Todd Bowles’ Best Coaching Job?
November 3rd, 2026
A victorious Todd Bowles walks off the field Sunday after his defense shut out Atlanta.
Joe hopes readers of this here corner of the interwebs got to hear Joe last night on WDAE-FM 95.7/WDAE-AM 620 for the weekly Monday night JoeBucsFan.com Show.
There, the discussion turned to KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
“This Joe” said this season is the best coaching job Todd Bowles has done as head coach. The other Joe was stunned speechless. How could that remotely be possible when the Bucs are 3-5?
Simple. Name the last time Bowles, as a head coach, made major adjustments midseason and they all worked? Take last year, for example: the Bucs imploded down the stretch with a 2-7 record, blowing a division title and missing the playoffs.
What did Bowles do to stop the bleeding? Whatever he tried sure didn’t work.
But this year, it’s working. First, Bowles made wholesale changes to his defensive coaching staff, loaded up on new defensive talent in the draft and free agency. And look how that worked. The Bucs have one of the better defenses in the league in 2026.
But Joe, what about the offense?
No doubt the passing attack has been wretched beyond words (dead-last in EPA and explosive rate). But the past month, the run game has exploded to carry the Bucs to three wins in the past four games.
That’s no accident, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Fowler noted Bowles had a skull session with Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson a few weeks ago. The two, per Fowler, concluded the Bucs must lean into their best talent. And that was the blocking of the offensive line and the wheels of Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell.
In the last three wins, the Bucs have simply gouged defenses on the ground.
“This [win over Atlanta] was a watershed moment for OC Zac Robinson, who was under some heat,” Fowler said. “The Bucs struggled with their identity for the first five or six weeks of the season.
“I’m told a few weeks ago, Todd Bowles and Zac Robinson huddled up and said, ‘How do we fix this? And how do we lean into the running game?’ The last few weeks, they have been lights out running the ball.
“They feel like that’s their identity with a really good athletic offensive line, Bucky Irvin, Kenny Gainwell [and] ride the hot hand there, and that’s what they’re doing.
“I think if they didn’t adjust and change, there’d be some smoke on Robinson right now. But they have smoothed it out.”
Joe calls that coaching. Adjust on the fly and whatever you change, it immediately makes your team better.
If Bowles took the Dirk Koetter approach in being hands off the other side of the ball, Robinson might very well be canned by now and Bowles would be filling out Social Security forms for his pending (involuntary) retirement come January.
So the Bucs’ passing attack, on the urging of Bowles, went from hideous to non-existant (which is actually an improvement) but the run game has dominated.
No, Joe is not advocating a return for Bowles next season if the Bucs cannot return to the playoffs. “This Joe” is just being real. Bowles has done a helluva job coaching this year.
After the Bucs’ uneven offensive start, HC Todd Bowles and OC Zac Robinson huddled up to plot a new course. The result: A run-first blitz over the last two weeks. pic.twitter.com/TtWxRGoWRW
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) November 2, 2026
November 3rd, 2026 at 5:31 am
I recall the scouting report on Baker coming out of college was,he was,the best runner on the,Sooners. So use,him.in the,running game on called runs.. On dome or nice,days pull a,surprise, on second,down and have him ,throw,a,bomb just to give the receivers,some exercise..
November 3rd, 2026 at 5:47 am
Lets bring back the Wing T — ha-ha. Maybe the I with Sean Tucker as the fullback (I know he’s only 205 lbs). Hooda thought the ultra “ef yu” running attack would be the offense. Let’s see what da’ Beers (87 rushing yds per game) have to say about it. Go Bucs!
November 3rd, 2026 at 5:55 am
great idea Marky run baker!!
November 3rd, 2026 at 5:57 am
This won’t work against the Bears team I saw last night..
November 3rd, 2026 at 6:06 am
Marky Mark … ‘So use him (Baker) in the running game on called runs.’
Baker got MORE rushing yards last season than in any year of his 8-year career (55 rushes for 382 yds … 6.9 YPC. And if you remember, he got beaten up, BADLY. And oh ya, he fumbled quite a few times.
I can see taking advantage of ‘opportunities’ when they arise, but running Baker on called runs is risky.
November 3rd, 2026 at 6:08 am
This happens every year ! The Bucs win a couple and all the pundits switch to say they turned it around ! The bears are going to biitch slap the Bucs back to reality. Running 90% is no recipe for sustained success in 2026.
November 3rd, 2026 at 6:18 am
Bucscoott … ‘This won’t work against the Bears team I saw last night.’
Bears used the same formula against the Seahawks last night, and thumped ’em good (34-17). Both teams had 1 turnover, but the Bears won the TOP Battle 35:03 to 24:57.
Bears ran the ball 35 times (for 126 yds … 3.6 YPC average) and passed it 34 times (for 247 yds) with 1 sack. So that’s 50% rushing, 50% passing (just about what they’ve been doing in their wins). A very ‘balanced team’.
Bears simply used an excellent mix of run-pass, and even Seattle’s defense couldn’t keep them in check. IF the Bucs are to beat them, we have to force some turnovers, control the clock and play superb defense.
November 3rd, 2026 at 6:23 am
Chicago just beat both Super Bowl teams from last season. They have talent and this gimmick won’t work on them. Seattle has one WR and they are able to scheme him open non stop, Zac is failing as a coordinator if he can’t scheme guys open.
Next two weeks will be a reality check for Todd and the clowns who are fooled by his running gimmick. Bucs will be competitive within the division but beaten soundly by serious teams
November 3rd, 2026 at 6:41 am
Alot of football left. Outsmarting Stefani, canales and schottenheimer happens alot of weeks by different coaches. Lets see what happens against the better coaches. We shall see soon
November 3rd, 2026 at 6:49 am
I can easily give credit to Todd where due, and this year he deserves some for keeping this team’s head in the game and coming up with a way to win games with a rookie qb and one coming off an injury. Plus this last one in some pretty unique conditions that took a unique approach to win.
He has put together a tough, resilient team.
However, these next two games are a step up in class. Not saying they can’t get the job done in either game, but it will take more than what we have seen to do it. Good luck Todd
November 3rd, 2026 at 6:51 am
“…..believed this year has been the best coaching job Todd Bowles has done as head coach……How could that remotely be possible when the Bucs are 3-5?”
its not.
how is it that bowles isnt to blame for the atrocity that was the start of this season but he is somehow to credit for the “turnaround”??
just another episode of teflon todd thats what it is.
another part of the “success” the last couple of weeks is that teams took the bucs for a joke. the first few weeks of the season the bucs were a joke, defense included. the record cant be denied and you cant pin it on one player. there was plenty of joke to go around.
the bucs were unprepared to start the season and it showed as they got embarrassed every week. thats on the coaching staff, led by bowles.
how is that some sort of best of career performance? if it is, it says a lot about just how low the bar is for todd bowles. its like he is being assessed differently for some reason, like on a curve or something, for some reason.
November 3rd, 2026 at 6:56 am
Marky mark. There is no way, not in this world, that Baker Mayfield was ever on any scouting report as being the best runner on the Sooners. Wherever you read that you need to remove from your reading list.
November 3rd, 2026 at 7:05 am
Its too bad it always takes rock bottom before Bowles decides to swallow his pride and make adjustments.
He’s still a poor head coach IMO, as evidence by the previous seasons worth of games before this little resurgence of 1970’s style football.
Of course, maybe he’s a new trend setter and the entire NFL goes back to using top 10 picks on running backs and pounding the air out of the ball every week like the olden days.
Whatever the case, I’m interested to see if this style continues to work because the stat line is hilarious and I do love seeing the offensive line have some fun for once.
November 3rd, 2026 at 7:10 am
Blah Blah Blah …Glass half empty …Tampa’s defense will make Chicago one dimensional..
They’ve been successful with 2 of the hottest qb’s so far..
They have momentum..
Another playoff game
Atlanta caught san fran sleeping
Go Bucs!
Any Given Sunday!
November 3rd, 2026 at 7:13 am
Todd’s trust in the secondary has him playing aggressive defense without having to blitz as much. Let’s see how he coaches them against the big boys Bears. Will it be no risk it no biscuit or tail between his leg. This game will show us if has improved or not.
OC and DC has to create great game plans to go toe to toe with the Bears.
November 3rd, 2026 at 7:14 am
I’m glad the bears won last night; I don’t want any excuses
November 3rd, 2026 at 7:15 am
Weather in Chicago will be 57 and sunny with 13 mph wind , so that is a very good look for Chitown weather in November.
Bears have been held to single digit scoring twice by Vikes and Pack , so solid D can hold down the Bears. Always having a spy on Caleb is crucial.
Bears D is 22nd in YPC rush defense at 4.4 so Bucs can run the ball and that is a must to keep Caleb on the bench.
Bucs really need this game and it very well may come down to a FG and our kicker McLaughlin is 19 for 19 , so I like our chances.
November 3rd, 2026 at 7:26 am
The Seahawks lost to Bears last night because they couldn’t run the ball effectively on 1st down until the 4th quarter. That resulted in several 3rd and longs and Darnold is inconsistent this year. They couldn’t sustain drives.
The Seahawks were 1-11 on 3rd down.
The Bucs’ success vs Bears will depend on continued success in the run game, especially on 1st down.
If the Bucs get into alot of 3rd and longs it will be a long night for Bucs’ fans.
November 3rd, 2026 at 7:31 am
The bucs are going to play an actual good team will see what bucs looks like on the otherside of that.
November 3rd, 2026 at 7:51 am
Tucker. So we’re gonna see what happens when we play a good team?
Atlanta beat the undefeated Niners the week before we thumped them.
Carolina whipped the Eagles and the Lions the 2 weeks before we administered their beating.
We only beat those teams 59-13. If Bucky isn’t stripped at the goal line and Hurst decides to use his hands for something besides jerking off, it’s about 73-13.
We’re hot as three firecrackers, and I ain’t whistling Dixie!
November 3rd, 2026 at 7:52 am
This O-line. Looking like when next season starts we’re gonna have THREE out of five guys making $20 million+ per year
November 3rd, 2026 at 8:01 am
Let’s look at the wins:
We beat Dallas team that is as equally incompetently ran as we are. The panthers and falcons have the game away with turning the ball over and our team has the benefit of the monsoon taking the pass away last week which no doubt aided us as Robinson was muted. As many have notated over the years, you cannot bank on turnovers as a way of winning games. They come sometimes and other times they don’t.
I give credit to the defense for being good overall and for thr team leaning on running the ball.
However – do you think that’s going to work the next two games. It’s likely 3-7. And then what? Todd wins a few more divisional games, beats the horrible chargers and ends up with 6-8 wins?
There’s a reason why Steve was stunned. This is a bad team because the coach can’t manage the people and processes consistently to get to 11 wins. His saving grace every year was having them ready to go out of the gate with a good record. He wasn’t even able to do that this season.
November 3rd, 2026 at 8:13 am
I’m not sure id give bowles that much credit. Id still fire him from hc. How much was this because of bakers health and terrible weather that lead to the run heavy attack the last two weeks. It’s worked no doubt.
November 3rd, 2026 at 8:13 am
Let’s see how he handles a real opponent in Chicago. Dallas & Carolina each have a putrid defense. And while Atlanta boasts a strong run defense, the conditions contributed to the ground & pound success. If they go up there thinking they can just run the same plays, without any counters or tricks in their bag, we’ll be talking about coaching malpractice again from Bowles & Robinson. Being willing to zig when everyone thinks you’re going to zag is what good coaches do. I’m smelling a lot of run, run, incompletion, punt coming from the brain trust Sunday. This is the week to work on the intermediate routes and call those plays on early downs.
November 3rd, 2026 at 8:16 am
We’ll see what happens in Chiraq on Sunday night. If the Monsters of the Midway that played last night show up Sunday night, someone will be doing the stanky leg and it won’t be Todd Bowles.
November 3rd, 2026 at 8:18 am
Now if the Bucs were to beat them and Bowles does the stanky leg while eating a Kit Kat in a raucous Bucs locker room afterwards, well then we may be on to something.
November 3rd, 2026 at 8:36 am
The Bears looked like world beaters last night, with a ferocious pass rush! I know we want to run the ball 90% of the time, but u know what will benefit that decision immensely…throwing the ball deep once a quarter!! You can 1 complete the pass…2 get a P.I. call which is the same …3 it loosens the 8-9 men in the box that any smart team will employ, to further run the game plan…this has to be the design moving fwd…and lastly those deep shots should be there because we haven’t shown any of that on film, and a stop and go route should catch the CBs flat footed! I’ve said my peace
November 3rd, 2026 at 8:36 am
Jury is still out.
November 3rd, 2026 at 8:38 am
This is a tough call. Are we good or did we beat 2 bad teams and the weather contributed huge? Carolina looks awful, so I don’t give us any credit there. Atlanta and the weather is tough to say. I want to jump in and believe, but I’m struggling trusting Bowles. After the end of last season and the start this year, I was had given up on him. Hate to say it but I wanted them to lose because I’d lost all faith that he can lead this team anywhere. The defense looks stout. I think a solid game against Chicago will give us credibility.
November 3rd, 2026 at 8:57 am
This Joe,(Lee) bro I totally agree with you!!!!
We’ve seen Bowles defense for the last several years just crap the bed in terms of stopping opponents….It mainly been in the middle of the field and in the flats…
This year, Bowles defense has come to play!!! Not sure what’s changed but just seems like the players are trusting each other to be in their spots….Much better ILB play after they finally figured out to tackle from the first few games (Anzalone)…
Corners playing aggressive tighter coverage for the most part and they playing with heart!! You can tell it!!
Bowles gets props for this. It’s been the offensive side that has let the team down in the passing game.
They have figured out their identity this year. F-U smashmouth football in the run game.
Gotta get somewhat of a passing game going.
Opponents gonna be afraid of Bucs run game now so put Baker under center and utilize play action!!! There should be some wide open WR’s if Baker will go thru his reads 🙂
Let’s shock. Chicago on Sunday nite!! They gonna be patting themselves on the back for beating Seattle at their house. Time to give them a beating!!
Go Bucs!!!
November 3rd, 2026 at 9:12 am
If its working, keep doing it. My issue with Bowles has been for sometime his inability to coach “the team”, not just the defense. He has, in my opinion, not put forth the level of effort needed for a HC to address all areas of the team. It seems he is doing this now. They still need to address their pass game with plays that allow the Oline to be more aggressive, such as a variety of screens. This Oline does not do well when they are pushed backwards and engaged in pass protection. They also need to engage in play action more. Tez has the speed, why is he not being allowed to stretch the field. Maybe that comes when BM is 100% with the thumb.