Back-To-Normal Consensus For Todd Bowles
June 27th, 2025
Joe has listened to a wide variety of national takes on Team Glazer extending the contract of head coach Todd Bowles yesterday through 2028.
One theme has run through most of the analysis: Bowles’ miserable defense last season was an anomaly and he’s sure to right the defensive pirate ship this year.
“If you go and look at the history of Todd Bowles defenses, it’s probably going to get better. Like [2024 is] one of the worst defenses he’s ever fielded,” ESPN NFL data nerd Ben Solak told the NFL Daily podcast. “He’s a pretty reliably good defensive coach, has a system that’s been working for a long time, they invested a ton in that back-7. So I think that defense is going to take a step back to normalcy.”
Could it be that simple?
With Antoine Winfield healthy and Hassan Reddick added to upgrade the edge rusher, along with a healthy injection of cornerback depth and legitimate inside linebackers, might that be enough to bring the defense back to where it was in 2022?
Back then, with Tom Brady bumbling and stumbling to craft gameplans with offensive non-guru Byron Leftwich, the Bucs averaged 18.4 points per game and won the NFC South. Last year, the Bucs averaged 29.5 points and won the division with little defense.
Pair a “normal” Bowles defense with the Bucs’ loaded offense and special things should happen.
If not, well, Team Glazer seems ready to give Bowles more years to figure it out.
June 27th, 2025 at 4:54 pm
If not, well, Team Glazer seems ready to give Bowles more years to figure it out.
—–
And therein lies the rub.
June 27th, 2025 at 4:57 pm
Criminal that Arians pushed Byron Leftwich to be the OC for the Bucs.
June 27th, 2025 at 5:01 pm
Same ole Bucs…
Winning is NOT a priority For the Bucs owners!…
June 27th, 2025 at 5:22 pm
Tye, what part of your anatomy did you pull that out of? Winning is definitely a priority for the whole organization, the GM, the Head Coach, the players, and everyone associated with the team. So, in what universe do you think that winning is not a priority for the owners? Winning brings attention to the team, increases attendance at games, results in more merchandise being sole, etc. etc. Winning increases revenue, and if nothing else motivates the owners, it’s increased revenue. However, I think the Glazers also care about this community, Tampa and the Bay area. You don’t think they’d like to relive that experience holding the Lombardi Trophy? Dude, your assessment of the Glazers is just dead wrong.
June 27th, 2025 at 5:35 pm
I still see holes in that defensive roster. A huge hole at MLB and until they prove otherwise I still don’t see an edge rush without smoke and mirrors. Hopefully Dennis can stay out of the hot tube and become the player they think he’s going to be and Reddick will regain form.
June 27th, 2025 at 5:47 pm
Waterboy, it’s virtually impossible in today’s salary cap NFL to have extreme depth at every position. No team can say they do. We do however have solid starters at every position and good backups in most which is more than many teams can say.
June 27th, 2025 at 6:03 pm
Reasonable take by Solack.
June 27th, 2025 at 6:20 pm
You guys sound like Randy Quaid in Major League.
June 27th, 2025 at 6:29 pm
The extension for Coach Bowles *might* have been nothing more than giving the players and coaches the feeling of security. Because, regardless of the contract, the owners can fire anyone/everyone any time they want.
June 27th, 2025 at 6:30 pm
I worry about Dennis in that hot “tube”. Sounds claustrophobic.
Is that their sauna… thought he was in the ice tub normally? LOL
June 27th, 2025 at 8:09 pm
They need to sign Kyzir White at ILB and they would be set on D
June 27th, 2025 at 10:47 pm
“Buccaneers Called Out for Disastrous Contract Extension”
“It’s a Shame” Because Bowles Should Be in a “Prove It” year 2025 and Not have his services locked up until 2028″
“While Anything is possible, the Odds of the Buccaneers Winning a Championship with Bowles Outside the NFC South seems Far Fetched”
“No Matter how Brilliant Licht is at His Job, Bowles Has Not Shown that He’s Anywhere Near as good at His”
“Tampa Bay finished with a 10-7 Season Record. The Buccaneers were Upset at Home by the Washington Commanders in the NFC Wildcard Round – a little Closer Examination shows that Tampa Bay was Successful Inspite of Bowles (Coen \ Baker Mayfield) in 2024 rather than Because of him”
“In a Particularly Disastrous week 7 performance against the Baltimore Ravens, Bowles was seen Laughing and Chatting It Up just Moments after Wide Receiver Chris Godwin Suffered a Grotesque, Season Ending Injury when he Dislocated his Left Ankle” (Mike Evens was already lost. Well I guess that’s NOT Bowles problem and Chris’ well being wasn’t Bowles Concern…)
“Bowles Biggest Failures have come on Defense. Remember that Bowles is Such A Defensive Whiz that he Doesn’t Even employ a Defensive Coordinator”
“The Buccaneers finished 18th in Over-all team Defense, 29th in their Secondary in 2024. Their Second Consecutive Season in the Bottom Half of the Entire League!!”
Yeah….. Everyone except of course the “Rosey Colored Glasses Brigade” , EXPECTED he would HAVE TO FIGHT HARD to keep his job! It’s Certainly IS CLEAR TO MOST OF THE WORLD that the Glazer “gift extension” is a “Lame Duck” move.
I suggest he doesn’t go back to sleep and think “Part Time is ALL GOOD” because the rest of the world thinks he’s Walking a Tight Rope!
SUPER BOWL OR BUST!
June 28th, 2025 at 1:09 am
There was ZERO reason to extend Todd with a 5th yr option.
This is so Glazer like. Stupid. They aren’t great owners.
Pick up the 5th year option and see what happens this season.
9-8 or anything less Todd should be sent to check on the star link satellites.
Licht is going use those Brady years to stay here forever. UGH.
SMDH
June 28th, 2025 at 4:18 am
You want bad go br a jets or Jacksonville fan!! How would you like to be a 5 win team again?
June 28th, 2025 at 6:29 am
Obvious read all the articles I did.
And I couldn’t agree more.
Our defense is just NOT good.
And for the Bowles apologists out there that say… “he just didn’t have the talent to play his defense”.. 3 things:
– Play your best players – JTS? No way.
– Design the defense to fit your players skills – dropping edge rushers into pass coverage 20% of the time and then complaining about lack of sacks? No way.
– Draft better and sign skilled veteran free agents to fill your talent gaps and this my friends is Bowles biggest weakness. – after all, isn’t he the one signing off on the talent evaluation?
June 28th, 2025 at 7:07 am
We had a few defensive players last year who, owing to depth problems, shouldn’t have been on the field. Over the last two off-seasons that looks to have been sorted out
June 28th, 2025 at 7:23 am
Poster Ocala
GTFOH ! This ownership has brought us bucs fans not 1 but 2 super bowl trophies. Your butthole is not to be talked out of .
June 28th, 2025 at 7:31 am
he still had some genius defensive games last year like at detroit, even the playoff loss to the commanders was bakers fault not the defense, if the defense can be top ten this year it’s going to be awesome! you think Penix wants to see hassan? that defense is going to be swarming september 7
June 28th, 2025 at 7:33 am
feel so fortunate to have two sb trophies and a proud playoff making franchise ask the browns if they would trade with us?! thanks Glazers!
June 28th, 2025 at 7:37 am
It continues to dumbfound me.
There are two different ownership groups with the Bucs.
It would seem like some of those commenting are talking about the Culverhouse years.
Not the ownership group that has brought multiple division titles and 2 Super Bowls.
Really, the length of the contract does not matter. The Glazers have shown they are willing to make moves.
Hire Jon Gruden, Fire Gruden with lots of time left.
Take a swing and miss at Rahem.
Realize immediately after 1 year that Lovie is not right.
But realize that Licht has some goods and not dumb him at the same time.
Go get Arians and other coaches. These guys are far from perfect but way better than average when it comes to an ownership group.
Involved enough — but not Jerry Jones involved.
June 28th, 2025 at 8:18 am
Contract doesn’t equal job security. If anything, it should put more pressure on Bowles to do well. Glazer’s are expecting great things, it’s time Bowles delivers. With the team he has right now, I think Todd will deliver.
June 28th, 2025 at 8:21 am
Joe … ‘Pair a “normal” Bowles defense with the Bucs’ loaded offense and special things should happen.’
Interesting way to phrase this year’s ‘hope’ Joe, but you’re spot on. Todd has been our DC for 6 years now. I give him a pass in his 1st year (2019) because he was taking over a very poor (ranked 31st) defense AND simultaneously transitioning to a 3-4 hybrid defense from a 4-3 with lots of ‘new’ players. And oh ya, he had to contend with Jameis’ 30 INTs & multiple fumbles.
But after that year of getting ‘settled’, our defense ranked #8 in 2020 and oh ya, we won the Super Bowl. It ranked #5 in 2021, then slid to #13 in 2022 (Todd’s 1st year as HC also). Improved considerably in 2023 to #7 ranking before sliding back to #16 in 2024. Average ranking from 2020-2024 was in the Top-10 (OK, actually 9.8), with an average Points Allowed of 355 points per season … 21.1 PPG average.
That’s pretty much what a ‘normal’ Bowles defense SHOULD give us this year Joe. Interestingly, IF our 2024 defense had allowed 21 PPG in every game, we would’ve finished 14-3 based on how many points our offense actually scored in each game. I’d take that.
Personally I’m anticipating that BOTH our offense AND our defense will finish the 2025 season with Top-10 rankings. I expect that we’ll finish with an 11-6 (or better) record this year based on our talent level & strength of schedule. That SHOULD be good enough to make the playoffs, but how far we progress in the playoffs is anybody’s guess IMO. A lot of that has to do with how healthy you are when you go into the playoffs, who you play, whether you get a first game BYE or not, etc. One game at a time.
June 28th, 2025 at 9:27 am
The only “normal” with Bowles is a near .500 record with a poor showing vs. opponents that actually try to win a playoff game.
While he may be a good guy, he’s not a winner.
June 28th, 2025 at 9:43 am
Pass defense was worse in 2023 than in 2022. Luck helped the Bucs give up fewer points than statistically expected based on yards. Those chickens began to come home to roost last year, as the pass defense regressed in 2024 yet again, while points allowed increased as expected by the natural correlation.
Todd believed his conservative “nothing over our heads, let them nickel and dime us all day and we’ll keep them out of the end zone” is a great way to play.
In 2024, that proved to be wrong.
Let’s see what his “fix” is that he proclaimed he found in “the lab.”
Skepticism has been earned.
June 28th, 2025 at 9:51 am
Boomer … ‘Draft better and sign skilled veteran free agents to fill your talent gaps and this my friends is Bowles biggest weakness. – after all, isn’t he the one signing off on the talent evaluation?’
Can’t have it all ways. Can’t give the GM kudos for excellent drafts then chastise the HC poor defensive talent & being ‘the one signing off on the talent evaluation’. Obviously the HC & the coaching staff has an input into the drafts, but that doesn’t mean that he’s making the draft selections by round. That’s Jason’s job, and he seems to be doing it quite well over these past 6-7 years.
Bowles & his coaching staff have done a commendable job IMO of developing the talent that he’s been given. Several defensive players really had no business being on the team last year. But hey, you use what you’ve got. I didn’t hear a whole bunch of complaints from Todd Bowles about lack of talent.
June 28th, 2025 at 5:54 pm
Still befuddled by this move.
Still had one year left plus an option.
Dude is barely .500 here.
This division has been utter garbage for years. I guess his agent parlayed that into $$$$. Yikes.
June 29th, 2025 at 1:55 pm
nobody’s mentioned the players. This extension goes deeper than Licht and the Glazers IMO. I think the team Loves playing for Bowles, they believe in the plan.