“There Was Plenty Of Time”
November 17th, 2025
Bucs coach Todd Bowles winces during the loss to the Bills. So too did Bucs fans.
Joe’s head is still spinning as to why the head coach who applauded his quarterback, Baker Mayfield, for scolding his teammates last week for lacking a “killer instinct” showed on Sunday he didn’t have any either.
It was Buffalo 37, Bucs 32 with 7:48 left in the game. In the Bills’ previous three possessions, Buffalo had scored 16 points, including a one-play touchdown drive when Josh Allen threw to James Cook for 25 yards following a Baker Mayfield interception.
Everyone at the game and the millions watching across the nation on CBS knew if the Bucs didn’t put points on the board, Buffalo would get the ball back, score and seal the game.
Everyone, apparently, but Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
On fourth-and-two from the Bucs-36, with two running backs who both averaged over five yards a carry during the game, the same man who applauded his quarterback for hollering at teammates for not having a killer instinct, himself went turtle and punted.
Naturally, Buffalo got the ball back, scored a touchdown and that was your ballgame.
Bowles defended his short-sighted decision afterwards.
“There was plenty of time,” Bowles said about getting the ball back and perhaps taking the lead after the punt. “We felt like we had we had a chance.
“It was early in the fourth quarter, we felt like we had a chance to not give them a short field there.”
Well, it was midway through the quarter, not early. As in half-over. And what on earth gave Bowles the idea that his defense could hold Buffalo when the previous three Buffalo possessions the Bills ran through the Bucs like someone yelled “Free beer!” at a Bills’ table-breaking tailgate.
Joe understands a coach having faith in players but you can’t coach with your heart. It was an alarming lack of awareness to think the Bucs would even hold Buffalo to a field goal.
That decision right there doomed the Bucs.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:03 am
I’m done w bowels
November 17th, 2025 at 12:04 am
Bad coaching on both sides of the ball. But Bowles is the HC, and he continues to prove he isn’t a championship DC anymore and definitely not a championship HC. The Bucs should still win the terrible NFC South but this team will likely find a way to lose in the playoffs.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:07 am
There was plenty of time if you get a stop. But that’s the issue Bowles – everyone in the nation knew you were not going to get a stop, certainly not playing that garbage super soft zone. Literally everyone knew there was zero chance of getting a stop. Apparently everyone but you.
But at least you made up for it by repeatedly punting from the Bills 42 yard line, and not challenging a terrible spot on a 3rd down play that left it forth and inches, meanwhile you did challenge an obvious dropped ball in the 1st quarter.
That’s why people often don’t like you, don’t think you’re up to the job. You make a lot of really stupid decisions, way more than average.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:11 am
Other ridiculous decisions by Bowles during the game: (1) replay challenging the obviously incomplete pass to Tez Johnson in the first quarter. The pass was clearly incomplete and took the zebras a nanosecond to confirm. It cost the Bucs a critical timeout that would have come in handy at the end of the second quarter when we had to settle for a field goal, instead of having at least one more shot at a TD; (2) The way-too-early decision to go for the 2-point conversion midway through the 3rd quarter. We ended up chasing that point the rest of the game; (3) repeatedly kicking off short of the goal line, instead of booting it out of the endzone for a touchback. Giving the Bills the ball at the 35-yard line to start every series sucks, unless you are giving it to them at the 50 (or better), as we continued to do.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:11 am
Everyone is way too hung up on the teams record today – the big thing is we WON THE TURNOVER BATTLE! Plus we HAD MORE YARDS RUSHING and DOMINATED TIME OF POS! It was basically a perfect game, other than the score.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:16 am
Didn’t trust his OC. Getting 2 at your own 40 is very different than inside the 5 though.
It’s tiresome guys. The worst way to lose is due to coaching. Happens to this team far too often. Hasn’t happened much this season, in fairness, but it has plenty the last 4 years.
Hopefully Grizzard is struggling because he built it around a stud WR core and beast OL. There was good protection and holes to run today though. Makes it even crazier how inefficient the playcalling was.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:16 am
Listen, I am going to keep it real. The Bucs are an ok/slightly above average team at best with Todd B being the head coach. It’s just that simple and his previous records show that. While other good teams are growing and things are clicking as the season goes on, the Bucs appear to be getting worse. And please don’t get it twisted if the Bucs miraculously win 4-5 games before the season is done… they play some pretty horrible teams. Unless things change in a hurry, the Bucs might (or might not) make the playoffs but will be bounced in a hurry.
I crave for this team to just have one freaking game where they come out and are the best in all 3 phases of the game. But the simply the Bucs cannot put together a complete game. Who would have thought Dave freaking Canalas and the panthers would be nipping at the Bucs toes. Dave freaking Canalas (said in the way like wolf of wall street in the Benihana scene).
November 17th, 2025 at 12:19 am
LOL!
November 17th, 2025 at 12:21 am
And if you don’t convert, what an idiotic decision. Don’t get me wrong, the defense played horribly but if you don’t convert, you’re giving the game away. The lack of a pass rush was galling.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:22 am
I don’t think the team recovers from this. This defense has laid down too many times. At this point I don’t think we will win another game. The Glazers need to make a statement and so does Jason. If nothing happens the disease may spread to the offense. They could lose Baker over this.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:25 am
Dave and Liam both doing well. I didn’t know Liam is making more than 3 times the salary Todd is. He may get them in the playoffs. I don’t see Bucs moving ng off Bowles unless baker quietly makes it a condition to resign, which I don’t think he would. He seems to have a respect for Bowles.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:27 am
Monday morning QB is always perfect. If they ran that 4th and 2 and got stuffed on their own 36 you’d then say it was a bad decision to go for it on your own 36 with over 7 mins left in the game. If 2 yds were that easy to get they would’ve scored from the goal line after that first INT that they got on the red zone.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:30 am
Fire this asshole
November 17th, 2025 at 12:50 am
To be fair, we had a stop and a BS (but unfortunately the right call…) facemask sealed the game for us. We had em stuffed for a FG at best and we get a flag that gave em first and goal. They score game over. If that doesn’t happen we got a few mins down 8 and a ball game
November 17th, 2025 at 12:57 am
That decision says everything we need to know about Bowles – no heart or game awareness! Everyone knew that punting there was the game – except Bowles!
The team takes on the personality of the coach. No fire – no passion!
Regardless what happens – we are one-and-done IF we make the playoffs. BTW – the Panthers have more fire and momentum. They could beat us twice!
November 17th, 2025 at 12:59 am
While the article is true, it’s a microcosm of the bigger problem – that after 6 years in the same system, Todd’s defense is still too unreliable to rely on for a key stop.
What’s the point of having a defensive-minded HC if the defense is consistently the weak link? 6 years in this system, multiple high draft picks invested, yet we’re constantly plagued with the same miscommunications, mental errors, soft coverage…All the while, young creative offensive-minded assets continue to walk out the door.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:04 am
He’s a defensive coach. He’s always going to have confidence in HIS Defense getting a stop. Especially, when they need it. It is what is is. That was NOT the reason THEY LOST. It is what it is. But, for like the 4th or 5th-TIME, since going all the way back to even BEFORE the season had started… Can we please SCRAP the going for TWO midway through the FRICKEN 3RD-QUARTER. It’s Unbelievable.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:08 am
I remember this moment in the game and thought that surely Bowles would go for it, could not believe he punted. It was so clearly the wrong move. Instinctively we all knew this was wrong and we would never be able to stop the Bills and the game would get out of hand. I thought we should run it for the 2 yards. Just a really pivotal moment in the game and his defense was overpowered by that point in the game. So the truth is these moments are what make Todd Bowles nothing more than mediocre, if that. I think he is never going to be fired as well he is very affordable, he is the least paid coach in the league.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:21 am
For the life of me, I cannot understand why JL has not been way more aggressive during Free Agency, and trading for Linebackers/EDGE. It has been YEARS NOW, and this Defense is STILL WEAK. That is 💯 on JL and Bowles, then you throw-in the Godwin situation (he had is OUT and Chris was still going to get PAID… a total win/win for everyone), the Reddick move (could’ve seen that one from a MILE away, trying to cut corners, by getting by on the cheap), & choosing Bowles over Cohen. I’m sure that Baker just loooved that one!!!! And, just think… Next year we will have TWO 30+year-old $20+MIL per WR’s that we’ll be stuck with, who are now both, considered injury-prone. NICE.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:44 am
Hmmm, running 6 yard routes when you need 8 yard. It’s those two yards that killed the game winning drives last two games. Not to mention the two 2point conversions, Why does this team have such a hard time with 2 yard plays? Go Bowles?
November 17th, 2025 at 1:46 am
As long as Bowles is the coach this team will be mediocre at best and they just gave him a 3 year extension this head coach ain’t going nowhere #!! Please fire the special teams coach already they won’t back to being mediocre #!!
November 17th, 2025 at 2:48 am
Saskbucs … ‘The worst way to lose is due to coaching.’
Guess I’m a bit more jaded Saskbucs; tend to think the worst way to lose is when all 3 phases of your game fall on their face & don’t get the job done. ALL 3 phases woefully underperformed yesterday, even though there were some good aspects to each.
Yes our offense put up 32 points, against a dreadful Bills defense. Bucs settled for 2 FGs on a day that obviously needed LOTS of points to win; that’s 8 points right there. Baker fumbled once & was intercepted once in the 2nd half; Bills quickly got a TD off the INT so that’s another 7 points that shouldn’t have been.
In the 1st half Baker was 10-for-14 for 100 yds, 0 TD.
In the 2nd half he was 6-for-14 for 73 yds, 1 TD & 1 INT. He was also sacked twice.
Our defense is now bordering on inept. Yes we can shut down the opponent’s Run Game when we focus on that. BUT … that comes at a VERY high cost: our Pass Defense continues to suck. It looks like there’s no coordination or communication out there.
Almost hate to get started about our S/Ts play: it’s gross. Long Bills kickoff returns set them up beautifully for scoring 3 of their TDs. Gametime right there. Personally I’d fire the S/Ts coordinator and promote Keith Tandy to the position for the rest of this year.
November 17th, 2025 at 3:15 am
DR: “Our defense is now bordering on inept.”
“Bordering”?
I think it has clearly crossed that line. Hard to understand how that came to be when we are coached by a defensive guru
November 17th, 2025 at 4:42 am
Tony Dungy was a great coach and was fired. Bowles is awful yet he continues to be the coach of a team that is clearly very talented but out coached on a regular basis.
November 17th, 2025 at 4:59 am
Ocala – Dungy was/is a great man but was no where near a great coach.
Not sure if you were an adult fan during the Dungy years – I was – and his tenure was littered with failure and disappointment.
Spectacular defense but horrific offense and annual playoff losses to teams with great coaches.
Dungy was an ultra-conservative HC that couldn’t get it done until a much stronger leader, Manning, took over the team and pushed them to victory.
No slight against Dungy. He brought consistent standards and was the perfect figure to lead a young team.
But he also led a period of wasted talent and that had a huge Super Bowl window that ended in annual failure and ineptitude.
Great coaches take that talent and build dynasties.
November 17th, 2025 at 6:29 am
Based on the start of the game, the defensive schemes were actually holding up pretty well..
Then, special teams stepped in and handed the Bills an ever renewing supply of embarrassingly long returns .. seemingly on every kick.
And once Buffalo kept getting those kinds of short fields, the complete lack of adjustment to their offense became infuriating and, honestly, inexcusable.
November 17th, 2025 at 6:53 am
Bucs are stagnant under Bowles.
November 17th, 2025 at 7:23 am
No one on to is team has any pride.
They just mail it in.
Then they make stupid comments afterwards, sucking us all in, believing that they do care.
All of the goodwill that went into 6-1 has been erased.
They are now battling the Panthers. A pathetic team a year ago. And look at the Jaguars.
Huh. I wonder how those two pathetic franchises caught the Bucs?
Maybe it is because Licht lied to us in preseason talking up Braswell, Diaby and Dennis. Three putrid underperforming losers.
This is a disgusting moment.
November 17th, 2025 at 7:35 am
And there enlies the problem. We aren’t even having this conversation if we had even an average or even just below average defense, but unfortunately we have the worst defense in the league and I don’t care about BS stats, we all know this. It’s expected the the offense has to score a TD on every drive just to keep pace with the other team
November 17th, 2025 at 7:37 am
Bowles defense has got better on opposing QBS completion PCT and INTS but than there is that POINTS thing…lol
November 17th, 2025 at 7:50 am
DR, all 3 phases of our game sucked, huh? Did you see 9 lead changes? We had a great chance to take the lead back midway thru the 4th qtr and wouldn’t go for it on 4th and 2. So our punt team pinned them at the 15. If we hold them to 3 it’s an 8 point game. Because some dumb butt gifted them 2 points. But of course they went 85! Yards. No time left. Not a QB in the NFL could overcome that. We must have dropped 5 passes yet we stayed right in it. Last week you remarked Baker needed to run. 3 tds, no turnovers. DR. Snap out of it. Our defense, the last 2 weeks, have set AllTime records for ineptitude. Look it up. Mayfield is far and away the bright spot on an otherwise joke of a team. Coaches and defense need to hear that. An effin joke of a team. Coaches, defense, and special teams suck. I’ve given those three groups leeway. I’m done with that. I guess you’re need to see Superman out of our QB every week DR. He’s already set an all time NFL record for 4th quarter comebacks! In less than half a season. I don’t know what kind of axe you need to grind DR. But you and Rod Munch can blame Baker.
November 17th, 2025 at 7:50 am
Could Bowles not see his defense didn’t stop anything all day. I noticed he punted from the opponent 40 yard line at least twice yesterday on 4th down.
November 17th, 2025 at 8:24 am
This is the first time ever I really thought Bowles shouldn’t be HC anymore what have his defenses done these last 3 yrs
November 17th, 2025 at 8:24 am
Teams always get records against Bowles defense
November 17th, 2025 at 8:26 am
Maybe it was all the concussions he suffered during his playing career.
November 17th, 2025 at 8:35 am
What did you say Bruce Arians? I can’t hear you. Why have you stopped crowing about your man crush, Bowels being the leading candidate for coach of the year? You have cursed this organization with your abrupt retirement and saddling us with this underachieving head coach and superlatively poor defensive coordinator. Granted the Glazers bought in and even stupidly extended his contract. Man, you have really taken them for a ride.
November 17th, 2025 at 8:39 am
The players have adopted Bowles’ mentality; it is okay to lose. They just play Todd’s idiotic exotic schemes and then they get boat-raced. Bowles only kind of call them out if they divert from his scheme but when they epically fail because of the scheme like having Diaby and Nelson 25 yards down field in coverage, he sits on his hands. No accountability. Also Todd: the Bucs are one for 7 in 2 point tries, tell the rookie OC to knock it off, the Bucs just end up chasing points. Fire Bowles, fire the special teams coordinator.
November 17th, 2025 at 8:43 am
Has anyone in their life ever seen the losing team go into victory formation and take a knee at the end of the game?!?!! Usually losing teams who’ve given up run up the middle or something to at least pretend to still be trying. That tells you all you need to know about this coach.
November 17th, 2025 at 8:49 am
I hope the glaciers have someone reading these. I make a decisions that the fans want. Please fire Todd and his staff
November 17th, 2025 at 9:06 am
Bowles doesnt seem to pay any attention to the Eb and Flow of the game. He just trusts his defense no matter how bad they are doing and he does it every single time. Its insanity.
November 17th, 2025 at 9:24 am
The team is a reflection of the head coach – calm, passive, mediocre.
Simple as that
November 17th, 2025 at 10:13 am
very disappointed in bowles and thats putting it nicely….
had no idea why he wouldnt go for it on 4th down or why he chose to go for 2 twice…
GO BUCS!!!!
November 17th, 2025 at 10:21 am
They talk about a “killer instinct” but I’m not surpised. So many walkthrus in practice.Denver Broncos have killer 2.5 hour practices in pads, from training camp thru the regular season. And fewer injuries, ans seldom season ending.
Yesterday they had a slugfest with the Chiefs similar to the Bucs game. But they won and dispatched Mahomes to possibly missing the playoffs.
Tougher team will win every time. When Sean Peyton took over he weeded out all of peole that would not buy in and turned the team around in less than two years.
This is what we need. I supported Bowles through thick and thin, but may be it’s time to turn a page. Need somone to do what Peyton did. We have an ageing team and need a new approach.
November 17th, 2025 at 10:25 am
Even tho it was in our territory I agree 100%. You go for it.
I actually thought that we’d only see the ball back if Allen scored to quick, which of course he did.
61 year old defensive coach. That’s the mindset.
I like Bowles and don’t think he’s done a bad job this year but I don’t think you can teach an old dog new tricks. He is what he is at this point.
November 17th, 2025 at 11:25 am
You’re totally braindead if you thought we scored and game over. This defense would have given Buffalo another quick score. 44 was bad enough. They would have given it up anyway.
November 17th, 2025 at 11:26 am
Bowles and his staff need to go.
November 17th, 2025 at 11:30 am
Whatever. If they go and fail, the Bills score, go up 2 scores and everyone is calling for his head because he made such a stupid decision from his own 36.
This is on the defense. The entire game is on
1. The Defense.
2. NO PASS RUSH … AGAIN
3. Special Teams (fire this coach already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
November 17th, 2025 at 3:18 pm
Enough.
When will ownership and GM figure out that this head coach is not going to give this highly talented team a chance to win.
Defense is awful. Teams are awful. 50 plus yards each kickoff return plus another blocked kick.
November 17th, 2025 at 3:45 pm
Regarding my post at 7:50 am. It’s entirely possible that this team is contributing to me losing my mind. My apologies to all. I’ve been outside getting some work done and had a good meal. I’m thinking I’m fine now. Almost, anyway.