Cavalry Not Coming To Save The Defense
November 18th, 2025
The arrow is not pointing up for the Bucs.
Oh, it may be for the offense. The Bucs had their best game on the ground in Buffalo.
How much of that was improvement and how much of that was the soft Buffalo run defense? Well, only time will tell.
One guy whose arrow certainly is pointing up is Sean Tucker. He was the first running back to run for over 50 yards this season against New England a week ago. Then, at Buffalo, he ran for two touchdowns and over 100 yards, and caught a 28-yard touchdown pass.
So Joe is much less worried about the Bucky Irving-less running game than Joe used to be. Tucker is the hot hand. Run that hot hand until defenses prove they can stop him.
But the defense? Egads! The Bucs defense has been gouged for 849 yards in the past two games, both coming after the bye.
Sunday was the defense’s worst performance as Josh Allen went nuts, tying his own record in the Super Bowl era; he had a hand in six touchdowns — three passing, three running.
Only once before has a Bowles-led Bucs defense given up two straight 400-yard (or 500-yard) games. That was in 2023 when the Bucs allowed three-straight.
(The game before that streak started, the first game after the 2023 bye week, the Bucs gave up 380 yards to the Lions — what the hell are these guys doing during the bye weeks?)
The only way the Bucs were going to stop Allen on Sunday was to get him off the field and keep him there. The offense did its job. The defense shat itself.
Again.
At least with the offense, one could point to the cavalry coming. Bucs coach Todd Bowles had reassuring words yesterday about Chris Godwin’s potential return. Bucky doesn’t appear far away from returning.
And there is the quiet hope Mike Evans could be back by the end of the regular season. Maybe Jalen McMillan, too.
The defense? There’s no cavalry coming unless Calijah Kancey possibly returning is what you call cavalry.
So if the Bucs plan to do anything in the playoffs — hell, at this point, do they even make the playoffs the way the defense is playing? — Bowles is going to have to figure it out. The season may depend on his actions.
Neither Capt. York, Sgt. O’Rourke nor Sgt. York are coming to save the defense.
(Yes, Joe is well aware Sgt. York was never in the cavalry.)
November 18th, 2025 at 5:14 am
Christen miller 1st….Whit weeks 2nd
November 18th, 2025 at 5:19 am
Injuries are the only constant on this team – we may limp into the playoffs but without a pass rush we are no match for top teams. The Rams will be the best team out of all we have played so far so all signs point to another curb stomping. Its the late game Sunday which is 1am for me so I’m not staying up to watch it
November 18th, 2025 at 5:22 am
OK I’ve gotta say it Joe: Rachaad White’s not getting the respect he deserves (not even mentioned?). He ran the ball 10 times Sunday for 51 yards (5.1 YPC), plus went 2-of-3 receiving for 11 more yds. No TDs, but he wasn’t used in those situations (Sean Tucker was).
Sean Tucker had almost twice the carries (19 runs Sunday for 106 yds & 2 TDs), plus he was 2-for-2 receiving for 1 TD. Yet interestingly Tucker played fewer snaps. Rachaad logged 42 offensive snaps, while Tuck was out there for 31 offensive snaps.
How Grizz views the two of them obvious: Tucker is the break-away threat, just like Bucky has been, while Rachaad is the ‘Steady Eddy’ who can run, catch & block but isn’t that much of a break-away threat. That’s OK, we need BOTH to be successful.
And BTW, Rachaad carried it 9 times in the 1st half & got 5 first downs. They only used him ONCE in the 2nd half.
November 18th, 2025 at 5:55 am
shoulda put in some options for the trade deadline. now we watch a missed window on offense. just keep punting at 4th and 2 with avg ypc of 6.
November 18th, 2025 at 5:57 am
DR, we’ve got 3 good backs. Last year our first game against Carolina Bucky ran for about 130 yards or more. It was his best game rushing for the season. We were lucky to win that game in overtime. 2 weeks later we made the passing game our focus. 5 TD passes and a 48-14 route over the same Carolina team from 2 weeks before. So our defense is struggling? We’re missing some great receivers but no excuses. With a thin defense we better be throwing the ball all over the yard. Running for 200 yards is great but if we’re not throwing for 300 we’re going to be in big trouble. Over the years I’ve seen Mayfield hang alot of points with that arm. I’m afraid we’re going to need those points. And we won’t get enough handing it off to Racchad. White needs to be blocking for Baker to throw and catching check downs when Baker needs to dump it. Throw the ball first.
November 18th, 2025 at 5:58 am
Baker Mayfield needs to put up 50 points to win
November 18th, 2025 at 6:03 am
Just remember, Jason Licht didn’t think this was a Superbowl caliber team and subsequently sat on his hands at the trade deadline. The team got the message and they are just going through the motions now…and losing winnable games. Licht’s outsized ego is the downfall of this season.
Hey Licht, fans got the message too and I suppose we’ll go through the motions as well. Look out because lots of anger and apathy incoming.
November 18th, 2025 at 6:07 am
This is kind of what pisses me off about Licht and this organization. Let me caveat that we don’t know if any teams like or are willing to work with Licht or Greenburg. And I’m sure the deals we saw for these players weren’t universally offered to every team that came asking.
But when we talk trades and the defense, all the fans are fixated on the big names, which for this organization was never going to happen, and yet a guy like Jaelan Phillips or Odafe Oweh? Both weren’t ridiculously expensive from a trade perspective, or even a cap perspective… 3rd and a 5th respectively, BOTH are highly contributing, hell Oweh has 4 freaking sacks since joining the Chargers.
Yeah, I’d love a game wrecker, but Licht could’ve made a similar move, building up depth in his DE/OLB rotation, and either of these guys could’ve been a factor in the last couple of games.
I’m over this idea that we can build everything organically, and just when I thought I understood championship windows, and the time to go all in, I don’t know spit. This was kind of that season, the competition isn’t that great, our division still isn’t great, and yet we did nothing to bolster this roster for the stretch run.
November 18th, 2025 at 6:13 am
I blame Jason for this mess on defense. From the beginning of the season he kept predicting that YaYa, Kancy, Braswell would have breakout seasons. We all knew different and a lot of Bucs fans here didn’t believe a word he said. Then he had a chance to trade for an edge rusher and let the trade window close.
So now the Bucs have a championship offense with a peewee league defense. Honestly, he needs to be fired at the end of the season along with Bowles.
November 18th, 2025 at 6:31 am
I know this is an article about the defense, but I’m putting way more blame on the Special Teams. How this coach still has a job is way beyond me. Let’s look all the way back to game one. We’ve got blocked punts, blocked field goals, muffed kicks, long returns by opposing teams, no long returns by the Bucs, and a large amount of penalties. Hard for the Defense to stop teams when their average starting position is the 50-yard line. These actions deflate the ENTIRE team!
November 18th, 2025 at 6:35 am
Halfway through the season we re watching around the league teams that can actually content for a good playoff run putting some great defensive performances. And our beloved Bucs contiune to play the soft passive defense with zero 4man rush pressure comig out of a bye and in the 2 games giving up 72 points and 6 TDs of 45+ yds.
The team is not trending in the right direction. 2-4 record against winnig teams.
Same things every season but the coaching staff and front office think everything is fine. OK I guess.
But this team even when they were winning the close games (against bad teams) they never really looked like a team that can compete in the playoffs. Wins are good no matter how they come but at some point you must play consistent good football and our Bucs have not done that. That is the truth.
Go Bucs
November 18th, 2025 at 6:36 am
DR. My last post in no way did I mean to say we don’t want to have a run pass balance. I’d love to be 50 50. If we can show a top tier defense we could run it even more. But until I can see this defense improving I think we’re going to need to average 35 points. We’re going to need to score more.
November 18th, 2025 at 6:40 am
Jason Licht looks like he is 8 months pregnant.
November 18th, 2025 at 6:40 am
Bowles press conference yesterday was a slap in the face to Buc fans who actually have eyes and can see the garbage defense that this man is in charge of. He had the nerve to say we’re close to putting it all together.! The man thinks we’re fools. Let’s remind Todd that the vast majority of injuries are to the OFFENSE which we all know he has very little input on. Thank God for that.
My mindset has changed dramatically with this team. The Glazers are the fools for extending a bad coach who’s worn out his welcome here as far as I’m concerned.
November 18th, 2025 at 6:42 am
Two points: I’ve been saying since preseason, it should be Buck and Tuck as 1 & 2 with White as a third down back.
Also: Bowles is no defensive guru, savant, wizard, expert etc. He’s below mediocre at this stage.
Can’t wait to see Anthony Nelson cover Kyren Williams down the field like he did with James Cook. (sarcasm)
November 18th, 2025 at 6:44 am
If the Bills didn’t start every possession at the 50-yard line, there is no way they hang 44 points on us. Defense wasn’t good, but they were forced to defend half a field.
November 18th, 2025 at 6:52 am
If we beat the Rams this whole freakout will have been for naught.
November 18th, 2025 at 6:52 am
That’s ok, we have 813BucBOI to give us reassurances that the Todd Bowles philosophy is the way, so I sleep much better at night. BucBOI (lol) where are you bra, I need you to tell me it’s gnna be ok.
November 18th, 2025 at 6:53 am
If you’re frustrated about the Bills game, no need to worry because the Rams D is second in the league allowing just 17.2 points per game. Everyone should do themselves a favor and just get some rest Sunday night. Bucs lose this one by 3 scores and by that I mean 3 TDs, Stfford will complete over 75% of his passes with 4 TDs. Yes, it’s going to be ugly, and no there’s no hope on the other side of this game. Just a band aid of a week schedule, if the Bucs are lucky enough to make the playoffs they will be ousted at home again in rd1
November 18th, 2025 at 7:01 am
Bucnjim – when an offense averages 7.8 yards per play, it does not matter where they start. The defense flat out sucked and ST was no better.
November 18th, 2025 at 7:06 am
Todd Bowles and Jason Licht are losing the locker room fast.
November 18th, 2025 at 7:22 am
Seems everybody is absentee concerning this as usual, floundering team.
Licht is NoWhere to be found and those who were patting him on the back have joined another party. You know, in the “Winners Circle” of which Licht isn’t a member of since apparently he’s found Other interests rather than the job he’s paid to do.
The Glazers are on the brink of being this year’s Baffoon’s since the legendary tell of “The Emporer Has No Clothes” fits quite well with the Glazers And Toddy Bowls. They are REAL SUCKERS! And THAT WOULD INCLUDE the very little Jason Limp is offering to this team! What have YOU done for the teams well being Jason Limp? In fact just what have you done for Any of us lately mr Limp?
A heavy sigh.. I wanted BADLY to be wrong about Todd Bowles and he started off strong this year. But the facts are the facts. He’s done a UNBELIEVABLE JOB of “Letting It” ALL fall apart.
And ultimately who’s to blame? Every single one of them.
Absentee Ownership from the very top to the very bottom.. Get ready for the next lost decade because apparently, nobody cares AGAIN!
Who’s left? Nobody… Nobody’s running the store
November 18th, 2025 at 7:27 am
Licht made a huge error not grabbing a WR at the trade deadline, BUT clueless Todd who is an average at best coach, has been passed by.
He leads the Def, he makes the final decision on the special teams coach and assignments and if he said I need 1 more weapon on offense at the trade deadline. The GM best go get that weapon.
Plenty of blame can go around; all roads end at Todd.
I don’t care if we win a 5th NFC S championship, Dungy is a HoF coach and was let go after a bad call in the NFC championship.
We need a better HC, one that will hire a D coordinator and doesn’t need help telling time!
November 18th, 2025 at 7:51 am
All of you blaming Licht and trying to give clueless Todd a pass –
Has it occurred to anyone that perhaps Jason went to Todd and asked him if he needed any help at the deadline? And Todd – being Todd – told him no. He would win with “his guys”? It’s not like he doesn’t have a track record of being stubbornly loyal to lousy players – JTS , Braswell, Devin White and now the force feeding of an obviously bad Morrison (when he has veteran options).
November 18th, 2025 at 8:10 am
There’s obviously a LOT of Bucs’ fans frustrated with Todd Bowles. And I’m admittedly one of them. And irritated with Jason Licht also. We knew we had issues (especially on defense) before the season started, but we applied bandaids instead of bonafide fixes & pressed on. Well, a #22 defense that’s allowing a disgusting 25.0 PPG average is the result of that approach. And that’s with relatively few defensive injuries.
This defense seemingly lacks Field Leadership. I thought that LVD, Vea & Winfield would be the 3 Alphas in this defense. When I compare their leadership to Brooks, Sapp & Lynch it comes up woefully short. One of those 3 HOFers was always making a BIG PLAY to rally the rest of the defense (and the team). Leadership by example. What a concept.
BIG PLAYS by LVD, Vea & Winfield (or any other defenders) have been far too few this year. Instead, this defense has allowed far too many EXPLOSIVE PLAYS, and that’s killed us game after game. That’s on the players, that’s on coaching, and yes, that’s UNACCEPTABLE. It’s gone on for far too long. Fix it and fix it now, with either better schemes or better players.
November 18th, 2025 at 8:21 am
Bowles is tending toward mediocrity once again, letting his defense lead the way. He needs to hire a modern DC.
November 18th, 2025 at 8:22 am
DR the problem is that the Brooks, Sapp, Lynch gang were making plays all over the place, the only one doing that for this team seems to a lesser degree Winfield. My question is how do we fix it? Like Joe said no one coming to save the D, Reddick has been invisible this year. We have rookies doing rookie things but where do we get the linebackers or Lineman if we’re in the playoffs? Those guys are gone before we pick, usually, so that means looking for someone from another team. Or 2 in FA. Jason did it with JPP and again with Shaq so it can be done. It seems to me that is the only way to get it there with this team. Could the D right the ship and their mental attitude to win going into the playoffs? Yes and once there anything can happen but the team has to be playing well going in and at this point it’s not.
November 18th, 2025 at 8:33 am
Anyhony Says:
November 18th, 2025 at 6:52 am
If we beat the Rams this whole freakout will have been for naught.
The problem is not one game. One win or one loss. The issue is the big picture.
This team is inconsistent. This team with this coaching stuff makimg the same mistakes again and again without changing their approach and their gameplanning and game management does not give you the confidence that they can make a deep playoff push.
Yes if the Bucs win the Rams they will be voices that the Bucs are contenders again. Just like they are pretenders after a loss.
That is changing week after week based on the result.
But this team does not look like a team that can win 4 games in a row against good teams. That is the issue.
November 18th, 2025 at 8:42 am
Kenton … ‘My last post in no way did I mean to say we don’t want to have a run pass balance. I’d love to be 50 50.’
You know this as well as I do Kenton, but a ‘balanced’ attack has no relationship to running 50% of the time & passing 50% of the time. ‘Balance’ has everything to do with CAPABILITY … the capability to either run the ball or pass the ball effectively, then you can apply that capability against an opponent’s known weaknesses to ‘exert your will on your adversary’.
Bills game was a classic example. Their weakness was Run Defense, so we ran it 39 times (202 yds) & passed it only 28 times (173 yds). The weather up in Buffalo obviously sucked on Sunday, so having the CAPABILITY to run the ball effectively worked in our favor. For my part, I would’ve run it MORE.
Notice with the Bills though, they also have a great Run offense (#1 in the NFL). But they didn’t match up well with our Run Defense, so they switched gears & attacked our weakness (Pass Defense). Turned out our weakness (Pass Defense) was more pronounced than their weakness (Run Defense) & that got reflected in the scoreboard.
BOTH teams though had reasonable capability to run the ball or pass the ball. BOTH of us chose the best approach for our individual teams. Had we stuck with the run more in the 4th qtr, game outcome could very well have been different. Bucs never ran it after the 8 minutes left mark … passed it 6 times in that spell, 2 complete plus Baker took 1 sack & fumbled (recovered by Buffalo). Play-calling there left a lot to be desired IMO.
November 18th, 2025 at 8:49 am
RagingBrisket Says:
November 18th, 2025 at 6:03 am
“Just remember, Jason Licht didn’t think this was a Superbowl caliber team and subsequently sat on his hands at the trade deadline. The team got the message and they are just going through the motions now…and losing winnable games. Licht’s outsized ego is the downfall of this season.”
Or, he felt there is enough talent on the team to eventually get the job done.
Or, he felt that such a trade would put us in a bad cap situation again.
Or, he knows the defense needed more that one year of picks to be fixed.
November 18th, 2025 at 8:59 am
so reddick is done for the year too?
GO BUCS!!!!
November 18th, 2025 at 9:00 am
Has Braswell gotten off of one block this season? I thought he was going to Shock the World? Complete bust.
November 18th, 2025 at 9:01 am
beat the RAMS and we’re back in business
GO BUCS!!!!
November 18th, 2025 at 9:24 am
How’s this for Cavalry. Bowels suddenly becomes a great defensive coordinator. Hmmmmm…. Is it possible? Oh wait, I forgot. He already thinks he is great. Doesn’t think he needs to improve. Everyone else just needs to do their job better.
No hope for the defense as long as Bowels is in charge. Maybe Baker can put the team on his back and get us four more wins including a sweep of the Panthers.
November 18th, 2025 at 9:26 am
Ballwasher61 … ‘My question is how do we fix it? Like Joe said no one coming to save the D’.
You’re right; we have extremely few options to ‘fix it’. But when you keep making the same mistakes game after game after game, something’s bad wrong.
I’m not the only one seeing major breakdowns on defense. And yes, allowing explosive plays (runs or passes) represent major breakdowns on defense. I thought McCollum was a LOT better than what I’m seeing. I was led to believe that Morrison would be the 2nd coming of Carlton Davis or whoever (he is, at least in terms of availability). He’s got no business being in the lineup right now. I love what Tykee Smith and Jacob Parrish are doing, but I’m still very unimpressed with Winfield (just not seeing very many BIG PLAYS coming out of him).
LVD is LVD, and he’s 36 years old. Yes he’s showing his age, but he’s still 2nd on the team in tackles (70) & 3rd in sacks (2.5) & QB Hits (5). I actually like SVD, but he’s hot & cold (he’d make an excellent LB in a 4-3 defense IMO, just not as the MLB).
Vita Vea’s given us unprecendented availability this year (all 10 games with almost 75% def snaps). That’s HUGE, yet his numbers after 10 games seem very ‘pedestrian’ (2.5 sacks, 7 QB Hits, 3 TFLs & 20 tackles). The rest of our DLine is very non-descript, and that’s probably why we rank #10 in Run Defense this season, but more importantly #26 in terms of Rushing TDs Allowed (12 TDs).
Three key measures of effectiveness that I believe are critical are the percentages for 3rd Down Conversions, 4th Down Conversions & Red Zone TDs Allowed. 2024 was not a particularly good year for our defense in those categories, but 2025 is turning out to be much worse. Take a look:
o 2024: 3rd Down Conversion % Allowed – 38.1%
o 2024: 4th Down Conversion % Allowed – 63.3%
o 2024: Red Zone TD % Allowed – 54.4%
o 2025: 3rd Down Conversion % Allowed – 39.8%
o 2025: 4th Down Conversion % Allowed – 47.8%
o 2025: Red Zone TD % Allowed – 64.0%
So our 2025 defense has been comparable to our 2024 defense in terms of 3rd Down Convesions Allowed (a tad worse). We’re doing significantly better on 4th Down Conversions Allowed, but we’re doing significantly worse in terms of Red Zone TDs Allowed (about 10% worse). But that’s the most important, because that’s where the points go up on the board.
How would I fix it? Couple of personnel changes. I’d move Parrish to Outside CB in place of Morrison and insert Izien at Nickel. I’d play Deion Jones more at MLB in place of SVD, and try to figure out which game situations each is best suited for. I’d also like to see what we have in Nick Jackson & John Bullock this year as LBs (I’m in favor of deploying 3 LBs on a lot more packages, and that’d be an opportunity to see if either of them have what it takes).
November 18th, 2025 at 9:30 am
Ballwasher…… I disagree. We need Reddick. Not for sack numbers but because he was drawing double teams and therefore freeing up the others for sacks. We’ve had what, one sack since he got hurt?
November 18th, 2025 at 9:39 am
The theory that had Buffalo not started at the 50 is garbage. Buffalo was going to score from anywhere. Passing or running up and down the field with nobody to stop them. When the QB can sit back and order a full course meal and eat it without being touched then receivers get open. Then I’m the defense can’t stop the run either. Don’t try to tell me Dean or Kancey would have made any difference. The kick everyone’s b!thing about wouldn’t have mattered. You could have left 50 seconds on the clock and this defense would have given up the TD both on the ground and thru the air.
November 18th, 2025 at 9:42 am
Licht needs to be asked about his 2nd round picks. He has gotten a few right: Winfield, Goedeke, Mauch, Ali Marpet (notice the OL picks) etc but he also drafted the following: MJ Stewart, Trask, Aguayo, Logan Hall, Justin Evans, Braswell, Noah Spence, etc.. All busts… Licht get good returns on diamonds in the rough but his day 2 picks are shaky at times. These are picks which should be contributing starters………
November 18th, 2025 at 9:58 am
You can’t win games giving up the amount of points and yards this defense has over the last several weeks. No matter how good of an offense you have. If they don’t figure it out soon it will one of the biggest collapse in NFL History. To start out as hot as they did and not even win the division or make the playoffs and that is a reality at this point. If they don’t make the playoffs I expect a complete over haul at one Buc and LVD and Evans to retire.
November 18th, 2025 at 9:59 am
The Bucs O needs to put up 40+ points for a W. They are very capable of doing that. This week we will see if the D can recoup. I wouldn’t put money down on it. Get the run game going again and score in the red zone!!!! Often!!!!!!!
November 18th, 2025 at 10:01 am
It was a good fun and stressful 8 game season. Miracles can happen but doubt it
November 18th, 2025 at 10:10 am
Cant wait to see the patented soft zone next week again. Our defense never presses the WR’s and plays soft a** zone. Not to mention Josh Allen could have done a crossword puzzle with the amount of time he had to throw.
November 18th, 2025 at 10:14 am
Defense Rules – True that about Coach Bowles. He is trending heavily everywhere since Sunday, radio, social media, TV, …
November 18th, 2025 at 10:19 am
Getting to be like the Jameis days. If Jameis didn’t hang 38 on opponents, the Bucs were doomed.
November 18th, 2025 at 10:48 am
This team isn’t goin anywhere until they address this horrid Dline. Terrible Dline picks over the years has led to this.
November 18th, 2025 at 10:50 am
Bucs haven’t drafted a good Edge or DT since Vita Vea in 2018.
November 18th, 2025 at 10:53 am
ANOTHER NO MOVE BY JASON LIGHT AND TODD BOWLES .EXPECTA STOMPING AND THE DEFENCE IS BASICALLY HEALTHY ! IF PANTHERS WIN AFTER THERE BYE ,THEY WILL TAKE OVER FIRST PLACE IN ARE DIVISION ! TIME FOR THIS WHOLE COACHING STAFF TO GO ! TO MANY YEARS OF MEDIOCRE SUB PAR PLAY IN A WEAK DIVISION ! WASTING THE TALENT WE DO HAVE !
November 18th, 2025 at 10:57 am
Todd’s defence. Play 10 yards off wait till they catch the ball then miss the tackle !! Over and over . Here is a idea how about getting there when the ball does and get a good hit .
November 18th, 2025 at 11:00 am
The only solution for an unfixable defense that leaks like sieve (at least for now) is an offense that keeps them off the field as much as possible. Limit possessions, squeeze every second off the clock and hope for the best. I realize they tried to do it on Sunday and it didn’t work but that’s the only solution that has any chance of helping.
November 18th, 2025 at 11:01 am
TODD PLEASE RETIRE !!! THE FAN BASE 😁
November 18th, 2025 at 11:05 am
Les Says:
Todd’s defence. Play 10 yards off wait till they catch the ball then miss the tackle !! Over and over . Here is a idea how about getting there when the ball does and get a good hit .
**********************
Bowles knows they won’t get to the QB very quickly so he’s chosen to try forcing teams to slow march down the field hoping for a mistake. That’s clearly failing with all the big plays given up lately. The bright side if there is one: not every QB they play against going forward is going to be a Pro Bowler. Unfortunately they get another next week.
November 18th, 2025 at 11:09 am
Wake up fans. You are being played for schmucks. The game is corrupt and rigged for profit. I just wrote a post on this topic but it disappeared when I clicked on submit comment. It doesn’t matter because even my best effort to convince you that the game is corrupt and rigged would likely go unnoticed by many of you and not believed by many others.
November 18th, 2025 at 11:13 am
I watched Crosby for the Raiders let out a big “F@ck!” in last night’s game after a missed FG. I thought that’s they type of guy I would want on my team. Not because of the language, but because he was really invested in the game. Plus he was the only bright spot the Raiders have (other than B. Bowers).
I wondered if a rebuilding LV team would take a #1 for him. Maybe a #1, a#6, Braswell, and all our old pin-ups we must have of JTS would do the trick.
November 18th, 2025 at 11:33 am
I keep telling myself to keep it all in perspective. We’ve won SIX games to date, and with 7 games to go (4 against teams with losing records) we SHOULD finish at least 10-7. HOPEFULLY better. Whether that’ll be good enough to win the NFC South & make the playoffs is anyone’s guess at this point.
Those 7 games to go though represent a chance to IMPROVE. We’re starting with the #10 offense (25.2 PPG average) and the #21 defense (25.0 PPG average). We’re missing a ton of starters, but on the polar view our depth players are getting a LOT of field time.
Todd Bowles still has the locker room IMO. But that same locker room is anticipating turning this sheetshow around and starting on a winning streak (just like we did the last 3 years). If THIS group can’t pull that off, Todd may well lose the support of the Glazers. Won’t matter a hoot about the locker room at that point. We’d end up with a whole new coaching staff come 2026. Personally I don’t want to see that happen. Just want to see us improve and make a play for the Super Bowl next year or the year after.
November 18th, 2025 at 11:39 am
I said at the beginning of the season this teams defense would be the death ofit and I was right. What was new. Haasson Riddick, a washed up player and primma donna, new scheme, no way, new DC, fat chance. So where waas this new and improved defense coming from.This has been happening here since Bowels took over, You can;t use DB’s as DL to rush the QB. Never works never will.
November 18th, 2025 at 11:44 am
So many negative comments. The Buccaneers are our home team, they need our positive reinforcement. I am confident Coach Bowles can turn this thing around and come up with a win in Los Angeles!! The Rams are ripe for a loss and the Bucs and Baker Mayfield are just the team to beat them, right there on prime time, in their multi Billion dollar stadium!!
One thing about it, the Bucs have played a very strong schedule this year and that will help them have the confidence they need to win !!
We have the weapons to get the job done!! Heck we have Baker Mayfield who fights to the end !!
Let’s Go !!
Go Bucs !! Beat the Rams !!
November 18th, 2025 at 12:32 pm
There’s no cavalry needed – it’s 100% scheme.
Vs the Lions – an offense even better than the Bills – the Bucs defense manhandled them. Why? Because they mostly stayed aggressive. And no, I don’t give a crap if the team gives up a couple of big plays if they’re not allowing a ton of points and getting turnovers.
Vs the Saints – they stayed aggressive and dominated a bad team.
Vs the Pats – they stayed aggressive, gave the ball to Baker three times in the 4th quarter with a chance to take the lead. And no, I don’t care about the big plays – and on the last big run, you let him score if he gets the 1st down, it’s the only chance you have. That game was 21 points given up in reality.
Vs the Bills – starts off well, Dean gets hurt, Bowles does what he always does – he uses the injury as an excuse to go into a shell and we get a ton of super soft zone trash, in particular in the 2nd half which was almost all zone – then you get the best of both worlds, giving up huge plays with no stops or turnovers or sacks. The plays the defense did make early were before they went into a shell.
The issue isn’t zone defense – the 2002 Bucs defense was literally the best passing defense in the history of the NFL. The history is Bowles just complete trash super soft zone where he coaches guys to stand around and wait for something to happen – and has your best pass rusher 40 yards down the field in coverage. It’s a stupid part of the playbook, and when Bowles uses it, it ALWAYS results in failure.
November 18th, 2025 at 12:36 pm
Bartow Buc Says:
November 18th, 2025 at 11:44 am
So many negative comments. The Buccaneers are our home team, they need our positive reinforcement. I am confident Coach Bowles can turn this thing around and come up with a win in Los Angeles!! The Rams are ripe for a loss and the Bucs and Baker Mayfield are just the team to beat them, right there on prime time, in their multi Billion dollar stadium!!
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I’m not on the doom and gloom train, but there is a zero percent chance the Bucs beat the Rams, on the road, in prime time. Bowles record in those games says the Bucs will get blown out and embarrassed.
I’d love for you to be correct – but I’ve always had the team being 6-5 before going on, hopefully, a 5-1 run to end the year, while getting back Bucky, Godwin and Evans. If they get them back, and Baker is playing better, then they should be hot going into the playoffs – which is what matters.
BUT vs the Rams, that’s just an automatic L. But after that, I think finally the light at the tunnel should appear. If that light is a train or not, we’ll find out, but I’m actually hopeful.
November 18th, 2025 at 1:03 pm
Jason wet the bed, Todd doesn’t care all the way to the bank. 500 yards offense this Sunday against this defense. Todd can’t and will never beat competent teams.
November 18th, 2025 at 2:12 pm
The cavalry is already in the barn. Play Parrish more than 60% of the snaps and have him play tight coverage. If Dean is back have him do the same.
November 18th, 2025 at 3:23 pm
What happened to the defensive savior Chris Braswell Jason Licht should pull his head out of Bowels ass PATHETIC
November 18th, 2025 at 8:57 pm
Licht only takes receipts, he doesn’t pay debts. He always dissappears during the swoon and after losing in the first rd. II think Joe put out a couple of solid articles that point to the prevailing issue with this team, it has no identity. JL built that image. Nice guys, great locker room, bland milktoast, no fire
November 19th, 2025 at 7:58 am
Licht & Bowles made a mistake by not making a move at the deadline and also not adding another pass rusher during this past offseason. It’s going to bite them in the butt at the end of this season.