Did The Bucs Let Houston Score Late? Evasive Answers Tell The Tale
September 17th, 2025
Antoine Winfield tries to suppress a smile when answering questions about Nick Chubb’s 25-yard touchdown run Monday.
Throughout America, podcasters and hollering shows alike are convinced: The Bucs let Nick Chubb score on a 25-yard touchdown run with 2:16 left on Monday night to ensure they had enough time to win the game with a final drive.
Todd Bowles and All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield, while they never admitted the Bucs played ole’ defense, seemed to confirm what America thinks.
Bowles tried to be evasive in his answer this afternoon when asked if the Bucs purposely let Chubb score. He paused and said, “I don’t think it matters. We won the game.”
Bowles was trying to hide a little smirk.
The follow-up question was, “You’re not going to tell us, are you?”
Bowles smiled just a wee bit and said, “Not at all.”
Later in the locker room, Winfield was peppered with questions about the play. Winfield did a much worse job of trying to hide a smile. But he kept repeating his stock answer to the questions about letting Chubb score.
“It was a great run,” Winfield said.
The smiles both Bowles and Winfield had, and their attempts to dodge the questions, sure suggest the Bucs played matador defense on purpose.
NICK CHUBB’S FIRST TOUCHDOWN AS A TEXAN!
đź“ş: @espnnfl / @ABC13houston pic.twitter.com/6KsZJF7gi1
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 16, 2025
September 17th, 2025 at 4:19 pm
I would have lost $$$ because I would have bet Todd wouldn’t do that in a million years.
Best game management decision I’ve ever seen him make. Bravissimo, Todd.
September 17th, 2025 at 4:27 pm
WOW… ‘Big Balls’ Bowles in full effect.
I love it! It was the correct call, not to let the Texans bleed the clock, kick a FG, and then give the ball back to the offense with like 24 seconds left and no timeouts.
I’m shocked. I mean it sure as heck to me looked like Winfield gave up on the play, something I’ve never in my life seen him do, but he was also pretty far away, so it wasn’t conclusive. The fact they’d not just give a straight ‘of course not’ answer is telling.
This is Todd Bowles, a guy that punts from the opponent 38 yard line in preseason, where does he pull this from all of a sudden? I am flabbergasted!
September 17th, 2025 at 4:28 pm
I thought so! Have to admit that was a great call by Bowles. Wonder if new clock management guy had a hand in it. The late “great” Coach McKay would have never done that in 1,000 years.
He never did understand pro-ball.
September 17th, 2025 at 4:34 pm
it is better for winfield instead of admitting he got beat and couldnt put chubb on the ground anyway at that angle and with no room after stepping the wrong way. he would have gotten run the hell and dragged in to the end zone like a dead fish if he tried. what gaslighting horse shLt
September 17th, 2025 at 4:34 pm
That new statistician up in the booth already paying dividends ala moneyball.
The time probably allowed for a 2 for 1 possession. Score under a minute, hold ( if necessary) and get the ball back again.
September 17th, 2025 at 4:38 pm
jimmy Says:
September 17th, 2025 at 4:34 pm
it is better for winfield instead of admitting he got beat and couldnt put chubb on the ground anyway at that angle and with no room after stepping the wrong way. he would have gotten run the hell and dragged in to the end zone like a dead fish if he tried. what gaslighting horse shLt
——–
You’re retarded.
September 17th, 2025 at 4:42 pm
I thought at the time that Chubb should have gone down at the 5 or 10 so they could milk the clock and kick the winning field goal.
September 17th, 2025 at 4:42 pm
I’m surprised Chubb didn’t pull up short on that run. He’s done that in the past. This being a “prove it” year for him in a sense, maybe he’s doing a little stat padding….can’t say I’d blame him.
Rachaad White pulled up short on a run play in ’23 in a game to run out the clock (which also kept him from getting 1000 yards rushing for the year…he had at least 10-12 yards of clear space ahead of him on the play).
September 17th, 2025 at 4:42 pm
Game manager supervisor is earning his money!!!!
Todd is evolving.
LFG!!!!
September 17th, 2025 at 4:52 pm
it was 2nd and 9 so once he broke away and had the 1st down you had to let him go in
September 17th, 2025 at 4:52 pm
Agreed, game manager earned his money on this one. Years ago Bucs did the same thing but can’t remember the game. Think Sapp was playing at the time? Anyone remember the game?
September 17th, 2025 at 4:53 pm
Honestly this is a huge step for Bowles… This is modern day clock management in the NFL. The new kickoff rules, the high powered offenses. You’re forced to make decisions that give you the ball when the clock is winding down. Really gutsy call.
September 17th, 2025 at 4:54 pm
Jimmy sounds bitter.
September 17th, 2025 at 4:55 pm
The clock and game management has been night and day so far. However, remember they mentioned they hired a game management coordinator. So that would explain a lot.
September 17th, 2025 at 5:04 pm
Someone check on Aqualung stat!
September 17th, 2025 at 5:06 pm
Logan Hall completely vacated his gap and jumped inside – whether that was the plan or not….its easy to play gamesmanship now
September 17th, 2025 at 5:07 pm
The way it was handled was preferable to letting the Texans run the clock down and kick a field goal to win the game.
Chubb made a HUGE mistake by running it in for a TD with 2 minutes left!
September 17th, 2025 at 5:08 pm
Ballsy move. Remember, the Texans went for two so they’d be up a full touchdown. So Bowles was gambling that not only Mayfield could pull off the two minute, but that he’d be doing it for the win and not just to get into overtime.
September 17th, 2025 at 5:11 pm
Bowles trusted mvp mayfield to put it in the end zone versus hoping his defense could have another 4 down stop in the redzone. Go back to the overtime losses and 4th quarter come from behind losses that we piled up over the last few years, it’s nice to be on the winning side of things.
September 17th, 2025 at 5:20 pm
Baking with Grizz Says:
Todd is evolving.
^^^^^^^^
YES!!!
1. Bucs went to hurry up when the offense stalled.
2. Bucs of timeouts in game 2 was perfection.
Two things we’ve never said about a Todd Bowles’ team. I’m loving Bowles in year 3.
September 17th, 2025 at 5:31 pm
Bucky cost himself a couple TD’s last year by pulling up
September 17th, 2025 at 6:08 pm
Brilliant call on the ole’ defense to give us the ball down 5 with just over two minutes. However, I think from Houston’s perspective, it was the right play for Chubb to run it in. You take the points. One, say Chubb downs it, down 1 point. No guarantee they make the field goal. Two, if they do, the Bucs down 2 points only need to get to field goal range. Tough decision for Houston. We played that situation beautifully and what a great final drive! Friggin Mayfield, Bucky, Rachaad, Evans, and Otten all delivered! The whole offense was stellar in contributing to that final drive. I’m still grinning!
September 17th, 2025 at 6:17 pm
Let’s remember, unfortunately, our kicker has turned into a closet case who would’ve almost certainly missed a game winning FG even if it was a 25 yarder. Disappointing we haven’t gotten a fresh leg in to apply pressure on Chase.
And why our special bus team spastic hasn’t been replaced…….oh never mind.
September 17th, 2025 at 6:40 pm
Aqualung
You know what they say about the clock hitting 12 twice. Here is another time I agree with you completely.
Rod
I read your post that night and went back and reviewed that play as you suggested. I admit my prejudice as a HUGE AW JR fan but I’ve seen him make that play in the past. If the clock was running out and it was the last play Winfield would have gotten him IMHO.
I agree with you the video looks pretty conclusive…to me at least.
September 17th, 2025 at 7:28 pm
This is actually a bad thing for the bucs that worked out.
Bowles does not have confidence in our kicker. If they kick a FG its 16-14 Houston. We need a FG to win…………..Bowles knows that isnt a sure thing right now.
The fact that Chase is a liability could spell disaster going forward. He needs to get right.
September 17th, 2025 at 7:48 pm
Snookman … ‘This is actually a bad thing for the bucs that worked out.’
I still have trouble believing that any HC would intentionally LET the other team go ahead by at least 5 points with only 2 minutes left in the game, and possibly as much as 7 points (IF they’d made the 2-point conversion).
The Texans’ defense gave up 2 TDs on our 2 first drives, but then SHUT US DOWN. Bucs had SEVEN drives after we’d scored those first 2 TDs, resulting in: PUNT, PUNT, PUNT, PUNT, Missed FG, Blocked PUNT, then yet another PUNT. We were playing with a makeshift OLine, Baker had been beaten up, Egbuka was wrapped up, Evans wasn’t having a particularly good night.
So what were the odds that the Bucs would score a TD in that last possession? It just doesn’t make any sense to let your opponent go ahead by 5-7 points with only 2 minutes left in a ballgame, especially under conditions like that. Yes it worked out IF the coaches intentionally let it happen. But IF it hadn’t worked out, heads would’ve rolled.
September 17th, 2025 at 7:59 pm
It made sense because loosing by 5 or losing by 2 is the same end result.
Of they chew clock and kick a FG there, we’re not getting the ball back except with *maybe* a minute left on the clock – win or lose or was the correct decision.
September 17th, 2025 at 9:01 pm
That was the smartest play that Todd Dowles ever coached!
September 17th, 2025 at 9:12 pm
stpetebucsfan – I’m a huge Winfield fan, I think he’s on a Ronde Barber HOF career path, my comment wasn’t at all meant to be negative, he never ever lets up on that play … yet he did. That’s what made me think the other night that they let him score. It might not have been a complete defense thing, it might have been just an instruction to Winfield that if he breaks through just let him score, don’t let him get a first down and stop him, and thus use all the Bucs timeouts and a bunch of clock. If that was Winfield doing that on his own, that’s some next level thinking – but I don’t think he’d do that without instructions.
BUT, it would have been a difficult play for sure, so you can’t completely rule out he was just too far out of position to make a play … but when in the world has Winfield ever not ran that player down to the goal line at least? Never that I can remember.
Anywho, it worked out amazingly well, regardless of if it was planned or not.
September 17th, 2025 at 9:17 pm
Defense Rules – Listening to Ronde today, and he was with you, saying there’s no way that Bowles would let them score in the situation. BUT, he also talked about the new clock guru they brought in from Jacksonville, and Ronde made it sound like that was a Jason Licht decision and he sort of forced it on Bowles. Just saying…
Also, I’m still not sure the Bucs actually let him score – but I do think they might have just decided on doing all or nothing, either stuff the run and keep them to a FG – OR if Chubb broke through the line, oh well, there’s not really anyone to stop him from scoring. It’s very possible that was the idea. As for Winfield, I still go back on forth on if he could have made a play, but the fact he let up… again, I’ve just never seen him do that, ever, and I don’t think he suddenly got lazy. The non-answer is telling. Per above it might have been more of an instruction that if they got a 1st down, don’t make a play, don’t let them just run the clock all the way down. It’s hard to see Bowles making such a gutsy call, but maybe that clock guru was listened to, and you want the offense with the ball in it’s hands with a chance to win the game.
September 17th, 2025 at 9:24 pm
The “Sage of Tampa Bay Sports” really couldn’t figure out they were letting the Texans score on purpose to get the ball back faster?
If you think that’s what happened with no gray area, then you’re not paying attention. –Joe
September 17th, 2025 at 9:40 pm
I don’t think it was planned you can’t know chubb doesn’t do a five head play and drop at the five to bleed even more clock then you would have to be certain you can drive the field on that Texans defense.
September 17th, 2025 at 9:49 pm
DR says:
“So what were the odds that the Bucs would score a TD in that last possession?”
It was just recently reported that the Bucs have been relentlessly practicing their 2 minute drill all off season. Every practice – its being emphasized….
Todd believes in Baker enough to know if we have 2 minutes on the clock – all 3 time outs – and 4 downs the whole drive to get into the end zone – odds are high that Baker will get us that TD in crunch time! Regardless of whats been happening on previous drives…..
Meet the new boss….. He ain’t the same as the old boss….
September 17th, 2025 at 10:06 pm
LOL… yes.
I was going to ask JBF why no article about this topic floating around on FB.
You did your job Joe!