Todd Bowles Believes Changes Are Coming To Bucs Offense
October 21st, 2025
Talks offense.
Mere hours after the Lions’ defense seal-clubbed the Bucs offense before the eyes of the nation on Monday Night Football, Todd Bowles said he thinks changes will and should come to the offense.
Not necessarily personnel changes, though Bowles said offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard is going to have to embrace life without Mike Evans.
That’s one change.
What was once temporary will now have to be permanent, at least until Christmastime.
“He’s definitely going to have to do that,” Bowles said of crafting an offense without Evans. “But we’ve been doing it the past couple weeks since he’s been out so it’s kind of the norm right now, unfortunately.
“When you lose somebody like that, it’s always going to affect your offense and you’re going to have to change and do different things.”
And it seemed Bowles wasn’t exactly happy with how the offensive gameplan worked out. He seemed to suggest Grizzard should have been a bit more diverse in his playcalling.
“Patience,” Bowles said the Bucs offense needed last night. “Every game is going to be different – just patience. If your quarterback is not on and not going, you’ve got to help him out with either the run game or screen passes.”
Joe doesn’t know if either of those were working or would have worked. The Lions owned the line of scrimmage. There is not a lot an offense can do when that happens.
So Joe is OK with Grizzard targeting the depleted Lions secondary. That was a mismatch. People really think running at Aidan Hutchinson or Alim McNeill was a smarter move?
“When you have to protect, you have to do different things and chip,” Bowles explained. “If the running game isn’t going from a power standpoint, we’ve got to try to get on the edge – just different tips.”
Now that Joe agrees with.
Joe thought priot to last night why not use Mayfield’s mobility and mix in an RPO or two or use a pitch to Rachaad White to try to get outside? How about some rollouts with Mayfield?
Bowles noted Grizzard is still in his infancy calling plays.
“He’s going to learn each week – whether he scores 40 points or 10 points – he’s going to learn different things each week that he can put in his arsenal and get better at next week,” Bowles said.
Joe doesn’t think the maor problem was Grizzard. The problem was the Lions simply beat up the Bucs physically every which way when the Bucs were on offense.
The Bucs’ offense simply got whipped. Lick your wounds and get better. And get healthier!
October 21st, 2025 at 1:30 pm
Really bro? Is that necessary? Come on, this is supposed to be a family site…
Anyway I thought all Baker was doing was either going for the deep ball or a check down. Kill shot every time. Way too much. And the run game disappeared. Very frustrating to watch.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:30 pm
starting center got beat like a drum last night… hard to move the ball when that happens, especially w huttingson on the edge. Throwing the ball over 50 times is never a good idea.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:30 pm
N-I-N-E P-O-I-N-T-S !!!
?????????
October 21st, 2025 at 1:31 pm
Before the Lions game, the Bucs were averaging 26 pts a game, Grizzard is going to learn from this and improve. The bucs still is a talented team.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:34 pm
Hey Neal! Calling your little brother “Mrs. Cooter” is just weird man. On a brighter note, we’re going to find out if the Bucs can have a potent offense w/out Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. I believe they can, especially if we get creative and get Tez and Cade O. involved more. Should be fun!! 🙂
October 21st, 2025 at 1:35 pm
Joe has it right, the Lions physically beat up Bucs last night. It looked like Baker couldn’t move very well. Sometime early in that game he got hurt and it really ruined his mobility. Wish they had stayed with the short stuff underneath. They did this to some extent with Otton. The better team won but refs did Bucs no favors particularly with no call on ME deep ball.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:38 pm
Baker was obviously off last night. Everything was under thrown or way overthrown. Not sure if he’s hurt but he looked like it.
Offense was horribly inconsistent… It’s a pattern. I don’t know how much is on the gameplan by Grizz or execution by the guys but the defense did more than enough to get the win if our O was even decent.
At least Jax and aquagirls daddy 2 hat Coen looked worse 😳
October 21st, 2025 at 1:43 pm
I had THE perfect game-plan for last night. Said it ALL WEEK. They went out and did the absolute, exact opposite. 💯
October 21st, 2025 at 1:45 pm
Baker is one of the top QB’s in the league, but last night he was off. It didn’t help that the right side of the Bucs offensive line was getting destroyed. Bucs need Goedeke back!
October 21st, 2025 at 1:50 pm
Grizz is still a young pup. I have faith he’ll work it out.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:50 pm
That was an a$$ kicking up front. Their dlineman pushed our olineman around. Especially Mcneil on Barton. And when they tried to get the ball to Johnson or white on the outside with screens the dbs and lbs were all over them. They sniffed it out all night.
Give the kneecap biter credit. He had them ready to run thru walls and jump off cliffs.
Watch it, burn it, forget it.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:52 pm
I’d been thinking it, but then last night, I said-it to a few people… I think the offense flows BETTER without Mike Evans. I think it would’ve been much better (for the most part) to use him situationally, on 3rd-Downs, and inside the RedZone. It could’ve been a ‘win-win’ for everyone, while even extending Mike’s career.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:52 pm
I think everyone has a learning curve. He has been doing well as first time OC. This was a bad game from many standpoints. Some dropped passes, passes a touch off, weird officiating, fumble and weird interception and then Mike going down. You came in salivating at a depleted secondary, but you didn’t execute well enough to take advantage and you didn’t adjust well. Pressure affected Baker. Credit to the Lions, their secondary played soundly and were clearly coached up and their D-Line were getting pressure. Good teams with good defensive coaches, can overcome loss of key players. 49ers are another example, with all the depleted players on defense, they were still effective because the scheme is well coached.
Also, I am not discouraged. I think we will grow from this. Maybe it’s better the team doesn’t carry the weight of being the top team in conference/league anymore. No team goes undefeated and we lost to two top teams.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:54 pm
Cowboys making a play for CROSBY!?
October 21st, 2025 at 1:55 pm
the bucs have almost no run threat right now. white is too slow and overall it needs more motion. i thought grizzard showed that last week. no patience, no gameplan, no plan b. “go deep” isnt a gameplan.
at least todd is calling it out for what it was, a debacle. grizzard and staff showed a real lack of depth. the run game is pathetic.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:56 pm
Grizzard is going to have to make due without Baker Mayfield this week too.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:01 pm
Maybe Griz and Bake had too much emphasis on Mike and Meka in the game plan . Mike went down and Meka wasn’t himself. Bake and Griz didn’t adapt. But really it seemed the OL struggled.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:02 pm
@jimmy I agree with the run game being ineffective last night and completely abandoned, but I personally think Rachaad has taken a major step up for us this season without Bucky. Maybe it’s because when they’re both in he gets to play a little different, but I honestly think if Rachaad was playing like this, throughout the entire season 2 years ago, there’s a chance we don’t even draft Bucky.
The gameplan certainly crumbled, but I have no idea how much of that was thrown off by Baker missing his throws. You can still place some blame on Grizz because at the end of the day he’s being paid handsomely to be our OC and adjust when things happen, but I can’t look too far past it just being a one-off Baker off night.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:02 pm
Next man up. If Bake is not ready to go, then Bridges had better be, WE MUST BEAT THE SAINTS TO MAINTAIN OUR EDGE IN THE DIVISION. Every team gets hit in the mouth during the season. We got ours last night. All is not lost by a long shot. But we must go into the bye 6-2.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:03 pm
I agree with you Joe. The Lions defense simply played better than the Bucs offense. I’d like to see Grizz get Tez more involved. He made one spectacular catch and TD run on one play and he was open in the end zone for another, but Baker overthrew him. That dude is crazy in the open field. As Tez said when he was drafted, he runs like a squirrel. The problem last night was simply Baker didn’t have time to find open receivers downfield and had to throw to his check downs, who were tackled immediately.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:03 pm
By the time he’d get to the “check-down” it was always, too late! He needs to TAKE what the defense gives him, and Grizz has GOT TO scheme guys open and get them into a position to thrive and run after the catch. Think Timing, Rythym, & YAC. Good Ol’ Bake’s GOT TO hittem QUICK, and in stride. Tempo. Pace. No blind, predetermined Wideout-Screens. It’s a wasted play nowadays… Unless, there is a REASON, such as trying to set something else up for later. Rhythm. Short to Intermediate. Then BAMMM… Shot Downfield. DON’T. Hold. The. Ball (waiting for something to break loose downfield). Get it OUT. And, Let’s GOOOO.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:08 pm
The secondary was depleted and we choked. Im gonna call him out. Your game plan and calls in critical situations sucked. We did nothing to get baker in rhythm or to make them pay for being aggressive. Thats on us.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:08 pm
We’ve done so many screens that everyone is camping out for them
October 21st, 2025 at 2:12 pm
Baker had no time at all last night. Yes, he missed a few passes, but the Oline was horrible. Bucs really don’t have a run game without Bucky and Evans is done, Ebuka was nowhere near 100% and the defense got manhandled as well.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:18 pm
absolutely melvin, cuz you know he’s gonna throw to evans too much prolly, though i doubt bowles planned for EE to be doubled so much
October 21st, 2025 at 2:19 pm
50 passes.
12 rushes.
That’s what Bowles is p/o’d about.
On a night where Baker is playing terrible, you can’t have him passing 50 times. Also most of the rushes were on 1st down, and right up the gut.
Wiz Kid needs to back and rewatch how Coen called games, then just do what Coen would do.
Wiz Kid and Baker were both reading all those Week 6 power polls and getting full of themselves. Just use it as a humbling experience, go out and take care of the Saints, and we’ll be fine.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:22 pm
Baker is most definitely hurt. He was asked in the post game presser how he’s feeling. He replied I’m busted up pretty good right now but will be ready for Sunday. For him to say that is quite telling. He always says I’m fine.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:25 pm
Remarkable how people will claim the Bucs only won their games this year because of Baker, but he shares no responsibility for the losses.
If you ever want to know who the Baker Boi(s) are, just see how they respond to last night. If you see people claiming Baker didn’t play poorly, that nothing is his fault, then you got yourself a Baker Boi.
Baker has been great this season, but last night he was trash. It’s OK to say that. It doesn’t mean he should be cut or benched, or you’re rooting for his failure, it’s just a factual statement. Baker sucked, and he didn’t give the Bucs a chance to win. It happens to the best of them from time to time. Just don’t let it become a slide.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:26 pm
Thought TB was the head coach? If he saw something he didn’t like last night, why wait until Tuesday? TB looks like a spectator at these games. His after game observations are usually profound such as “we can’t miss tackles. Can’t fumble or allow interceptions” Really? How about receivers can’t run to each other, and linemen need to pass protect. Baker was throwing off his back foot all night.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:29 pm
5-2 with a depleted roster is still good in my book.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:35 pm
Stop deferring the ball to the second half. Start the game with your strength and set the tone. Worst case you go three & out and punt. If you defer, the other team scores and you are playing catch up.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:39 pm
That cooter guy is a virgin
October 21st, 2025 at 2:45 pm
Where were 21 personnel? 22 personnel?
Where were the heavy personnel on short yardage and the 2 point try?
Going in, Grizzard should have realized that he needed to physically beat up on the Detroit defensive line with lots of big bodies from the first play of the first offensive series.
The Bucs ran for 5 yards and then gave up a 9 yard sack, threw an incompletion and punted. Next drive, after a strip sack gave the Bucs the ball at their 35 yard line, a false start, three pass plays and a punt. Total time of possession in the first quarter of 3:56 which is crippling for the Bucs defense and a great treat for the Detroit’s defense.
The first five Bucs drives off the second quaarter were even worse.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:47 pm
its should have been screens screens an more screens. Baker should have used his legs an run more in man coverage ,an short passes let your ply makers make a play take what the defense is giving you that’s what Liam Coen did we kept trying to push ball down field an over throwing, in tight coverage
October 21st, 2025 at 2:48 pm
Cooter ran the garage in Hazzard county. But come to think of it, he wasn’t married, and we never saw him put the moves on Daisy. Could Cooter have just ben an ironic name they gave him, like where you call a big guy, tiny? I never considered that until this very moment. Was his name a joke, but not the joke we always thought it was?
October 21st, 2025 at 2:50 pm
i said after the philly game, wins rarely come when baker throws over 30times…gotta run the ball more grizz….
thats the best way to settle the offense down…and its ok to mix up the run lol…
GO BUCS!!!!
October 21st, 2025 at 2:50 pm
I’m not sure that there was a whole lot the Bucks could do against the Lions defense. However, maybe shorter passes instead of those long misses might have been a better route to go. The Bucks definitely need to plan a future without Mike Evans. You may not be coming back. Coaching definitely needs to get better. Go bucks.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:56 pm
Glad we retained Bowles and hired a guy who never called plays before as our OC instead of retaining Coen, the best OC in franchise history and making him head coach. This way we get to be mediocre in all areas.
October 21st, 2025 at 2:56 pm
It never stops with this clown He’s happy to point out the failings of others but never takes responsibility himself. Bowles is the HEAD COACH of this team if he doesn’t like the game plan he needs to get it fixed. BEFORE the game Saying something after the fact and laying it off on an underling is total bush. I’m so sick of this guy. He does this garbage EVERY SINGLE YEAR and people (Some fans and his fawning media) run off in all directions pointing their finger at the symptoms and can’t ever seem to grasp the actual problem. How many times do some people need to be clubbed over the head. Another humiliating loss on national TV against a quality opponent. It is carved in granite.
October 21st, 2025 at 3:17 pm
Durango95 what are you talking about? I’m sure the coaches discussed the game plan but it seems as if Grizzard deviated from that. Most HC will continue to let their play callers continue and then address it after the game once they receive all of the data.
The year we won the Super Bowl we got curbed stomped by the Saints….all is not lost. Quit being so dang negative.
October 21st, 2025 at 3:20 pm
Man how i miss Ryan Jensen. last nights game would have looked so different if he was our center.
October 21st, 2025 at 3:22 pm
Carlitin1988 Says:
October 21st, 2025 at 3:20 pm
Man how i miss Ryan Jensen. last nights game would have looked so different if he was our center.
———-
The problem on the line was RT.
October 21st, 2025 at 3:28 pm
Hey Todd, maybe saying something to Griz during the game, instead of talking about it with platitudes this morning, might be what a good head coach would do?
I know its crazy to expect a coordinator to also act like a head coach.
October 21st, 2025 at 3:28 pm
So go find another team 🤡’s
Coen is y’all’s clown prince and surely needs your support as he begins his downward spiral.
How long will you guys suck his dlck before you get sick of the taste ?
It’s a friggin team game… It’s complex…. You guys keep calling for Todd to do more but then say he’s doing too much. You don’t root for the team, you root for something that you can bltch about, specifically something you can blame Todd for.
Never seen fans acting so happy and energized by a loss for their (supposed) favorite team. 😔
October 21st, 2025 at 3:31 pm
all the ridiculous things that get banned in the comments and you allow the idiot COOTER’s ???????????
October 21st, 2025 at 3:31 pm
We have a bottom-tier running game. Regardless of who our RB is.
Grizzard sucks at scheming the running game. That’s evident.
October 21st, 2025 at 3:34 pm
Playcalling was not good. Run game was abandoned WAAAAAAY too early.
RG and Center play was horrendous. Heck is not great but doing ok at least.
I fully expected a big jump from Barton this year and I have not seen it.
Route running needs to be addressed as well. Tez and Otton were the only ones getting any separation, unfortunately Tez got separation a couple times running the wrong route.
The big question: Will Bucky and Godwin be back after the Bye week?
October 21st, 2025 at 3:38 pm
Run game a some screens and quick outs to Rashaad White. Copy what Coen did last year in that regard.
October 21st, 2025 at 3:40 pm
I’ve been saying it for a fews now… I’m not impressed with Grizzard.
His playcalling seems so bad at times. No adjustments.
If your QB is “off” with his accuracy like Baker was, you have to call shorter routes, screens, other plays to get his accuracy back on track.
Why didn’t we run more plays out of the shotgun and occasionally run some draws with White? That would have worked with how hard they were rushing Baker.
AND…
Exactly what Joe mentions it what I have been thinking…
IF BAKER IS SO MOBILE, WHY DON’T WE HAVE PLAYS THAT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT?
Why don’t we run any RPOs? Why don’t we roll Baker to one side to give him the option to run and make it harder for defenses? Why don’t we roll him out, like to the LEFT away from our worst OL issues, and see if some short routes or other options develop easier?
October 21st, 2025 at 3:46 pm
Talking as if there weren’t plays left on the field Baker missed some wide open receivers missed TD passes there were plays to be made that just were not made .
October 21st, 2025 at 3:46 pm
I don’t believe micro managing grows people. Todd is a teacher and good teachers let’s the good student fall off their bike but prevents them from getting run over by a bus. I’m sure there has already been a teacher student conversation in private. Yes in private. Not on the sidelines in the middle of a Monday night game. I’m sure Todd’s comments were sharing parts of a post game conversation with Griz. It was not throwing him under the bus. A game plan may be ok before game but experienced coaches make good situational adjustments when a game starts heading in the wrong direction, good players do too. They learn this from good teachers. Todd has had many good teachers who respect his coaching. Todd is teaching. Is the special teams getting better???? I’m sure Griz is and has been beating himself up worse than any of us or Todd can. Last night’s game was a weird kind of game and had lots of variables playing into our loss. I still trust Todd and Griz.
October 21st, 2025 at 4:12 pm
They snapped the ball within < 5-seconds left on the ‘play-clock’ on almost every single snap. They do A LOT. And, they become just waaaayyy too predictable, in the process. I mean, lining-up RWhite as a Wide-out, and just blindly (basically) pre-determinedly, slinging-it out there, is NOT going to work. It never even ‘works’ in COLLEGE anymore. They can all see THAT coming from a mile-away, and ‘sniff-it’ out in a SECOND. You are fooling absolutely NO ONE there, with that. Defenses are just too good and prepared… They’re waiting on it. Everything was slow, off rhythm, and just way too PREDICTABLE. 💯
October 21st, 2025 at 4:13 pm
Todd is a coordinator, and an overrated one at that. He is not a head coach. Never has been. Never will be. The Saints are now licking their chops, after seeing all the big plays from the Lions, they know that Todd will revert back to soft shell turtle ball control defense, nothing over your heads, complex zone schemes featuring Dennis the Manace being chased by the scrambling QB while he’s running after the guy he’s 20 yards behind who he was supposed to cover. And they know we will be seeing a rerun of the first down run up the middle every drive on offense. The extent of the non-head coach’s involvement will be to order Griz to run more without any context for performance.
Good night, nurse.
October 21st, 2025 at 4:17 pm
No changes for the defense? How about Todd figures out a way not give up a score on the opponents first drive? Maybe bench guys who can’t tackle? Todd’s D is perfect no need to change a thing there.
October 21st, 2025 at 5:16 pm
You guys are so negative. Did you forget already that we won the week 6 power poll!?! That we had the week 6 MVP?!?!
That is what is truly important!
October 21st, 2025 at 5:59 pm
” How about some rollouts with Mayfield?”
Never understood that one . NO team since Cleveland has used Blaker like that and the plays worked enough to be in the highlight reels regularly
but against really good working defenses As good as white is – It shows – he ain’t close to bucky.
October 21st, 2025 at 6:13 pm
John Calapari said it best with his overhyped freshman stars. “Sometimes, you need to get smacked in the mouth!” That’s what we got last night. Too much MVP talk, best in conference talk and how great we are and will be when everyone is healthy. This was a wakeup call. Now that reality has returned let’s get back to playing Buccaneer football.
October 21st, 2025 at 6:13 pm
” Todd Bowles said he thinks changes will and should come to the offense”
That is just pure horse sh!t by our HC. Yea, loose your top 2 WRs will cause changes to offense…Duh!
What about the defense?!!! “Wide open!” was Aikman’s favorite phrase last night. But, he was not using it when the Buc offense was out there. It was OUR DEFENSE that elicited those comments. The Lions’ defense was close to light out in coverage. Something that should be trying to achieve. No comments how to replace Reddick on defense. Just,”We good.”
October 21st, 2025 at 6:16 pm
The game plan looked a lot like those of Byron Leftwich.
Terrible inside run plays on 1st and 10, then abandon the run game altogether once you’re down by more than one score. No misdirection, no creativity, no focus on your opponents’ weaknesses. Needs to be better if we want to beat the best.
October 21st, 2025 at 6:23 pm
Todd literally knows nothing about offense. Just ask the Rams. They’ll vouch for me.
October 21st, 2025 at 7:59 pm
Grizz needs to figure out the formula the Lions used. Rush 4, play tight man, spy baker. Now the Lions were aided with the Bucs only able to send out 4 having to help on Hutchinson.
October 21st, 2025 at 8:04 pm
Take care of the D Todd. Stop putting most opposing QBs in the pro bowl and you’ll be ok. The offense will be fine
October 21st, 2025 at 8:26 pm
The Bucs need to end the Heck experience. Put Chukwuma in there instead. The dude is big, powerful, and natural. He may not have the experience, but he was better than Heck in the pre-season, and it’s clear that Charlie is getting us killed game after game. Enough. Move on.
October 21st, 2025 at 9:07 pm
Lost a game to a strong, well coached opponent last night. Bucs have many holes on offense due to injury. If posters here thought Bucs were not going to lose another game this season, they are nuts. The NFL is built on parity. Two weeks ago the Chiefs were being buried. The truth is Bucs record prior to last night was built on a remarkable run of last minute saves. How quickly we forget Cardiac Bucs. Detroit was motivated and just beat up Bucs last night complete with actual punches. Detroit looked like thugs last night and got away with a lot of crap like the PI on ME13.
October 21st, 2025 at 9:19 pm
I thought that last night all the injuries finally caught up. Not much more you can do when you’re playing with two rookie receivers and half of your original line against an aggressive d.
October 21st, 2025 at 9:26 pm
Chant,
Amen….Too many of these posters want to pretend they are football savants. Look for Baker to throw for 4-5 TD’s Sunday if healthy. To make this happen they have to beef up Oline on right side. Just line up Payne Durham over there next to Heck. Many NFL teams use 2 TE sets.
October 21st, 2025 at 10:55 pm
Thank you Coach Bowles! Yes, Grizzard is a greenhorn. Yes, the offense needs to be opened up and more creative. The Lions better keep an eye on the refs. They may have won this game, but stunts like tripping our QB, and practically killing ME13 who is probably going to retire make their victory look like chickensh1t. Plus, teams will be gunning for them. I know we’ll beat NOLA but I still need to get out my obeah beads. LOL A Bye Week never looked so good. Go Bucs!!
October 21st, 2025 at 11:07 pm
Look for Baker to have a worse day because he’s even more banged up than before, the offense will be even more predictable, no changes to the Tight Hand Matadors, this is a loss incoming.
October 22nd, 2025 at 5:04 am
Why do they not have Culp cross training as Evan’s’ back up?
October 22nd, 2025 at 7:46 am
Is there any word on how long Godwin and Bucky will be out? The unknown with their injuries is frustrating. I cannot recall a more banged up Bucs team in my 35 years of watching.
October 22nd, 2025 at 9:44 am
what the heck is going on with the injuries and yes that PI costs ME13 his career the bucs leader and records You cannot land right when you have someone on your back holding your arms and no call
October 23rd, 2025 at 4:58 pm
what you guys really need is to run the ball, try to get another running back and a full back and you will see the difference