Weaker Coach Schedule Favors Bucs
August 18th, 2025
So last regular season the Bucs faced a whopping eight head coaches that have either been to a Super Bowl or won a Super Bowl.
That number will be far less this season. In fact, the total falls all the way to three opponents whose head coach has reached that status. They’re the Eagles, 49ers and Rams.
Joe thinks this has to mean something when assessing the Bucs’ chances in 2025, as well as Todd Bowles’ performance.
Coaching matters.
Bowles has seven years of head coach seasoning between his Jets tenure and three years marshalling the Bucs. He’s won a Super Bowl as a player, a coordinator and a front office man. He’s got a staff with a lot of Super Bowl winners on it.
Joe thinks that has to translate on the field this season, given the Bucs’ talent and the level of opposition — on the field and on the sidelines.
Yeah, yeah, Joe knows Bowles has a new contract through 2028, but it shouldn’t diminish the pressure to win.
August 18th, 2025 at 10:20 am
As much as I am not a fan of Bowles I have to admit him and Arians have changed the franchise around. We are no longer in the basement of the NFC South anymore. 5 playoff appearances in a row and 4 division titles even if the division is weak still counts for something.
August 18th, 2025 at 10:22 am
Go Bucs
August 18th, 2025 at 10:27 am
Yes coaching means the world of difference. Say what you want and hey I have been there watching the Bucs D the past few seasons. However, it is important to note Bowles is a great coach and he has an excellent staff. Just take a look at the past two OC Coordinators as an example. Bowles while often criticized doesn’t get enough credit for the culture he has created with the players. Him an Licht make an incredible tandom and work really well together. In fact when you look at the Buc Organization as a whole they are so much better than the lost years in the past and their are a lot of lost years. Finally this coaching staff and Organazation are starting to change the way the Bucs are looked at instead of being the class clowns of the NFL a role they filled for a long long time.
Sometimes I think matbe we need to say Thankyou!!, we are no longer the class clowns of yesteryear.
August 18th, 2025 at 10:30 am
Many people here will say TB is not a good coach. IMHO, there are better coaches. In defense of TB, he has made strides in improving his coaching and continues to get better. Example… This last pre season game at the very end as time ran down, TB and his new time management assistant ended the game perfectly! Instead of running another play, TB had the QB center the ball in between the hash marks, called time out with a few seconds left on the clock, then had the field goal team win the game. This is vast improvement on how TB has ended games in the past! I for one, look forward to smarter game clock management this season. TB realized he wasn’t very good at it, hired an assistant who was good at it to help out and now this previous problem turns from a weakness to a strength!
August 18th, 2025 at 10:32 am
Question. People in the media for last few years reference nfc south as the weakest division. But is the AFC South not weaker ????
August 18th, 2025 at 10:36 am
He lost to Raheem Morris twice, was out coached in both games. I really don’t see any difference this season. It took a miracle for them to beat Dave Canales ( Rookie HC) last season in overtime.
This so called weak division will give him problems
You can bank on that
August 18th, 2025 at 10:36 am
All starts with being a good person with the people you have around after that it gets better
August 18th, 2025 at 10:38 am
I will give Bowles the opportunity to change how I think of his coaching ability this season. He has made some changes like an assistant to help with the clock and letting Foote call the defense. In preseason the secondary has been playing tighter coverages and they are actively going after turnovers. Hopefully this is the season where Bowles finally puts it all together !
August 18th, 2025 at 10:45 am
Bowles did a wonderful job getting weak OC’s to produce these last two years.
August 18th, 2025 at 10:46 am
Hard to believe the NFL wants more games in the season when players can’t make it to the first game.
August 18th, 2025 at 10:49 am
There needs to be an increase of roster players for NFL teams.
August 18th, 2025 at 10:56 am
I’m a realist, not a dreamer
I’m not buying into a HC with a career 53-65 record, with one playoff win. All l hear is how.much talent this team has. I don’t see the talent, matter of fact, the only people that see the talent is the team fanbase
From top to bottom,
This team will be lucky to make the playoffs
Which is not bad
For one of the Most Injured prone teams in the NFL
I
August 18th, 2025 at 10:57 am
All the people saying anything in the NFL is an idiot, hate to be harsh but that’s a fact. Nothing in the NFL is easy you kidding me? In fact all the division games are the toughest of the year. 2 SS {Slimy Saints} games last year. Blew them out in the first game after letting them come back and then a battle last game. Same with Panthers. Those guys have pride too and want to knock off the King off the Hill every year. They see what’s written about them. Remember Sapp telling Brooks “Oh HELL no” after seeing a ESPN quote about how bad the Bucs were? They got better quick. The players have a totally different mind set about the games than the media and fans have, that’s why they play the games.
August 18th, 2025 at 10:58 am
In the NFL is easy
August 18th, 2025 at 11:14 am
Having the weakest double half coach favors opponents with full time head coaches and full time defensive coordinators, who believe in covering receivers and playing to win the game.
August 18th, 2025 at 11:17 am
There’s no doubt teams are looking at the Bucs as a winnable game.
And Head Coaches are probably looking at Bowles as a ( Weak Head Coach). The games are played on the field…..and we don’t even know who will be playing against the Falcons.
Injuries and poor coaching is not a recipe for disaster
August 18th, 2025 at 11:25 am
I think Lakeland Buc hopes we lose a lot this season just so he can beat his chest and say I told you so. His posts are, for the most part, obnoxious.
August 18th, 2025 at 11:27 am
Lakeland Buc is hoping the Bucs lose a lot of games just so he can be right. What a miserable way to be a fan but you do you man
August 18th, 2025 at 11:39 am
Insulting
August 18th, 2025 at 11:59 am
No excuses this year.
August 18th, 2025 at 12:08 pm
‘Weaker Coach Schedule Favors Bucs’
I read that and thought it suggested coaches that were weaker than Bowels…
I chuckled thinking how deceived can one person be!
Then I read the article explaining the title is referring to last years opponents verus this year’s…
Though that may be true, it doesn’t guarantee Bowels will have much of a chance to outcoach many if any of them…
The roster is something to get excited about and so is the schedule….
Knowing that the HC/DC is this teams ‘Achilles heel’ is crushing!
August 18th, 2025 at 12:12 pm
Coaching is not only important, but it is just about THE most important thing there is. For instance, our postseason game with Washington last year, Dan Quinn who is “ranked” at #3 as an NFL coach, knew he had to limit the number of times our offense had at scoring. He came up with a great game plan and it worked. Todd and the boys didn’t have an answer to counter that game plan with. And for all the talent we have it didnt matter. The same organization that ranked Quinn #3 ranked Todd #19. Who knows how accurate that is but in that case it was somewhat true.
August 18th, 2025 at 12:14 pm
It ain’t about the Xs, and Os, it’s about the Jimmys, and Joes. Coaching matters some what, but I’ve never seen a coach make a tackle, or catch a touchdown pass. We lost two OCs the last two seasons, but it hasn’t made a difference. Doubt it’ll make a difference this year. That’s because we have solid talent across the board. All the coaching in the world couldn’t make JTS a sack master. Do any of you believe Trask would be better at QB than Baker because of coaching? Didn’t think so.
August 18th, 2025 at 12:45 pm
Who was surprised by Dan Quinn’s gameplan against the Bucs in the playoffs? Enlightened fans were not. Chris Long was not.
Either Todd was surprised by it, which is really bad, or he wasn’t, which is even worse. He played right into their hands, let them do exactly what they wanted to do, and then went full turtle coward at the end, a Bowles specialty.
Get ready for a very similar gameplan from Raheem Morris in the opener, and expect a Penix beating.
August 18th, 2025 at 12:49 pm
Yea Weebs you can toss Aqualung in that group. Of course where would this site be with out his daily Bowels sucks comments?
August 18th, 2025 at 12:55 pm
Lakeland just curious. Who whizzes in your Wheaties every morning?
August 18th, 2025 at 12:57 pm
Yea Weebs you can toss Ironlung in that group also. Of course I don’t know where this site would be without his daily I hate Bowels comment.
August 18th, 2025 at 1:04 pm
Unless you’re a top tier head coach with major draft choice input, your job is to win with the players the GM gives you. I think most here believe Jason Licht to be an above average to excellent GM.
Concerning the Bucs, we are led to believe that Bowles has some draft input, but the final decision rests with Licht. No good GM would have it any other way.
We all have an opinion on Bowles. Personally, I would’ve preferred the Bucs promoting Coen and sending Bowles packing, but that’s me. Bowles has made too many in-game decisions with deleterious outcomes for my liking. Again, that’s me.
The counter argument would be that it cannot be denied the Bucs players, almost to a man, love Todd Bowles. But is that the bar for success in the NFL? From Lombardi to Landry to Shula to Parcells to Walsh, to Belichick to even Andy Reid, these men were never universally beloved by the whole of their rosters. But they were indubitably RESPECTED. And they all won multiple Super Bowls.
Granted, these wonder-boy head coaches don’t grow on trees, but with Bowles career 51-64 (.443) record, do you think he’s anywhere near to reaching the precipice of their greatness? Call me selfish, but I want the Bucs to win the Super Bowl every year!
I’m far from a Bowles hater, as some would label me. By all accounts he’s a great guy. As the old saying goes, however, you are what your record says you are.
(Cue the Jets horrible ownership excuse crowd)
Licht’s safe bet last year was to stay with Bowles and let Coen walk. And so it went. But I would have thrown caution into the wind and went with Coen.
Marv Levy’s quote is worth repeating: “If you listen to the fans you’ll soon find yourself sitting among them.”
Our opinions mean nothing. But it is fun from time to time to be able to voice them. Thanks, Joe’s …
August 18th, 2025 at 1:17 pm
Lakeland Buc … ‘ I’m a realist, not a dreamer. I’m not buying into a HC with a career 53-65 record, with one playoff win.’
Forget for a moment Lakeland that Todd’s overall HC record is 53-65. Focus on his last 3 years with us … 27-24. Recognizing of course that those 3 years saw an almost complete turnover of personnel (only 8 players on our current roster were on the 2021 team, and all but 1 … Anthony Nelson … were and still are starters). Also recognizing that we made the playoff all 3 years.
But then focus even more on last year … 10-7 record despite players losing 136 games to IR and 58 games to Out. The combination of the 2 (194 player games lost). Just for reference, the combination of IR & Out was 149 in 2022 and 92 in 2023). Bottom line: Bucs had guys playing last year (on defense especially) who should’ve been sitting on their couch watching the NFL games, not playing in them.
I give Todd Bowles credit for salvaging what could’ve been a real disaster last year. There were a lot of really sloppy games in there, yet we still managed to pull out 10 wins. This year’s preseason injuries are disheartening to say the least, but I still believe that we have a stronger ‘base’ to work from. So 11-12 wins can still be attainable, and once you make the playoffs, anything can happen.
August 18th, 2025 at 1:30 pm
LakelandBuc Says
“He lost to Raheem Morris twice, was out coached in both games.”
What was the state of the roster in those games?
LakelandBuc Says
“I’m a realist, not a dreamer
I’m not buying into a HC with a career 53-65 record, with one playoff win. All l hear is how.much talent this team has. I don’t see the talent, matter of fact, the only people that see the talent is the team fanbase
From top to bottom,
This team will be lucky to make the playoffs”
I love how in the same post you claim to be a realist, you prove you are not a realist, you prove otherwise with the last statement.
August 18th, 2025 at 1:38 pm
I have news for all of you making various claims here:
It’s not one aspect, but ALL aspects which make a team great. Coaching. Players. Drafting. Offense. Defense. Culture. Wins. Health. Belief.
All are equally important.
And a career record means absolutely nothing. The last 5 seasons is the measurement stick.
Case in point: A QB with a career losing record over 10 years could look .500, even if all they did is win the second half of it.
That’s why LakelandBuc points to TBs career record…because they most recent five years proved him wrong.
August 18th, 2025 at 1:39 pm
Davyboy … ‘Coaching is not only important, but it is just about THE most important thing there is.’
Hodad … ‘It ain’t about the Xs, and Os, it’s about the Jimmys, and Joes. Coaching matters some what, but I’ve never seen a coach make a tackle, or catch a touchdown pass.’
I love diametrically opposing statements like that. I admit that I tend to side more with Hodad than with Davyboy, BUT … I’m probably more in the middle than anything else. Quality coaching obviously matters a bunch, but with ‘the horses’ that wagon ain’t going no-place. The best TEAMS are strong from the very top of the organization to the bottom.
August 18th, 2025 at 1:40 pm
PRETTY MUCH A NON-STORY LOL….
not sure why rah gets disrespected lol….
he’s won an SB with the Bucs and Rams as a coach an if Kyle Shanahan runs the ball, he’s an SB winner in ATL lol
GO BUCS!!!!
August 18th, 2025 at 1:41 pm
Hmmm, damn speel check, always has a mind of its own. Make that ‘WITHOUT the horses …’
August 18th, 2025 at 2:44 pm
Bowles is a great guy and the players respect him. With that said, he is not a good game day coach. His record the last three years is commendable, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. A good example of him being out coached by a superior coach was last year’s Denver game. Sean Payton put on a clinic and Bowles was helpless to respond.
August 18th, 2025 at 3:42 pm
I think the bottom line is this, every organization needs a good leader at the top. Without a good leader the organization is rudderless. A head coach is that leader. It is hard to know to what % it is that head coaches affect a team but I’ll say this, the great coaches have pretty much always won, wherever they were. Even when their roster wasn’t loaded they would win to a certain degree. Alabama is a great college example, before Saban they weren’t doing so well. Once he arrived, it was on. 6 nattys. New England was both Brady and Belichick. Belicheck won a lot of superbowls with average athletes. I just can’t see thinking coaching isn’t that important, but I have been wrong before and I’ll be wrong again.
August 18th, 2025 at 4:36 pm
Other teams are saying the same thing about coaching against Bowles. Bowles has consistently had issues translating adjustments on the field especially defensively. It appears our offensive coordinator will keep us in games late in the 4th quarter. Defense will continue to struggle… I hope I’m wrong about the defense this season. We will know game 1.
August 18th, 2025 at 5:13 pm
“Coaching Matters”. Yep. Man we’re going to win a bunch of games this year! Truly amazes me that half this fan base can’t see what’s being built before your very eyes here. This football team could easily win 13 or 14 ballgames. And a Super Bowl. Didn’t I just hear on this site that Sports Illustrated picked us to win the conference? I’m not the only one who thinks it’s ours for the taking this year. Mike and LaVonte and Vita and Baker will not make it easy for anybody this year. They’ll be leading the charge and Bowles will let them. And the charges they’ll be leading are very young and very talented. Okay, we could win 15 games.
August 18th, 2025 at 7:23 pm
in 1st 11 games, Bucs are away at Falcons, Texans, Seahawks, Lions, Bills and Rams and they have home games vs Eagles and 49ers.
They need to be at least 6-5 to have a shot at the playoffs.
August 18th, 2025 at 7:37 pm
Go, Kenton Smith. Be right.
August 18th, 2025 at 7:45 pm
Thanks, DR. Once again you have given us perspective on the job that Bowles did as our head coach last year. Clearly he is striving to learn from and then fix past mistakes. He is applying the standard he expects from the players to himself this year.
Go Bucs!
August 18th, 2025 at 7:59 pm
Your header seems like clickbait, lol. Bowles is building an overpowering team, if the pass rush comes around. Hopefully individual games won’t come down to in-game coaching magic too often this season.
August 18th, 2025 at 10:33 pm
You just never know with h the NFL. It’s more about playmakers than anything. If your players make big plays towards the end of a game, most NFL games go down to the wire. A dropped interception can be the difference in a game. Getting extra first downs to play keepaway can rest a defense. I’m not saying good coaching doesn’t help but it is about the players. Nick Siriani in Philly was nearly ran out of town but his defensive line dominated opponents and his GM gave him a great defense. If these Buc defensive rookies can make plays and if the offensive line can protect Mayfield the team will be successful. All Bowles has to do is not blow timeouts and use common sense pulling starters when he has a big lead or a game is out of hand and the Bucs aren’t going to win.
August 19th, 2025 at 9:23 am
Joe you are a legend . Your nick name motivated the BUCS into being a team that’s not considered the opponents home game. Thank you. Also the Bucs under the current GM has up graded the class of the players, another off season without arrest or players passing out in turn lanes or punching taxi drivers . The BUCS are actually a team the others don’t pencil in as easy. are SB contenders , division winners & actually have a coaching tree. Even though meaningless the BUCS were definitely the better TEAM in both games. This season is gonna be FUN!!
August 19th, 2025 at 2:48 pm
If the Bucs miss the playoffs and the Jags make it, then it will really start ‘heating-up’ and getting NASTY. Bucs FO will be in all-out ‘damage control’ mode then, and will use ‘injuries” for their excuse. I see why they extended him (after losing Cohen ‘the way’ they did), but I’m more like Jerry Jones, when it comes to allowing mediocre Head Coaches to ‘play-out’ their current contracts in finality, and making them EARN-IT. I mean, come-on now, WHERE else is Bowles going… He’s going NOWHERE. And, HE doesn’t need to be comfortable. Actually, it’s THE LAST thing he needs! If anything, he seems TOO comfortable. So, mix-it up then, get HIM out of his comfort zone. Though, I do agree with Jerry’s handling on allowing mediocre HC’s to EARN their next contract and putting the pressure on them, I do NOT agree with how he has chosen to handle PLAYER contracts… I want to sign my ‘Superstars’ EARLY. The ‘earlier’ the better. And, I would NOT always sign “yes-man” suck-up’s’ to begin with, that I could just easily bully, control, and micromanage. You pay the money and take care of ‘special’ coaches (and players)… You allow ‘mediocre’ to play-it out and EARN-IT.