Did Any Kickoff Players Lose Their Jobs Yesterday?
November 17th, 2025
Special teams players didn’t want to tackle.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles didn’t say it. But it sure seems like the idea has crossed his mind.
Apparently, players on the kickoff team are on the roster for no other reason than special teams. In his day-after presser, Bowles was open how the play of the kickoff team was “unacceptable” yesterday and hinted some players may have lacked heart or desire.
“There’s no new players involved,” Bowles said of the atrocious kickoff coverage against the Bills. “You have to be able to tackle and want to tackle. Give maximum effort to tackle.
“You have to make the plays when you are not a starter on this team. You are here because of special teams. You’ve got to play better than that.”
The Bucs kicked off six times yesterday and allowed an average of 39 yards a return. Chase McLaughlin’s kicks were returned for 61-, 29-, 49-, 41-, 44- and 15-yards.
This does not excuse the Bucs’ matador defense yesterday but it didn’t help.
Bowles confessed, in retrospect, the Bucs should have used drastic measures.
“Better off kicking it out of bounds or in the end zone than what we did yesterday,” Bowles said.
In his postgame remarks, Bowles told Joe the Bucs’ coaches “talked about” doing just that.
Joe got the hint Bowles might be looking at shuffling players in and out of One Buc Palace.
“We want to have better tackles moving forward,” Bowles said. ” [Yesterday] was not acceptable.”
Well, if there are guys on the kickoff team whose only reason for being on the roster is special teams, hell yes run them off. Jimmy Johnson would. That would certainly send a message to your team that yesterday was unacceptable.
Bring in hungry guys willing to put people on the ground. Geez.
Maybe launching guys will wake up the defense that apparently wasn’t moved by Baker Mayfield’s tongue-lashing last week about a lack of a killer instinct?
November 17th, 2025 at 12:57 pm
Probably should have the special teams coach looking for a new job. How can you continue to kick to them over and over when the coverage is that bad. Additionally, why haven’t we adopted the knuckle ball kick off like the Rams have been doing all year?
November 17th, 2025 at 12:57 pm
Start with the special teams coach. This guy has been an absolute disaster.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:57 pm
I know the Glazer boys are too weak to replace our head coach but are the Bucs able to replace this horrible special teams coach?
What a mess…
November 17th, 2025 at 1:00 pm
Jimmy Johnson told a player one time
I like you cause you make plays for me, but if you stop making plays, I won’t like you anymore.
That’s why Jimmy was a winner and Bowles isn’t. Speaking of heart and desire, does the special teams coach have that? Why is he still employed by the Bucs after that debacle yesterday? No adjustments from him or Bowles. Unbelievable.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:03 pm
Special teams are inhabited by non-starters……there aren’t enough roster spots to replace special team players.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:08 pm
Geez, all they had to do was kick it out of the end zone. Starting at their 35 is a lot better then starting at our 40. WTF is wrong with the coaching on this team. Why didn’t Bowles do anything when he saw this happening the whole game? Moron.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:10 pm
After the first long return, they should have gotten the hint. The ST have sucked all year. Either kick it deep in the endzone or out of bounds. That’s why coaching on this team is terrible. Too many paychecks, not enough players. No one being held accountable in the locker room.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:10 pm
Special Teams is Special ED level like the defensive coordinator
November 17th, 2025 at 1:12 pm
Former Bucs,Texans, and Lions Special Teams Coach Joe Marciano is available and would do a heck of a job improving our rather lackluster special teams. That will never happen though, because Jason Licht would have to admit he made a mistake………..
November 17th, 2025 at 1:13 pm
Put the damn Todd Bowles confidence poll up today. This guy needs to start changing some things up or he needs to be changed out. Enough! I can’t wait to see Vita Vea trying to cover Puka Nucua on Sunday night…idiot.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:16 pm
Why would they lose their job isn’t the play to extend them for a few more years. They probably got pressure on the runner and that’s got to count for something doesn’t it?
November 17th, 2025 at 1:18 pm
Yes, believe it starts with S T Coach. The problems with Special Teams has gone from 1 phase to another from the beginning of the year. Face it the Bucs S Teams has been special as in awful. We have seen blocked field goals then punts then yesterday kick offs. Until Cameron Johnson we were not returning kicks very well either. The only credit the defense gets from yesterday is special teams consistently put them in poor situations. However it was close who was worse Special Teams or the defense.Well face it this team goes in circles in poor play. Offense, Defense, Special Teams. The last 2 weeks have been sad. However, this week could be the worst week of all. I will make this prediction now. We will get swept by Car. Atl is a toss up . I now believe we will lose the div to Car and finish 8-9. Today we can’t really beat anyone, well maybe NO. Maybe
The season that was is now lost!!!
November 17th, 2025 at 1:19 pm
Where’s Aqualung gone to?
I would love to hear his opinion on the latest installment of Swiss cheese defense.
2029 can’t come soon enough.
Unless Bowles has earned another extension already.
November 17th, 2025 at 1:20 pm
Where is DR when you need him I need some stats on the pressure rate of the kick returner. We had to have gotten pressure on him early and that’s just as good as tackling him early
November 17th, 2025 at 1:26 pm
🤣🤣🤣
You only have a 53 man roster
Who are you going to play on ST ‘s
Film study is going to be UGLY !
November 17th, 2025 at 1:26 pm
yeah i was typing it in the open thread yesterday…kickoff crew needs to be scrapped or something…
something really needs to be addressed with special teams…
they are the “least special” in the nfl
November 17th, 2025 at 1:26 pm
And I thought Keith Armstrong was bad!
November 17th, 2025 at 1:27 pm
#LeastSpecial
November 17th, 2025 at 1:30 pm
Until their HC loses his job, ALL other change is moot!
November 17th, 2025 at 1:30 pm
Bucs have 15 players on the practice squad-SO FREAKING CHANGE OUT SOME!
November 17th, 2025 at 1:34 pm
Players?
How about the effinn coach lose his job?
WORST SPECIAL TEAMS UNIT IN FRANCHISE HISTORY
November 17th, 2025 at 1:35 pm
agree with other above…
Special teams coach has to go….start there bowles!!!
heads have to roll…
GO BUCS!!!!
November 17th, 2025 at 1:38 pm
220+ yards given up in kick returns alone. That’s more yards than some teams gain on offense throughout an entire game (not against the Bucs defense though, of course).
November 17th, 2025 at 1:48 pm
You get the effort that you tolerate. Bowles has tolerated sub-par effort for years.
When was the last time someone was cut mid-season due to lack of effort?
November 17th, 2025 at 1:57 pm
The problem is DEI Head Coaches like Bowles aren’t intelligent enought to just order the Kicker to kick the ball out of the end zone. Are any of these Coaches including Coordinators given IQ tests before they are hired? Has Bowles ever fired anyone? Yesterdays game was a disgrace. When are the Coaches going to be held accountable for anything?
November 17th, 2025 at 1:59 pm
I’m not sure why kicking it out of bounds is a consideration. That gives them 5 more yards than if you kicked it into or through the end zone.
November 17th, 2025 at 2:13 pm
Clueless Todd wind do a damn thing. He’s pure garbage. A stubborn old fool that the game has passed by.
November 17th, 2025 at 2:22 pm
The thing that frustrates me is something should have bin done in game. You’re the head coach. Make an adjustment. Like Joe said the worst game by Todd. The bonehead mistakes going for 2 twice and failing when it wasn’t necessary. Putting the defense out there to come up with a stop when they couldn’t stop anything all game instead of going for it on 4th and 2 and not making an adjustment on kick offs.
November 17th, 2025 at 2:38 pm
Nice over reaction Monday Joe . You should be Happy this is what you cater to with your slanted articles.
November 17th, 2025 at 2:50 pm
“Woodman Says:
November 17th, 2025 at 2:38 pm
Nice over reaction Monday Joe . You should be Happy this is what you cater to with your slanted articles.”
I haven’t seen anyone overreact.
They’re all spot on.
Bowles is garbage.
November 17th, 2025 at 3:11 pm
Has anyone seen special teams lose games like this year’s Bucs? I haven’t.
How does that coach have a job?
November 17th, 2025 at 3:18 pm
Send the ST back to Giants.
November 17th, 2025 at 4:37 pm
I believe Ronde Barber played special teams his entire career.
How about this, use your best players in all aspects of the game.
Just a wacky idea… but perhaps the defense looks better if the Bills aren’t getting the ball at midfield on every drive.
November 17th, 2025 at 4:57 pm
Isn’t Brasswell #43? I’m pretty sure I saw #43 miss a few opportunities to make a tackle.
November 17th, 2025 at 5:08 pm
Fire the special teams coach. Between crap punting and horrible kickoff coverage, it’s absolutely costing us games. If not corrected immediately this week, then we will have problems.
I wish they’d hire some grizzled, old, tough SoB to yell at these guys and get them fired up. They looked flat, and fundamentally like crap.
Bring back Eric Rhett to coach! He used to do jumping jacks and wave his hands before kickoff, and they run down and make the tackle. Incredible. Hell, hire the retired patriots special teams ace, Slater. Anything!
November 17th, 2025 at 5:40 pm
I’d start by having them stay in their lanes. Most of the game, the Bills were taking the ball across the field, either from right to left or left to right. And the Bucs defenders on the ‘far side’ got drawn into the middle as the runner crossed center of the field…
disaster waiting to happen. STAY IN YOUR LANES!
November 17th, 2025 at 5:52 pm
Coaches shouldn’t have been talking about it, Bowles should have said this is what you will do.