Todd Bowles Doesn’t “Pay Them Any Mind”
August 27th, 2025
Predictions don’t affect him.
A couple of years ago when Tom Brady left the Bucs and was replaced by Baker Mayfield, the Bucs became the laughing stock of the NFL to the self-inflated analysts.
One prominent chronicler of the game even picked the Bucs to win two games. He’s still trying to live that prediction down.
Bucs types within the walls of One Buc Palace erupted in outrage over that prediction, and others. The doomsday crowd was so loud and pervasive, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht thought he was missing something in the analysis of his team and ordered his staff to research again all Bucs and grade them against other teams’ rosters.
This study only reinforced the Bucs’ thoughts that they had a good team. Sure enough, the Bucs won the NFC South, beat the mighty Eagles in the playoffs and had the Lions on the ropes in the fourth quarter on the road.
The tables have sort of turned. This summer, many, but not remotely all, NFL analysts think the Bucs will win their fifth division crown in a row.
Joe’s good friend Rock Riley asked Bucs coach Todd Bowles today if he has to do anything to keep players from hearing and reading these predictions, and to not get too full of themselves.
Bowles had a simple yet direct response: He doesn’t give a damn.
“We didn’t pay them any mind when they picked us to come in last,” Bowles said. “We’re not going to pay them any mind when they pick us to come in first.”
Bowles’ attitude is a good one.
Organizations want attention. It means not just that the team is doing something right, but it is free marketing, both for the team and players.
It’s sort of hard to tune out the noise. Most players are on social media. There are TVs in the locker rooms that regularly display various network hollering shows. Pat McAfee’s show is popular in the Bucs’ locker room.
Players’ families often send them the buzz around town, good, bad or indifferent.
Let’s be honest: Kay Adams doesn’t show up for a practice in the dead of August just because she wants to work on her tan.
Good teams, by default, will always get attention.
August 27th, 2025 at 3:06 pm
Good teams and QB’s must win in Primetime to get the respect with all those loud mouths that make a living being a loud mouth.
August 27th, 2025 at 3:07 pm
there is a crazy ratio of bloggers and podcasters per team. so every micro tweet or burp or whatever gets hypermagnified. which is fine but it isnt some reflection on the team and their talent is it?
August 27th, 2025 at 3:22 pm
Ignore the voices that say your pass defense sucks, Todd. Pretend it doesn’t. That will fix it.
August 27th, 2025 at 3:30 pm
And they are REALLY getting talked about. I have YouTube Premium and watch a lot of their programming.
Right now the talking heads are all showing up with their preseason predictions.
I’m blown away by the view of the Bucs!!!
Guys are saying they are not being taken seriously enough, that the Bucs are a team to reckon with this season and on and on including picks to win the SB.
Might as well enjoy it while we can. If the Bucs flop there’ll be plenty of time to lick our wounds. If however the Bucs make the NFC game and play well the time we enjoy right now will be well spent, if we kvetch and moan and then win the NFC this will all be wasted time.
August 27th, 2025 at 3:42 pm
We got this! We are pretty much healthy. That was the problem last year.
LFG!!!
August 27th, 2025 at 3:55 pm
Sigh… really Joe, you had to mention Kay Adams and Tan in the same sentence????
I’ll be back in 3 minutes..
August 27th, 2025 at 3:56 pm
Practice squad signings
DT Jayson Jones
CB Bryce Hall
DT Adam Gotsis
TE Tanner Taula
DT Nash Hutmacher
OL Ben Scott
QB Connor Bazelak
DT C.J. Brewer
OL Tyler McLellan
OL Lorenz Metz
OL Luke Huggard
WR Garrett Greene
LB Nick Jackson
OL Mike Jordan
August 27th, 2025 at 3:59 pm
I only pay attention to Kay Adams. Not so much for betting intel.
August 27th, 2025 at 4:02 pm
The Bucs should win the NFC South
That’s it the reason for the lack of respect
You have a HC with one playoff win
And you have a Starting QB with two playoff wins
They won’t get the National respect, until this changes
August 27th, 2025 at 4:03 pm
It =isn’t
August 27th, 2025 at 4:10 pm
Usually when they pick us to win, we dont. So this isnt a good thing IMO.
August 27th, 2025 at 4:33 pm
LakelandBuc Says:
August 27th, 2025 at 4:02 pm
The Bucs should win the NFC South
That’s it the reason for the lack of respect
You have a HC with one playoff win
And you have a Starting QB with two playoff wins
They won’t get the National respect, until this changes
^^^^^^^^
How long have you been a Bucs fan? Since they started making the playoffs every year? It’s really not that bad, for reference, the Bucs have been to the playoffs 15 times in the 47 years I’ve been a fan. Do you REALLY have something to complain about?
August 27th, 2025 at 4:40 pm
¿¡We nabbed Mo Kamara!?
August 27th, 2025 at 4:47 pm
Joe in Michigan,
I’ve been a Buc fan, from day one
But it’s obvious, they were respected with Tom Brady
When Brady left, the respect left with him..
They never respected the Bucs, they respected Brady
And until Bowles, and Mayfield actually win something
They wil not get the respect Brady Bucs got
Winning the NFC South is getting you any respect
Going deep into the playoffs will get you respect
August 27th, 2025 at 4:52 pm
” Winning the NFC South is not a big achievement”
That’s the opinion of these anylysts
They feel it’s an inferior division
So they gotta advance deep into the playoffs
Then they get the respect of the national media
August 27th, 2025 at 5:14 pm
Remember when they called it the AFC LEAST.?
B&B and the Pats capitalized on that for twenty years.
August 27th, 2025 at 5:16 pm
Well the year before that, Vegas had the Bucs as the favorite to go to the Super Bowl out of the NFC, and Bowles managed to turn that into a losing season and Brady’s first loses to Dallas and Atlanta. So it goes both ways.
With that said, I don’t dislike Bowles, but I’d have rather kept Coen. Still, if Bowles made another homerun pick at OC, the Bucs will do well and win the NFC South once again. Sure, it’s not like it’s the Winston years where the Bucs are facing NFL MVP Cam Newton, NFL MVP Matt Ryan and first ballot HOF’er Drew Brees – but you only play who is on the schedule, and if Baker doesn’t collapse in the playoffs again the Bucs could do some damage, in particular vs the Eagles who the Bucs own.
August 27th, 2025 at 5:24 pm
Most of the players we were concerned the Bucs cut were already signed back to the practice squad including Nick Jackson and Garrett Greene.
August 27th, 2025 at 5:32 pm
Love my Bucs but just tired of Bowles and his schemes. How we win it all. Let the games begin.
August 27th, 2025 at 5:34 pm
“We didn’t pay them any mind when they picked us to finish last. We’re not gonna pay them any mind for picking us to finish first”
August 27th, 2025 at 5:35 pm
Rod Munch,
That’s my point
The national media don’t believe in Mayfield or Bowles
Mayfield choking when the game is on the line
Bowles making idiotic coaching decisions
They have to win big time games
Before they are accepted as.a big time franchise
August 27th, 2025 at 5:44 pm
Sure seems to me that the Bucs are more intense this year. They all seem very serious about the squandered opportunity of last year and I honestly think none of them will be happy if they don’t make it back to the Superbowl this year. That’s why they couldn’t care less about pundits picking them to win the NFC South. They’ve set their sights way higher!
August 27th, 2025 at 5:52 pm
Rod Munch said “if Baker doesn’t collapse in the playoffs again …”
So tired of hearing this. Baker didn’t collapse. He had a stellar 146.5 passer rating in that game. In fact, for his career, he has the highest passer rating in the league in the post season.
McMillan is the one who wasn’t where he was supposed to be to take the fumbled handoff. That, and Barton forgetting the snap count and snapping the ball early on third and one during our last drive in the redzone, which led to a two yard loss and a field goal instead of a TD.
Classy, that Baker takes the blame for the rookie screwups.
August 27th, 2025 at 5:52 pm
It’s OK for us, the fans, to pay attention. It is not OK for the team to pay attention to the chatter. Todd is right. The team should keep its head down and play the games one at a time. That is part of what is needed if you want to become a champion.
Go Bucs!
August 27th, 2025 at 6:01 pm
Teddy wouldn’t of fumbled that ball. Just sayin.
August 27th, 2025 at 6:01 pm
If Mayfield gets hurt we are done for. Bilgewater? Wolford….ROFl
August 27th, 2025 at 6:02 pm
Scotty Mack Says:
August 27th, 2025 at 5:52 pm
Rod Munch said “if Baker doesn’t collapse in the playoffs again …”
So tired of hearing this. Baker didn’t collapse. He had a stellar 146.5 passer rating in that game. In fact, for his career, he has the highest passer rating in the league in the post season.
———-
Anyone talking about the old outdated passer rating like it’s a useful number in todays NFL … they’re not serious people.
Also Baker throwing the pick with 2 mins left in Detroit and the game on the line. Baker fumbles the ball after the defense makes a huge 4th quarter goal line stand to give the offense the ball back with a chance to go up two scores, and instead Baker loses the game.
There is a reason Baker wasn’t give a huge new extension. He needs to win when it matters. If he does that, he’ll stick around. If he doesn’t, then the Bucs will keep him for next year while looking for a QB of the future. I hope Baker can turn come through when it matters, but he hasn’t done so yet.
August 27th, 2025 at 6:04 pm
Munch. They are not the Winston years. They are the Winston debacles.
Your prognostication that Winston would be successful outside the Bucs was woefully wrong. Stop bringing up one of the curses of those years.
Let’s focus on the future. You have brought up Winston in at least 4 articles in the last week.
August 27th, 2025 at 6:25 pm
Passer rating is valued as QBR. Any goober looking at ESPN’s QBR like it is not flawed as passer rating is just swimming in the ESPN propaganda.
It over rates running quarterbacks and they have never fixed that discrepancy in the 14 years it has been in existence.
EPA is the gold standard for Quarterback play. On drop backs last year — the Bucs were the 4th highest in EPA (actually tied with Washington at 4th highest) behind only Baltimore, Buffalo and Detroit.
That supposed marvelous 2019 season that you always want to bring up. The Bucs EPA was 15th. They were 5th in scoring.
The fact that they had a top 5 point total and yet were around 15th in EPA is a perfect illustration of why EPA is a better metric for predicting future success. The high point total was not sustainable because it relied on an exceptionally high number of explosive plays while being plagued by an equally high number of detrimental turnovers. An analyst looking at those two metrics would correctly predict that the offense would not continue to produce points at that rate unless they significantly cut down on the turnovers, which is exactly what happened the following season with the addition of Tom Brady.
August 27th, 2025 at 6:25 pm
Mo Kamara OLB to the BUCS PS
August 27th, 2025 at 6:36 pm
The disrespect by the national talking heads pales in comparison to that of the angry old men (or ladies) commenting on blog posts around here.
Never been a part of a fan base that has so many constant critics.
Some of you just hate the friggin coach and see only what your blinders allow you to.
Same with the starting QB.
And the training staff, the front office, Dean, etc etc.
I truly believe some of you really want to see the Bucs fail… Otherwise you’re going to look like dummies and your predictions (which are conveniently saved in the archives here) will look even more ignorant!
Let’s go Bucs – let’s punch Atlanta, and the doubters in the mouth 💪🏼
August 27th, 2025 at 6:54 pm
^^^^YES!!! Better late than never!
August 27th, 2025 at 6:57 pm
Glad nick jackson and Bryce hall Garrett are back idk y we released nick and Bryce
August 27th, 2025 at 7:13 pm
“We didn’t pay them any mind when they picked us to come in last,” Bowles said.
Bucs types within the walls of One Buc Palace erupted in outrage over that prediction…Jason Licht ordered his staff to research again all Bucs and grade them against other teams’ rosters.
Hmm..kinda sounds like they did pay mind.
August 27th, 2025 at 7:44 pm
Love the Bake show ,,, perfect for this team! He won a playoff game in Cleveland for golly sake, and he should have beat the Chiefs the game after if a WR doesn’t fumble at the 1 and fumble out of the Chiefs end zone ,,, We lacked a D in the Skins game TOP 36 min/24 min,,, we had a punter who couldn’t catch or punt but sure it’s all on Baker ,,,, Now you want to bring in a DC to let Bowels just be the HC,, I’ll listen to that
August 27th, 2025 at 8:01 pm
I’m glad they signed bazelac, I thought he threw some good passes against buffalo tight spirals, on target, with zip, and touch
August 27th, 2025 at 8:57 pm
Looks like we got most of our cuts (that we liked) back for the practice squad 👍🏼
August 27th, 2025 at 10:48 pm
Could care less what others say. JUST WIN
I am a Fan from day 1, and losing sux.
Any fan of the Bucs from day 1 has seen more losses percentage wise than most any fans in the history of professional sports
All the media talk and stories about this or about that. None of that means squat to you when you watch a loss.
It does not change the nasty feeling you have watching a loss, and thinking about it on monday or tuesday after the game.
So the heck with what others think about the Bucs, do not care about people giving respect.
GO EARN IT WITH WINNING
GO BUCS!!!!!
August 27th, 2025 at 11:02 pm
geno711 Says:
August 27th, 2025 at 6:25 pm
Passer rating is valued as QBR.
———
By people with an IQ under 70, sure.
August 27th, 2025 at 11:08 pm
geno711 Says:
That supposed marvelous 2019 season that you always want to bring up. The Bucs EPA was 15th. They were 5th in scoring.
The fact that they had a top 5 point total and yet were around 15th in EPA is a perfect illustration of why EPA is a better metric for predicting future success.
————–
If Matt Gay doesn’t personally lose two games, the Bucs go 9-7, and almost certainly Winston is back. Also lets remember the season, a lot of those turnovers came AFTER Godwin and Evans were both hurt, and the Bucs were starting Watson and who was that other guy? I don’t even remember. Watson was such garbage, he got Brady stuck with two INTs return for TDs before he basically got benched.
But, to be clear, Gay should be cheered – with as much as I like Winston, and I know for a fact the team was going to the playoffs if he stuck around, he’s not Brady, obviously, and the Bucs don’t win a SB.
So cheer on Matt Gay for tanking the 2019 season – but don’t pretend like Winston is to blame for every ill. Over the course of his 5 years he set every passing record for the Bucs, except for one, turnovers. Brady of course came in and did even better, but you’re talking about the best of all time, not measuring up to him isn’t something to be ashamed of – which is something Baker Boi(s) never have seemed to grasped as they try to blame everyone else for Baker choking in the playoffs.
August 28th, 2025 at 12:00 am
Munch stop with the Winston talk. You are a clown on Winston.
Stop. At the end of 2019, it was ok for you to offer Winston 160 million on this site to resign with the Bucs. It was ok to mention where he was going to go after we signed Brady. You were wrong on New England.
But to keep mentioning him in 2023 and now in 2025. Why sniffing the jock strap. He was not good here. Even in his best season — the Gold Standard for QB’s the EPA showed he was 15th in the league.
If you like to keep mentioning QBR and not mention passer rating fine. But don’t ignore the more valued stat — EPA. Easy to look up — easy to understand.