Todd Bowles Cites Lack Of Defenders Making Plays
November 17th, 2025
Postgame remarks.
“Somebody has to make a play.” — Troy Aikman.
Joe swears the quote above will be on Troy Aikman’s headstone. The NFL analyst says this several times a game.
(OK Troy, what play should they make?)
Apparently, Todd Bowles believes Aikman’s cliché is what ails the Bucs’ defense.
Teams are getting chunk plays against the Bucs since the bye. Killing the Bucs. To hear Bowles in his postgame remarks yesterday, it’s players not making plays that is just part of the problem.
“You know, the effort was there, but playmaking was not,” Bowles said.
It wasn’t? Bowles is borderline obsessed with takeaways and he stresses them daily in practice. The Bucs had three takeaways yesterday! So Joe cannot swallow the lack of plays as the reason Josh Allen shredded the defense.
Of course, if the Bucs needed Bills offensive mistakes to win the game as opposed to good fundamentals and smart defense, the Bucs would have needed six takeaways.
“Sometimes it’s cover[age], sometimes it’s pass rush,” Bowles said of big plays against his defense. “But at the same time it’s got to get fixed.”
What pass rush? Did you see a pass rush yesterday? Allen got hit once. Unless he was running with the ball, he never hit the turf of Ralph Wilson Stadium. Not once. Zero sacks.
Embarrassing for a professional team.
“We’re playing hard, and then we have lapses here, lapses there, and we give up a play, and that’s what happened in the second half,” Bowles said.
This is starting to sound to Joe that either Bowles and his assistants are failing his players or whatever he is coaching is either too complicated or the players aren’t getting it.
Whatever it is, it’s pretty clear it’s not working. First Drake Maye, then Josh Allen. And looky there boys and girls, here comes Matt Stafford! Joy!
“If we’re covering, we’re not getting to the quarterback, if we’re getting to the quarterback, we’re not covering long enough,” Bowles said.
Where exactly were the Bucs “getting to the quarterback?” Pressures? LOL Joe has long maintained they are a joke against good quarterbacks.
Joe hasn’t seen any pressure stats yet — and Joe isn’t motivated to dig them up because pressure is nonsense. Almost sack. Failure.
If the Bucs really were pressuring Allen, then yesterday’s game is Exhibit-A why pressures are worthless. Exactly how was Allen affected by pressure when he accounted for six touchdowns?
November 17th, 2025 at 12:16 pm
Bucs sucks… Bowles has got to go !!
November 17th, 2025 at 12:18 pm
You Think?
DUH
November 17th, 2025 at 12:18 pm
I hope the Glazers are smart enough to give Bowles a copy of the home game. Nobody on the planet thinks this team is good enough to win a playoff game if they even make it.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:18 pm
Can we talk about how trash Zyon has been this year ? He’s given up a lot of big plays also. Maybe they need to restructure his contract like they did to Dean so he can play decent.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:18 pm
Bucs have no pass rushers. Without the trickery, they can’t get to QB’s. Unfortunately the makeup of the team is not as good as a lot of people think. Also McCollum is not a #1 CB.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:19 pm
Same drivel out of Bowels’ mouth week in and week out.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:21 pm
Players not making plays reflecting on you and your staff. Just winning the division is not the goal. Time to clean house at the end of the season.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:23 pm
When you see our 270 lb OLB’s (Yaya & Nelson) having to cover guys running 30 yards down the field, perhaps the defensive scheme has flaws…
That’s been BLATENT these last few games….
I think the defensive scheme needs to go to a 4-3 with occasional blitzing…..
The scheme has too many holes..
November 17th, 2025 at 12:24 pm
Bowles is delusional and he isn’t going to change no matter what. Stafford and the rams are going to embarrass this defense on Sunday night. It will be over before we even get to the second quarter. Maybe the Glazer boys need a good embarrassing for reality to hit them in the face that Bowles is in over his head.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:25 pm
Hire Lane Kiffin.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:25 pm
Pressures are an indicator of likely future success and that’s all. In today’s NFL you sometimes need a bit of luck to get a sack. It’s a sign the pass rush and coverage are in sync.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:26 pm
Homer Simpson
Doh !
November 17th, 2025 at 12:27 pm
The team takes on the personality of the coach – what else needs to be said? From what I read here – the players were all pretty ‘ok’ with the loss afterwards. THAT is on the coach.
No real football fan truly believes we can win a Super Bowl under Bowles. So what’s the point of it all? To win a crappy division and lose in the first round? We’ve seen the same horrible defense for years – it’s time for a change.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:28 pm
Cry me a river let’s move on
November 17th, 2025 at 12:30 pm
Bowles soft zone is a joke and not going for it on 4th down with a 1:17 in the 2nd half, with a lead and at the Bill 43 yard line. Also punting in the 4th quarter on a 4th and 2. All of the above are gutless. Yet he tells his team they need to have a killer mentality.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:31 pm
@Joe – has any team in NFL history ever scored over 30 points, rushed for over 200 yards on the ground, and forced 3 turnovers, and still lost? (Not including OT games)
Historically pathetic performance.
It starts at the top – Todd Bowles will never be anything better than mediocre.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:31 pm
Gutless is the perfect word. That 4th and 2 gave away the game. Shameful. EVERYONE knew the Bills would score if they got the ball back…….everyone except Bowles I guess.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:34 pm
Todd Bowles is absolutely right!! Lack of defensive players making plays!! MOSTLY THAT’S BECAUSE OF THE DEFENSIVE PLAYS BEING CALLED!! For example it’s hard for defensive tackles to cover faster skill players 30 yards down field! This offense needs to score 40 points a game to have a chance of winning because of the horrible defensive play calling!!
November 17th, 2025 at 12:36 pm
Time to go for radio!!
Been saying it for 3 years. Coen should have never been allowed to leave the building!!!
Fricken Dave canals is coaching better than bowels with less talent
November 17th, 2025 at 12:37 pm
Live Utube press conference please o please tell me they fired Bowles
November 17th, 2025 at 12:38 pm
Sometimes in the NFL and in life, a change or a fresh start is needed. I’ll give Bowles the benefit of the doubt the rest of this season, but c’mon man, it’s obvious coaching is somewhat to blame for these insane lapses in concentration and coverage by this team.
What I’ve seen from Bowles-speak the last 4 years is: “Well, this unit didn’t play well. We understand what we need to fix.” And then to some extent, it did get fixed, and that’s great.
But MY issue is that they (the coaching staff) fixes one problem and ignores other areas which leads to dysfunction and inadequate play.
Be a HEAD COACH, Mr. Bowles, and improve your overall team – instead of reacting to glaring deficiencies on a weekly basis.
Study a few legendary coaches if you don’t know what being a good well-rounded coach looks like, sir. Lombardi, Walsh, Belichick, Landry…what did those teams have that your team doesn’t, Coach!
OK rant over.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:38 pm
Because of the horrible play calling Todd Bowles should accept responsibility for this loss and others like it.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:39 pm
But he won’t and never does! How does he expect the team to play hard for him?
November 17th, 2025 at 12:42 pm
This is a team always trying to get a bargain. Licht never goes after the pricey playmakers, instead he looks in someone elses garbage pile for bargains. Bowles never asks for more as he is just glad to even have a job. The Glazers are the same way–Todd Bowles is a bargain as he is the least paid NFL coach in the league. There is no way we win a playoff game.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:43 pm
Braswell, Hall, insert Buccaneers 2nd round pick on the defensive line and they don’t perform well enough for us. Yaya too.
Toothless edge rush is never going to work. We need a legit rusher that can get home consistently.
I need to see Licht get this right. I am tired of stockpiling draft picks for underachieving, non-playmakers on the line.
Parsons was available, Quinnen Williams too. Give me a legit pass rusher next to vita.
Kancey cannot be relied upon as he is undersized and always inured.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:45 pm
Hire a DC this off-season. I’m rooting for you Todd but you need some help. Can’t keep saying the players aren’t doing what they are supposed to do. Everyone knows that already. That’s why you are here to make sure players do what they are supposed to do. Get all the players together and steam roll somebody. Pour some hot sauce on it and eat that W!
November 17th, 2025 at 12:45 pm
@SteveK – I have been saying for years that Licht should just give up drafting OLB / edge players and only target free agents.
For whatever reason, he just can not draft an edge rusher to save his life.
In conjunction, Todd Bowles also can not develop an edge rusher to save his life. Never has developed one anywhere in his career.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:46 pm
Bowles, like Dungy was very stubborn and loyal to his assistants to the detriment of the team. They should have fired the special teams coach this morning. Glazers should have had a sit down with Bowles as well this morning to explain that his team (especially his defense) plays without any passion, motivation, urgency and just plain sucks. Light should also be in the room and told his draft picks on defense aren’t cutting it. Part of me wants the Panthers to win the division to force the Glazers to open their eyes and see it’s past due time to make a change.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:46 pm
Anyone notice that Vita goes quiet for entire games? Has Windfield dropped off a bit?
November 17th, 2025 at 12:48 pm
File that under No $hit
November 17th, 2025 at 12:48 pm
Notice how the “breakdowns” mount in the 4th qt. Likely because big men are gassed from sprinting to cover and smaller guys are beat down from try to generate a pass rush against OL. By the 4th qt, the wheels are coming off of the truck
November 17th, 2025 at 12:50 pm
Stupid system, overemphasis on homegrown picks, no inertia for change, weak GM allows coach to control too many aspects of the team…. a classic leadership accountability failure
November 17th, 2025 at 12:53 pm
Grew up spoiled watching Sapp and Simeon hunt the QB.
Shaq got 19 sacks bc Vita clogs the middle. It’s a shame we don’t have an edge rusher that can compliment vita.
Agree, unbelievable, it’s a darn shame how bad our pass rushers are. Ready to see them win and get pressure but they don’t.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:53 pm
Todd Toddd Toddddd Really !! I mean, how many times does the better quarterback win? 85 % ?
Todd you D line is making the opposing QB like 50 percent better than avg .
Has to be top 3 worst d line pass rush defenses !!
I mean, ask a quarterback, the number one thing he would like? it’s going to be time to throw.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:54 pm
Vita- plays lazy
Winfield- gets burned a lot
LVD- too old
Yaya- second string at best
Brasell- superbust!
Kancey-never on the field
Zyon-can’t cover
Dennis-can’t cover
Morrison-toast!
Dean-done
Conclusion: Only 2 players on the entire defense play hard and good. Tykee Smith and Jacob Parrish.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:55 pm
Some might not want to admit it but this roster from the top down needs a complete overhaul. Everything from the HC to the last guy on the practice squad needs to be put under a microscope. Trying to keep the Superbowl core together ain’t working.
Maybe a new HC would give this roster a spark but I don’t think so.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:55 pm
I think everyone is over analyzing the defense..
our D line is Terrible! and it totally effecting the
defense as a whole…we need much better talent
than we have now …
November 17th, 2025 at 12:56 pm
when griz was doing good early in year people were praising bowles as being solely responsible, but the poor drafting of edges has nothing to do with bowles?licht doesnt ask him hey what you think of this guy?
November 17th, 2025 at 12:57 pm
Dang it. Now I’m feeling sorry for Bowles. Like the title of this story and Troy says, “somebody’s gotta make a play.” Coaches don’t make plays. Player’s make stops on third and long. Not coaches. I think Bowles is the coach to get us the next Super Bowl. To call him risk adverse would be an understatement but I still can’t get it out of my head they’re gonna be a special team. Josh Allen took over the game. He’s made many defenses look just like ours did. Hope Stafford isn’t quite so hot but I have a feeling Bowles and his team will give it everything they’ve got. Season ain’t toast. Not by a long shot.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:04 pm
at least this week he called it “playmaking” instead of “fundamentals.” todd is improving, time for another extension.
low bar low expectations, how’s that bucs “culture” working out…..
November 17th, 2025 at 1:05 pm
I’m so glad to finally see JBF and many, many others here have come around on this subject. What also really stings is how much talent that has been squandered away be this inept HC. It’s nearly criminal what Bowels has gotten away with for far too seriously long. This man has had so many chances to make something happen with massive amounts of talent available to him. Even the other website Pewter Report is talking about Bowles today. For too long this man has been given a pass. He’s been allowed to walk between the raindrops. Maybe finally yesterday was the game that pushed some really great fans too freakin’ far. I can only hope.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:06 pm
On almost every play one or more pass rushers are covering receivers. That means defensive backs are trying to rush the passer. Obviously that’s not gonna work. Especially if you do it every play.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:09 pm
6-5
Loser coach with a soft defense
He’s been here 7 years and the pass defense is laughable against any competent coordinator
Why was this clown extended?
November 17th, 2025 at 1:14 pm
But joe they are trying really hard and at the end of the day that’s all that really matters. You want wins on top of that? you can’t have your cake and eat it too think about all the extra weight you would put on.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:28 pm
This POS will never ever figure out how to look in the mirror and accept any blame.
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a team worse at defending RBs in the passing game.
Any defensive scheme that requires Anthony Freaking Nelson to cover James Cook on a wheel route is trash. Any defensive scheme that has Yaya Diaby defending the goal line on a 40 yard 3rd and 3 pass is trash.
Any offensive coordinator that is averaging 6 yards a carry and 5 yards a pass that continues to throw the ball on 3rd and less than 4 yards is trash.
Bowles is a .500 coach. Period. Better coaches have been fired by this organization after the season for less. There is not a game left on this schedule that I feel like going in, this team can just flat out win.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:31 pm
Bucfan1988 Says:
November 17th, 2025 at 12:23 pm
When you see our 270 lb OLB’s (Yaya & Nelson) having to cover guys running 30 yards down the field, perhaps the defensive scheme has flaws…
That’s been BLATENT these last few games….
I think the defensive scheme needs to go to a 4-3 with occasional blitzing…..
***********************************************************
BINGO!!!!!
43 man press defense….
bowles’ 34 blitz happy defense is predictable 10games into the season…teams arent afraid of the blitz…they know who, where and when its coming
GO BUCS!!!!
November 17th, 2025 at 1:31 pm
Don’t know if Todd realizes that everything he just stated is his responsibility to make sure doesn’t happen. Over and over. For seven years.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:36 pm
@SteveK – and the other problem is how often are pass rushers are doing things that are not rushing the passer.
On at least 2 of Buffalo’s 6 touchdowns yesterday, we had guys like Diaby and Anthony Nelson running 20 – 40 yards downfield to try to cover a WR… What in the actual F is that? Moronic, that’s what it is…
November 17th, 2025 at 1:45 pm
For once, before he’s fired, I would love to hear Bowles say that he and his scheme is simply not good enough.
All he does is make excuses and shift blame.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:47 pm
Allen in the pocket yesterday; one a football, two a football, three a football, four a football, five a football. Allen must have thought he was in practice wearing an orange jersey. If TB’s zone schemes are so fantastic why pass rush at all? Just drop 11 guys into coverage. Somewhere there are a few of us who believe the best pass defense is press coverage with all out pass rush on the QB.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:47 pm
Hey guys players are just not making plays, easy there it’s not the coaches fault players need a PhD to figure out the scheme didn’t these players come from college I mean come on guys.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:55 pm
I think the good guy approach is only working on offense. There doesn’t seem to be any alpha on the defense that make the others around them scared to mess up. I’m sorry at 52 maybe I’m too old for this new style of football player but after that loss there ain’t no way you should be able to tell me that there wasn’t anything being thrown around the locker room and a bunch of yelling and cussing going on. These guys don’t care.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:56 pm
CcHead, you a turtle man?
November 17th, 2025 at 2:23 pm
The defense caused 3 turnovers! Usually, that means a defense has the offense on the ropes. The problem is that Todd doesn’t know how to evolve his talent to their absolute peak, unlike teams like Detroit, Denver, and Philadelphia.
November 17th, 2025 at 2:33 pm
I think another contract extension is in order.
The rest of the league has already agreed to pay it and give Bowles a fat raise.
It’s a win-win for ownership.
Championship caliber defense for a decade at minimum.
Bring on the Rams! They can’t handle genius of this level.
November 17th, 2025 at 2:47 pm
I’m not woried about this year. After yesterdays performance, I am 100% certain, we are not a superbowl team. I think our ceiling may be 10 games this year Or maybe 9 wins. Its time for the Glazers to grow a pair and release Bowles after this season. He is not taking us anywhere but to the couch, to watch other teams compete in the playoffs.
November 17th, 2025 at 3:16 pm
Something is very wrong with Todd and his exotic easily countered defense. There’s no fear in the opposing team. Todd biggest asset is his ability to recall years of excuses.
November 17th, 2025 at 3:39 pm
Remember that time when LVD dropped an interception that Vita Vea could have caught? Why are our linemen behind the linebackers in coverage Todd? They are literally called line backers because they play behind the defense line. Someone needs to explain defense to Todd like he is 5 years old.
November 17th, 2025 at 3:50 pm
If you vote confident for Bowles…YOU are part of the problem.
This team will get crushed in the playoffs…SOS, different year.
CLEAN HOUSE.
November 17th, 2025 at 4:18 pm
“What pass rush? Did you see a pass rush yesterday?” – Joe
Nope