Marcus Spears Feels Todd Bowles’ Defense Will Drag Bucs Down
November 19th, 2025
Big plays will kill Bucs.
It pained Marcus Spears to say it, but unless Bucs coach Todd Bowles can repair his suddenly porous defense, it will be the defense and not the Bucs’ injury-riddled offense that will drag the Bucs down in the playoffs.
If they get to the playoffs.
The Bucs’ defense in the past two games has given up 849 yards. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen tied his Super Bowl-era record of being a part of six touchdowns (three touchdown passes, three touchdown runs) against the Bucs on Sunday.
The 10 touchdowns total the Bucs have coughed up against the Patriots and Bills, the Bucs’ last two opponents, have been for an average of 33-yards.
This has Spears nauseated. Spears is a Bowles guy. When he was a young defensive end breaking in with the Cowboys nearly 20 years ago, Bowles was the Cowboys’ secondary coach. So the two go back a ways.
Still, Spears has to call it like he sees it. He said yesterday on BSPN’s NFL Live that Bowles’ defense as it is currently designed, is just giving up way too many big plays and the Bucs won’t go far in the postseason with that defense, if the Bucs make the playoffs.
“For as much as I love Todd Bowles and how he calls defense, this team gives up too many, entirely too many, explosive plays,” Spears said. “And it’s not just coming off of the Josh Allen performance.
“Because, obviously, we saw those explosives, but this has been a recurring theme. And obviously Jamel Dean went out of that [Buffalo] game.”
Spears said the Bucs’ inability to get quarterbacks on the ground is very worrisome.
Not putting quarterbacks on their rear ends “it’s turning into touchdowns and explosive plays,” Spears said. “I’m worried about that.”
So should the Bucs and so should Bucs fans.
And it would help greatly if a certain someone on the sidelines grasps that his defense since the bye is not an asset, but a liability and currently cannot be trusted in a close game.
November 19th, 2025 at 5:29 am
Wait until Stafford destroys the defense. What will Todd’s excuse be this week?
November 19th, 2025 at 5:46 am
Did Spears see the last Bills games and Allen’s performance early on in our game against them? He hasn’t looked that great. McDermott was probably on the hot seat.
Spears is right about lack of sacking QBs. But when they do go after the QB, they get a face-mask call or other penalty that really wasn’t one, just because the QB whines about it. Yes, our turnovers should become a TD. It seemed as though by the 4th quarter, we had given up. And the Bucs shouldn’t get in the red zone multiple times with the same play, and producing nothing. It’s not all on Todd. There are other working parts not working.
November 19th, 2025 at 5:50 am
I started a new rumor. Cody Mauch slams backup QB Teddy Bridgewater for missing games due to teeth. Hope everyone has a great day. Go Bucs!
November 19th, 2025 at 5:51 am
same thing every year cousins was benched for poor performance but had a 500 yd 4 td game vs bucs
November 19th, 2025 at 5:56 am
The owners need to step up and force Bowles to hire a DC. That is all there is to it this defense has been doing this since he took over. Everyone can clearly tell it’s the scheme.
November 19th, 2025 at 6:06 am
After the Rams game in which they had a total of 570 offensive yards and blew out the Bucs, Bowles said, “Teah, I am very pleased with our Special Teams effort. They only gave up 2 scores and only gave up 4 returns in our territory. Great progress. Our defense showed real grit holding Stanford to 398 yards. We had several QB touches. I was really pleased that Vita showed skill in dropping out into coverage. It’s a shame he gave up a couple of long passes, but he showed that he can do coverage. I have to mention our offense. We ground and pound the Rams and got 68 running yards. Baker was only sacked 4 times. Great game. We showed we belong among the NFL elite with our performance.”
November 19th, 2025 at 6:37 am
Joe … ‘The 10 touchdowns total the Bucs have coughed up against the Patriots and Bills, the Bucs’ last two opponents, have been for an average of 33-yards.’
There it is, right there. And it’s been happening all season long.
Marcus Spears gets it. Bucs’ defense might be a Top-10 defense on 90% of their plays; hard to know. But on the other 10%, they wouldn’t even rank in the Top-32. This team is having HUGE breakdowns in Run Defense, Pass Defense, and yes, Special Teams (their breakdowns are costing our defense BIG TIME).
Rams should absolutely eat us alive if Bowles can’t fix that by this Sunday. But finding the CAUSES has been elusive. Is it our lack of sacks? Bucs now have 26 sacks in 10 games; projects to 44-45 sacks in 17 games … fairly standard for Bowles teams. We also have 59 QB hits in 10 games; projects to 100 QB hits in 17 games … fairly standard for Bowles team.
I think Spears nailed it with his ‘this team gives up too many, entirely too many, explosive plays’ analysis. But we’ve been seeing that game after game, even in our wins. This defense is acceptable 90% of the time. The other 10% of the time it’s totally out to lunch.
I still think it’s personnel (as in ‘lack of dogs’). Looking at our starters, I love Tykee Smith’s play this year. Love Jacob Parrish’s play. Impressed with YaYa Diaby’s play. Jamel Dean is having an excellent year IMO (hate that he got hurt). Vita Vea’s availability this year impresses me, but that’s all. Elijah Roberts is winning me over, but needs to keep improving.
The rest of our starters & key rotational guys? Not impressed.
November 19th, 2025 at 6:38 am
Bowles is finally being exposed for what he is. An outdated failed old school coach who doesn’t comprehend the game has changed dramatically from his era.
I don’t want him to be forced to get another DC. I want him replaced altogether.
He’s proven so many damn times that he’s not the guy. I don’t want to hear but he’s won the division 3 or 4 times. That’s because of our players overcoming a subpar HC. Thew Glazers are absolute morons for extending this guy. Like his door would be knocking by other teams wanting him as their HC. The entire organization has been exposed for what they are. A team with brittle pampered players and a coach who can’t coach worth a $hyt. I’m tired of it.
November 19th, 2025 at 6:40 am
Proudbucs fan: it will take the Glazers to make Todd give up play calling and that will not happen unless Bowles is invited back for next season. The Bucs last fired a coach/coordinator mid- season when the Glazers likely forced Licht and Dirk Koetter to part ways with Mike Smith after he coached the Bucs’ D in bad losses to Chicago and Atlanta which probably were not much worse than what Bowles crew put up in Buffalo this weekend. Koetter said that he would not do any changes and then the ATL scored like 35 first half point on Smitty and the next Monday Smitty was launched. It will take something like that to force Bowles to give up calling plays. Anyhow, if Bowles D continues to get boat-raced then the Bucs will miss the playoffs and then Bowles should get canned, not just lose his play calling ability on D.
November 19th, 2025 at 6:50 am
Trouble is Bowles Bowles tries to be so tricky that he outsmarts himself. The defense gets so confusing that it looks like a heap of monkeys trying to fork a football…with chopsticks.
November 19th, 2025 at 7:02 am
We were saying the same things about Bowles last year at this time. He got an extension in the off season, because he pulled the team together down the stretch, won the division, done at home in the first round. This year was to be different, but it’s not. We were supposed to not have a mid season swoon. We were going to compete with the Lions, Philly, Bills. Hasn’t happened. Glazers paid money believing it was. We’ll see if Bowles is lauded once again for winning the division, or if not? It’s up to the Glazers.
November 19th, 2025 at 7:17 am
If you score 32 points, you gotta win that game
November 19th, 2025 at 7:17 am
.The Buccaneers will not make the playoffs this year. Instead, the Carolina Panthers will.
November 19th, 2025 at 7:19 am
How about that. Marcus Spears reading my posts from two years ago. Ira was incredulous. Couldn’t believe how stupid some fans could be! I remember. There were a few of us. Wan’t just me. Where is Aqualung these days. Makes me sick the amount of talent wasted by Bowles.
November 19th, 2025 at 7:26 am
I’ve been saying this all along that it’s the scheme/system & everything.
November 19th, 2025 at 7:30 am
The OC’s are seeing something in TB’s schemes that TB has not been able to adjust to. It’s going to be ugly trying to fall asleep on Sunday
November 19th, 2025 at 7:42 am
it’s ground hog year
November 19th, 2025 at 7:43 am
This is where the Bucs clobber the Rams. Why? Because it makes no sense. The best NFL bets make no sense.
November 19th, 2025 at 7:49 am
Thanks Captain Obvious
November 19th, 2025 at 8:08 am
we will win this game on monday night…if todd bowles has to suit up himself to replace jamel dean…
win one for the gipper todd
November 19th, 2025 at 8:08 am
“The fact that a rookie defensive tackle has three passes defensed in four starts (Roberts has played in 10 games) is pretty impressive.”
It may be impressive for Roberts, not for the fool who is putting him into coverage.
This is what is wrong with this team. Was it Parcells who said, ‘don’t tell me what a player cannot do, tell me what he can do’. What does this mean exactly? To put the player in the best situation to make him shine, and that makes the team WIN!!
Is having our best pass rusher who is 250+lbs defending a WR 40 yards away from his NATURAL POSITION going to make him shine? is it putting the team in the best position to win?
Is having Vita Vea dropping into coverage the best thing for the team?
Is having the most complex defense known in the NFL going to help the team “play fast” (as they like to say about simplifying systems) or is it going to cause “communication problems” as has been the excuse for YEARS.
You made a good point the other day Joe. 3rd and 2, then 4th and 2 and calling for a punt was not just a dumb call, it was pure ego. MY (Todd’s) defense can stop Josh Allen bc I will confuse Allen with my genius play calling.
Week before vs Dolphins, Bills scored 13 points. vs Todd the Bills tripled that with 44. The Bucs got 3 TOs. The Bucs offense scored 32 points. Allen tied his Super Bowl-era record of being a part of six touchdowns. Who is the genius Bowles?
Maybe it was a communication issue.
As your predecessor Lovie used to say, ‘simple like that’.
November 19th, 2025 at 8:18 am
“And it would help greatly if a certain someone on the sidelines…” don’t be afraid to say it Joe. His name is Todd Bowles.
November 19th, 2025 at 8:24 am
The injuries on offense could impact more than just this season. It will give this blind ownership an excuse to keep Bowels for another season.
November 19th, 2025 at 8:44 am
What will Todd’s excuse be this week?…..The same broken record we’ve heard for 4 yrs. Players not communicating, missed assignments, poor tackling, mental errors, blah blah blah. It’s never ever going to be him taking responsibility that his play calling/scheme is the problem. Honestly I think he bails on the pass rush no different than young OCs bail on the running game. It’s like if we aren’t getting to the QB early, he’s immediately just going to blitz. We got guys who have shown ability….Yaya, Reddick, Nelson, etc….they can’t create pressure or even get ito a rhythm when they’re dropping back in coverage. Frankly I imagine it’s deflating to those guys when obvious passing downs come and they hear the play calling to then cover a RB or act as a disguise.
November 19th, 2025 at 8:47 am
Remember last off season when MOST of us wanted Bowles fired and Liam hired as HC.
Bowles always blames everyone else but himself. He has ZERO accountability for HIS actions. 2 Bill’s TDs had Anthony Nelson covering and YaYa covering the other 1. Bowles can say whatever he wants to the media. We know damn well Yaya was in coverage.
November 19th, 2025 at 8:53 am
So, you’re saying we need edge rushers?