Passing Game Woes
November 25th, 2025
Jump-starting the passing game.
Entering the season, the Bucs’ passing game was thought to be one of the best in the NFL.
Now? As we approach Thanksgiving, the Bucs’ passing game is one of the worst it has been in years the past few games.
Since the Bucs beat the Seahawks on the road and were in a shootout with Seattle where Baker Mayfield threw for 370 yards, only once have the Bucs passed for more than 250 yards in a game. That was against the Patriots (258) in the first game after the bye.
(The Bucs had 248 yards passing against San Francisco.)
Joe chalked it up to injuries catching up to the Bucs. Chris Godwin went down in the Seattle win and it is no coincidence to Joe that the passing attack has sunk with Godwin off the field.
Yesterday, Bucs coach Todd Bowles was asked why the passing game has gone into the dumpster. It apparently is more complex than just injuries.
“I think it’s a little bit of everything,” Bowles said. “We definitely have to coach it better, and we’ve got to play it better.”
Ah, there’s Bowles’ favorite cliché: Gotta coach and play better. Ya’ think?
But Bowles went deeper than his favorite defensive reaction.
“It’s not just one thing, it’s everything involved in that,” Bowles said.
Well, it would certainly help if receivers can get more separation. And it would help if Josh Grizzard forgets his wide receiver screens to nowhere.
Joe would love to see Grizzard scheme up a play that gets Rachaad White open in space for a catch in the flat. Hell, Dave Canales could even do that.
White is dangerous in open space. Not so much when two defenders are crawling up his arse the second he touches the ball.
November 25th, 2025 at 5:06 am
Um, could it be that our starting wide receivers arr both rookies?
Yesh. That might wreck the trsin.
Idiots
November 25th, 2025 at 5:11 am
Todd Bowles … “I think it’s a little bit of everything. We definitely have to coach it better, and we’ve got to play it better.”
Unfortunately spoken like a HC who has no answers.
November 25th, 2025 at 6:13 am
Todd is also on the NFL Competition Committee. I can’t see him going anywhere until this season is over. If he goes, Jason, other coaches, staff, medical, and training should all be scrutinized too. I agree with part of what he said, “It’s not just one thing, it’s everything involved in that.”
The buck stops at the top too. The Glazers. They have the money to turn this around. They donate to other people for many things. The Bucs really need a rebuild. Guessing, that if we make it to the Super Bowl again and win, Todd and others would leave on that high note. If we make it to the play-offs, that’s another scenario. We don’t know what is in Licht and Bowles extended contracts, so there is that too. I really like Todd. He’s a good guy. He had the locker room. Unfortunately, the locker room seems off now. Part could be the injuries, missing Evans, etc. Bad refs. But it goes back to coaching decisions too.
November 25th, 2025 at 6:20 am
what happened to the lethal screen game we had two years ago? where’s the long ball to tez? baker has been throwing late and behind to receivers that are not open, against the good teams we’ve been playing we need our best receivers and we’re missing them, lots of problems everywhere, besides baker missing open receivers down field bc he’s too busy running for his life
November 25th, 2025 at 6:28 am
This guy F’ing sucks
November 25th, 2025 at 6:30 am
@Joe, you should ask Todd, “Coach, are you and your staff actually capable of ‘coaching it better’, because that’s your response every week”?
The fans know the answer, hopefully Licht and the glazers can see the answer.
November 25th, 2025 at 6:31 am
No, Todd, it’s not that “we need to coach better”. It’s that we need a better coach!
November 25th, 2025 at 6:33 am
When you lose your stars to injury coaching comes into play big time. Well if Todd has to rely on strategy and game to game scheming the team is screwed. He’s simply not capable of game planning week to week. We see the same garbage week after week and if we can see it you know the opponent see it’s clear as day.
He’s a terrible HC in the NFL. I’m so sick of being held back by a subpar coach
that if everything isn’t perfect then it’s game over. He doesn’t deserve to coach this team thru the end of the season much less bringing him back for 2026.
I’m over the “we have to coach it better and we have to play it better”.
That’s the words of a man who hasn’t a clue.
November 25th, 2025 at 6:34 am
Joe is funny. Todd says that the players have to play better and the coaches have to coach better. Joe sarcastically replies to that. Then Joe says the receivers have to get better separation. That’s called playing better. Then Joe says Grizzard has to be more creative. That’s called coaching better. You both said the same thing. The difference is what exactly?
November 25th, 2025 at 6:37 am
More J E R K comments from bowles. “uh, well, if we play we play. or we have to coach. or play or play coach. you pick. i wont know til after the game ends how it went. then, if we coached but didnt play, we didnt play. but if we coached and played and didnt AH SHUCKS I FORGOT WHICH STRING OF NONSENSE I WAS SPEWING YET AGAIN.” wanders away from the podium…..
November 25th, 2025 at 7:03 am
Well, it’s definitely more than one thing. The offensive line (including Wirfs) is struggling in pass protection. Right from the first snap of the Rams game, Mayfield was running for his life. Doesn’t help that we’re playing with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th WR’s. Then we have Otten who’s somehow forgotten how to catch the ball. Throw in the fact that the last three teams we’ve played are basically top 10 defenses, then you’ve got a very bad contributing factors.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:14 am
As well as Tez has played, he could have even more success on explosive plays
if he was a deep threat to take the top of the defense. Receivers like Mike and Chris would take pressure off him Agree with Joe on getting RW1 the ball. There have been opportunities for White to make plays with a good amount of green grass in front of him, but Baker doesn’t even look his way. The 3 and three play to Otten several weeks ago was a good example. Baker failed to see how open White
was and forced a pass to Otten who took a vicious hit from two defenders and dropped it.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:50 am
OC is in over his head!!!!
GO BUCS!!!
November 25th, 2025 at 8:00 am
Didn’t Gruden get fired AFTER getting a contract extension? I believe Todd was given a extension this season? There is hope Bucs fans!
November 25th, 2025 at 8:01 am
Liam Cohen slipped through there hands
November 25th, 2025 at 8:04 am
Gruden could fix this dumpster fire, just don’t give him total control.
November 25th, 2025 at 8:13 am
I’m not a Bowles hater, but I wish he’d just be more open in answering questions, or just flat out not answer them. I tire of the evasive responses and half-truths or even what look like lies at times.
November 25th, 2025 at 8:28 am
HeyJude, “The Bucs really need a rebuild.”
We’ve been in a rebuild since Brady left. We’ve gone through Salary Cap Hell with all the dead cap money paid to Brady, Fournette, Jensen, Shack – just to name a few. Wirfs is the only remaining O lineman. Mike and Chris are both on the bench the better part of the last two seasons. We’re on our third OC.
VV and LVD are close to retirement. Oft injured Dean is being shown the door and “I got mine” AWJ plays with one eye looking toward the locker room. There are NO game changers on D. Think about that when we honor Simeon Rice Sunday.
Baker is here largely because of Bowles. He was Todd’s choice. He’s our game changer. And now he’s injured.
I challenge Joe on the Ring of Honor moniker for Jason. For every success drafting and stocking the offense with great players, he’s missed terribly on defense. Bowles’s shares blames for that as well.
But, to my point. We’ve been in a rebuild for the past three seasons. We’ve won three straight division titles and won more than we’ve lost. After starting the season with ‘Resiliency’ and Coach of the Year talk, Todd is struggling. Ok, I’ll give him that. This is the NFL. Few teams go wire to wire firing on all cylinders, and half of ours are on the bench.
I never bought into the SB and ‘all this talent’ hype this off season because we didn’t address needs on D. Hoping we can still win the division. With all of the above, that would still be a helluva accomplishment.
November 25th, 2025 at 8:59 am
The Bowel Movement soaks so profoundly. Has us hanging on every word.
November 25th, 2025 at 9:05 am
Our receivers are not getting separation? Then Baker needs to lead them with the ball, not throw behind them. This has been happening since the first game. Could be due to injury. Don’t we have a QB coach for mechanics?
Some of us question Baker’s ability to quickly read the field. I realize, what looks slow on TV is actually very micro-seconds fast on the field, still miss seeing open receivers. Even announcers comment on it. If one receiver is open, then try to force it to a covered receiver. This happens even when he has time behind a healthy o-line.
Grizz isn’t helping. The defense gets too comfortable covering the same five Bucs receivers. Maybe another Bucs TE out there to receive, instead of just blocking. Culp is tall and known to come down with contested passes. Career 5/6 for 17 yrd average… 0 targets this year. Again, Ryan Miller 6’ 2” with 12/20 for 10.7 yrd average in 2024… 2/4 for 34 yards in 2025.
November 25th, 2025 at 9:37 am
We can’t beat man coverage. I think it’s partly due to the WR we have right now. Ubeka is not that guy beating #1 CB. Shepard is old. Tez is raw. I think it’s partly due to scheme, we are not running quick man beater route trees.
When the broadcast shows a pseudo all22 camera angle you can see this. Our guys may as well be wearing Rams DBs like coats.
November 25th, 2025 at 9:45 am
Where’s Bruce “special assistant” Arians at?
You’ve got a young OC who’s obviously floundering and I haven’t heard or seen anything about him, apart from stints on Pat Macafee pimping Bowles as “coach of the year (LOL)”.
They could use him right now but he seems to he absent.
November 25th, 2025 at 9:50 am
Scheme, play call, qb play regression, pass protection breaking down at the most inopportune times(Wirfs is having his worst year as a Pro), WRs not getting separation, injuries. The offense has been showing signs of regression since the 49ers game. Right now, with the unimaginative play calling I fear things won’t change even with Evans, Godwin, JMac and Buck returning.
But a Buccaneer QB Legend once said that the season doesn’t begin until thanksgiving, so let the season begin!
November 25th, 2025 at 10:25 am
“We definitely have to coach it better, and we’ve got to play it better.”
Gee, maybe its your scheme Todd. HOW do you get a large influx of talent this hear, have less injuries than last year (on D) and your D is WORSE???
You have NO PASS RUSH, yet JL has spent a great deal of money and draft capital on talent for you. SURELY, you can develop ONE FRIGGING EDGE?!?! You know, one who is better at rushing the QB and not chasing a RB or WR?!?!
YOUR scheme and your D sucks Todd, yet you punt to get your lousy D on the field so YOU can play hero?
November 25th, 2025 at 10:26 am
year*
November 25th, 2025 at 10:28 am
Grizz is no Liam Coen. We’re missing Coen. Coen should be coaching the Bucs, and Bowles should have a phoney title with a big paycheck. Glazers blew it last year, doubled down by giving Bowles an extention. An extention that really means nothing. I think they paid him knowing it will make it feel better when they fire him. Big game for Bowles, and the Bucs this Sunday. The perfect tomato can is coming to town for a fight. Bucs better not be the ones to get knocked out.
November 25th, 2025 at 10:29 am
“…a play that gets Rachaad White open in space for a catch in the flat.”
It is not against the rules to pass to a RB? Wow, how about that!!! Definitely would surprise the other team, not to mention us Bucs fans!
November 25th, 2025 at 10:35 am
Grizz is really struggling. Early in the season, the opposing D’s didn’t have much tape on his offense, and now the D’s have caught up to him.
November 25th, 2025 at 10:58 am
Despite the butt-whoopin the Bucs took by the Rams, did anyone see Tez Johnson on some of his routes??
I swear that dude is getting faster & faster.
He looked extremely explosive when they they put him as the motion receiver behind the line……He’s so quick off the snap, he’s like immediately open…
Call me crazy but Grizzard might wanna take advantage of that 🤷🏻♂️….
But again I’m just a pee-on fan and not an OC 🙂
November 25th, 2025 at 11:01 am
Grizzard’s head is spinning now when it comes to calling plays…
He’s in way over his head.
Fans know it…
Also Bowles defensive scheme puts him wayyyyyy over his head.
Maybe somebody needs to tell hom that we don’t have the horses on the edge to cover RB’s down the field. MAYBEEEEEEE he should simplify things and have his edge rushers rush the passer…
But again, I’m just a pee-on fan and not a super stud DC like Bowles is 🙄
November 25th, 2025 at 11:16 am
JustOneGame got it exactly right! Hope the Joes take him up on the suggestion. NY or Philly media would eat bowles up. He never has any answers and Bucs media never presses him on the follow up. He gives his canned, coach speak answer and everybody just moves on. When is the better coaching coming todd? No answers at the podium, no answers on the field. Everyone just playing their part and going through the motions. Why? Because he is incapable of fixing the team. We are a rudderless ship.
November 25th, 2025 at 12:08 pm
FrontFour – You are right about a lot of it. Great points and yes, we were in rebuild when Brady left and luckily we got Baker. He was the perfect QB. Bowles wanted Baker years ago when he was the HC of the Jets. Yes, now we got him. Unfortunately, he got hurt with no real back-up plan. No what-if.
Bucky, a great pick and was awesome last season. I actually thought we would be back on top again this season, especially after the first few games. We are in the running only because the Panthers lost. I look at it as a mild rebuild after Brady, and now a complete over-haul rebuild after this season. With that being said, it could all turn-a-round and we win the SB. Can only hope at this point.
November 25th, 2025 at 2:22 pm
mj,
Screen passes and draw plays are used to take advantage of strong pass rush/blitzes from defenses. What the Bucs are doing is sort of nonsensical with wide throws to WR’s against press coverage. How many times do they have to do it to figure out it is not fooling anyone? Disappointed so far with Grizz. Could be that injuries to WR’s have limited him. The offense against strong defenses looks confused. By comparison Matthew Stafford and the Rams didn’t waste time trying to run the ball. Bucs defense backs obliged by avoiding Rams receivers.
November 25th, 2025 at 2:52 pm
Wait, those expensive wide receivers are paid a lot of money for a reason? Really? WOW, had no idea, I thought you could just throw anyone out on the field and have success.
Anywho, as I pointed out at the time, Seattle was missing two pro-bowl DB’s and then lost a 3rd corner in the 1st quarter. Because of that, their DC went full Bowles turtle mode and sat in a super soft zone defense, and got torn up by the Bucs. Of course the Seahawks DC said after the game he was embarrassed by it and promises they wouldn’t ever do anything like that again, and shockingly, their defense has been really good ever since. Meanwhile, every single time there’s an injury with the Bucs DB’s, Bowles goes into his shell, plays mostly passive football, and every opposing QB looks like a 1st ballot HOFer. Then, when everyone is healthy, we see the Bowles of legend, and we actually get all those exotic blitzes, a lot more aggressive man, and suddenly the defense looks like it did vs the Lions, Saints and Pats (and yes, the Pats game was a good game for the dullards that don’t know football). But, Dean gets hurt on the first series in Buffalo, and suddenly, it’s back to passive stupid zone trash where you have your best pass rusher playing corner 40 yards down the field.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:50 pm
Rod Munch, I may be a dullard but I know my football. And I’m not by any means saying our passing game doesn’t suck. But to say the Pats game was a good game for our defense? It was a good defense most of the night. But 3 breakout touchdowns and that made the defense very, very suspect. Add another giant 60 yard play, probably on McCollum and probably on third and long, added to the stinker that was laid that game.
November 25th, 2025 at 6:06 pm
Kenton Smith – Again, the defense gives the offense the ball three times in a row in the 4th quarter with a chance to take the lead. Also, the last play by the defense was designed to either get a stop, or let them score, so it was really only 2 big plays – and yes, I’ll take two big plays vs one of the best offenses when it also means they’re getting stops and keeping the team in the game as the offense does nothing.
The Pats game was not a bad game, it’s complete nonsense for people to claim it was. That’s just people looking at a box score and highlights and not remembering how the game actually played out. Additionally take away that last run, or have the Pats RB take a knee like he’s coached to do, and the Bucs don’t get the ball back, and Bakers numbers for that game are terrible, he got like 1/4th his yards and a TD on that last garbage time drive.
The point being, when everyone was healthy, Bowles finally started being aggressive and bringing the ‘exotic’ defenses in the 4th quarter of the 49ers game. That bleed over into the Lions game, where the Bucs defense had an amazing performance, then again vs the Saints, then again vs the Patriots, then to start the Bills game, then Dean gets hurt, Bowles throws out everything that was working, and goes back to his cupcake super soft mostly zone nonsense. The defensive struggles can be fixed by just calling different plays, and not being so cowardly. I do not care about the big plays, so long as you’re getting stops, turnovers, and putting your team in a position to win – which the Bucs defense was doing.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:35 pm
I’m with you on those damn tunnel screens Joe. Every team in the league knows that the Bucs go to play when they really need some yards is the tunnel screen. The defenses know it’s coming just by the formation, down and distance.
November 25th, 2025 at 8:35 pm
Your QB is short, inconsistent and inaccurate. His first 5 years in the leauge the highest he ever finished in completion % was 24th. I looked at the list for every year after and it ended at 25, meaning he was 26 or lower the other 4 years. His first year in Tampa with Godwin and Evans playing ALL 17 games he was 19th. Last year, the outlier he was 3rd. This year he is like 22nd-24th. Take away last year and his average ranking on completion percentage is like 26th lol. Including last year it’s like 23rd. The only reason he gets compared to Brees is because they are short guys from Texas. Lol, he is not accurate like Brees. Since he entered the league in 2018, of all QBs with 75 starts he has the 5th lowest completion percentage. The first 4 are Darnold, Wentz,Marcus Mariota and I forget who else. But the Baker man is #5. Hard to thrive in the passing game when your QB ANNUALLY ranks among the least accurate QBs in the leauge.
November 25th, 2025 at 9:07 pm
UPDATE: I looked again. My criteria was the 5 QBs with the lowest completion % since 2018(when Baker entered the league) with a minimum 75 starts. In order it was Darnold, Wentz, Trevor Lawrence,Marcus Mariota and at #5, Baker Just a coincidence I’m sure. Being inaccurate doesn’t affect the passing game. If only he had wrs to play with: young Beckham, Landry, even DJ Moore then finally Evans and Godwin. Young pro bowl right ends in Njoku and Hooper. His backs: Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt for a backup. CMC in that half season in Carolina. Cleveland annually had one of the best Lines in football. Imagine a inaccurate QB being inaccurate.
November 26th, 2025 at 4:19 am
Erickson Cobb Carrier – Whoa! Brees wasn’t the 2nd coming either. Baker hasn’t been involved in an NFL scandal. Brees tried to say he didn’t know about Bounty-Gate. When there is no way he didn’t. He isn’t sunshine and roses. He has no personality and boring as an analyst too.
Baker found his fit with the Bucs. Remember the huge error the Browns made when they chose that other controversial guy over him. Baker has come a long way. He deserves the respect. Go Bucs!
November 26th, 2025 at 9:22 am
JASON LIGHT MESSED UP WITH COHEN SHOULD HAVE MADE HIM THE HEAD COACH. HE HAS THE JAGS TURNED AROUND IN HIS FIRST YEAR THAT FLOUNDERING FRANCHISE. NOHE PASSED ON BRANDON COOK’S, WHO WAS RELEASED FROM THE SAINTS BECAUSE HE WANTED MORE PLAIN TIME.AS THAT EXPERIENCED RECEIVER LIGHT JUST BLEW THAT ONE TOO.THE BUFFALO BILLS PICKED HIM UP A BETTER FRANCHISE.
November 26th, 2025 at 9:35 am
NOT A GZZ BELIVER .WORST OF THE 3 CANELS ,COEN, AND GIZZ. BUT I BET HE CAME CHEAP LIKE BOWLES. REMINDS ME OF SHADES OF CULVERHOUSE ! FANS WHO KNEW ABOUT CULVERHOUS ,HE WAS A TAX ATTORNEY WHO ONLY CARED ABOUT PUTTING BUTTS IN THE SEATS AS LONG AS THERE WERE SO MANY FANS SHOWED UP FOR THE GAME HE MADE MONEY BUT DID NOT CARE MUCH ABOUT WINNING. LOOKING ALL TOO FAMILIAR.
November 26th, 2025 at 9:43 am
Hey Jude: All that aside, can you explain: His first 5 years he only cracked the top 25 in completion% ONCE and that was as a rookie when he was 24th. In 2023 here with Godwin and Evans playing all 17, he was 19th in completion %. This year he’s like 23rd. Wow. Just wow. He is one of the most inaccurate QBs since he entered the leauge.The Browns got rid of him by because he was garbage.He just than Garbage now, that’s all..He BETTER sign that extension because the gig is up.