Coaching Malpractice
November 23rd, 2025
Baker Mayfield walks back to the Bucs’ bench in the third quarter from the locker room in Los Angeles Sunday night.
Good luck explaining this one away.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles has had a string of “What was he thinking?” moments since the bye week.
Tonight, he had a big one. And Joe doesn’t think there is a proper, logical answer.
Late in the second quarter down 21, Bowles decided to go for it on fourth down from the Bucs-28. It failed.
Mind you, Bowles, with the game on the line and his running game dominating Buffalo, failed one week ago to go for a first down in the fourth quarter down five with the ball on the Bucs-39. It cost Tampa Bay the game because the defense was a sieve and Buffalo scored the game-winning touchdown.
So since the Bucs coach decided to wave the white flag in the second quarter, why then leave your banged-up franchise quarterback in the game? It was over — otherwise you wouldn’t have called such a dumb stunt. And then you make things significantly worse by leaving Baker Mayfield in the game, who was already playing with a banged-up left shoulder.
Sure as s(p)it stinks, Mayfield, on the final play of the half, fell on that hurt shoulder and the next time Bucs fans saw him, he was walking out of the tunnel to the Bucs’ bench with his left arm in a sling.
Happy?
Or perhaps leaving a hurt Mayfield in the game was one of those good ol’ fashioned “communication” issues, eh?
In some circles, that’s known as coaching malpractice.
In simple terms, that was as irresponsible as you can get.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:29 pm
Lovie Bowles never has this team ready for prime time.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:30 pm
Toilet Bowl needs to be left in LA
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:30 pm
What’s up with Wirfs ? Given 2 sacks today. 3 on the year so far. If he’s still hurt why play him at all . Because he looks a step slow.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:31 pm
We got em right where we want em ….We reel off 3n3 the next 6games finish 9n7 to beat out the Panthers in a tiebreaker and than get thumped in the first round.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:31 pm
Bowles needs to be let go. It isn’t going to happen but the team will never get anywhere with him ay the helm. It’s same crap every year. 4 game losing streak mid-season every single year. How do they fire Dungy who had way more success but keep Bowles. Bucs aren’t making the playoffs this year. Don’t care who comes back. Teddy is now at the helm so season is 100% over!
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:31 pm
Did Bowles make these type decisions when with the Jets and besides W/L record did this lead to his dismissal?
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:32 pm
I agree with Ira. The Bucs had a good game tonight 🙂 🙂
Hey comedy keeps back the tears
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:32 pm
Total meltdown mode.
Nothing will happen though.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:32 pm
Wirfs looked bad tonight, o-line looked atrocious, defense was atrocious, Todd bowels is and will always be atrocious. Fire Todd
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:32 pm
Todd is a nice, smart, funny guy who used to be a good defensive coordinator. I’m out of nice things to say and don’t want to say anything negative after that depressing game, so I will just leave it at that.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:32 pm
Bridgewater played with zero sense of urgency. Even if Trask sucks you know he would’ve at least played with heart and has the arm to throw it over 10 yards. Bowles personnel decisions all season have been atrocious. My god, and some people are afraid to let him go. Wake up, Bowles is not good and never has been good.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:33 pm
Absolutely coaching malpractice, Baker gets hurt then goes in the tent then the next series he is back out on the field then he reinjures the injury. Now he is in a sling, he should of been on the bench, season is over. Hope Bowles gets fired!
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:33 pm
Short qb and no tall wr to bail Mayfield out. Simple as that.
Mike Evans is missed.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:33 pm
Embarrassing is the word. The Raiders canned Chip Kelly today and I bet the raiders could have scored 31 on Bowles’ D btonight. It was pathetic, the O playcalling was bad too but is that Grizz or Bowles or both. One thing is for sure, Grizzard is not getting poached by another team this January.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:34 pm
We are gonna watch Liam Coen bring the Jags to the playoffs and we are stuck with this literal circus… sad
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:34 pm
Amazing how Baker is always hurt when he has bad games.
Also amazing how you hurt your non-throwing arm on a play where you’re not even hit.
Anywho, I fully expect Baker to be out there vs the Cardinals.
I hope that is the case anyways since Bridgewater is a worthless bum and I don’t even know if he can be carried to a W vs the Cards – even if they’re on their 3rd string QB.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:34 pm
Glazer’s should launch him now. There has to be someone out there. And get BA off the payroll. What is he contributing? Nothing.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:36 pm
I am serious when I say I am over this team until Todd B is fired. It’s the same thing… rinse and repeat. This team simply cannot fire on all cylinders. For people defending Todd and this team, my question is this…
What is this teams identity? Look at this current team and tell me what are their strong points?
My god, I turned off that s-show of a game and watched Christmas movies with my kids, for god sake! It’s not even thanksgiving yet!!!
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:36 pm
Something is seriously wrong with this team. I know we have tons of injuries and we are playing a bunch of backups…but to go out and play like they did on National TV for everyone to see? Where was the fire, the fight? Hell the least one of the players could have done is planted Stafford on his behind a couple of times whether a late hit or not. At least get mad at what is happening.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:37 pm
ZERO chance our to-be-not-named offensive coordinator is hired by another team next year.
Message me if I’m wrong.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:37 pm
“Amazing how Baker is always hurt when he has bad games.”
@Rod
You’ve had some dumb takes before so that isn’t the dumbest but its in your second tier for a QB who hasn’t missed a game
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:38 pm
The Joes laughed when people said Bowles was incompetent and not capable of being the HC in the offseason.
I remember clearly on the Ira podcast them saying that the Glazers liked the job Bowles does and he wasn’t going anywhere.
Strap in folks. We’re heading down a dark alley with no flash light.
10-7 will feel like a Swedish massage after this season.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:38 pm
If we gotta rely on teddy for any games our season is going to be over even in this weak division. Dam. Just dam. Embarrassing night on national tv and Joe your dam right the rams are good but not that good. We just make other teams look like all decade teams
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:38 pm
What possible reason could you have to keep Bowles employed? What has he done good this season? How has this team improved? When the team was mostly healthy, how did it perform?
1-3 in the playoffs.
3 straight seasons with mid-season losing streaks.
What sane person wants to see this another year?
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:38 pm
Bowles loves mediocrity. Anything he can do to truly avoid being successful he does. With him as head coach this tram will never, ever get back to a super bowl. The only reason he has been successful the last few years is because the division was so weak.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:38 pm
Reminds me of when Todd left Godwin in against the Ravens down multiple scores….
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:39 pm
I actually didn’t mind them going for it on fourth down in that scenario. It’s really completely different than the fourth down in the fourth quarter on Buffalo, which I also think they should’ve gone for. But in this scenario, who knows what kind of play could open up and potentially score a touchdown to bring you within two scores at halftime. Or you just throw the ball out of bounds and everybody goes to the half. Baker didn’t have to go for that long throw and probably shouldn’t have when he was on the run like that, just for the fact that the ball was not going to go far enough or be accurate enough. Baker was holding onto the ball a long time tonight, I don’t know if it is him not progressing reads fast enough or the receivers not getting any separation, or the play calling is not taking advantage of the defense — maybe all.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:39 pm
Rod Munch you are the biggest dipsh#t on this site…
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:39 pm
Just another Bowles Blunder. I been calling it out a long time.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:40 pm
Todd says Baker has a sprain shoulder will get MRI tomorrow.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:41 pm
They all out there running laps for millions of dollars doing nothing.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:43 pm
Thanks for the memories of stellar play Lavonte, so sorry you’ll be exiting the league the same way you came into it, playing on sorry inept gutless defenses
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:43 pm
Yep. Too Easy. Though, I don’t know who’s decision it is to play that far off… Regardless, they just CAN’T ‘allow’ these guys a free-release like THAT, or they have absolutely NO CHANCE. They HAVE TO jam ‘em at the line of scrimmage. Have To. And, soooo concerned with ONLY stopping the run game LMAOOOOO…. Is just IDIOTIC. It’s friggin’ LA RAMS… Ya know, McVay, STAFFORD, Davonte MF’in ADAMS, and GD PUKA!? GEEEEEEZE!!!! And, YOU are still OBSESSED with the RUNNNN… REALLYYYYY!? It’s stupidity. Now, please tell me again, WHO was their “Running Back” tonight (I know it Kyren Williams, but come-on)!? He only knows just ONE-WAY, amd is too damned STOBBORN to adjust, at all. It’s INSANITY.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:44 pm
Baker has a bad throw and misses a wide open e2 for a long TD…
OK, it happens… sucks but QBs miss that throw some times. BUT what do the Baker Boi(s) claim… oh man, he must be injured, he missed that throw.
Then, game goes along, he’s not making plays, having a bad game… and what do I read — oh man, he’s clearly injured.
Then he gets injured… and then all the people say, see, he was injured the entire time, that’s why he played so poorly (despite the fact he wasn’t injured before he got injured).
That’s my issue with the constant “he’s injured” nonsense.
Anywho, I expect him to be out there next week – because Bum Bridgewater is the other choice, and that’s no choice at all. So Baker needs to be out there. Please Baker, you MUST be out there.
And BTW, I’m bashing the idiot Baker Boi(s) and their dumb takes on things – not Baker himself, so calm down ladies.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:45 pm
It doesn’t matter if Baker was healthy or not, this team was going nowhere. He wasn’t playing good before the injury. Missing WRs high, and behind them. Holding the ball too long. He was healthy last year in the playoffs with Evans and with a better OC and it didnt matter.
This team needs to be gutted and rebuilt with an offensive HC and a young QB.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:45 pm
I’m starting to sense an undercurrent of discontentment with Coach Todd Bowles.Hmm. That’s a shame. I remember the good old days when Durango was just a troll. “Pay no attention to Durango he’s just trolling.” I do remember it being just like that.
Seems like only yesterday or at least a month ago.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:45 pm
It’s SO PATHETIC, that he was even too SCARED to put his “God Son” out there tonight! PATHETIC. Just Horrible.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:48 pm
I was no fan of Trask, but I still have no idea why they kept Bridgewater, Captain overthrow, who threw a total of 2 good passes in the preseason for touchdowns. That was the extent of it and then they got rid of the guy who knew the players and the offense as the back up. Made no sense. Anyway……
They had nothing to lose launching a Hail Mary. If Mayfield shoulder was hurt, or if the trainer fell he was hurt, they simply say he can’t do it. I would not call that coaching malpractice.
The coaching malpractice is the defense.
I am all for getting rid of the DC now. I also think some blame has to go towards LICHT for failing to get an edge rusher at the trade deadline.
ZYON was ascending for three years and now looks like a rookie. He’s single-handedly cost 17 points.
The defense came out looking good, third and 18, ZYON gets beat. How the hell do you get beat on a 20 yard out pattern?
Why do so many receivers seem to be wide open 15 to 20 yards down the field? It seems like the Buccaneers can either cover underneath or deep, they don’t seem to be able to do both.
Buccaneer receivers always seem to have a defender draped on them.
There’s a lot of talent there, it is 100% scheme and lack of an edge at this point. I still think they get healthy and make a run over the last six games, but it is looking like one and done in the playoffs… Again.
Chucky got ran out of town for being average, Todd Bowles is heading that direction
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:49 pm
Bowles had his chance to win the fans over this season. Chris Godwin injury was worse because it was at the end up a blowout game.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:49 pm
Plenty of valid gripes in these comments, and I agree with many, but ..
Let’s also not forget that the Rams may be the best team in the NFC, if not the entire league. They’re playing at another level right now. The Bucs helped make that possible in a number of ways, but that’s a damned good team
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:53 pm
Guys like the Durango are pathetic. Instead of rooting for your team & being an optimist, you constantly look for a negative and then months later or years later if it comes true, you jump up and down like a toddler screaming “I told you so! I told you so!”
Meanwhile, you want us to ignore the other 27 things you were wrong about.
So great, you seem to have been right about this. Kinda, Todd Bowles defense won the Super Bowl. For three years, they were decimated with injury and got the team into the playoffs because of his scheme and blitzes.
Nice, It seems that is fading into the past and no longer viable. OK, then after this season, it is time to move on
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:56 pm
Ask yourselves, what do we do well? I challenge anyone to name one thing. Every single facet of this team is grossly deficient. Our OL plays on roller skates. Our WRs can’t separate consistently. Our RBs don’t scare anyone. Our OC is calling plays at a High School level. And our QB looked terrible before he got hurt.
On D, we don’t hold up at the point of attack, can’t generate a pass rush, never confuse the other team, leave pass catchers wide open all over the field and tackle like a bunch of jellyfish (sorry about that jellyfish). Our high priced CB hasn’t make a play all year. Our BIG DT is largely invisible. And nearly everyone else not wearing #23 and 25 are routinely outworked.
Our special teams look like something out of Techmo Bowl. The FO is so busy reveling in their awesomeness that they can’t or won’t objectively see the fire burning in the dumpster right in front of their eyes.
Pathetic all around.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:56 pm
Worst QB pressure rate on the season!
#NOCONFIDENCE
November 24th, 2025 at 12:01 am
READ MY LIPS! FIRE TODD BOWLES
November 24th, 2025 at 12:02 am
READ MY LIPS! FIRE TODD BOWLES
November 24th, 2025 at 12:03 am
Anyone who thinks Todd is the answer is off his rocker. The guy couldn’t beat an equal or better team to save his ass. He is an enigma wrapped in riddle of excuses.
November 24th, 2025 at 12:04 am
Joe, you said it all here. I’ve seen enough. This is the best Bowles can do. By halftime: Rams- 5 possessions. 4 TDs. 1 FG. No punts.
Bucs-……..uniforms looked good. Time to move on from Bowles after this season.
November 24th, 2025 at 12:09 am
He’s gone
November 24th, 2025 at 12:12 am
Covering noone has been tolerated for years, getting Baker mauled is no-go for the Bud Light base
November 24th, 2025 at 12:14 am
Self-immolating coaching performance
November 24th, 2025 at 12:18 am
The Bucs simply MUST fire Bowels and hire a coach who can rebuild and install a winning culture. Standing there squinting with your arms folded is not getting it done.
November 24th, 2025 at 12:25 am
I’ve been saying it all along about Bowles, too! The dude is killing the team & his scheme/system is killing that D, too! If I remember right (maybe not because the game was boring) on that sack by Yaya he wasn’t dropping out.
November 24th, 2025 at 12:29 am
They need a different type of energy. This year is now play out the string. They prob fuked up letting coen go.
November 24th, 2025 at 12:31 am
They play like they have an old tired coaxh.
November 24th, 2025 at 12:32 am
They play like they have an old tired coach.
November 24th, 2025 at 12:32 am
Rod Munch you are a total and utter idiot. Mayfield has played his guts out, has been injured but not one time has complained and you always have to have a little demeaning comment. I just thank God you are just a pitiful, joke of a fan and not anyone with any authority. You belong in Cleveland 100%.