What Are You Paying Chris Godwin For?
September 21st, 2026
Figure it out, Coach.
Joe is so angry and exhausted Joe can barely see straight, much less cobble together coherent sentences after watching the Bucs puke all over themselves as if someone let lousy Lovie Smith back into the stadium through a hole in the fence near a porta-potty.
(Joe is slightly surprised to have not yet punched a hole in the wall.)
Probably the smartest thing Joe has ever heard about football comes from Nick Saban.
To recap: The legendary coach, as a quarterback in high school, was told by his coach he didn’t care what play Saban ran so long as one of his two star players got the ball. Saban faked a handoff to the star running back and then hit the star receiver for a playoff-winning touchdown.
Lesson? Put the ball in the hands of your best playmakers and allow them to make plays. “It’s not about plays, it’s about players,” Saban said.
Saban clung to that theory throughout his coaching career. Worked pretty well, didn’t it?
Joe brings up this awesome story to ask a rhetorical question: for what is Team Glazer paying Chris Godwin?
For the second time in the first two games of the 2026 season, the Bucs came out with a dink-and-dunk offense. Worked against the Bengals, who appear to have one of the better defenses in the league so far in the early weeks of the season.
At least the Bucs moved the ball. But yesterday?
Sadly, the best way to keep a horrible team in the game is to have a passive dink-and-dunk offense that doesn’t move the ball. Well, hello Tampa Bay Buccaneers!
In Cincinnati in Week 1, the Bucs had to abandon this tactic — Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden was horrible defending screens last year — because the Bucs fell behind and couldn’t afford to chew up clock with a dink-and-dunk offense.
So the Bucs opened the offense up and whattya know? The stud receivers for the Bucs made plays and made it a game on the road despite losing four fumbles.
Yesterday it was the gutless, borderline fireable offense for losing to the worst team in the league with the worst quarterback in the league at home that backfired on the Bucs — badly!
KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles, in so many words, said the Bucs wanted to use this approach. Can you imagine?
Oh, Emeka Egbuka was double-teamed. This just in: You have other receivers!
Oh, the Browns secondary played well. This just in: You are going to play a helluva lot stronger secondaries than what the Browns have! Sure Denzel Ward is good; he’s not a one-man gang! They’re the worst team in the league for a reason for crying out loud!
How many millions is Zac Robinson being paid? Are we to believe he’s not sharp enough to scheme up ways for his stud receivers to get open? If he can’t, then why was he hired?
Given that sweet designed run play for Chris Godwin early in the game, Joe has a hunch Robinson is savvy enough that he can craft plays to get his receivers open downfield.
Yesterday, Godwin was targeted three times. Three times! He averaged 15 yards a catch.
As Saban’s old high school coach may have said, it might be a smart idea to scheme ways to get Godwin open and, you know, get him the ball.
Otherwise, what are you paying Godwin for?
Quick reaction after the Buccaneers lose to the Cleveland Browns. pic.twitter.com/NuwLRc8f2X
— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) September 20, 2026
September 21st, 2026 at 12:28 pm
Thin at WR after Mike left…. like I keep saying.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:31 pm
Joe – CG isn’t the answer either. When he has gotten the ball, he looks his age dude. More wasted salary cap. Love the guy but after 2 horrible injuries and getting older, he is not the same guy.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:31 pm
“(Cleveland) They’re the worst team in the league for a reason for crying out loud!”
Correction Joe, “The Bucs are the worst team in the league”
September 21st, 2026 at 12:35 pm
Not Dink and Dunk when your QB misses 3 times putting the ball on open receivers 40 yards downfield. Not Dink and Dunk when your best RB averages 5.5 per carry. Not Dink and Dunk when your rookie WR drops a winning TD pass in the end zone.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:35 pm
Glazers need to stop paying right before or during the beginning of the year! That’s how Todd got extended and Baker got paid. Now they are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars and have a pissed off fan base that will definitely boycott this team with the way it’s going.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:37 pm
Godwin’s strength has always slant passes. He keeps drives alive. May be getting up there in age but his smarts make up for any drop off. Let Baker call his own plays. Ever hear of hurry up playing? The Bucs are just to damn slow on offsense. Love how bowles is fine with playing to set up FG rather then striving for TDs.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:38 pm
I asked ChatGPT at halftime, “How many passes under 10 yards has Baker Mayfield attempted today?”
The Answer: Baker at that point was 9 of 15 for 45 yards. Averaged 3.0y/catch.
12 of the 15 attempts were targeted fewer than 10y downfield including throws behind the line. That’s roughly 80%
ChatGPT closed with this direct quote: “So your eyes aren’t deceiving you. They’ve barely been attacking downfield at all. And it’s especially noticeable because last week 42.9% of Baker’s attempts were actually behind the line of scrimmage, a career high.”
September 21st, 2026 at 12:38 pm
A better question, I would think, is – Why did the Glazers go to Atlanta Falcons for an OC? Not like the Falcons were an offensive powerhouse last year!
September 21st, 2026 at 12:39 pm
Getting to the topic of the article, I really thought CG would have a massive year. I am shocked and quite frankly disgusted to see him hardly being used. It’s tough to get him involved when you can’t sustain drives though.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:39 pm
Zac the Hack won’t make it to the end of the season.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:40 pm
Are the Glazers cash flow poor? Is all their generational wealth all up in their sports franchises? Could that explain why they don’t want to pay fired coaches’ salaries? Or are they simply rich, cheap kids who hoard all their money?
September 21st, 2026 at 12:41 pm
* All tied up in their sports franchises.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:43 pm
Maybe this will get through no chance in hell Todd would let Zak call plays without him running it by Todd first. Joe you are smarter than that or maybe not. Todd Bowels is in charge of both the offense and defense. The only time he was not on charge of both is when Liam Cohen was here. He said i am not coming if I don’t have total control. Zac Robinson will coach somewhere else after Todd gets fired this year.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:49 pm
It’s not the coach making reads, decisions, and tasked with getting the ball where he decides where the ball should go. Z-Rob is the architect, Baker is his contractor and the house & yard are a mess.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:51 pm
Said this too. Never should have resigned him. Getting older and two major injuries. But, hes here and looks ok. No speed, but hands and routes look good. So use him.
The bigger waste is KennyG. I know now, he is Bucky insurance. At this rate Bucky will he worn out by week 6. So I guess we cash in on Kenny G? Pretty sure they didn’t tell KennyG this when they contacted him.
But why pay Tuck?? And more than Bucky.
I like Tuck. I thought we were fine with Bucky, Tuck and Williams.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:53 pm
“borderline fireable offense” False! It’s beyond an offense that should get you fired.
The media in Tampa needs to start asking the hard questions to Bowles AND Licht.
No more scared church mice attitudes in the press conferences.
Asking loaded and leading softball questions only gets you free donuts.
It gets you 0-2 after finishing 2-7 the prior year.
Otherwise you are just wasting everyone’s valuable time.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:54 pm
when Zac was hired, i said Zac’s offense in ATL was predictable and average at best….
i said if Zac was a decent OC in ATL, Mr. Blank or other owners wouldve offered him a HC job….but they didnt because he’s overrated!!!!!….
as an OC who has play calling experience, he’s making Grizz look competent!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
September 21st, 2026 at 12:54 pm
Our GM is a dingus.
Plain and simple.
He isn’t horrible but he ain’t great fo’sho…
September 21st, 2026 at 12:55 pm
Hey Joe. Are you pizzed off enough to stop putting “R of H” in front of references to the failed GM? You really need to deprogram that key!
Of course not. Joe doesn’t believe the Bucs have 0-2 talent. When you win four consecutive division titles immediatelly following a Super Bowl victory, that should be good enough to make the Ring of Honor for nearly every franchise in the NFL.–Joe
September 21st, 2026 at 12:57 pm
Yesterday, Godwin was targeted three times. Three times! He averaged 15 yards a catch.
I think its time for Mrs. Godwin to have a chat with Zac lol….it worked last time lol
GO BUCS!!!!!
September 21st, 2026 at 12:59 pm
And they’re paying Gainwell 7 million a year to catch one yard passes
😂😂🤣🤣
September 21st, 2026 at 1:00 pm
Not until you can convince Joe that Jason Licht didn’t build a Super Bowl winner. And unless you are able to deprogram one’s memory (Joe saw it with his own sober eyes) and vast historical documentation and evidence, don’t think that will happen.
If Father Dungy can get in the Ring of Honor for failing to get the team to a Super Bowl, Licht certarinly deserves such an honor for winning a Super Bowl.
September 21st, 2026 at 1:01 pm
Baker Mayfield’s “One-Read & Run” Problem is the issue with Godwin. Maybe he can’t see him? I know Sean Peyton used passing lanes for Brees.
Baker is showing the same pocket issues that plagued Russell Wilson in Denver: staring down the primary route, ignoring intermediate middle-of-the-field crossers, and bailing at the first sign of pressure.
Pre-Snap Lock-In: He decides where to throw before the snap. If option one isn’t clean, his internal clock hits panic mode instead of resetting to read progressions.
Avoiding the Middle: Throwing into the 10–20 yard middle hook requires stepping into a dirty pocket and throwing with anticipation. Baker prefers to bail sideways. Out of the pocket entirely making blocking impossible causing holds.
Killing the Play: Bailing early alters throwing angles and erases open routes over the middle, forcing receivers into scramble drills.
Bottom line: The defense is leaving wide-open grass over the middle where Godwin is. This isn’t a route design issue—it’s quarterback vision and pocket discipline. Until he works through progressions, defenses will keep baiting chaotic scrambles. He’s erratic, inaccurate, and inconsistent, and has been for almost a full calendar year going back to mid-2025. He misses alot of throws. PERIOD! Then when he makes the throw Otten and Hurst can’t seem to catch the ball.
If Baker can’t figure it out it won’t matter who you have at WR…….
#ITSABUCSLIFE 🏴☠️🏈
September 21st, 2026 at 1:05 pm
“Lakeland Says:
September 21st, 2026 at 12:59 pm
And they’re paying Gainwell 7 million a year to catch one yard passes
😂😂🤣🤣”
KG got 5 touches yesterday, emotional damage
September 21st, 2026 at 1:12 pm
I’m thinking Godwin and Baker don’t get along behand closed doors!!! he was completely ignored on 2 plays I clearly saw on TV no one 10 yards near him and Baker blew him off!! Dysfunction at it’s finest. Go Bucs
September 21st, 2026 at 1:12 pm
Why are you paying Baker Mayfield should be the question Joey
Godwin is getting opened and the midget is either too small to see him or jumping around with happy feet.
Put Godwin on San Fran and he balls out.
The OC is calling plays to get him the ball, but he can’t throw it . It’s all on this bum QB fraud that whined about being paid and has sucked in 2 straight weeks this year and really 9 games in a row.
September 21st, 2026 at 1:13 pm
Joe,
Everything you wrote here is true. Still, I am willing to give Robinson another shot because last week’s offense was awesome (with the exception of the turnovers which were on Mayfield and Irving). Hopefully, Robinson will learn his lesson and come out with a better plan next week. Unlike Bowles, who’s defense keeps making the same mistakes. Bad tackling, players looking at each other wondering who was supposed to have that wide open receiver, poor pass rush plans, etc.
September 21st, 2026 at 1:28 pm
Hate to say this, Joe, but the Browns just beat us. They aren’t the worst team in the league. We’re worse than them — though I posit that the Dixie Chicks are the actual worst team in the league right now.
September 21st, 2026 at 1:34 pm
The issue is we have Baker in 2026, 2027, 2028 at $55M/Year.
The franchise is toast for the next three years.
September 21st, 2026 at 1:37 pm
Lakeland Says:
September 21st, 2026 at 12:59 pm
And they’re paying Gainwell 7 million a year to catch one yard passes
😂😂🤣🤣
Or drop a perfect 3rd down catch right over the middle
September 21st, 2026 at 1:42 pm
Upstate NY BUC Fan… the one play Godwin was wide open, Baker was going there but pressure came from that side and flushed him to the left. Someone else was open over there and we got a completion anyway.
Baker is terrible right now, the coaches on both sides of the ball suck. We knew that.
I don’t call myself a sucker for wanting to believe in my team, despite my longtime disgust with Bowles. There have been many cases where talent has overcome a questionable scheme and I just keep hoping on the talent.
It’s a soft, unmotivated team with bottom half of the league schemes. Evans looks like a genius right now. The leadership on this team is garbage. Someone better start cracking skulls over there.
Zac is awful. Baker too but scheme some 5-20 yard throws. Never understand how an OC can’t put on Rams, Bills, Chiefs, Seahawks, Jaguars, 49ers tape and just copy and paste good plays into his book.
September 21st, 2026 at 1:45 pm
No worries, we will be in position to draft Jeremiah Smith and he will finally fix our Offensive issues! We can no longer neglect the WR and expect the offense to work.
/s
September 21st, 2026 at 1:50 pm
@SaskBucs you can scheme up all the 5-20 yard passes you’d like but if the QB is inaccurate, it won’t matter. I stood with both Baker and Bowles in some of the darker times, this is the darkest and I am out on both of them. Neither is SB worthy/capable and I am glad I didn’t renew my season tickets, I would’ve been SUPER TIGHT if I didn’t and had to watch this team. Good luck to the other Season ticket owners, you won’t be able to give the tickets away on the re-sell market. Oh, and Licht needs to get waaaayyyy better. Living off of the Tom Brady Gronk years…
September 21st, 2026 at 1:51 pm
should have tried trading godwin and a pick or 2 for crosby. should try the chiefs
September 21st, 2026 at 1:55 pm
The best playmaker hauled ass to San Francisco
September 21st, 2026 at 2:07 pm
Fully agree with the several posters who pointed out that this is on Baker. The OC can scheme up great plays and routes. CG and Egbuka ARE getting open. Baker either isn’t making the read, is afraid of the throw, or is panicking. Sometimes all three.
These two losses are on Baker. We can kraft narratives about what ifs, but for all the fire [insert coach/gm/coordinator here] calls the worst is seeing receivers open and the ball still in our QBs hand.
September 21st, 2026 at 2:18 pm
Two different offensive coordinators during this losing streak. The consistent part is the quarterback and the head coach. The head coach stinks, but he doesn’t make the decision at the point in time of the pass. At this point, you got to point a finger at the quarterback, saying you’re not able to get the ball to the right playmakers. The body of evidence is large. Our main offense issue is the quarterback.
September 21st, 2026 at 2:51 pm
All the whiners here would be doing something else if Ted Hurst catches a perfectly thrown end zone TD with 30 seconds left.
September 21st, 2026 at 2:58 pm
Josh, Baker isn’t bailing at the first sign of trouble. He isn’t getting enough time from the offensive line.
The team has problems, but the coaching staff seems to be in a coma.
September 21st, 2026 at 3:11 pm
“Gipper Says:
September 21st, 2026 at 2:51 pm
All the whiners here would be doing something else if Ted Hurst catches a perfectly thrown end zone TD with 30 seconds left.”
Hard to make up for sucking for 59 minutes and 30 seconds with a low percentage play. Maybe if the offense just lined up to face either sideline instead of the endzones, we could get Baker to think he’s throwing a screen when it’s really just pushing the ball up field.
Your boy is trash, and trying to be a Lebron James level fan for that guy makes you look like a fool every time you press enter. I used to think Lebron fans were the worst idolators in sports, but it’s really Mayfield fans. Lebron James is at least naturally talented and gifted so their love for him can be justified because he’s actually talented and not just trying really, really, really hard.
September 21st, 2026 at 3:39 pm
Bail on and replace as many assistants as you wish. Too Bowels is the problem. He gotta go, now!
September 21st, 2026 at 4:02 pm
Gipper Says:
September 21st, 2026 at 2:51 pm
Not really. The fact that it came down to a last minute drive is a damning statement, either way. Same as last year when they beat sh!t teams at the end of several games, but that team was NOT GOOD even at 6-2 and many of us knew it. Winning close against bad teams is a sign of internal rot.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:18 pm
All you bozo Mike Evans superfans saying Godwin isn’t the man should watch the film. He was open. Baker wanted the long, heroic TD pass to beat his old team, not a first down at the 8 with a timeout left and plenty of time to run a few plays.
Baker played awful, period.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:19 pm
I expect Godwin to be playing next to Mike Evans next year.