Bucs Win Game, Lose Eyeball Test
December 1st, 2025
Looking for improvement.
Joe is getting a fair amount of comments on this here corner of the interwebs and on social media taking Joe to task for not respecting the Cardinals as a powerhouse team.
Joe has written several times the Bucs didn’t pass the eyeball test yesterday. Yet they won. It was not a convincing win.
The offense, several times, had a chance to put its foot on the neck of the Cardinals and let them up off the mat. But for a really strong four-and-out by the Bucs defense to seal the win (after Bowles had a come-to-Jesus talk with his defense), who knows what would have happened?
Yes, the Bucs did just enough to win. And yes, the NFL is not figure skating. A win is a win.
Still, it left a bad taste in Joe’s mouth with the memories of the defense gagging in three straight games, against New England, at Buffalo and at Los Angeles fresh in Joe’s head.
This just in: If the Bucs make the playoffs, they will very likely face a team in the wild card round just as good as New England, Buffalo or Los Angeles. So just getting by a sad sack team like the Cardinals doesn’t do a whole lot for Joe’s confidence.
The Bucs allowed five yards a pop on the ground. Jacoby Brissett — not to be confused with Drake Maye, Josh Allen or Matt Stafford — threw for 300 yards!
Joe has been scolded for not treating the Cardinals as the Chiefs or Eagles. “Oh, you clearly never watched the Cardinals… “ What’s there to watch? They’ve lost 9 of their last 10 games! What more do you need to know?
OK, the Cardinals cover. Goody for you. You made cash on them. Last Joe checked, a team’s record against the spread has zero to do with playoff standings and winning a division.
So today in his day-after presser, Bowles was asked where the defense has improved.
“We improved in the run game early on, I think we stopped it,” Bowles said. “We knew they threw the ball a lot, so we knew the passing yards were going to be up.
“They threw it less [attempts] against us than two previous weeks. They threw a 60-plus. They threw a 40 against us, which was still a lot.”
But yes, Bowles admitted, there is a long way for the Bucs to grow to become a good defense.
“I think we got to get better with the tackling aspect of it, especially in the second half,” Bowles said. “I thought we tackled well in the first half. In the second half, we let some plays out.
“We got to tackle and wrap up better.”
The lack of wrapping up just blows Joe’s mind (it’s not just a Bowles thing. It’s an NFL epidemic). Joe had a former NFL player who played for John Madden, Tom Landry, Gene Stallings and Lou Holtz as a high school coach. Every day, and Joe means every day, the coach had the team working on a tackling dummy, practicing wrapping up. Every day.
Joe gets a tackling dummy is a far cry from Derrick Henry. But man, you practice it enough, even on a tackling dummy, it becomes reflexive and you wrap up without even thinking about it.
To Joe, that is rock bottom basic Football 101.
Could it be that once the defense starts getting tired the tackling gets sloppy? Joe doesn’t have an answer for that but connect the dots if you wish.
Are takeaways so important that defenders are no longer concerned with wrapping up and instead want to blow dudes up? Joe has always believed that.
But yeah, the Bucs won. That’s great. Victory Monday!
Still, this team needs work if it hopes to make any noise in mid-January or beyond.
December 1st, 2025 at 1:27 pm
McCollum needs to lose snaps he is toast, notice how teams stay away from Dean and attack McCollum
December 1st, 2025 at 1:29 pm
It used to drive me crazy when people would disqualify a playoff appearance due to a poor division – but this year more than ever (seemingly) it rings true. The teams on the outside looking in, such as the Cowboys and Lions would stomp a mudhole on our asses as of this day 12/1/25. Now in 2 weeks when we get McMillan and Evans back – who knows, but it still doesn’t fix the fundamental issue of our defense making every quarterback look like a hall of famers.
December 1st, 2025 at 1:29 pm
Gotta play it better gotta coach it better đ
December 1st, 2025 at 1:29 pm
There is a possibility Mike Evans practices this week. Looks like its gonna be a shootout in every game going forward cause we have brainless as our hear coach and ownership would rather be cheap then address the situation.
December 1st, 2025 at 1:30 pm
There is a possibility Mike Evans practices this week. Looks like its gonna be a shootout in every game going forward cause we have brainless as our head coach and ownership would rather be cheap then address the situation.
December 1st, 2025 at 1:32 pm
Called for Brissett to have 300 yds passing and 3 TDS. Boy was I wrong. He only had 2 TD’s. Way to go Todd
December 1st, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Where’s the leadership from AWJ in the DB room when they’re watching film? AWJ is always a solid fundamental tackler. Why aren’t they calling this constant bad behavior out? Where’s the DB/LB coaches at? If you don’t wrap tackle, you don’t play. That should’ve started in preseason. How embarrassing. Look at how hard I hit him guys?! …who cares if he ran another 25 yards, I got a big hit on him. Wow, cool.
sickening
December 1st, 2025 at 1:37 pm
Bowles hasnât done anything in the Playoffs. EVER
TALK ABOUT was the Bucs to the Superbowl this year NOW we will be lucky to make Playoffs
Excuse after excuse for this Coach
Fired half of the Coaches but that didnât fix it
Gave extension to Bowles. Same thing this year
BUT again itâs not BOWLES
Hire a Coach
Get an Edge
WIN
December 1st, 2025 at 1:39 pm
Good thing the playoffs donât start today. We got time to get right. Time to sh!t or get off the pot
December 1st, 2025 at 1:44 pm
We appreciate âThis Joeâ and the candor. Itâs understandably a delicate thing to criticize the head coach when access to him is key for readership.
We are going into week 14 and the defense is worse than it was at the start of the season. Please save the âinjuryâ excuse for a Pom Pom girl. This is the healthiest the defense has been. How is it possible that a âdefensive guruâ trots out such inconsistent rubbish in week 13? What kind of coaching malpractice goes on during the week? Seriously, what specifically is Todd doing differently to correct the same old same old mistakes, busts and whiffs? And when something is working, why not stay with it? Jeemus Crudite.
Something indicates, not a damn thing is being done differently. Or will be done differently until Jason makes his move.
The coaching malpractice hamster wheel goes round and round.
December 1st, 2025 at 1:45 pm
This defense with Bowles reminds me of Gerald McCoy. Thereâs flashes of good play/potentialâŚon paper the numbers look decent but anyone thatâs watched it on a weekly basis knows itâs not going to be relevant against top tier opponents.
December 1st, 2025 at 1:46 pm
LOL @ Joe comparing his high school football program to NFL teams, like it’s some equivalent level.
Probably no one on that defense feels 100% great… but we’ll never have that data. Difficult to tackle aggressively when it causes you pain, that’s basic human instinct.
December 1st, 2025 at 1:46 pm
When our defenders werenât standing back waiting for the running back or quarterback to get to them, they were getting trucked. Or missing tackles altogether. Sometimes three buccaneers at a time. Bowles doesnât know what the hell heâs talking about.
Does he think all buccaneers fans are Ray Charles?
December 1st, 2025 at 1:47 pm
Iâve adjusted expectations to treating that wildcard round like our superbowl.
If we can get Evans and Jmac back in the next few weeks we might be able to get into an offensive rhythm and put up substantial points when we get to the panther games thus making them one dimensional. If that happens then I think we have a better than average shot at winning the division. Maybe you can compete in the WC game, maybe you canât.
Either way the divisional round is where weâd cap off at. Winning the WC game would be the absolute best result given what we are observing now.
December 1st, 2025 at 1:48 pm
Colonel Angus – who exactly do you think will intervene to help the Bucs âget right?â Is Jason making a coaching change today we donât know about?
December 1st, 2025 at 1:51 pm
Comparing high school and NFL is a joke. But football fundamentals are football fundamentals no matter what level.
Does this team look like it regularly practices fundamental tackling to you?
Joe has yet to hear a coach on the NFL level dismiss wrapping up as a waste of time and energy.
Joe can promise you that Monte Kiffin believed in wrapping up. And his Bucs defenses wrapped up — and were excellent defenses.
Think it was just a coincidence that Kiffin demanded defenders wrap up and the Bucs had tremendous defenses?
December 1st, 2025 at 1:52 pm
I think it’s more a lack of heart, than fatigue in the second half. The defense gets beat on in the 1st half and then backs off in the 2nd. If anything, a great defense should be beating up the opposing offense.
One more thing that I have noticed; as talented as he is, Egbuka oftentimes avoids hits. Quite a few of his missed receptions are because he suddenly develops alligator arms. He also flinches whenever a big hit is a possibility. Our team is too nice…and weak.
December 1st, 2025 at 1:55 pm
Bucs are (4-7) in Wild Card games. (4-4) in Divisional round and (2-2) in NFC championship game. And of course (2-0) in the Super Bowl, both a$$ whoopins.
Get past the WC round and itâs 50/50 chance to go to the Super Bowl.
December 1st, 2025 at 1:57 pm
7 years of the same soft zone defense
7 years of nearly every QB getting career yards and completions against this scheme
7 years of just a loser mentality on Defense.
December 1st, 2025 at 1:58 pm
Doesn’t matter who comes back from injuries this team is adrift with no one at the helm. First game with Carolina is going to tell us everything.
December 1st, 2025 at 1:59 pm
Nobody is gonna intervene to get us right Aquaman. The players gotta reach down and grab their collective nut sacks a make some f@cking plays.
December 1st, 2025 at 2:01 pm
The notion that practice has to be at full speed for tackling practice to take place is crap.
You can do it in walk through.
Repetition at slow speed will improve it in game settings.
I blame the coaches as much as the players.
December 1st, 2025 at 2:04 pm
Reddick avoided more tackles then he actually had!!! watch the film dogging it and taking himself out of plays, JOKE!!!!! He has one more week to right the ship along with spaceman McCollum! terrible. go Bucs
December 1st, 2025 at 2:06 pm
The best part of this article? The normally stoic if not sleepy Todd Bowles showing real emotion and fire towards a team in desperate need of it. More of that Todd, less defensive lineman drifting in space in some elaborate ameba defensive scheme.
December 1st, 2025 at 2:08 pm
The defense is very average with moments of being embarrassingly bad.
The offense is super inconsistent and the interior oline without Mauch and Bredensen is bad.
This team/GM (who I still support) and coaches missed out on addressing some obvious needs at ILber and Edge (Reddick was never the answer).
Maybe they put things together and go on a run, but im much less confident they can pull that off than in years past.
December 1st, 2025 at 2:08 pm
“One more thing that I have noticed; as talented as he is, Egbuka oftentimes avoids hits. Quite a few of his missed receptions are because he suddenly develops alligator arms.”
There was one at the end of the game that was a little high and I’m absolutely glad he didn’t make the effort to sky for it, because that’s how WRs in double coverage get laid out like a church outfit.
December 1st, 2025 at 2:18 pm
I think playoff talk is somewhat optimistic. The way the Panthers are playing I would not be surprised if we drop both games. Todd has our guys looking like anything but a playoff team….
December 1st, 2025 at 2:23 pm
Bucs O & D need to make plays despite the coaching!
December 1st, 2025 at 2:28 pm
they cant outscore everyone even when the entire offense is healthy. it is a losing proposition and stupid to even think that way, but one buc place does think that way, apparently.
the era of bowles bamboozling people with this nonsensical view needs to end, the sooner the better.
December 1st, 2025 at 2:44 pm
Why are we harping on the defense? The offense only put up 20 points. That’s Leftwich territory.
December 1st, 2025 at 2:51 pm
This team and especially the defense is lifeless, just like their coach. Not interested in another year of Bowles. Hopefully, the Glazers will soon realize Bowles is not the answer.
December 1st, 2025 at 2:54 pm
A LOT of the tackling issues seemed to be people out of position, and diving at ankles. IF you are in the right place, and under control, you shoulder tackle… not ankle dive.
I wonder if Todd’s defense is so confusing that our guys are not clear on assignments.
December 1st, 2025 at 3:12 pm
I canât behind the âscheme is flawedâ argument that so many use here to blame Bowles for our troubles.
Donât the Broncos use the exact same 3-4 hybrid scheme and they have a very dominate defensive. Lack of edge rushing, etc I can get behind. But itâs not the scheme, itâs the players.
December 1st, 2025 at 3:21 pm
Bucs do need to get better players on defense, but the primary reason the Bucs defense is not any good is the scheme.
Bowles needs to go.
December 1st, 2025 at 3:46 pm
Joe, I haven’t seen one article about how the loss of Mike Evans has hurt the team. I think it’s making a huge difference for Baker and the entire offense! Thoughts?
December 1st, 2025 at 4:32 pm
Gave up 17 points to a team that has been scoring points – and been taking very good teams down to the wire. To blow that off is nonsense. Often what separates a good team from a bad team is how they finish, and the Cardinals are terrible finishers, but up until the finish have generally been leading in a lot of their games.
Now this game vs the Saints, this is a game you’d like to see as a get right game for the offense. But it’s also a divisional game and the Bucs already dominated the Saints in New Orleans, and you don’t typically get two blow-outs vs a divisional opponent – it certainly does happen, but it’s not the norm is all I mean. Still, a nice 38-3 style blow-out would be welcome. It could happen if Grizz actually goes back and watches the playbook from last year and stops with the ultra predictable, non-motion, no-creative nonsense he’s calling this year. Again, same playbook, same offense – allegedly – so call the same plays we were calling last year, not just running up the middle on every first down into stacked boxes.
December 1st, 2025 at 4:32 pm
DeBo, you’re correct, the 3/4 scheme is not necessarily a bad one. But, when the players don’t match the scheme then the things don’t work. Do you think we have a good fit today for the Bucs?
December 1st, 2025 at 4:36 pm
If the Bucs make the playoffs, they will very likely face a team in the wild card round just as good as New England, Buffalo or Los Angeles.
——–
Well the Bucs will always lose to the Rams, so better hope someone else knocks them out.
But lets play the games vs the Pats or Buffalo again, but give me a healthy Bucky, Godwin, give me Evans and McMillan back, and Kancey, and I like our chances. Heck, vs Buffalo, if Bucky had been healthy I think he’d have rushed for well over 200 yards vs the Bills — and vs the Pats the entire issue was their defense taking away e2 and Baker having no one else to throw to, and Sterling Sherpard making one of the all-time stupid OPI plays of all time to take away a huge 4th down conversion late in the game.
Getting guys back is the reason to feel optimistic, because, hopefully, it means Baker looks a lot better instead of how he’s looked lately — and Baker has a history of mid-season collapses followed by finishing strong, at least until the 4th quarter of playoff games. This year could be different if guys are back and we’re not losing more starters.
December 1st, 2025 at 5:48 pm
When are you guys going to get it {including Joe}
this D line has very little talent and until that
changes this D is not going to improve much,
END OF STORY!
December 1st, 2025 at 6:01 pm
@Rob5
That’s why I say I don’t know if it’s really gonna matter who they put on that D because if the scheme/system is basically gonna stay the same then nothing is really gonna change. I even said how it wouldn’t of surprised me if they lost that Arizona game & yeah I wasn’t really surprised it ended up the way it did. I really thought Arizona was gonna end up either winning it or tying it at the end but Arizona also killed themselves by going for it on 4th down with like 8 minutes left when it was 17-10 because they didn’t get it & if they would’ve punted the ball it would’ve been smarter but that basically put the Bucs in FG range already & that ended up deciding the game. Again back to how stupid analytics are destroying the sport because I’m sure the analytics told them to go for it instead of punting it & doing the smart thing.
December 1st, 2025 at 7:45 pm
Put Sapp and Simeon on that line and watch this
D go from mediocre to one of the best in league
đ
December 1st, 2025 at 7:59 pm
I thought it was the offenses job to get a lead and the defenses job to protect it, which they repeatedly failed to do until the very last time. The offense definitely could have been better but the defense once again was putrid. The offense showed reason for optimism, the defense continues to be a worry.
December 1st, 2025 at 8:36 pm
Rob5 Says:
December 1st, 2025 at 7:45 pm
Put Sapp and Simeon on that line and watch this
D go from mediocre to one of the best in league
———-
But would Sapp and Rice still be HOF’ers if they were asked to drop into coverage all the time? Sapp, actually, yes – I bet he’d get like 3-5 INTs a year and a couple of TDs – he had fantastic hands for a defensive lineman (I think he played TE in high school – in addition to punting). Rice, meanwhile, while he had speed – he always looked best in the 3 point stance I think – although we saw JPP put up big numbers in this defense.
BUT that was before Bowles decided he wanted to lead the league in zone coverage – back when Bowles was known for aggressive man-to-man defenses, so who knows how both would do in a defense where players are coached to stand around and wait for something to happen.
December 1st, 2025 at 8:37 pm
How about that Rams SNF game, eh? Nothing like giving up 31 in the first half without any resistance, but at least scoring 7 whole points in response. For the whole game.
Todd Bowles typical nationally televised humiliation. It would be interesting for someone in the press to ask him how it feels as a head coach to be so throughly beaten and abused in front of 50 million viewers who are football fans.
I know as a Bucs fan I was searching for the old paper bag.
Change is gonna come .
December 1st, 2025 at 9:19 pm
Bowles for coach of the year.
December 1st, 2025 at 10:20 pm
Rob5, pick any 3-4 roster you want, from hall of famers in their prime. Todd would have Sapp playing middle drop, Simeon Rice out in the empty flat, Deion Sanders at edge, and Vita Vea selling hot dogs in the end zone seats. Heâd have them all thinking so much they wouldnât be able to bend over to tie their shoes.
Just like this defense.
Give this personnel to Vance Joseph or Brian Flores, the Bucs would be 10-2.
December 1st, 2025 at 10:28 pm
I would just like to remind everyone that the Bucs got screwed by the refs AGAIN!
Had they not, maybe the game wouldnât have been as close as it was. The stripes pulled 7 points off the board in the first half.
Terrible holding call on Wirfs wiped out a 21 yard 1st down that very likely leads to a FG. Then they call that PI on Tez on Whites TD, also garbage. Somewhere in there they blew a free play for Baker down and he was not happy! (Apparently they didnât screw that up as one of our OL made a movement where refs can blow it down?)
I know the refs are terrible league wide and every game some team is getting bent over but this is quite possibly as bad as I have seen it, especially against the Bucs. Nothing going their way. Phantom whistles stopping TDs, INTs when it looks like we possessed to the ground, itâs been outrageous.
December 1st, 2025 at 10:41 pm
Blaming the refs is a lot like blaming injuries.
December 1st, 2025 at 11:18 pm
@Aqualung he has a point though. At least 2 questionable calls that would have ended in points if not called. Defense still looked like crap most of the game. Are front 4 rarely get a actual sack. It cant be all Vea all the time
December 1st, 2025 at 11:45 pm
Sure, refs are horrible. You donât think Cardinals fans are pointing at a couple calls they think wouldâve changed the game? The referee epidemic is an atrocity, and itâs league wide. Fortunately we didnât suffer a fatal blown call like has happened in the past . And on one of the examples given, we ended up scoring a TD anyway. Itâs not like that wouldâve added a TD to the Bucs final point total.
There is one takeaway. This game was a âdead cat bounceâ before the final swoon. This team is tired of plying and wants to be on a beach. Itâs despicable.
December 2nd, 2025 at 3:07 am
If Warren Sapp played in this soft-ass version of the NFL, he’d be fined, ejected, and suspended from the league for hitting the QB too hard.
December 2nd, 2025 at 3:15 am
What drives me nuts with Bowels is, it seems every time he gets the slightest lead his defense goes into prevent mode. It could be the 1st quarter with a 7 point lead?? Every game his defense lets up, only trying to stop big plays. Only to see the other teams offense march down the field, time after time. It’s got to be Bowels. It’s becoming very predictable, he stuck on stupid. Just once I like to see this defense not let up and play a full hour. But the man is a moron!