“Seemed Like Everything Was An Issue”
November 19th, 2025
Chris Braswell was part of the Bucs’ kickoff coverage teams on Sunday.
Todd Bowles’ film review of his Sunday kickoff coverage unit is in.
The head coach appeared to see exactly what fans saw.
“Seemed like everything was an issue,” Bowles said on his official team radio show.
“We just gotta be better there. We got 11 guys over there coming down the field. We have to make plays. That’s the bottom line. You have to make plays, especially when that’s what you were on the team to do.”
Joe is concerned.
September special teams issues were very much about alignments and assignments. What dreadfully went wrong Sunday seems more about talent and hunger.
Can that be fixed in a week?
Joe wonders if Bowles will pull a defensive starter or two into fourth downs.
November 19th, 2025 at 12:48 pm
There were WIDE OPEN LANES all day long!
Bucs pick @19
November 19th, 2025 at 12:49 pm
i mean come on. what is this some community club team? are these people volunteering?
November 19th, 2025 at 12:52 pm
Still doesn’t explain why he didn’t kick it out of the end zone. Coaching fail.
November 19th, 2025 at 12:53 pm
It took home that long to say what we all saw on game and in games prior?? Thats a scary thought in itself. He needs to hold some players and coaches accountable. These are athletes that are paid alot of money. I get drafting good character guys butvas a result we have lost an edge that some other players like a suh bring to a team. But hey at least we got them draft picks to draft another bust of a edge right !
November 19th, 2025 at 1:00 pm
I wonder during the week, is this the extent of Todd’s coaching? Does he just tell his players “You’ve got to play it better! You’ve got to make plays!”
Because that’s all he’s been telling the fans and media for 7 years. I’ve never heard a person use so many words and say so little. The guy seems like an awful communicator. Just word salad with zero depth.
November 19th, 2025 at 1:14 pm
This is just a suggestion… no I’ve never been an NFL coach or player, but hear me out… How about NOT using your giant slow DE to cover a RB who runs a 4.4 one-on-one out of the backfield…. Also, don’t ask the DE to rush the passer then drop into one-on-one coverage…
Also, 2nd suggestion… Don’t have your best pass rusher 40 yards down the field in coverage on 3rd and long…
I know, I know, I’m just a guy playing Madden so my opinion doesn’t mean anything… However, I’m telling you, I might be on to something and it’s worth considering those points.
November 19th, 2025 at 1:17 pm
Maybe they should make it more complicated or bad or I mean exotic.
November 19th, 2025 at 1:20 pm
if bowles has to put starters on the field for special teams, then those non starters need to be released/cut yesterday!!!!
sadly, players are still on their owe bye week…no focus, no sense of urgency….giving players 7days off was the wrong move…
beat the Rams and we’ll all be talking about is the W…
GO BUCS!!!!
November 19th, 2025 at 1:21 pm
Article is about special teams rod think you missed the plot don’t blame you when things become so exotic you don’t know what you are looking at anymore.
November 19th, 2025 at 2:01 pm
You know Todd screwed up badly because, and I can’t believe I’m about to type this, I agree with Rod Munch (I feel dirty just typing that).
Blitzing safety’s and ILBs is one thing, having your edge rush cover their speed guy on a deep ball is just plain moronic.
November 19th, 2025 at 2:04 pm
Even on TV, you can see the Bucs kick coverage guys crashing inside at the returner as he is catching the ball. Total lack of lane discipline.
Then watch their kick coverage. Our returner doesn’t find wide-open lanes because their guys are still spread out STAYING IN THEIR LANES.
Kick cover team is not rocket science.
November 19th, 2025 at 2:11 pm
Special teams coach should have been left in Buffalo
November 19th, 2025 at 2:48 pm
@Ugo @Munch
Sad that you guys still don’t see the Bowles vision. You guys will be the first one calling for his statue when the guys finally put it all together in 2045.
Sir’Vocea, Braswell, Yaya, they all just need time to adjust to the NFL. They need to start making plays. It takes at least 5 years of hearing that sentence for it to make sense, how do you guys not know this??? It’s psychology 101.
Why do you think “it’s finally starting to click” for SVD in year 4? I think we can expect a significant jump in production from Braswell in year 8 and Yaya is coming along faster so he should be ready about halfway through year 5.
The Bowles defense isn’t too complex. It just needs time to settle in these young men’s heads.
I can’t wait to have Bowles as the Bucs coach for the rest of eternity. Seeing that face everytime they pan to him on the broadcast fills me with nothing but JOY.
Also, I love the fact that Bowles is starting to go for 2 all the time. I have always thought of him as an absolute whiz on the offensive ball. Step aside Dan Campbell, Todd Bowles is coming through!
November 19th, 2025 at 3:03 pm
Seeing Braswell not get to the QB, and give up the booty on the kickoff unit is not exciting. Rather have traded a 2nd round pick for an edge rusher- Jaelen Phillips went for a 3x, Parsons for 2 firsts, Quinnen Williams for a bounty.
I don’t care to see underperforming draft picks on the d-line not sack the QB. These guys don’t develop, outside of Vita bc he’s a star, we don’t develop edge guys. So, Licht should get off his high horse and quit sitting on his hands to and should have made a trade.
Bowles deserves blame, but I agree with Joe and Ira- the coaching doesn’t put a premium on sacking the QB from the edge, nor do we have the horses that were drafted.
It will piss me off to no end, and I’ll bicker about it on here all off season, if: we lose because of a toothless edge rush, or crap kick coverage. We cannot and should not lost by such a blatantly obvious outcome. It’s inexcusable. Licht should have made a dam. Trade or two. It wasn’t that hard.
If Dallas makes a run bc they traded for the Jets DL, and the Bengals ILB, does they qualify Buc fans to revolt if we lose by lack of d-line sacks, or poop LB coverage (Dennis).
I am upset just thinking about it all. I’d love to know what the hell Licht was thinking not making a trade? And I don’t want to hear spit about “draft picks are valuable, rookie contract, etc.” when the edge rush sucks so damn hard, iwhat draft pick is going to save it? JTS, Hall, Kancey, Braswell: either all have a lack of skill or are injury prone. I’m disheartened that Licht didn’t add a true pass rusher
November 19th, 2025 at 3:04 pm
I’ve lost all faith in Bowles. Our defense is pathetic, and too many losses hinge on poor decisions by the HC. I’m not confident we can win the division, much less any of the playoff teams if we got that far.
November 19th, 2025 at 3:05 pm
I wish Bucs could let us have a Festivus and air my grievances. They deserve to hear about it. Laying by this outcome is the definition of insanity.
November 19th, 2025 at 3:06 pm
I miss Simeon Rice, hope he makes the hall of fame. Thst dude was a great FA signing! Take notes, Licht, we need a sack master in the worst way!
November 19th, 2025 at 3:28 pm
Braswell is bad on defense and bad on ST. Another Licht 2d round bust! We’ve seen enough.
November 19th, 2025 at 3:40 pm
True pass rushers usually go in the top 10 of drafts. We rarely pick there- fortunately! I do agree we may need to make a trade for that very reason though. Or definitely look into free agents that come up.
November 19th, 2025 at 3:48 pm
Braswell is one of many bad picks on defense by our beloved GM.
November 19th, 2025 at 3:52 pm
This week you will see a rams team that has been kicking knuckle balls for kickoffs. They land in the zone and are hard to corral and catch putting the return team at a disadvantage. Who could imagine, our old school, incentive coaches probably think it is cheating.
November 19th, 2025 at 3:59 pm
it’s often guys you don’t expect to be phenom pass rushers that become just that…
hendrickson and crosby were 3rd and 4th rounders…
we’ve had some bad luck over the years, and have had the fair share of busts at the position as well – licht continues to try to find that guy without strapping the cap – and as we don’t land one, we rely on bowles expertise to generate sacks via scheme…
it’s not the worst thing in the world,but it has been quietly biting us in the azz for many years now
November 19th, 2025 at 4:01 pm
sadly at this point, braswell might actually be looking like a worse pick than JTS…
logan hall isn’t a bust…he just wreaks of mediocrity
November 19th, 2025 at 4:02 pm
actually hall is debatable…because he plays more like a 4th rounder
November 19th, 2025 at 4:26 pm
After the SECOND big kick return, every kickoff should have been going out of the back of the end zone. You don’t let a team get 15-25 free yards every possession, especially if you can fix it. Utter insanity.
November 19th, 2025 at 5:34 pm
If Chase can kick a 65 yard FG he should be able to kick it out of the end zone
November 19th, 2025 at 9:33 pm
In the draft its a crap shoot. Licht has had some good picks’ he has also had some big misses. JTS – logan hall – chris braswell were all recent 1st or 2nd round picks that have
Been duds to say the least. On top of that our defensive as a whole
Under performs most games. Every so often they show up. However
In the last 3 seasons its the offensive usually winning games.
November 20th, 2025 at 7:21 am
I’m really just disgusted with the overall defense, but kick coverage is supposed to be pretty routine and boring. In the old days we could run tackling drills ala Ray Perkins.