Todd Bowles “Pissed” At His Defense
November 12th, 2025
History says he should be angry.
In a sitdown with Aileen Hnatiuk of WFLA-TV Channel 8 this week, Bucs coach Todd Bowles said he and Baker Mayfield are “pissed” about Sunday’s loss to New England.
You’d be “pissed” too if you were a Bucs defensive coordinator and your defense shat the bed with the worst game this century. That’s right, the Bucs set a dubious NFL record on Sunday in the loss to the Patriots.
Those big plays the Bucs gave up? Historically awful, typed Mike Sando of The Athletic.
Against New England on Sunday, Tampa Bay’s defense allowed four plays of 50-plus yards. No team has allowed more in 6,226 total team games since 2000, per TruMedia. Only the 2023 Broncos and 2015 Texans gave up that many in a game since then, both against the Dolphins.
That is outrageous and no wonder Bowles is peeved. Who wouldn’t be?
Since those results were tied for the worst this century, that tells Joe that some defensive dudes’ heads were at Clearwater Beach or Tulum or the DR and certainly not in The Licht House.
Did lousy Lovie Smith find a hole in the fence near the media entrance and get into the locker room Sunday?
November 12th, 2025 at 7:03 am
The good news is that the odds are it won’t happen again.
November 12th, 2025 at 7:17 am
200+ yards on four plays. It can’t happen.
November 12th, 2025 at 7:18 am
Those four exposives were back breakers. We got to coach it better, play it better. That’s Bowles go to excuse anyway. David is a shell of himself, and Dennis is a bust waiting to happen. Rotate Jackson, and bench Dennis for Bullock. Should’ve been done long ago. Coach it better. Pick better moments to work Morrison in. Coach it better.
November 12th, 2025 at 7:31 am
The real Todd Bowles stepped forward against the Pats. As a defensive coordinator he puts a very inconsistent product out there on the field. They play descent except for when they don’t. And when they don’t, they give up touchdown drives comprised of 5 or fewer plays. He leads a highly undisciplined defense. He is an utter failure as a defensive coordinator.
Why did ownership extend his contract? Why?????
November 12th, 2025 at 7:32 am
Sleepy Todd!
November 12th, 2025 at 7:32 am
Quit running a soft defense, and for the love of Gawd…stop send edge rushers out in coverage!
November 12th, 2025 at 7:37 am
I don’t know what is wrong with McCallum but he is just one player whose play has slipped drastically. Defense can play better.
Offense also didn’t help itself either. We couldn’t execute a screen properly and both White and Tucker were practically stopped in their tracks with zero chance to
advance the ball. With just over two minutes left on 3rd and 3 Baker forced a ball to Otten that was very similar to the play that got Godwin hurt several years ago and resulted in the loss of one our best players. A pass to the flat to White could
have sustained the drive and allowed us to chew up more clock time. There was a lot of green grass in front of him.
November 12th, 2025 at 7:38 am
Why did Bowles take the best CB on the team off the field and replace him with a rook coming off an injury? Truly mind bottling. Its his fault. This team under Bowles is consistently inconsistent. You never know what team will show up.
November 12th, 2025 at 7:39 am
Bowles “pissed?” from what I’ve read on JBF, appears a lot of BUcs fans are appropriately “pissed” at Bowles!
November 12th, 2025 at 7:39 am
Yep Anthony Nelson faked forward on Lavonte David’s blitz and missed the coverage drop. If you are gonna drop your OLBs, they don’t have time to do that.
It was stupid all around. Maye looked like Cousins did in 2 games last year.
I don’t know what it is with this team losing after the bye.
Shows a lack of maturity from the coaches and players.
And not getting a LB who can cover sideline to sideline, was the biggest mistake the Bucs made.
Teams are going to exploit outside zone against us all year now, abruptly followed by seam passes to Sirvocea’s side.
Tragic!!!
November 12th, 2025 at 7:43 am
Bowles getting pissed means throwing his toilet paper roll into the shower. Not gonna mean much for this week
November 12th, 2025 at 7:49 am
the fizzle is on the grizzle……the offense has no sizzle
November 12th, 2025 at 7:49 am
Bowles is P!ssed, yeah, okay, but will he hold anyone accountable or make any changes to his schemes? I doubt it, he has Jamel Dean playing at Pro-Bowl level while rookie Benjie Morrison was being lit up. Will Bowles allow Morrison to be targeted several times in a row again while Dea is on the bench, yes, probably. Dude is stubborn.
November 12th, 2025 at 7:50 am
I’m just a guy sitting on my couch but I can fix this defense from here. OK..here it goes, “Players need to communicate better. Coaches need to coach better. We have to play better.”
You’re welcome.
November 12th, 2025 at 7:52 am
SORRY BUT THE PLAYERS HAVE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE!!!!!
TODD WARNED AND PREPARED THEM A WEEK BEFORE PLAYING THE PATS!!!!
Starting today is the message Todd Bowles had for his players and they shuffled in fresh from their bye week.
“Coach Bowles stated that we don’t want to be that-team,” Diaby said.
What team would “that” be? Well, the Lions got thumped by the Vikings yesterday. Detroit was coming off their bye. Lions coach Dan Campbell thought his team was rusty.
Diaby said Bowles told the team they best rid themselves of rust.
“We don’t want to be that-team and come back from a bye [and lost] just like what happened to Detroit,” YaYa Said. “It all starts with today.”
So it seems whatever the Bucs did on their bye, that’s all in the past. They’re back to work. And the focus is on the Patriots.
“We don’t want to look ahead because that’s when you mess up,” YaYa said.
players have to be held accountable too!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
November 12th, 2025 at 7:53 am
Adam, Grizzard has little to work with, thanks to the injuries, it is up to the defense to help out the O but Todds’ D failed spectacularly, those explosive plays reminded me of Mike Smith’s last couple of games vs Chicago and the ATL. Grizzard needs to find some wrinkles though, he is making the O predictable and not getting these key 3rd and 4th down plays that they did earlier in the season.
November 12th, 2025 at 7:57 am
813bucboi, problem is that Diaby is all talk, no action. The edge rush is pathetic. One sack of a guy who was getting sacked 5 or 6 times a game by so called “inferior” defenses. The guys did not listen to Todd, they were flat, they knew there would be no repercussions. Accountability is someone getting benched or even cut but beside Bowles sitting Jamel Dean so that Morrison can get reps, I see nothing changing with the starters or the schemes.
November 12th, 2025 at 8:09 am
Lt. Dan. That one cracked me up. Even Bowles would be laughing at that one.
November 12th, 2025 at 8:11 am
I don’t want to hear it. You know one of your ILB is sub par at the very best and your edge rushers can’t sniff a QB when they’re not forced to cover a WR. A day 2 or 3 draft pick and a simple adjustment of your defense could change this but you (Todd Bowles) are too damn stubborn to admit the problem lies at your feet.
All that couple with the stupid idea of rotating CBs or at least the one with the most interceptions on the team. This all points back to you Todd. If you’re so “pissed” you need to look in the mirror and do some self evaluating.
November 12th, 2025 at 8:15 am
FortMyersDave, well said, the players like Bowles because he doesn’t call anybody out. Not coached well and underpreforming.
November 12th, 2025 at 8:17 am
This defense up in Buffalo. Could be ugly.
November 12th, 2025 at 8:28 am
Lt. Dan – I think those may be the next words out of Todd’s mouth 😂. Perfect!
November 12th, 2025 at 8:28 am
morrison looked like dean did like 5-6 years ago in his first big starting role, in seattle…
he got lit up bad…
remember that dean game in seattle when he was roasted all game ?
November 12th, 2025 at 8:42 am
Todd Blows defense will NEVER be aggressive or learn how to adapt to defending the pass
Any team with a competent QB will SHRED this D
This scheme is laughable
November 12th, 2025 at 8:44 am
When is Bowles ever held accountable, this sad scheme has been leaving receivers wide open since he got here
November 12th, 2025 at 8:49 am
It’s inexcusable. Bowles didn’t have his guys ready to play plain and simple. He’s not a Super Bowl winning coach.
November 12th, 2025 at 8:54 am
FORTMYERSDAVE
to say the players dont listen to bowles is comical lol
my point is, Bowles put it on the players to get themselves right mentally a week prior to the game…he didnt wait until gameday to hold them accountable….
making the player responsible for their performance and coaching them up is accountability…benching/cutting a player is lazy coaching…
GO BUCS!!!!
November 12th, 2025 at 8:56 am
Stop blaming Grizzard….Baker had 3 TD passes….we ran well on the Pats…..no turnovers.
The Oline was weak….playing without Bucky & 3 WRs.
Head coach cost us 4….maybe 7 points .
The defense cost us this game. Look how easy their points were for them!!!
November 12th, 2025 at 8:59 am
How many times has Bowles not had hey, how his players ready to play? Seems way too often for the talent he has.
November 12th, 2025 at 9:01 am
yet all we heard here was about how great the defense is, “the bucs played lights out defense the last two games” even though one was against the lowly saints offense and the so called shutdown of jared goff had plenty of plays where this d was getting burned.
the defense has been flaky all year and the apologists would focus on crap like “well we shut down the super bowl champs offense” (small print in the second half of the game)
giving up 27 to the lowly jets.
it goes on and on. the bucs and a lot of fans believed what they wanted to believe when the bucs defense “shutdown” rattler and the saints. big deal. this d and the coach is terrible and it doesnt change.
November 12th, 2025 at 9:05 am
He just now is pissed? The inconsistent defense play has actually been pretty consistent. Maybe the scheme is trash for the hand picked players they have dunno but its definitely frustrating to watch every week.
November 12th, 2025 at 9:06 am
Big plays broke us, because especially early downs as we didn’t allow NE to convert on 9 of their 14 first down attempts. We also allowed NE to go 2-3 on 4th down conversions.
The defense deserves their blame, not doing their jobs and it’s less about the scheme(unlike our offense) and more about executing, filling the right run lanes and committing to the WR crossing your face in man coverage(McCollum) on those big plays.
I think our guys on D were pressing, partly because the offenses inability to maintain drives had them in a revolving door on and off the field. Which is kind of hard to overcome especially without a lead being built on or w/o a score.
November 12th, 2025 at 9:17 am
First things first. We win as a team. We lose as a team. Offense, Defense, Special Teams, and coaching staff. Injuries. No excuses. I’ll bet today’s practice would be worth the price of admission to watch. How is this team going to respond to this? All of a sudden the team is vulnerable. We’re a wounded bear. I’ve said many times that I know what a good football team looks like. Guess I’m gonna find out if I know my a$$ from a hole in the ground. Since I know that I know that difference I’m gonna say we’re going win at least one of the next two. Probably both. If we lose one it’ll be this weekend. But the Rams game is the game that’ll prove what kind of ceiling this team has. And we’re going to beat them mercilessly. In LA. Then the race is on.
November 12th, 2025 at 9:22 am
Bowles is right to be pissed at his defense, but as a leader, talk is cheap: you’ve got to fix it. And that means working within the constraints that surround you (like injuries & lack of talent).
No doubt in my mind that several guys out there aren’t talented enough to play on a Top-10 defense (and that’s what it’ll take to win a Super Bowl with this team). And if you don’t have the talent, coaches have to figure out how to scheme around the resultant weaknesses (and lack of talent is a weakness). Todd is trying to run a very complex 3-4 hybrid defense with some new (and some older) players who’ve shown for 2 years now that they’re not up to the task. It’s obvious some other teams have figured out how to catch them out of position (or maneuver them out of position) & take advantage.
SIMPLIFY THE DANGED SCHEME TODD. Our Run Defense stayed relatively steady at a #5 ranking in 2023, improving slightly to a #4 ranking in 2024. This year it’s struggling to maintain a #11 ranking. Looks to me like the primary reason for the change is the explosive runs we’ve seen this year versus years past. As part of that, our Missed Tackle Rate has gone from 6.3% in 2023 up to 8.8% this season.
Our Pass Defense has improved a little (currently ranked #24, but was ranked #29 in each of the last 2 years). The last year that our Pass Defense improved substantially was 2022 (ranked #9), but our Run Defense that year was crappola (ranked #15). Seems obvious to me that Bowles de-emphasized Run Defense priority that year (and blitzing) to try to improve Pass Defense. Looks like he might be doing the same thing this year, but not quite as much.
November 12th, 2025 at 9:24 am
Kenton Smith, you do realize how badly McVay has trashed Todd Bowles, defense repeatedly. Whether it’s Cooper Kupp or some other receiver, running wild in our secondary it just never seems to end. Remember our offense coming back from 24 points down with Brady only to get trashed on the last second uncommunicated blitz.??? it cost us a second Super Bowl.I hope you’re right, but losing to New England really was bad and the Rams defense is no joke.
November 12th, 2025 at 9:31 am
The defense has been garbage for years now to be honest haven’t been good since the Super Bowl run. They do good against louse teams see the saints and everyone jumps on the bandwagon including national media that the defense is so good and Bowles is a genius. Hell I had my father texting me from Tennessee that rarely sees Bucs games up there saying the Bucs defense looks horrible this past Sunday.
November 12th, 2025 at 9:39 am
Got to know when to hang it up Bowles ur outdated
November 12th, 2025 at 9:39 am
Just more Lip Service.
Even the superbowl defense benefitted from the Chiefs online bring a wreck. It certainly wasn’t the 2002 Bucs D.
November 12th, 2025 at 9:41 am
This article exposes Bowles like never before. A historic defensive catastrophe.
Earlier in the year HIS defense gave up FIVE TD drives in succession in Seattle.
You’d think he would have this defense in tune by now.
I’ll say it again, We’re behind the 8 ball before we even take the field 70% of the time. He’s no top tier HC. Never has been. Never will be.
November 12th, 2025 at 9:42 am
The problem with the defense is this…it has to be perfect, with all the players that are trained and built for this scheme. It works when all those things come together, like in the SB. BUT, it’s the worst scheme ever when those things aren’t in place and then it gets exposed and other teams watch tape and know it’s weak spots. How can you NOT have a backup plan for times when you don’t have all the right pieces and you have injuries? This defense has never been able to play to the strengths of the players and put them in a position to win. What good is all that exotic crap if it’s so confusing that it breaks down ALL THE TIME?!!?
Warren Sapp said the Buccaneers defense would deliver more victories than defeats if the offense scored 17 points per game. Baker put up 23. That should be enough to win if the defense does its job. Baker can only take this team so far. He’s limited now because of putting the team on his shoulders and bailing out the defense. But that’s just my take on it. Am I wrong?
November 12th, 2025 at 9:44 am
ah the bucs life super bowl in 2020 should have had one in 2021 a quarterback considered the best of all time a really good head coach 1 HOF receiver and two that should have been(Vontaze Burfict hit –injuries) HOF tight end sometimes considered the best why the rams loss a blown call on coverage and blitzing by your current head coach and AB meltdown( again VB hit) defence had suh the enforcer vea and jpp david
that is all gone except for head coach hmm starts at the top
November 12th, 2025 at 9:45 am
Such a moron thing to say, I am pissed, this Todd Bowles defense for the last 4 years and every single year has the same issues, doesn’t get better, doesn’t improve, even though supposedly he chooses the players he wants to place in there
November 12th, 2025 at 9:56 am
Its the same thing week after week and then some get on here and act surprised as if its something new. The defense sucks. The defense has always sucked under Super Todd. They do have a knack for getting some turnovers but when that isnt happening they are giving up chunk plays and allowing the other teams offense to completely control the game with TOP. You cant blame it on injuries. Sure you can blame the players but when it happens game after game, season after season. Common sense should tell you there is only 1 guy to blame.. Ill let the dummies figure out who.
November 12th, 2025 at 9:58 am
Earlier in the year HIS defense gave up FIVE TD drives in succession in Seattle.
LOL…
we won that game with our #4 and #5 CBs and the defense came up with the INT to seal the game lol…
this crap is comical lol
GO BUCS!!!!
November 12th, 2025 at 10:06 am
Remember the article that was Todd said he figured out the defensive problems in the off-season but I’m seeing the exact same things he hasn’t done anything but continually try to shove a square peg in a round hole you have the players you have scheme with the talent you have not what you wish you had actually adapt or start kicking rocks.
November 12th, 2025 at 10:11 am
Bosch Says:
November 12th, 2025 at 7:31 am Why did ownership extend his contract? Why?????
^^^^^
Answer; Because the circumstances that led to his hiring had long term consequences. Jason has been building a very solid team. I don’t know how or why Coen got away but that situation made it necessary to resign Bowles. In essence the Glazers got caught with their pants down.
November 12th, 2025 at 10:18 am
The Bucs have big troubles. It appears to me the players are laying down. Bowles has lost the team. I predict there will be a new regime next year. The merry-go-round starts again.
November 12th, 2025 at 10:23 am
Tood Bowles never takes responsibility!
November 12th, 2025 at 10:26 am
Evans, Godwin, David, White, Dean, Reddick, Braswell, Dennis, and others will be gone. Mayfield will be exploring his options. Trade offers will be coming in. I suspect the head coach search is already in play.
November 12th, 2025 at 10:28 am
Same ole Todd 500 Bowles. Nothing has changed, nothing is going to change.
These Bucs will continue to reflect the personality of the head coach. Game mismanagement will continue. This Defense will always make mediocre QBs look like HoFers. The team will continue to build through the draft with average players . This team will continue to have inexplicable injuries that for some reason last way too long.
These are the Bucs under the Todd and Jason era. As everyone always says on this board, maybe next week, maybe in the playoffs, maybe next year. The sad fact is it will the same sad story week after week, month after month, year after year with these clowns in charge.
Sad that my 2025 5x NFC south Championship Ring is in jeopardy. Man I love bragging about all of those championships. At least the 2026 Draft championship is still possible. Jason loves wearing those rings. He is the Tom Brady of the NFL Draft. one for the thumb Jason. One for the Thumb
November 12th, 2025 at 10:32 am
so much for the defensive guru. what a set of goat horns to have to wear
“Tampa Bay’s defense allowed four plays of 50-plus yards. No team has allowed more in 6,226 total team games since 2000”
many have rightfully questioned if doing both is too much for todd and asked for a dedicated DC.
todd bowles is obviously really really struggling.
November 12th, 2025 at 10:32 am
Not surprised to hear about the historical badness of Bucs defense. There are many posters on this blog who were happy to pin the loss on Mayfield and the offense. Telling us that “the defense played good enough to win” is just absurd but that was the reaction Sunday evening. A few third down stops and a punt is not enough if you are routinely allowing huge explosive plays resulting in TD’s. Really it is just more of the same lousy defense we have seen from Tampa over the last couple of years. You are not “a run stopping team” if you are giving up huge yardage TD’s like Gibbs and Treveon Henderson have had against this defense.
November 12th, 2025 at 10:45 am
Only missing kancey n supposed to be his specialty. Defense needs to really carry this team for a few weeks. Pats game was a$$!!! Be better bowels.
November 12th, 2025 at 11:05 am
I’d be pissed too. You can’t give up home run plays to good teams. It’ll bury you if they can play sound defense and the lions and pats certainly qualify.
If you make them earn it they likely don’t get those 14 points off long runs. If you hold it to 7 or 10 it’s a different game flow.