“You Can’t Dumb It Down”
September 24th, 2026
Built into the structure of the Todd Bowles defense is a complexity that simply cannot be altered.
That was the firm message from Buccaneers legend Rondé Barber, who collects a paycheck from the team for video breakdowns on the team website.
Barber also is the analyst on Bucs preseason games and a close friend to many in the organization. On the WFLA streaming show that bears his name, Barber pushed back on the notion that Bowles can simplify his defense to fix some basic issues that have been become recurring problems.
“You can’t dumb it down. You just can’t,” Barber said of the Bowles defense. “These guys have to smarten up, basically. It has to be the other way. They have to learn how to play chess is what it is. And if they think they can play checkers because they’re athletic and talented, we’re going to have a bunch of games like we just saw.”
The Bucs defense played very well in the first half Sunday, then it imploded against a bad offense. And now injuries have crept into the mix.
Joe’s not waving a white flag yet as it relates to the defense. Mental toughness, Joe believes is a bigger issue, and a more depressing one. If the Bucs’ stars/captains were locked in from Week 1, this Bucs team likely has a 2-0 record.
September 24th, 2026 at 9:44 am
Maybe we should only draft defensive players from Yale, Harvard, and M.I.T.?
September 24th, 2026 at 9:45 am
So Todd Bowles doesn’t know how to get the best out of the talent he has and will continue to force players out of there best posistions to run HIS scheme.
He could easily simplify the defense but he REFUSES to change from his ideology….
September 24th, 2026 at 9:49 am
Bowles= true meaning of COACH MY SCHEME and we thought Loveless Smith held that dishonor
September 24th, 2026 at 9:51 am
If you can’t dumb it down, and your players can’t pick it up, then you need to swap it out. One great definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting to get a different result.
September 24th, 2026 at 9:54 am
Captain Vita Vea is so out of shape that he needs to be in the gym rather than playing. At least A’Shaun is playing well. A healthy Kancey hasn’t done anything because Vita’s not doing his job.
Captain Anzalone is leading the NFL in missed tackles while TEs are destroying our defense. I guess he’s come down here to retire and not play football.
Our DBs need a complementary pass rush or they’ll get roasted no matter how well they play.
September 24th, 2026 at 9:55 am
This is a pretty horrible indictment of the coaching staff. You build strategy and deployment based on the talent you have in season. Not the other way around.
Long term if you want to draft and sign talent that fits a particular scheme, that’s fine but in real time you have to make it as simple if they can’t grasp it.
My goodness this does not need to be this difficult.
September 24th, 2026 at 9:58 am
Joe why dont you ask him:” how do you explain that in the last 5 years different players but same result when it comes ti defend the middle of the field? “
September 24th, 2026 at 10:04 am
Its Vea playing bad.. he played well in this scheme before.. its AWJ playing terrible.. he played well in this scheme before.. theyre older and AWJ hasnt been the same post injury.
If they aren’t smart enough to play in the NFL, they aren’t talented enough to play in the NFL.. cause everyone’s fast
Im not buying that. Its soft scheme with lazy players that all got paid. They are not talented enough.
September 24th, 2026 at 10:08 am
Wait a minute. It was reported right here on Joebucsfan that Ronde himself called Bowles out on how complicated this defense is and he stressed the need for it to be simplified.
Which is it, Ronde!
September 24th, 2026 at 10:08 am
Joe says this team likely has a 2-0 record if the defense….
I mean seriously WTF?
In week 1 Baker handed the game to the Bengals with 4 lost fumbles. One was a TD for Cincy and the other took a TD off the board for the Bucs. That’s the reason the Bucs lost,.
In week 2, the Bucs defense held the Browns to 6 points through 2.5 quarters. The offense should have buried that game.
No Joe..had Baker played solid football in these first two games, the Bucs are 2-0..
Does the defense need to play better, yes! But, but this start is mostly on the highest paid player in the team.
September 24th, 2026 at 10:10 am
I will never understand the need to complicate an uncomplicated game. Additionally, the best coaches know how to tailor the game to the players’ talents. The insanity of expecting different results from the same coaching scheme is tiring. Is it any wonder we’re in the same cycle again one year later?!
September 24th, 2026 at 10:11 am
4 of the 6 team captains, Baker, Vea, Anzalone and Winfield have been been terrible so far this year. That is a problem.
September 24th, 2026 at 10:12 am
4 years of absolute brain lock on defense, especially in the secondary. Bowles will never admit that his defense is too complex and that guys aren’t getting it – he’s a genius, remember.
We’ve cycled through dozens of players and the same mistakes are made over and over. That would tell any decent coach that he needs to change the system. The key word is decent.
September 24th, 2026 at 10:14 am
the next two games are part of the “easy” stretch of the season – CAR and NO are starting to shape up and get tougher – wins against PIT LAC maybe … MAYBE ..
Licht’s head should be on a platter
September 24th, 2026 at 10:14 am
Unfortunately we are seeing the same things from the defense on an ongoing basis. Yes maybe this defense is just to complicated for the players. In short what does not change over the last few years: poor tackling, players out of position, soft coverage allowing for teams to move up and down the field, no pass rush, blitz’s that don’t get home. The best players not making plays. No identity on defense. The defense can’t make a stop at the end of a game. I have not been a Bowles detractor. I stood up for him last year, saying, which was true he had no talent. However, this year nothing has really changed . The defense may be a little better, but not much and the same problems persist. The offense was suppose to prevail, but they are not producing either. Yes I think the Bucs need a change. The defense really needs to change. It simply does not work. We are seeing the same things over and over.
September 24th, 2026 at 10:17 am
Why don’t the Bucs have the Defensive players go to mandated meetings to find out how well they understand Todd Bowles Defensive schemes. Identify their weaknesses in front of their piers creates pressure on those players to learn their assignments or risk less playing time.
If that doesn’t work than the Bucs have an identity program in drafting the Davids versus Braswells.
September 24th, 2026 at 10:23 am
Sorry. I’m not buying that we have a buncha DUMB players. The Defense is not the problem so far. For the most part. It’s been Baker’s and the OFFENSE’s PLAY. The Defense played good enough to WIN both of those games. Bowles is definitely an easy target, but I’m not buying ANY of THIS. No way.
September 24th, 2026 at 10:29 am
A very smart football coach once said, “It’s Not About the X’s and the O’s, but the Jimmy’s… And, the… JOES.” 💯 💯 💯 💯
September 24th, 2026 at 10:41 am
I CALLED THIS YESTERDAY!!!
The only excuse we hadn’t heard yet was the ultra-brilliance of Bowles’ defense.
My BINGO card is full
September 24th, 2026 at 10:42 am
@ Dubcity6 Says: “Its Vea playing bad.. he played well in this scheme before.. its AWJ playing terrible.. he played well in this scheme before.. theyre older and AWJ hasnt been the same post injury.
If they aren’t smart enough to play in the NFL, they aren’t talented enough to play in the NFL.. cause everyone’s fast
Im not buying that. Its soft scheme with lazy players that all got paid. They are not talented enough.”
I don’t know where you came out from under during this past week, but your comments have been spot on. I feel like you were reading my mind.
September 24th, 2026 at 10:49 am
@ Knothead71 Says: “Wait a minute. It was reported right here on Joebucsfan that Ronde himself called Bowles out on how complicated this defense is and he stressed the need for it to be simplified. Which is it, Ronde!”
Bingo. You are also reading my mind… It’s ALL BS. Just a narrative. EXCUSES. And, it’ll only get much worse from here on out, as people start trying to escape accountability, in order to save their OWN JOBS, while looking for scapegoats. Ronde has his OWN biases and favorites, as well as his OWN narratives. It’s ALL a bunch of Propaganda, you can bet YOUR LIFE.
September 24th, 2026 at 10:50 am
Ronde Barber … “You can’t dumb it down. These guys have to smarten up, basically. It has to be the other way. They have to learn how to play chess (instead of checkers) is what it is.’
I love Ronde’s way of explaining things. And he’s spot on. As long as Bowles remains the DC, this defense WILL BE COMPLEX. Todd Bowles isn’t capable of simplifying it (he’s into his 8th year here, and very little has REALLY changed). His defense works satisfactorally with very talented players running it, but its’ limitations have become very clear.
This defense’s success depends on EVERYONE doing EVERYTHING RIGHT. Check Todd’s continual rationale, repeated yet again just yesterday … “Attention to detail. Gotta be attention to detail, both sides of the ball.” IOW, we have zero room for mistakes, even those CREATED by our opponents.
The fa1lacy of Bowles’ defense is that mistakes WILL HAPPEN; they happen on every team all the time. But solid TEAMS can accommodate mistakes, and it’s obvious that the Bucs right now are not a solid team. We’ve got some talented players, but they seem almost incapable of playing TOGETHER, as ONE. Having THREE rookies out there on defense (Bain, Trotter & Scott) for most def plays probably hasn’t helped. Having an ILB out there (Anzalone) who’s been making all kinds of mistakes doesn’t help. And having a non-existent pass rush certainly doesn’t help. Trotter seems to be the only bright spot in the 2 front levels of this defense. That’s unacceptable.
September 24th, 2026 at 10:51 am
@ SlyPirate – And, now YOU, TOO!!!! I swear I did not see that “BINGO” before I wrote mine. LoL.
September 24th, 2026 at 11:00 am
@ Fanofdabucs – Ah, I see that my fellow JBF’s are beginning to SEE the light, for themselves. And, are now ‘thinking’ FOR themselves, independently. While, refusing to take people from inside of Bucs headquarters, word for it. Man, is it sure gonna get UgggLY. People don’t like being lied to. And, when they ‘feel-like’ they have been… WATCH OUT.
September 24th, 2026 at 11:08 am
@ DR Says: “it’s obvious that the Bucs right now are not a solid team. We’ve got some talented players, but they seem almost incapable of playing TOGETHER, as ONE. Having THREE rookies out there on defense (Bain, Trotter & Scott) for most def plays probably hasn’t helped. Having an ILB out there (Anzalone) who’s been making all kinds of mistakes doesn’t help. And having a non-existent pass rush certainly doesn’t help.”
And, this is why I think they’re doing a pretty good job of holding their own right now… Given the circumstances (mentioned above). Though, I never had these HUGE ‘expectations’ from the very beginning, that most people had.
September 24th, 2026 at 11:09 am
“A very smart football coach once said, “It’s Not About the X’s and the O’s, but the Jimmy’s… And, the… JOES.”
Yup, and I’m 100% certain the guys on the field know who’s effin up and who’s getting their assignments right, but like a house of cards you take one out of the position the whole deal comes crashing down.
There was an instance early in the 2nd half where on back to back reps he’s got his palms up in the “wtf is this guy doing” emote, and who’s the closest person to him? Anzalone.
September 24th, 2026 at 11:13 am
Go back to standard 4-3 NFL D and let the players improvise.
September 24th, 2026 at 11:20 am
outdated scheme….
this defense is like trying to teach a middle schooler how to read and write in cursive….
GO BUCS!!!!!
September 24th, 2026 at 11:36 am
We’ve heard the same problems over and over. It would be foolish to believe it’s going to change. I held out hope before the season, as I always do, but I can’t have any faith that we’ll see anything different. I’ll believe it when I see it and I’m not holding my breath.
September 24th, 2026 at 11:37 am
Joe they’re related. Players are losing heart because they can never figure out exactly what they are supposed to be doing. I’m sure they are told week in and week out that it’s THEIR fault.
A good coach is supposed to adapt his approach to what his players do well. Liam Coen did it. If all you have are checkers players (many of whom apparently he didn’t vet as chess players), then you make a scheme for checkers.
Honestly what we have now is it’s a checkersboard and he is trying to play chess with the pieces and wondering where his queen is..
September 24th, 2026 at 11:49 am
Breaking news if your defense is full of all pros it works pretty well who would have thought. Problem is you gotta work with what you have instead of putting square pegs in round holes.
September 24th, 2026 at 12:09 pm
So we have dumb players and its just a coincidence that offenses are always targeting a dumb player at any given moment?
Bowles would leave Lawrence Taylor and Deion Sanders on the bench because they dontt care about playing the run.
September 24th, 2026 at 12:15 pm
I love Rondé. He is my favorite Buc all time. But he’s a Bowles apologist.
And he’s a charter member of the Pom Pom squad. Not once has he ever picked the Bucs to lose under Todd.
That puts his record at 36-38. Just like Todd’s HC record in Tampa.
This year he’s cruising towards 0-17.
September 24th, 2026 at 12:27 pm
Everyone know Boweles plays. Now that’s dumb to keep playing them.
September 24th, 2026 at 12:39 pm
I would much rather have smash mouth football than Boweles interpretation of it.
Above average where does he get off with this crap.
Stupid Boweles schemes, make everyone on the team confused except for the opponents who spot it immediately.
September 24th, 2026 at 12:52 pm
Warren Brooks Lynch, I 1000% agree. **It’s** **Jimmys and Joes** 99% of the time… But if you asked Deion Sanders to rush the passer or Reggie White to cover a receiver, that wouldn’t have worked out too well. I’m not saying these guys are Reggie or Deion, but you have to understand the point: the coach goes, ‘You’re good at this, but I want you to do this instead.’ After a few years, that makes them not even good at what they originally were drafted for to begin with.
September 24th, 2026 at 12:58 pm
Ronde is a loser. He was always the guy that runs his yap.
This nonsense that the Defense is SO complicated that the average dumb player can’t get it.
Well, then the problem is with the genius who designed it.
All we heard about was new energy. New players were going to change everything.
What, did they go out and sign retards?
September 24th, 2026 at 1:40 pm
Suggestions to help this sorry a** defense!!
First off, simplify your defense slightly until the young guys catch on. They’ve been constantly out of place cause they dont know who responsible for who. Or, if your not gonna change your retarded soft zone scheme cause you’re too damn stubborn, then how about making on the spot corrections instead of continuing to allow the same busted coverages over and over. Or, how about having your team Captains do there job and make on the spot corrections out on the field before it ever happens, and if they wont, find new Captains! Oh wait, that’s right, your team Captains are playing worse than the rookies. HOLD YOUR DAMN PLAYERS ACCOUNTABLE COACH!! THATS YOUR FUC**** JOB AS HEAD COACH!! STOP TRYING TO BE THEIR FRIENDS, AND DO THE DAMN JOB AND PUT THEIR ASS ON THE BENCH IF THEY A’INT PERFORMING! STOP GIVING RECEIVERS A 10 YRD CUSHION BEFORE THE SNAP. ESPECIALLY ON 3RD AND SHORT. HAVE YOUR CORNERS PRESS RECEIVERS AT THE LINE SO YOUR DEFENSIVE LINE HAS MORE TIME TO GET TO QB! AND FOR FU** SAKE, BRING SOME MF ENERGY TO THAT LIFELESS ASS SIDELINE!!! BUCS FANS ARE EMBARRASSED OF THE TEAM YOUR PUTTING ON THE FIELD!! FIX IT OR GET TF OUTTA HERE!!!
September 24th, 2026 at 1:58 pm
Barber pushed back on the notion that Bowles can simplify his defense to fix some basic issues that have been become recurring problems.
———-
Interesting, since in that interview with Bowles, Barber literally opened it by taking a shot at Bowles and his complex defense – saying Monte and that all-time NFL great defense ran like 8 plays. They just practiced it to perfection, so everyone knew their job at al times, and everyone could play at full speed on every play.
Bowles picked up on the slight and said inserted that it’s mainly variations of plays, that’s why the defensive playsheet is like that of an OC.
In any case, I’ve heard Ronde talk about this over and over again – he clearly thinks the playbook is way too complex. Without a doubt he believes that and he’s said it many times, just indirectly.
September 24th, 2026 at 2:44 pm
Lovie Bowles, Mr. Complexity!
September 24th, 2026 at 2:52 pm
Could part of it be the easy practices and “walk throughs” we heard about last year? To supposedly keep guys from getting hurt, who got hurt anyway because they weren’t used to contact?
All excuses aside, it’s a terrible defense and has been for years now. My opinion is it’s more about Bowles being incompetent than it is the defense being too complex, and the team being Charmin soft, like their HC/DC.
September 24th, 2026 at 2:59 pm
When you hear Bowles say in pressers stuff like that Anzalone is fine, or that the Bucs are okay at covering TE’s, it makes me wonder if he’s mentally fit for the job, or just in denial. Either way, not good.
September 24th, 2026 at 3:23 pm
Todd is using the Mike Smith defense at the moment
September 24th, 2026 at 4:43 pm
This team needs a basic defense so the players can use their given abilities. Bowles has taken the “defensive guru” bs to heart and keeps tweaking it more and more to “surprise” opposing offenses. In the last 3 years, has it looked like opposing quarterbacks have been surprised? Let’s ask Kirk Cousins, Goff, Stafford, Burrows, Watson and all the rookie quarterbacks that Todd makes look all pro!
The only ones surprised are our defensive players. Before a snap, they are constantly pointing at teammates as to where they should be lined up. That is from the linebackers to the secondary. These guys just don’t know where or what they are supposed to be doing!
After this Sunday, Bowles needs to be fired and an interim head coach be installed. I don’t care how the Glazers have handled things in the past, when they see dollar signs flying away, they make act like real business people.
September 24th, 2026 at 5:10 pm
Maybe, just maybe we could get a coach that runs a defense that doesn’t take a Doctorates degree to comprehend and implement. It’s hard to believe that has been the problem since the Super Bowl win but if Rhonde said that it’s probably true. Just like an offensive coordinator has to tailor his scheme to fit the players abilities you would think the defensive coordinator/Head Coach could do that as well.