Todd Bowles On Fixing His Defense
November 28th, 2025
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
Think of all the wonderful plays made by opposing offenses against the Bucs. Close your eyes and you can just see them.
You can just see lousy Lovie Smith and if you listen closely, you can hear him talking about being “Tennessee-ready.”
Concentrate a little more and you can see Mike Smith up high in a press box screaming into his headset about… hell, the way his defense played, he might as well be screaming for an intern to fetch the bowl of bananas foster that Ira Kaufman passed on.
(The Sage of Tampa Bay sports is not a fan of bananas foster — nor is Joe.)
Didn’t last Sunday night give you flashbacks of Julio Jones roasting former Bucs cornerback Ryan Smith? Joe is confident the poor guy never recovered from that dreadful afternoon in Billy Sherman’s favorite city.
The Bucs defense since the bye has played like they are still enjoying the bye in their old college towns, pounding shots with cheerleaders. Meanwhile, opposing offenses have been pounding the Bucs.
So what is the Bucs’ defensive coordinator going to do about it? The Bucs head coach, Todd Bowles, also the defensive coordinator, explained.
“You’re always thinking about schematic changes,” Bowles said. “Personnel changes, we don’t have to think about it. It’s been a different guy here and there. It hasn’t been everybody at one time.
“You can’t have 10 guys playing well and one guy not playing well on any given week – that has to stop. I thought for the most part the big plays stopped. We didn’t create any big plays last week, but the big plays, for the most part, have stopped.”
The big plays have stopped? Well, that’s a discussion for another day, but the bleeding hasn’t stopped.
If Bowles is thinking of “schematic changes,” the time is now to instead of thinking about it, acting upon it. Maybe drum up a scheme that best suits the talent available. Coach them up.
Joe thinks it is pretty safe to guess that teams know SirVocea Dennis’ weakness(es). Try putting him in position to minimize his weakness(es).
The edge rush … aw, skip it.
Good coaches find a way to stop the bleeding. Good coaches find ways to coach up their players and put them in position to make plays.
Too much more thinking and before you know it, folks may have to start thinking of updating their resumes.
The Bucs are 6-5 and playing bad football like we haven’t seen (thankfully) around these parts in a while. The season is teetering.
A family-owned Tampa icon since 1960, one mile north of the stadium on Dale Mabry Highway.
November 28th, 2025 at 7:04 am
Todd Bowles on fixing his defense. “Coach better, play better, communicate better.” Done. Your huge paycheck will be direct deposited on Friday. You earned it.
November 28th, 2025 at 7:15 am
McCollum definitely is that one guy. Zone works when your guys read and react, he is neither reading nor reacting, he’s watching a completion and coming up and trying to make the tackle. Have him play man and hopefully his muscle memory takes over and he doesn’t have to think as much.
November 28th, 2025 at 7:18 am
How about stop having the defensive scheme be so confusing to your own players? We constantly have blown coverage due to guys getting confused, either we have the least intelligent backfield in all of football or Todd’s scheme is just too damn confusing.
Also stop having D linemen drop into coverage, they can’t get a rhythm going.
November 28th, 2025 at 7:29 am
Best way to fix the defense would be to resign. This scheme is as old as Nick Rapone. The only time it saw success was when Arains was the head man. Since then, it’s been a loser even with Tom Brady. This Buc team has hit a wall under Bowles he can’t climb over, or dig under. It’s just a matter of time before the Glazers pull the plug on Todd. Hopefully at season end. Till than this team will stumble in, than out of the playoffs. It’s the wall Todd has brought us to. Gonna take someone else to get pass it.
November 28th, 2025 at 7:46 am
This Defense has it in them to play well….as examples….the 2nd half of the Eagles game….Lions & New Orleans…..SF
November 28th, 2025 at 7:51 am
Just blitz and play man coverage.
November 28th, 2025 at 7:58 am
Bowles speaks….cringe!!!
November 28th, 2025 at 8:09 am
Licht has not put enough talent on the field. Not to make excuses for Bowles because his scheme has opposing players consistently running wide aas open all over his lousy defense. Still, the lack of quality players is hurting this team badly. Licht’s draft prowess is way overrated by the local media and fanboys and he is too afraid to make big swings in free agency, probably because his ability to evaluate talent is so lacking. Well past time to take a less charitable look at Licht’s performance as chief talent evaluator.
November 28th, 2025 at 8:12 am
Here is the fix:
1- Move ZM from CB to FS
2- Move T. Smith from Safety to NCB
3- Start J. Dean and Parrish at CB
4- Hire a new DC
November 28th, 2025 at 8:15 am
This is like fixing a Dodge, you replace it.
How do you replace a def? Well you get a DC that understands today’s NFL. In this case that’s the head coach
November 28th, 2025 at 8:45 am
Zyon is likely the fastest man on our team. It’s inexplicable that he keeps ending up behind is guy
November 28th, 2025 at 8:49 am
Zero pressure by the front four is a major problem.
November 28th, 2025 at 8:54 am
@ Beeej
I agree.
But running in a straight line and playing CB in the NFL are two totally different activities…
ZM has looked lost out there the past few games and now all the OCs in the NFL know how to easily attack this defense.