smart as players. This teams lazy. Plain and simple. Physically mentally. We do not deserve anything
September 21st, 2026 at 5:54 pm
Still haven’t read a single article here on Joey Bucs about the real biggest problem in these 2 winnable games.
The leader, the QB, the highest paid guy in team history.
Baker plays up to his pay check and the Bucs are 2 dash zero.
Sure there are other problems that need fixing..but it starts and ends with Baker. Can’t hold a team to 6 points in 3rd quarter and not bury them.
Can’t have the ball at the 20, 1st down with 4 downs to work with and fail so miserably.
Joe’s must be Baker backers. That has become obvious.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:54 pm
I seem to remember the OC putting Baker in a position to win the game with a very easy throw – and Baker missed it.
Just like I seem to remember the OC scheming up a number of plays where WR’s were open deep, only to have Baker miss them.
It’s almost like the issue aren’t the coaches, that they’re putting our franchise highly paid QB in positions to win, and yet he’s not playing like a franchise QB, instead he’s playing like Baker Mayfield.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:57 pm
The WR runs are cute, I know Godwin popped one for a big gain but we legit have Bucky-Gainwell-Tucker. Run the MF’n ball, the mistake is trying to run this offense out of the pocket which in and of itself is out of pocket. We’re not built that way, and the whole reason Coen was successful was because he ran the offense out of the backfield via the RBs. That was the main course in ‘24, everything else was side dishes and garnish.
Robinson needs to get in his bag in that regard, but at the end of the day if the players are going to play it’ll make no difference. They’ll make that look worse, then we’ll be saying the adjustment sucks. It’s a fine line when you’re just an observer and have next to no intimate knowledge about what’s in a playbook or call sheet. The results though, are not resulting.
September 21st, 2026 at 6:00 pm
Looking 4ward to radio show at 7. Gonna be like therapy. Who needs the skyway bridge when there is joebucsfan
September 21st, 2026 at 6:05 pm
Rod !
It’s the BIG picture !
What is Bowels lifetime NFL HC record !!!
The guy is an insult to honesty and integrity
September 21st, 2026 at 6:07 pm
According to PFR, team captain Anzalone is leading the league in missed tackles (4). The passer rating against him is over 143. Team captain Vita Vea has two tackles this year. Probably our worst two players on defense. Bowles should give other guys snaps, like Roseboom and Nacho.
September 21st, 2026 at 6:08 pm
Remember the good old days(2 weeks ago) when Zach robinson was an offensive genius
September 21st, 2026 at 6:08 pm
I was saying where’s Godwin’s targets the whole game, but even if he was targeted, Baker was off. The last pass to Egbuka was terrible
September 21st, 2026 at 6:09 pm
SB~LV Says:
September 21st, 2026 at 6:05 pm
Rod !
It’s the BIG picture !
What is Bowels lifetime NFL HC record !!!
The guy is an insult to honesty and integrity
————
Well go back the last 7 games.
The Bucs have lost 6 of those games.
All 6 games were lost by Baker Mayfield making stupid plays, missing wide open guys, fumbling the ball, etc. All 6.
What is Bowles career record if Baker doesn’t choke? I mean they literally would be 7-0 in their last 7 games if Baker was just a normal middling NFL QB. But he’s been terrible, has given his team no chance to win, got his entire offensive staff fired — and then was rewarded by becoming the highest paid player in team history.
I don’t care about Bowles or his super soft garbage zone defense – the issue is people acting like he’s the one losing games when it’s all on one person, Baker Mayfield.
September 21st, 2026 at 6:10 pm
Should have traded Vea and let Baker play out contract.
September 21st, 2026 at 6:19 pm
He can’t be serious! If Bowles wanted more big plays then why did he kept Baker as his QB? The guys is an overthrowing machine.
September 21st, 2026 at 6:20 pm
Man, doesn’t he just seem disinterested in the outcome? He looks bored and indifferent.