Five Things
October 19th, 2026
In a pinch.
What a brutal Sunday when it was such a beautiful day outside. With a little bit of aggression and some common sense, the Bucs could have won. Woulda, shoulda, coulda. Let’s get this over with. Grab your coffee and maybe drop a couple of shots of Jack in it.
We All Know What’s Coming In January
The rapidly declining number of engaged Bucs fans are screaming for the head of KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles. Bowles looks to have five more home games as Bucs coach. Joe cannot see the Bucs pulling out a miracle, even in this trash NFC South.
Not with Zac Robinson running the offense.
Robinson has been one of the worst hires the Bucs have made since they handed the keys of the Tom Brady offense to knothead Byron Leftwich. Despite the Bucs making the playoffs in 2022, Leftwich had his One Buc Palace access card deactivated and Bucs security threw him out after the 2022 season. He still hasn’t found a full-time football job.
If Bowles thinks he has a prayer of returning for 2027, it won’t be real unless he replaces Robinson. Joe initially thought offensive assistant Ken Zampese could take over. He was the Bengals offensive coordinator for two seasons a decade ago. But the more Joe thinks about it, why not be bold if you are to throw Robinson off the pirate ship as a scapegoat?
Though quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer has never called plays, what do the Bucs have to lose with Whitmer?
Everywhere Whitmer has gone (except with the Bucs), his quarterbacks have had success. This year’s Bucs is the only blemish on his sterling resume. But there is also a hidden agenda for Joe if Whitmer were to replace Robinson.
Last year, Whitmer worked for Indiana, which eventually won the national title. He was the Hoosiers’ quarterback coach and co-offensive coordinator, though he didn’t call plays. Right now, Whitmer leaving Indiana for the Bucs appears to be a colossal mistake for the former Illinois quarterback.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti has proven to be maybe the best coach in college football. Surely at least top-three. Maybe, hopefully, Whitmer learned something from Cignetti and maybe some of Cignetti’s pixie dust rubbed off.
What do the Bucs have to lose by giving Whitmer the remote for the Bucs offense? The offense can’t get any worse.
Whitmer truly unlocking the offense may just save Bowles’ job.
Rotten Offense
This is the worst Bucs offense since ill-suited Marcus Arroyo ran it back in 2014. Maybe worse. But here is all you need to know how terrible of a job Robinson has done.
Name one player maxing out his talent? With the possible exception of left tackle Tristan Wirfs, name one player on offense who is having an above-average season. Just one.
They’ve all regressed, sans Wirfs. All of them. The whole friggin’ offense.
What has Robinson done to Emeka Egbuka? Joe said the following to the great Sage of Tampa Bay sports, Ira Kaufman yesterday: “Right now Egbuka is just a JAG.” His current play is nothing remotely special. At all.
Egbuka was targeted 16 times yesterday. He had 7 catches for 48 yards (6.9 average). Yes, Egbuka had a touchdown but he dropped so many passes.
Joe is a big coaches guy and that’s both good and bad. Joe knows first-hand how much a good coach can make someone better. And Joe has seen too many bad coaches ruin players.
Aside from the obvious (horrible offense) the next-best argument to killing Robinson’s access card to One Buc Palace this morning is to save Egbuka before he’s too far gone.
Hustling
Joe remembers reading Wade Phillips’ autobiography. The retired head coach/defensive coordinator noted how much he used to stress hustling and effort. He said the best thing a player can do to improve is through relentless hustle and effort.
Well, even though inside linebacker Josiah Trotter never had Phillips as a coach, it’s pretty clear someone got to Trotter about the benefits of hustle and effort.
Early in the game, Trotter, by the design of the defensive formation he was in, was to the right of the right hashmarks. But the Steelers ran to their right, clear across the field.
Joe noticed Trotter racing across the field going through the Steelers’ backfield and he made a play on the run, just sheer effort and hustle.
The amount of real estate Trotter covered and the speed at which he went from Point-A to Point-B to make a tackle was very, very impressive.
Trotter tied Zyon McCollum yesterday for the team lead in tackles. Again. He had 11.
This Trotter is starting to remind Joe of another former Bucs linebacker who was a second-round pick: Lavonte David.
Quit Relying On Field Goals!
One reason the Bucs have a 1-5 record is that the team leans on field goals for offense way more than it should.
KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles seemed to bristle at this suggestion. He claimed the Bucs were not executing on third downs and that’s why they’ve had to kick so many field goals. Bowles said the goal is to have third-and-manageable.
And right there is your problem. You know what the best way is to avoid third-down screw-ups? Avoid third downs, period. Move the ball on first and second downs. Move the sticks.
No team will do that when the offensive coordinator has an erection for targeting receivers behind the line of scrimmage or getting kinky and daring with the playbook by throwing to receivers along the sidelines for three-yard gains. That screws you before kickoff.
The Bucs are tied for fifth-most field goals attempted and tied for third-most field goals made. Other than Las Vegas, all of the top-five teams in field goals made have trash offenses.
Coincidence? (Joe doesn’t believe in coincidences in football.)
Joe, sadly, doesn’t believe Bowles wants an aggressive offense. He may claim he does but he’s not willing to have the offense perform in a manner that fuels an aggressive offense.
Bucs Fans Are Checking Out
Professional sports teams have a saying inside the walls of their front offices. They claim that if you make moves based on listening to fans, pretty soon you will be sitting with them at games, meaning shot-callers will be fired and join the ranks of the fans.
Joe hears from a lot of Bucs fans and has a hunch Team Glazer may be playing with fire when it comes to the fans.
There is a Grand Canyon-sized chasm of disconnect between what Team Glazer thinks of Bowles and how the fans perceive him. At least that was the case six weeks ago. Since this here website launched in August 2008, no coach has been less popular with fans.
The majority of Bucs fans never wanted Bowles to succeed Bucco Bruce Arians in the first place after how the 2021 postseason ended. And for every year Team Glazer has remained in strong support of Bowles, that has chipped away at fans’ trust in Team Glazer.
Many Bucs fans still holler about not replacing Bowles with Liam Coen after the 2024 season. These same fans cannot fathom why Team Glazer chose Bowles over Coen.
It’s not like Team Glazer never dumped a head coach in order to promote an assistant. Chucky was replaced by Raheem Morris. And lousy Lovie Smith was replaced by Dirk Koetter. So there is precedent within the past 20 years.
Bowles is headed down the path of being replaced in January, but the disgruntled Bucs fans want the increasingly inevitable to happen now.
Many Bucs fans Joe has spoken with are emotionally checked out. They have become convinced that Team Glazer isn’t serious about winning. “How could they be?” these fans ask after thinking more of Bowles than Coen? And how could Team Glazer be serious when Bowles was retained after a 2-7 collapse?
Joe is confident Team Glazer has valid reasons to have kept Bowles. And no, they will never share them beyond what they did in March.
But the consequences are that Bucs fans, in droves, are finding better things to do than go to Bucs games, or even watch Bucs games. They’ve become emotionally numb. Some believe, perhaps irrationally, that Team Glazer has turned their backs on them.
Want evidence? Steelers fans completely took over The Licht House yesterday in the fourth quarter once the Steelers woke up. All those Terrible Towel-waving Yinzers made an impression on both teams. Wirfs was, understandably, very sour about the takeover.
But this is what happens when fans don’t believe ownership has a strong interest in winning. Right or wrong, good or bad, that’s how fans read Bowles’ tenure as head coach.
More and more each week, it appears Bucs fans will get their long-desired wish sometime in mid-January. But how much damage will be done when it comes to fans’ trust in the front office?
October 19th, 2026 at 5:06 am
I haven’t been to the Ray J since 2024 and I won’t return until Bowles is gone.
October 19th, 2026 at 5:16 am
Fire
Fire
Fire
Fire
Fire Robinson NOW
October 19th, 2026 at 5:16 am
That made a perfect L, now I’m speaking your language
October 19th, 2026 at 5:17 am
Why did he not blitz on 3rd and 13 in overtime? Is that not his specialty?
October 19th, 2026 at 5:20 am
Oh Todd Bowles “inspires change” every time he leads a football team onto the field alright…..
October 19th, 2026 at 5:22 am
I paid £0.99 ($1.33) to watch yesterdays game via an App and it was still too much. Predictable play calling as usual. If i know they are running it on first down you can be sure the steelers did too. Pathetic
October 19th, 2026 at 5:43 am
Fire Robinson now. Let Zampese and Whitmer take over. We have at least two more W’s with a decent offense.
October 19th, 2026 at 5:50 am
No doubt about it now, it’s time to make a change at HC. Even with an undrafted rookie QB and his mistakes, something just doesn’t look right with this team. The defense gave up 23 points in the second half and just looked like it had no energy in the forth quarter. Again, I bring up what M. Evans said in a interview last week about change of scenery and wanting to win, sure sounded like when the Bucs said they were retaining Bowles, his decision was made to leave Tampa
October 19th, 2026 at 6:01 am
i stopped buying season tickets because of bowles. I didn’t go to a single game last season and won’t this year.
Schiano is the worst coach in bucs history to me but it really should be bowles considering the team and talent he inherited and has done nothing but run off great and i mean all time great players, alienated the fan base and every week finds a way to lose. there is zero positives with this guy.
I get not hiring Coen they tried it with koetter and raheem and both times were failures. they tried to retain him but he choose to leave for a HC job. Looks like he was the guy.
Next coach has to be a Offensive guy. It has to be only exception would be Tomlin. That guys a leader, but the same OC problem will continue. get a good one and they will leave it will just be a revolving door.So with that it just needs to be a proven OC. nobody from college
Bring back Arians and make him finish the season
October 19th, 2026 at 6:14 am
Do the Glazers really care who’s buying the tickets? That’s the largest crowd I’ve seen in a couple of years.
And to answer Mr. Wirfs…. Right now, in this economy, entertainment dollars are limited for many of us. If its a choice of where to spend your $$$$; Rays are in the ALCS and Lightning are competitive. The Bucs just don’t measure up and yesterday’s game was just plain bad.
Big question… Where did all those Steeler fans get their towels?
October 19th, 2026 at 6:18 am
Great article, Joe. The erection comment was a little much, but everything else was on target. Gotta get rid of Bowles. The sooner, the BETTER.
October 19th, 2026 at 6:31 am
Rodgers: ““They’re playing off pretty good,” Rodgers said in assessing what he saw. “There wasn’t a lot of just press coverage. There’s hardly any press. If there was any, it was press-bail. It’s a lot of soft coverage… some quarters actually, but a lot of pressure. They were one-upping us or one-up us to a side a decent amount.”
“Rodgers completed 33 of 49 passes for 253 yards, averaging just 5.16 yards per attempt. According to Buccaneers communications, it was his second-lowest yards-per-attempt average in a game with at least 30 completions.”
Todd was perfectly happy to give them endless 7 yard completions
October 19th, 2026 at 6:39 am
I don’t even like coming here anymore
Fraud Bowels and Jasmine Lite are responsible for this spit show!
It was clear at the end of 2024 …
I just picked this story to post this without reading a single word of ANY article posted since last night.
Bad for Business Joes and this is much worse any other chapter in Buccaneer history because it is not the talent.
Underachieving, dysfunctional ownership, dysfunctional GM and Peter Principal HC
October 19th, 2026 at 6:40 am
It’s really hard to care about the team when the owners don’t.
October 19th, 2026 at 6:42 am
Make a change on the offense. Leave the defense alone. The abject change in time of possession in the second half did the defense in. If Bowles wants to show the Glazers his vision of the team AND keep his job, the offense must be changed.
October 19th, 2026 at 6:42 am
I just now read the article
👏👏👏👏👏👏
More of this measured , fact based analysis
This IS THE WORST CHAPTER in
BUCCANEERS HISTORY!
October 19th, 2026 at 6:50 am
Perfect sweatshirt for Bowles: “Inspire Change” — as in Inspire Change at head coaching position!!!!!!!
October 19th, 2026 at 6:51 am
Keep the entire coaching staff in place to ensure we get the 1st pick in the draft!
October 19th, 2026 at 7:04 am
” Joe is confident Team Glazer has valid reasons to have kept Bowles”
Here is the Merriam Webster for valid
Logic and Reason: Arguments, claims, or data that are sound, reasonable, and supported by objective evidence. In formal logic, an argument is valid if its true premises strictly necessitate a true conclusion.
Really Joe?????????? Glazers have VALID reasons????? NO WAY!!!!!!!! Now? No. Then, yes. Doesn’t mean a fan has to agree. –Joe
October 19th, 2026 at 7:05 am
“Emotionally checked out” is exactly how I feel this morning. Thanks, Joe, for saying it out loud. The D played a good game until the 4th qtr. I just do not understand the amount of off cover we play, why? Bain and Walker had good games, but the D tackles (and that includes Vea), are non-existent. We have a lead! There was ZERO reason that kid should be throwing the ball 40 times!! Is it time to say it? Barton is a bust. He was getting blown up constantly. The offense as whole is a joke. It’s obvious that it doesn’t take a genius for D coordinators to decode it. They know what’s coming way to often.
October 19th, 2026 at 7:13 am
Lifelong season ticket holder sold tickets to the game and have sold most of the rest of the season.
October 19th, 2026 at 7:14 am
The Glazers don’t need to fear angry fans… They can be dismissed… They need to fear apathy.
October 19th, 2026 at 7:25 am
Keeping Bowles for this season has set back the franchise for god know how long. What a shame.
October 19th, 2026 at 7:31 am
I refuse to pay for a live game. Hell, I won’t even watch in TV.
Why? I know the outcome! This team stinks! Coaching sucks! GM is questionable.
October 19th, 2026 at 7:31 am
I refuse to pay for a live game. Hell, I won’t even watch in TV.
Why? I know the outcome! This team stinks! Coaching sucks.
October 19th, 2026 at 7:40 am
Joe,
Speaking of fans, re-read the posting from last week where many joebucsfans regulars had anointed Jalon Daniels as the next Joe Montana. He should keep working at it. Still hoping Baker can escape this lunacy and head to Pittsburgh to replace elderly Aaron Rodgers. Most of the lunacy comes from the so called Tampa fans who expect Baker to make something out of a full on pass rush courtesy of an overrated and overpaid O line.
In evaluating a QB it is fair to look at the strength of his arm, his accuracy and his decision making. Mayfield excels in all these areas but it is hard to pass downfield when you are constantly scrambling to stay upright.
October 19th, 2026 at 7:44 am
Inspire Change indeed
October 19th, 2026 at 7:46 am
Honestly Joe, not getting rid of Bowles after the end of last season has to hurt you a little bit. I’m not logging on here regularly for the first time in forever. It stinks as a fan. At this point I want them to win, but I find myself saying please blow it because I can’t take another year of this. If I had a plea to the glaziers, it would be please fire him today to show me you care about this team.
October 19th, 2026 at 7:46 am
“So, are you saying the Bucs still have a chance?”
*** sarcasm off ***
October 19th, 2026 at 7:48 am
So sad that this franchise has come to this…it’s worse than pathetic…anyone could tell after the first 2 games that this season was a bust…anyone could tell after ending last season 2-7 that this team has regressed due to this abysmal coaching staff…and don’t fool yourselves thinking this team has talent… it’s got a few players worth keeping but the majority of this team is crap
October 19th, 2026 at 7:50 am
And yet they keep Bowles/Robinson for another game… why?
October 19th, 2026 at 7:52 am
Nobody should blame anyone for selling their tickets….why should the Glazers be the only ones to make money off these bums. Speculation here but can’t help but think the plan is to move the team to London after they demand a new stadium or incredibly expensive renovations.
October 19th, 2026 at 7:58 am
CLE PIT MIN GB – all nasty places from which snowbirds and tourists come to Florida to escape the disgusting nastiness for a bit – this is why you see a lower proportion of Bucs fans in the stands – the Glazers don’t care – the money is still green – LA is pretty nasty too (not the weather) but LAC LAR fans won’t travel cross country and they don’t have snowbirds (maybe tech guys escaping taxes) – so you will see either empty seats or Bucs fans at RJ from here on out – I see the prices for all the remaining games are pretty low – if it’s Saturday and I see a nice weather report for the next day I might just get one myself
October 19th, 2026 at 8:05 am
LAC and LAR not doing so well this year so you might see more local Bucs fans in the stands if the prices are kept low – World Series tix at the Trop START at 450 – Ferg’s it is if not Dead Bob or Beef O Brady
October 19th, 2026 at 8:08 am
shout out to JBF – Hooters is good too
October 19th, 2026 at 8:12 am
Joe, sadly, doesn’t believe Bowles wants an aggressive offense. He may claim he does but he’s not willing to have the offense perform in a manner that fuels an aggressive offense.
We as fans knew this in the offseason. Robinson’s specialty (if he has one) is the running game. His play calling has ALWAYS been conservative! Bowles hired him because in his mind a great defense and a ball control offense is the way to win in the NFL. Problem is in the year 2026 NFL teams have to score points. Even the Texans D is getting scored on. What the NFL wants it gets; high scoring games. You know the Saints may be on to something by the speed in which they score.
October 19th, 2026 at 8:17 am
get rid of Licht, from what I’ve been hearing the percentage of money being made off game day tickets is so low that it is no longer worth owners being worried about filling the stadium. Now the sky boxes are a different story. 100% goes to ownership.
October 19th, 2026 at 8:18 am
If I were the Glazers, the question I’d really be asking is: Why should we keep this team in Tampa? The “fans” don’t care enough to put their a$$e$ in the seats.
October 19th, 2026 at 8:19 am
Bad to the Bowles. Untill he is gone it is just rearranging bleacher seats on our Titanic.
October 19th, 2026 at 8:23 am
The Den of Depression has once again turn off the light at THE LICHT HOUSE.
ITS RAINING EVERY SUNDAY IN TAMPA BAY. FOOTBALL WORTH WATCHING IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
ITS SAD WHEN YOU ARE WATCHING THE GAME TO SEE HOW ROOKIES WILL PERFORM RATHER THAN LOOKING FORWARD TO GREAT PERFORMANCE BY YOUR FAVORITE TEAM. WTH IS GOING ON HERE???????????
October 19th, 2026 at 8:37 am
Sign Garrapolo and release Daniels. When Baker gets back he will win 11 straight. Daniels is the problem not Robinson.
October 19th, 2026 at 8:41 am
I got 75 $ tix tonight via the salute to service program direct with Rays and 4 free upper deck for game 7 if there is one from vettix.org … Sign up veterans.
October 19th, 2026 at 8:48 am
All true – every word of it.
I have been wanting Bowles gone since 2023 and I hope for losses every week. Thats how fed up I am.
Since 1976, this has been rock bottom for me and why the Glazers have tolerated it, is a mystery.
11 games to go until new hope arrives
October 19th, 2026 at 8:57 am
As a FORMER 50 YEAR ticket holder (They gave us a really nice football with our name on it) I say – Amen.
They just need to admit through their acts that rebuilding starts with Bowles and Robinson.
If Licht doesn’t see the light – add him to the list.
If the Glazers don’t want to win – sell the team to someone who does.
October 19th, 2026 at 8:57 am
6th thing. That soft zone defense lost the game for the yucs. 3rd downs converted way too many times for the stillees, gifted by the soft zone. CONVERTED 3rd and 11, etc. Maybe that is why Evans left (328).
October 19th, 2026 at 9:00 am
Here are my five things
1 garbage
2 garbage
3 garbage
4 garbage
5 garbage
October 19th, 2026 at 9:03 am
I’ve been following the Bucs ever since I moved to Florida in my mid 20s which was 25 years ago at least. Greg Schiano is the worst coach the Bucs have had during this time, then Raheem, then Lovie, then Dirk. While I don’t think Bowles is as bad as those former coaches, I have lost all confidence he can turn this season around as Head Coach.
I never liked the Zac Robinson hire. We all saw how bad Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix looked under Zac Robinson in Atlanta. Why would Bowles want that guy? Both Michael Penix and Kirk Cousins are having rebound years without Zac Robinson.
October 19th, 2026 at 9:09 am
In fairness Robinson should get 3 or 4 games with the starting QB back before we completely give up. But it’s not looking good so far.
October 19th, 2026 at 9:11 am
I hope whither will take it.
Who knows
Im sorry. All good people but effectiveness is a cruel boss we all have to work for
October 19th, 2026 at 9:12 am
The thing about offensive coordinators is you cant win either way. If they are great they leave like Baker year 1 and 2. If they suck like year 3 they get fired. I dont think being able to turn a guy who nobody wanted to draft into a star means failure. Lets see how Robinson does when Baker returns before passing judgement..
October 19th, 2026 at 9:30 am
Bowles DOES inspire change – at the head coach position ironically.
October 19th, 2026 at 9:32 am
I’m flying into Tampa this morning. Could have flown in on Saturday and attended the Bucs game.
Instead I chose to save money and not waste time on a moribund football team coached by an imbecile.
Joe is still trying to save Bowels job. That’s sports journalism malpractice.
Those free buffets must be tremendous at the stadium. Glazer approved spin.
October 19th, 2026 at 9:35 am
Even Bowles is asking for a change.
October 19th, 2026 at 10:25 am
Most fans look at the wrong things. The Bucs were in the lead for most of the game. The locker room is tight. That points to an excellent head coach.
October 19th, 2026 at 10:26 am
” Joe is confident Team Glazer has valid reasons to have kept Bowles”
The only 2 possible (valid) reasons are:
1. Non of the coaches available were really exciting and so many teams were competing for those coaches. hopefully there’s better options this year.
2. They decided to tank this year in order to reload in the 2027 draft instead of being mediocre every year.
October 19th, 2026 at 10:44 am
All talk about Trotter hustle
What about those stone hands
October 19th, 2026 at 11:08 am
My 5 things –
1) I will not return until there is regime change
2) There are NO valid reasons to keep Todd Bowles.
3) Jason Licht needs to go as well. His finger prints are ALL over this crap show.
4) Hit the reset button, be smart, dump salary and accumulate draft picks.
5) Chase McLaughlin has been the Bucs BEST player for the 2nd consecutive season.
October 19th, 2026 at 11:08 am
So many chances to win this game. Smart football would have won. Dumdumdum
October 19th, 2026 at 11:17 am
Please stop giving the team ideas on how to save Bowles job. You are just delaying the inevitable and screwing the fans. He never should have been hired, should have been replaced with Coen, fired last year, etc. The list goes on. Yet, the fans still suffer. Zero chance of me going to a game until he is gone. Far to any other things to do.
October 19th, 2026 at 11:19 am
Make Mayfield the HC and OC so he can justify some of that contract.
I would fire Licht and replace him with Mike Evans. Because Evans knew this team was a pile of ………
October 19th, 2026 at 11:40 am
6. Joe Bucs overhyping Rubin Bain as the next coming of Reggie White.
October 19th, 2026 at 12:00 pm
The Glazers are garbage owners.
October 19th, 2026 at 12:03 pm
Season ticket holders could do us all a favor and either not show up or sell tickets to opposing fans every game. Make it embarrassing for the owners.
Den of depression.
October 19th, 2026 at 12:05 pm
😂😂😂another L another dumb A&&& Mcbay post defending one if the worse HC in the game.
October 19th, 2026 at 12:16 pm
This will probably be the closest thing as we’ll get to the site calling for the firing. Which I appreciate. I also appreciate explaining the growing apathy among the fan base, which is easily noticeable. Down on the beach where I live, I haven’t found one fan that wants Todd as the coach. Not in ‘22, ‘23, ‘24, ‘25 or now. While I’ll not there full time, I do go to every game when I’m there. I have tickets for the Monday night game but I won’t buy tickets to any more games until we have a new HC. I watch every Sunday of course.
There should be no circumstance where Todd is back in ‘27. I don’t care if he fires Robinson and Whittmir works a miracle. Todd has an average defense after years of horrible defense, a pass defense that allows receivers to fly by them, lacks a killer instinct, doesn’t care about a pass rush, doesn’t understand the game clock, has misfired on two ocs in a row, won’t play walker…..I could go on and on and on.
The colts started today by firing their ballard. Firing Todd today won’t make a difference on the field, in fact it might actually cost us a few draft spots, but it would wake up the fan base.’