Chris Simms: Bucs’ Secondary “Cannot Cover”
November 25th, 2025
Former Bucs QB Chris Simms says he thought by now Todd Bowles “would have figured out how to save the secondary.”
Things are that bad, Simms told his NBC Sports audience this week.
“Man, their secondary just cannot cover,” Simms said after the Rams embarrassed the Bucs on Sunday. “They can’t make any plays, right? People are wide open everywhere. It doesn’t matter what you do. It’s like, you can surgically destroy them; and then when they try to stop the surgicality, you can just destroy them with bombs over the top like we’ve seen the last few weeks.”
Joe’s not sure “surgicality” is a word, but Joe gets what Simms is saying. The Bucs’ pass defense is failing every possible way. The secondary has issues and the pass rush is more fantasy than reality.
What’s the fix, Coach?
November 25th, 2025 at 3:46 pm
Play it better and coach it better.
November 25th, 2025 at 3:46 pm
Painful as a
Derek Sharp.. stick in the eye 👁️
OC are all seeing the same thing and the beating will continue until… most probably the rest of the season
Remember the first three games and the last second victory
Face the reality fans…
November 25th, 2025 at 3:46 pm
Can’t cover and we can’t get after the qb…. looks like 7 on 7 drills out there… pathetic
November 25th, 2025 at 3:53 pm
Time to put Tykee back at Nickel so he can cover the middle and take some names!!! He playing great at safety (our MVP) I really think him and Winfield don’t blend great back there together!! Move McCollum to safety , this can be done upon Deans return!!! Go Bucs
November 25th, 2025 at 3:54 pm
cannot cover…cannot rush!!!
GO BUCS!!!
November 25th, 2025 at 3:55 pm
C’mon Joe. Bowles is on the case. He knows what needs to be done.
Just got to play it better, coach it better.
Simple as that, everything will be fixed.
What exactly do you not understand???
The Glazers are now putting together another extension based on the surgical approach to coaching that Bowles displays on Sunday.
November 25th, 2025 at 3:59 pm
What’s the fix coach? Should be obvious by now Joe Bowles doesn’t know how to fix it. This isn’t new. Our secondary, like our pass rush has been horrible under Bowles. The year we won the SB was an exception. Remember though, Arians was the head coach. I’m sure he told Bowles what to do like he told Leftwich what to do. Arians made Bowles look like a defensive genius. Without Arians we’ve seen the true Bowles defense with all it’s flaws.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:05 pm
While true in many ways, Chris Simms couldn’t figure out secondary’s, either, so he should sit down and be quiet like a good little trust fund kid.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:05 pm
When will folks realize that the Secondary played MUCH better when Jamel Dean was in there & healthy.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:05 pm
While true in many ways, Chris Simms couldn’t figure out the secondary when he was QB, either.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:05 pm
It’s scheme related…not scheming to take advantage of whatever perceived strengths we have, which admittedly are difficult to quantify at this point. Winfield and Tykee simply can’t make plays in coverage. They’re either lost, lack ability or both. They’re usually good tacklers and can create turnovers in the run after catch game. But anything to do with actually preventing catches is astonishingly bad. LBs can’t cover and lack speed. CBs not named Dean can’t play zone and unfortunately get carved up by any legitimate WR when playing man.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:05 pm
The coaching on this team is and has been horrific. Just telling you like it is. Again.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:05 pm
Chris Simms isn’t one to talk.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:07 pm
Seeing as how Chris Simms had trouble throwing the ball against basic coverage in his career, he really shouldn’t be talking.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:08 pm
Yes Joe like I said I only tuned in to see Godwin hopefully catch a pass. I did get interested when Diaby got that sack. It was then 3rd and 18. I went ok Stafford will throw for a first down here and I can change the channel. Yep exactly what happened. It happened on the Ram game, the Buffalo game and this year it started in the Patriot game. Each week it gets worse. I am sure Counsins can’t wait to feast on the Bucs. Well at this point any Qb has a good chance to look great against the Bucs defense. I think McColumn needs to be benched for starters. I am wondering where has Winfield gone . You see Tykee Smith all over the place. Winfield you rarely see or hear his named called unless he is chasing someone from behind.
Anyway this defense is really unwatchable. I will not be surprised if they lose to Ariz.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:10 pm
We will lose of we get to the playoffs. Its time to move on from Todd. Everything the players stop listening and following directives. Its over. Give him that extension money and let’s move on. Vita Calijah, YaYa in a 4 3 is a good start as far as 8m concerned. Bowles is behind the times. I wanted him gone after last seasons Cris Godwin debacle. But I gave him a chance. N o more. The offense stinks right now and the defense is worse. This happening after tye bye!? Something is rotten.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:12 pm
The fix is: new coach.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:12 pm
Surgicality is considered a malapropism. But in today’s world where they coin new “words” every day it could be be considered a neologism, or newly coined word.
When I was young it took an awful lot to get a new word into the dictionary. Now it just takes an X account.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:12 pm
I meant just buy out the extension they gave him and let’s move. On Jire one of Mcvays assistants ans find a coordinator that marginal for christ sake. That would be better than Bowles putrid showings.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:13 pm
Simple solution
communicate better
LOLOLOLOLOL
November 25th, 2025 at 4:14 pm
It all starts up front. Gotta get after the QB. Vea needs some help.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:15 pm
A consistent pash rush will make your secondary look better.
That’s a FACT!!!
Problem is our pass rush without blitzing is putrid!!!!
November 25th, 2025 at 4:18 pm
One thing I do notice is the BUCS don’t always seem to pursue with a damn and they’re always trying to outsmart themselves
November 25th, 2025 at 4:27 pm
Can we ask Zyon for a refund? Asking for a fan.
His confidence is shot. I think we need to play Vildor (at least the Rams didn’t pick on him) and maybe Bryce Hall??? Got nothing to lose. Zyon got dusted by Puka and Adams. Not sure who’s left on the sched with great receivers, but he needs to get his swag back over the next few weeks. Or we need a refund.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:28 pm
Adams and Nakua are future Hall of Famers. No one in our secondary is going to the Hall. The team isn’t talented enough or skilled enough in the secondary. You can’t scheme your way to stopping that kind of talent. The roster isn’t good enough.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:32 pm
Play it better, coach it better
November 25th, 2025 at 4:34 pm
Bowles is a db coach and defensive genius, how can that happen?
Fire him!!!!!!!!!!
November 25th, 2025 at 4:44 pm
Been typing that since last year.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:52 pm
I’m beginning to think that Dean really is the cog. Can’t believe I just typed that. Zion is playing scared and has 0 dog in him. Watching the 9ers last night and they are a reflection of their DC, fiery and motivated!
November 25th, 2025 at 4:53 pm
we’ve not had any real passer rush since JPP left–even with our defensive genius as head coach . now we have Teddy to get us to the SB !!! what a genius move from our head coach .. WHY , Why is he still here ????
November 25th, 2025 at 4:54 pm
The lack of pressure is a big reason. Bad WRs can beat good corners every snap if they’re given enough time to get open.
But can’t cover anyone is pretty concerning considering it was a second and third round selection. Not exactly non premium picks.
Just like 6-2 wasn’t as good as it felt, 6-5 probably isn’t as bad as this feels.
November 25th, 2025 at 4:58 pm
play a 4-3
November 25th, 2025 at 5:01 pm
This is what happens when your HC/DC is teaching new exotic blitzes that don’t work every week. Its simple, Bowles is too busy trying to drop D lineman in coverage and blitzing DBs, that the guys simply dont have repetition. They should have they’re positions figured out by now. What infuriates me the most is Bowles to this day has NEVER taken responsibility of a loss because of his play calling or game management. No HC accountability = No player accountability.
November 25th, 2025 at 5:03 pm
Dean had a couple good play. But receivers a running wide open just like last year. A couple players were replaced and the middle is still wide open. Now teams are bombing them down field. Bowles doesn’t have a clue what’s wrong except communication.
What we have here is a failure to communicate!
November 25th, 2025 at 5:04 pm
The Bucs secondary hasn’t been good in years. Its been the story for a while now. No pass rush and bad CB play. Feel like we talk about the same issues every year. They draft a 2nd or 3rd round DB thats supposed to sure up the D and add a 2nd or 3rd tier free agent and around thanksgiving we realizing that nothing has changed. At this point they need to just shell out the money and sign a proven free agent game changer. They’ve missed too many times on DE and CB picks. Jury is still out on Morrison of course. Braswell, Tryon, Hall, Kancey. Diaby shows some sign of life but dissappears often. Dean is playing good but they went into this season knowing his injury history and idk what McCollums deal is. Parrish is looking good atleast along with Tykee Smith
November 25th, 2025 at 5:08 pm
I know one thing…
When you can’t cover, you make up for it by not being able to rush the passer, which can only be fixed by playing terrible special teams.
Go Bucs!
Happy Spanksgiving!!
November 25th, 2025 at 5:19 pm
Todd Bowles can be head coach whatever but he needs to stop trying to be a defensive coordinator. They wanted to play rookies and cheap free agents which means you planned to coach them up right. They don’t have any excuses
November 25th, 2025 at 5:20 pm
THE FIX IS AN EDGE RUSH!!! ::Throws down Mic and storms off the podcast::
November 25th, 2025 at 5:27 pm
Our defensive wizard HC who was a DB in his playing days can’t figure out how to get his guys in better position and defend the pass.
Going on 4 years now. McCollum looks terrible, he’s got 2 rookies, Tykee, Izien, Winfield, Bryce Hall on the PS. Dean hasn’t missed that much time. What is the excuse!?
No pass rush… ok… these are Bowles and JL guys, Bowles only has himself to blame for personnel if that’s the problem.
There are guys you have never heard of and first round busts picked off the waiver wire playing great in different systems for different coaches.
November 25th, 2025 at 5:28 pm
Top down is weak. If Licht is such a great drafter, why in the world is he unwilling to part with picks for a guy like, I don’t know, Micah parsons. I’ll give up the firsts for a guy that I know is amazing. More often than not, the first-round pick doesn’t work out. Winston, Hargreaves, JTS, Kancey. Dude isn’t crushing it like Joe and the gang would have you believe. Licht never splurges in free agency. You can anoint him in the Bucs Ring of Honor. I’m nowhere near as forthcoming. Not even close. The depth on this team looks like booty too. There’s basically nothing to like from Ownership to the coaching staff. What you see is what you get with Todd. He’s an average coach that somehow can’t get the secondary to be tolerable although that’s his “specialty”. I’m disgusted with the leadership. We shall see.
November 25th, 2025 at 5:35 pm
If u did a shot every time Simms says the word “Right” you’d be drunk in 3 minutes
November 25th, 2025 at 5:37 pm
Bowles- we got to play better and coach better. It’s the only thing he knows how to say.
November 25th, 2025 at 5:39 pm
TIME FOR A LITTLE BUCS HC JOHN MCKAY …
“We didn’t tackle well, but we made up for it by not blocking.”
“Can’t stop the pass or the run. Otherwise, we’re in great shape.”
November 25th, 2025 at 5:40 pm
Bowles scheme is too complex and players aren’t comfortable with it and have to think where to be instead of it coming naturally. You can’t be overthinking and then make plays.
The 2002 Bucs worked so well because on top of their immense talent, everyone knew their assignment and exactly what they were supposed to do in every situation. Not so this 2025 Bucs defense.
November 25th, 2025 at 5:48 pm
Scheme!!
Winfield, Smith, Parrish, Dean, Zyon, Morrison are good players. Morrison is learning & Zyon had a couple rough weeks. All these guys are not suddenly horrible, nor have they been horrible.
It is scheme and the lack of a pass rush. When a quarterback can stand there with no pressure and convert a deep out on third and 18, it’s the zone because of no pass rush.
The last couple weeks have made me firmly go into the category of… Time for a new DC / HC
November 25th, 2025 at 5:48 pm
It’s Bowles and his “culture” that cause defensive backs to thrive against bad teams and disappear against the good one. Pay Dean and he disappears. Cut his pay and reappears as a top 5 CB. Pay Zyon he disappears. Vita Vea? No where in big games. Do injuries hurt? Sure. But Bowles can also call a stinker ever since the NFC title game against the Rams when Matt Stafford and Cooper Kupp burned Winfield in a cover zero. And oh yeah, speaking of the Rams, fire Bowles and hire Rams DC coordinator Chris Shula and let him pick a staff. Nobody on that defense cost more than $10 million and that defensive line gets after the passer hard with stunts! FIRE TODD BOWLES, secondary problem solved.
November 25th, 2025 at 5:55 pm
Its not a mystery what’s happening in our secondary. OC’s have figured out if they split the zones effectively. The secondary can’t cover. So these OC’s are drawing up plays to clear out a zone creating wide open receivers. Bowles blames the confusion on the players. When in fact the secondary is placed in an impossible situation. A QB with all day to throw and a zone scheme that’s easily taken advantage of.
November 25th, 2025 at 5:58 pm
Well that’s because he was watching the table of Yaya and Nelson playing corner – and he’s right. Simple solution, use your DE’s and EDGE rushers to rush the passer, not to play the ball 40 yards down the field.
November 25th, 2025 at 6:00 pm
We are giving Licht a pass. He hast drafted like ass on defense since 2020. Bowles has to coach the players but let’s be honest. If they aren’t good enough then how is Bowles expected to help bridge that gap?
November 25th, 2025 at 6:08 pm
Coaching, coaching and poor pass rush. Todd has no clue. This team is not contracted to compete against equal or better teams. The first six games were small and mirrors and several really lucky breaks. Todd has no clue, did I already say that? If so, it needs repeating.
November 25th, 2025 at 6:10 pm
DR called it many times before the season. Get another beast like Suh beside VV. If that had happened, YaYa would be getting sacks.
November 25th, 2025 at 6:17 pm
Is it the players or is it their coaching and system? Blaming the players while giving Bowles a pass is criminal. Losing, just like winning, starts at the top.
November 25th, 2025 at 6:18 pm
All of calling for a change were not crazy after all.
November 25th, 2025 at 6:23 pm
Hey Kidflo is that the new “HI Bob” game, LOL
OK for the youngers the old Bob Newhart show everytime someone walked in they said ‘HI Bob” Coulda been out of frame for 3 seconds, didn’t matter…. Speaking of outta the frame for 3 seconds, that fit’s our DB’s to a tee.
November 25th, 2025 at 6:26 pm
Sorry…. BUT
-do the bucs need either a dialog or translator consultant to solve the continuing issue of communication issues ? are the coaches speaking a different language? do the players lack the “listening” and implementation talents to execute what they are “taught” ?
this communication cop-out has been trotted out since the infamous ram game years ago when cooper cup broke our hearts !
-enough of how this team always goes down “ fighting “-
i’m not sure i’ve seen a more pathetic example of lack of desire and competitiveness that was on dislay for the football world to see, 48 hours ago-
is that now the team “ culture “ that, in the past, was championed by the todd bowles regime ?
Sorry… But. SOMETHING HAS TO RADICALLY CHANGE ‼️‼️‼️
November 25th, 2025 at 6:28 pm
Come out and play a press defense. Challenge everything. Chuck them off the routes at the line and redirect if you can but it requires not being lazy; see McCollum, but that still leaves the guys curling under the middle. Play man and follow your man around the field. Sounds simple but then you invite picks and such but the old school guys did that. The corners seem to have no fluidity at the hips to change direction or they just don’t see the play till too late. Scheme maybe?
November 25th, 2025 at 6:29 pm
Starts up front , but the secondary is really bad. This team can not stop any team on third down. like 3rd and 17…. wow. total incompetence. Every single position on defense needs to be looked at. Maybe the Bucs need another coach to come in to help. It’s pretty obvious both Bowles and Licht do not evaluate current players in an unbiased manner. Think at season end a lot of starting defensive players need to be demoted or cut.
November 25th, 2025 at 6:36 pm
It’s not that the players cant cover, it’s Bowles scheme that is the problem. We’ve seen so many DBs come and go over the Bowles years. The scheme is a total joke. Put AW Jr on a team with a real DC and watch what happens. Ditto for Dean, Tykee and Parrish. Bowles is a joke
November 25th, 2025 at 6:37 pm
I’m hoping we lose the rest of our games fire the coaching staff and get some decent pics best case scenario
November 25th, 2025 at 6:38 pm
When the defense does all those ‘exotic’ blitzes that Bowles is known for, they may give up a few big plays, but they also get sacks, turnovers and force punts. Why? Because it puts pressure on QBs and doesn’t hang your corners out to dry.
But, while Simms might pick some man coverage schemes for his example, I will for the 1-millionth time point out the Bucs lead the NFL in zone coverage last year – they played it more than anyone. When you are playing zone, in particular Bowles super soft zone which seemingly has guys just stand around waiting for something to happen, we see the results over and over again. Rarely do the Bucs play a tight zone, where it’s active and guys are moving a lot. People who watch and comment on most stuff have no idea what they’re watching, they think guys are getting beat all the time when it’s literally players being handed off in zone, and that’s where all the ‘communication issues’ seem to happen.
Said it all offseason, but if Bowles is going to continue to plague the league with his zone defense, at least bring in Barber and Brooks and let them actually teach how you should play a tight, active zone. The 2002 Bucs defense is literally, by far, the best passing defense in the history of the NFL, and it was primarily zone. There’s nothing about playing zone that means it should be this awful – but it’s all about Bowles’ version of zone, it’s so loose and sloppy, it’s just frustrating to watch.
November 25th, 2025 at 6:56 pm
Rod … ‘Simple solution, use your DE’s and EDGE rushers to rush the passer, not to play the ball 40 yards down the field.’
I agree wholeheartedly Rod, except I take it 1 step further. It really doesn’t matter what you call a defense (3-4 or 4-3), what matters is how you employ it. Bucs need to switch things up.
A detailed analysis of what this defense has been doing isn’t really necessary. Suffice it to say that this defense is giving up FAR MORE EXPLOSIVE PLAYS than our past defenses did. But WHY?
I think it’s because of our DLine; it’s not getting Job-1 done (which is STOP THE FRIGGIN RUN). Starting in 2019, Bucs have surrendered 68 rushing TDs total in 6 years … say 11 rushing TDs average per year. And that’s been amazingly consistent starting in 2019 (11, 10, 11, 12, 11, 13). This year we’ve already given up 12 rushing TDs in 11 games; extrapolates to 19 rushing TDs surrendered over 17 games. IOW, grossly out-of-whack. It started last year (13 rushing TDs surrendered) and has accelerated this year.
WHY? We’re too friggin light in the pants on our DLine. Opposing OCs have pretty much figured out how to neutralize Vea (watch him during the games). The rest of our DLine isn’t just lacking in the pass rush department; they’re also getting blocked out of their gaps and the next level (our ILBs) are both missing a ton of tackles (SVD is now at 14.5% & LVD sits at 11.4% … together they’ve already missed 22 tackles).
On explosive runs (say 10 yds or more) for TDs, Bucs have now surrendered 4 explosive rushing TDs (25, 78, 55, 69 yds) in 11 games (projects to about 6 on the season). Last year we surrendered only ONE explosive rushing TD (of only 10 yds).
On explosive passes (say 20 yds or more) for TDs, Bucs have now surrendered 9 explosive passing TDs (50, 29, 21, 27, 72, 43, 52, 25, 24 yds) in 11 games (projects out to 14 on the season). Last year we surrendered 9 total explosive passing TDs. We’ve already tied that in only 11 games.
I’m sure that some part of these failures is the scheme. But no question in my mind that the bigger part of the problem is the players. They’re getting man-handled and that’s why we’re giving up all these explosive rushing & passing TDs.
I’d change things up at this point, just to confuse our opponents much as anything. Run a 4-man front, and put more beef in there. When Reddick comes back, use him as a 3rd LB (not as an OLB). Sit SVD on at least half of the def snaps, and put in Deion Jones (he can’t be any worse). While Dean’s out, use Parrish at 1 outside CB & Bryce Hall at the other. Let McCollum play Nickel when that position’s called for (he might excel there with his speed). I’d keep Tykee Smith & Winfield at Safety, but I’d love to find a way to get Izien back on the field. Hey, what’ve we got to lose?
November 25th, 2025 at 7:14 pm
Oh come on it can’t be that bad right? We keep hearing that Bowles is a defensive genius. So the genius will definitely know how to fix the issues. The problem is that this has been a problem since after the Super Bowl win and it just keeps getting worse. Don’t worry though we will win by shutting down the run. That may have worked 30 years ago but the game has evolved into more of a dynamic passing game. However, never fear Bowles is here.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:25 pm
He’s correct.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:25 pm
He’s not wrong
November 25th, 2025 at 7:27 pm
Starts with the front – no pressure UNLESS we bring pressure with the blitz. Been an issue and remains an issue. Pressure with 4 or 5 and drop 6 or 7 in coverage and there will be improvement. But that first part not happening because we have no one on the edge who can consistently bring it. NO ONE.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:29 pm
Thats because they’re relying on linebackers and pass rushers to cover, DUH!
November 25th, 2025 at 7:29 pm
I think the most disturbing part of this is it’s not like there are massive injuries having an impact there. It’s mostly just Todd Bowles guys not being good. Are you still going to try to tell me Zion is a better cover guy than Carlton Davis? Maybe a little less injury prone but he can’t hold Carlton’s jock in coverage
November 25th, 2025 at 7:30 pm
This is the same Bucs that drafted right tackle Luke Goedeke and tried to make him a left guard. Not a right guard, but a left guard. Let that sink in for a moment. We draft pash rushers and try to turn them into cover guys. We draft press man corners and make them play zone. You really can’t make this stuff up.
November 25th, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Cant believe i just did this, went against my bucs on a parlay….
November 25th, 2025 at 7:38 pm
These a re some of the most talented corners and safeties in the league. Why so many coverage breakdowns?
November 25th, 2025 at 7:40 pm
Bring Back BA. Somehow he’ll fix Bowles and the D too and obviously the offense.