Shameful Game From Bucs Offensive Coordinator
December 21st, 2025
#Fail.
All year long, Bucs fans as well as Bucs types from suits all the way down to the towel boys, pined for when the Bucs got Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan back healthy.
Then, the real Bucs would show up.
So what happened today flies in the face of all those folks who said the Bucs’ passing game would thrive with Evans and McMillan back to join a healthy Chris Godwin and former rookie sensation Emeka Egbuka.
What happened?
Just days ago, Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard said the offense against Atlanta, which had its best output since the win at Seattle, was sort of what the team has envisioned before all the injuries piled up.
So today, with a healthy Evans, a healthy Godwin, a healthy McMillan and presumably a healthy Egbuka, what did Grizzard do? He went to a severe ground-and-pound attack.
Yes, Joe advocated for Bucky Irving to get the ball a lot because he burned Carolina badly twice last year. But Grizzard took the run game to a ridiculous extreme, as if he was channeling Carolina coach Dave Canales.
Why in the world, when the running game bogged down in the second half, did Grizzard not open up the offense? The few times Grizzard did — throwing past the chains, what a concept! — the Bucs came up big.
Gee, why put the ball in the hands of your Hall of Fame receiver, or Pro Bowl receiver, or (until today) an Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate receiver when you can hand the ball off to running backs (Rachaad White and Sean Tucker, too) running behind two backup guards?
Just a mindless, irresponsible use of personnel.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:04 pm
This is no more an OC than I am. He should never have gotten the job as he had zero experience at any level. The Bucs are officially a very bad organization.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:04 pm
Ronde/ Kubs/ Nrian Flores
December 21st, 2025 at 5:04 pm
Can you imagine what a good OC could do with those weapons?
December 21st, 2025 at 5:04 pm
Was this Grizzard’s or Todd’s game plan? It feels like this was Todd’s game plan to me.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:05 pm
Fans were calling for Liam Coen as HC this time last year…
December 21st, 2025 at 5:05 pm
At one point they were #1 in power ranking, Bake was the favorite for MVP the Oline was one the best. And now 7-8 and going nowhere
December 21st, 2025 at 5:05 pm
That game plan was a disaster……..what in the world were they thinking…..all our WRs healthy……run the ball….WTF.
This loss is on the coaching…..again.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:05 pm
Coaching malpractice. You’d think at some point someone in the headshed looks at these game plans and calls BS… the goal is not to control the time of possession. The goal is to score points to win the game.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:06 pm
Grizzard is done. And Bowles coaching career is finished. No way any team would hire him as HC oe DC.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:07 pm
Unless Mayfiels was injured on his throwing arm, this is the most DELUSIONAL, offensive game plan Ive ever seen…..
December 21st, 2025 at 5:07 pm
bowles came up with the game plan to protect his atrocious defense and he’s grizz’s boss. Plain and simple. And this has ALWAYS been Todd’s philosophy! After he got anointed HC, he said the 30 ppg offense was scoring too quickly and wearing out his defense. He is responsible for keeping the game close. That’s the kind of football todd likes to play, keep it close and let the defense win in the end. Too bad his defense ABSOLUTELY SUCKS!
December 21st, 2025 at 5:07 pm
Ronde / Kubs/ Brian Flores
December 21st, 2025 at 5:08 pm
When the QB is following the game pla don’t blame Mayfield you tards.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:09 pm
Ronde/Kubs/ Brian Flores
December 21st, 2025 at 5:11 pm
Oh Joe I never call u out, but u and everyone else can’t have it both ways!! All I hear is dont give up on the run!! Pound the rock…Gives Bucky and White and Tucker their touches blah blah blah…He did and its now a problem…and people will blame Baker for the loss, but no way he throws a ball 10 yds away from Evans if it wasn’t a bad route!! Which is maddening cause I thought stupidly I might add we would win it…or since they were giving us the underneath, a FG to force O.T…but never a pass that off target! Crying shame
December 21st, 2025 at 5:11 pm
Jason Anthony Sturgess Says:
December 21st, 2025 at 5:08 pm
When the QB is following the game pla don’t blame Mayfield you tards
^^^^^^^
So the game plan was to throw IT in the 4th the last three games …. And playoffs last year.
Most of us know Winston from TB13. Seen this before.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:12 pm
3rd quarter you have the wind, should of tried to score 2 TD’s in that quarter, leave it up to this team to go slow, not looking like they knew what was going on and wasting a great opportunity. Ran White for a big gain, then benched him. No killer instincts on this team, just suicide instincts.
Should of threw it too Evans 4 times when on the goal line. I would take my chances with him. Came up with 3 instead of 7.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:12 pm
Munch said it in the gameday thread and I think he’s right. This was Toad Bowels gameplan today.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:13 pm
Daryl Green Says:
December 21st, 2025 at 5:09 pm
Ronde/Kubs/ Brian Flores
—————
No to all of those choices
December 21st, 2025 at 5:13 pm
Yes to all
December 21st, 2025 at 5:14 pm
We’ve lost to all 3 division rivals in 2 weeks. This is Lost Decade stuff!
December 21st, 2025 at 5:14 pm
No to all
December 21st, 2025 at 5:14 pm
The play calling this game looks like it had Todd Bowles fingerprints all over it
December 21st, 2025 at 5:15 pm
He might be a good OC someday. Don’t think he’ll get that chance with the Bucs
December 21st, 2025 at 5:15 pm
Indifference sets in.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:16 pm
PRISON FOR GRIZZARD
December 21st, 2025 at 5:16 pm
When I can tell you what we are running before the play god knows a DC who has done this his whole life knows. 1st down run, 2nd down screen pass, 3rd and long pass. Way too predictable for a dude who went to Yale.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:16 pm
Rotten soft team. Bakefield is not the answer. Slow mo disaster.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:17 pm
Imagine if we did the right choice and made Coen our HC. But nooooo Coen is the snake. The snake are the glazers that decided to extend Bowles for wahtever reason.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:17 pm
This game reeked Todd. Offense and defense Iafter ten day mini bye. They had no snswer to panther blitz and their own blitz got them nothing. Players are happy to end season. Very under coached, motivated and clearly uninterested.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:17 pm
Yes to all John lynch did it why not Ronde for gm
December 21st, 2025 at 5:18 pm
I think it’s safe to say we’ll have a new OC next season, and not because this one gets a HC job elsewhere…it will be because we need a completely new coaching staff.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:18 pm
Why not a young Kline Kubiak with good background for support
December 21st, 2025 at 5:18 pm
I won’t accept anything but a total house cleaning of the coaching staff.
I want them all gone
December 21st, 2025 at 5:18 pm
Licht needed to speak up and fire bowles or retire bowles and keep Coen
This is a total failure from GM down to the waterboy
December 21st, 2025 at 5:19 pm
Def easy being a DC against the Bucs. They only threw I think twice on first down. Play run on 1st, cover the outside short to intermediate in passing. Don’t have to worth about between the hashes or deep. Only have to cover maybe a third of the field. Now I think they might have tried a few deep throws but their line is pathetic and their situational football against blitzes suck. Have to practice that more.
On defense the zero blitz was maddening. Like rams all over again. In this case though I’d you’re gonna send em they need to actually go, not spot the qb a full second before coming super delayed. Also don’t understand why you would there. Didn’t blitz much before that and all you have to do is swarm the end zone and about 5 yards in front..send maybe one extra but an all out one? And delayed ar that?
December 21st, 2025 at 5:19 pm
Why not a young Brian Flores as defensive coordinator slash head coach 🤷🏾♂️
December 21st, 2025 at 5:21 pm
Canals and Cohen saw the writing on the wall.
Both guys got the hell out of dodge and away from
the sinking ship that is Todd Bowles
December 21st, 2025 at 5:22 pm
The coaching staff has lost faith in Mayfield and understandably so. He’s a choke artist.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:23 pm
I am pretty damn sure that was Bowles idea to pound the ball. If it was all Grizzard why didn’t Bowles have him change up in the second half. I hear if the panthers beat Seattle next week the Bucs are out of the playoffs. It’s sad to say but, I am cheering for the panthers. As a 50 year Bucs fan, I just want to get out of the misery
December 21st, 2025 at 5:23 pm
Grizz sucks but it’s hard not to see Bowles fingerprints on this coach to not lose gameplan.
We saw it with Coen in division games last year, the code turtle vs Atlanta that lose the game… won’t know forsure but safe to say this is on both the Bucs coaches. Get em outta here.
They can’t possibly survive. The fanbase is foaming at the mouth.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:25 pm
I don’t care if we win in blow outs in the remaining 2 games.
Bowles MUST GO….and the smart move would be to execute on that now!!
December 21st, 2025 at 5:29 pm
I got excited once today when we went to 5 wide ,,, I was thinking this is it ,,, going on an air crusade!!!!! It was a pass behind the line of scrimmage for no gain!! And that was the end of that,,, Grizzz if your gonna get fired ,, get fired throwing the ball downfield to your good players!!! 2 receptions for Egbuka ,, are you kidding me grizzzz ,,, you are going to have to outscore teams ,,, throw the balll,,, you can’t even blame Bowles when you score 20,, score 30 and it’s on him
December 21st, 2025 at 5:30 pm
Yep, nuff said. Grizzard may have been a great 3rd down savant but he has no scheme. You don’t need imagination to move the ball downfield when you have at least 3 top shelf pass catchers on the field each play. Few down the field passes, few play action and no screens even. Baker used to bake but this team is cooked from a coaching standpoint.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:33 pm
Coaching malpractice.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:34 pm
I really had high hopes for Grizzard based on his results as passing coordinator/3rd down last year. Most of us said we should of kept Coen. Now there is a great offensive mind. This has Toads fingerprints all over it. He knows his defense can’t stop anyone, knows he’s going to be fired so run the ball over and over to control time of possession so his team won’t give up 40 points and someone will hire him as a defensive coordinator. Defensive genius what a joke!
Every bit as bad a head coach as Lovie Smith, Leeman Bennett and Ray Perkins. He couldn’t try harder to lose if he tried.
Wouldn’t be at all surprised if that’s what’s going on. Purposely trying to lose so he can retire and collect Glazer’s money for at least two more years and sit on his fat sloppy ass.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:35 pm
I really had high hopes for Grizzard based on his results as passing coordinator/3rd down last year. Most of us said we should of kept Coen. Now there is a great offensive mind. This has Toads fingerprints all over it. He knows his defense can’t stop anyone, knows he’s going to be fired so run the ball over and over to control time of possession so his team won’t give up 40 points and someone will hire him as a defensive coordinator. Defensive genius what a joke!
Every bit as bad a head coach as Lovie Smith, Leeman Bennett and Ray Perkins. He couldn’t try harder to lose if he tried.
Wouldn’t be at all surprised if that’s what’s going on. Purposely trying to lose so he can retire and collect Glazer’s money for at least two more years and sit on his fat sloppy a$$.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:35 pm
I really had high hopes for Grizzard based on his results as passing coordinator/3rd down last year. Most of us said we should of kept Coen. Now there is a great offensive mind. This has Toads fingerprints all over it. He knows his defense can’t stop anyone, knows he’s going to be fired so run the ball over and over to control time of possession so his team won’t give up 40 points and someone will hire him as a defensive coordinator. Defensive genius what a joke!
Every bit as bad a head coach as Lovie Smith, Leeman Bennett and Ray Perkins. He couldn’t try harder to lose if he tried.
Wouldn’t be at all surprised if that’s what’s going on. Purposely trying to lose so he can retire and collect Glazer’s money for at least two more years and sit on his …
December 21st, 2025 at 5:37 pm
Safe and predictable. That’s the way to go (NOT!)
December 21st, 2025 at 5:38 pm
This promotion was too much, too soon for Grizz. This kind of stuff did not happen with Coen last year.
The next OC needs to be someone who has done it before. No more OJT.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:38 pm
Because Bowles. The only reason Tampa won that playoff game against Philly & played Detroit tough was because he finally took the handcuffs off his OC
December 21st, 2025 at 5:44 pm
You people calling for a defensive HC… Are you crazy????? Look what the great DC savant did today! 3 years of that crap is 3 too many!! How about a Liam Coen look alike!!!!!!!!!
December 21st, 2025 at 5:46 pm
Here is a question. So if Arians didn’t wait until way after the season to announce he was retiring and he retired right away when the season was over would the Glazers have promoted Bowles to be Head Coach. It’s possible but at the time it kind of felt like Arians pulled a fast one putting the Bucs organization in a bad spot and like they had no other choice but to make Bowles head coach. Now they can rectify the situation and start again with a clean slate.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:47 pm
I no longer watch the bucs games, its just to nauseating I just come on here after the game and read what our idiot HC did to lose the game for us
December 21st, 2025 at 5:47 pm
How much was Grizzard and how much was Bowles commanding it?
Bowles got on Grizzard’s case several weeks back for not running the ball enough. This felt exactly like what Bowles wanted here today, and the result was as dismal as his inept defense.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:48 pm
The tards who say replace Baker with who specifically wiyh?. Rod the Tard Munch’s Kyle Trask?
December 21st, 2025 at 5:54 pm
I truly expected the offense to score like 40 today completely forgetting our desperately bad guard situation. Still, airing it out with *THOSE* high priced ultra talented wide receivers seems like the right choice once the run game started to falter due to awful guard play!
December 21st, 2025 at 5:55 pm
Our whole receiving Corps had a total of 39 yards today. Carolina’s rookie receiver had double that by himself. Coaching malpractice at its finest… what’s the point in having four really good receivers if we want to run the ball down our opponents throats every week, even if it’s not working… someone needs to tell Grizzard we don’t have to wait until 3rd down to try for a first down…
December 21st, 2025 at 5:56 pm
Bowles admitted it at halftime. He has his hands on the offense too. Run the Ball. That’s what he wanted. Giz obliged that order.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:58 pm
Todd said to the halftime reporter they did not NEED to throw more. Of course it’s his game plan. Adios TB.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:58 pm
Yes, it was a package deal. If Team Glazer did not agree to either Todd Bowles or Byron Leftwich to succeed Arians, then Arians would have stayed at his Georgia lakefront home. It was a package deal.
December 21st, 2025 at 5:59 pm
Coaching deficiencies are finally getting appropriate attention. Changes should be expected.
December 21st, 2025 at 6:05 pm
Mike Caldwell and Larry Foote and Coen’s o line coaches. There are no other coaches on this staff with an nfl future. Todd Bowles will have to retired because absolutely no one will hire him he’s burnt toast. Grizzard is going back to passing game coordinator somewhere maybe college
December 21st, 2025 at 6:15 pm
Responsibility, ultimately, is with the HC.
December 21st, 2025 at 6:22 pm
Thos guy couldn’t scheme his way out of a paper bag. Im telling you. This guys an idiot. I was yelling to throw the ball go hurry up all game. And this stupid f just keeps throwing screens and rimming up the middle. He hides nothing. Also are we gonna pick up a blitz or just let teams demolish us. We scored early in the year and this giys allergic to our best players. Im fing over it. I hate this staff and I hate this team
December 21st, 2025 at 6:24 pm
There is a zero percent chance that game plan wasn’t 100% Todd Bowles telling Grizz he wants to run the f-ing ball after watching Baker lose two games in a row. And it was mostly working until Baler lost a third game in a row with his INT.
December 21st, 2025 at 6:43 pm
Rod Munch you are a fool
December 21st, 2025 at 6:48 pm
Replace Grizzard. What a terrible excuse for play calling. It reared it’s ugly head about 4 games ago. He’s a bull headed dude with no originality for today’s NFL.
December 21st, 2025 at 6:58 pm
MAKE NO DOUBT ABOUT IT THIS IS TODD BULL’S GAME PLAN. HE IS NOT AN OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR .THIS WAS A TERRIBLE GAME PLAN WITH A HEALTHY WIDE RECEIVER ROOM.
WHY DOES THIS GUY ALWAYS GO AWAY FROM WHAT WORKS?
HIS TIME IS DONE HERE. HE’S STINKING UP THE PLACE. GLAZERS NEED TO GET OFF THEIR BUNS AND FIRE THAT WHOLE COACHING STAFF.
December 21st, 2025 at 7:22 pm
The current Bucs are probably the worst waste of Talent on any roster I’ve ever seen due to incompetent coaching on both sides of the ball. I’m sure this was Todd’s game plan to run the ball 30 times or more, and Griz had to comply. However, even with all your stud receivers back, if that is if you’r stupid game plan,!, then where were the running “plays”. I’m sorry, but this was like watching a Leeman Bennett or Ray Perkins offense – no imagination, plain vanilla handoffs right into the heart of the D line. Was there any point in the game or any one of you watching said to yourself “wow that was a really cool, ingenious Run play”. Nope, me either. “coach” Todd and OC Griz never make in-game or halftime adjustments.. which is absolutely incompetent. So, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. But if it ain’t working make a freaking adjustment – that’s what good/ great coaching does!
December 21st, 2025 at 7:34 pm
One more thing- right before the end of the first half the Panthers were already in field goal range, and had enough time for one play before trying a field goal. Everyone watching this game knew that they are taking a shot into the end zone, and if that failed they kick a field goal. Coach Todd’s brilliant idea was to sell out with a full on Blitz all from the left side, leaving 1 DB against their receiver on the other side , no safety.. what was the point! If he’s playing a conservative, low scoring game mentality, you simply keep everything in front of you with all your linebackers and CB’S and give up the field goal. Total coaching malpractice! Especially since he’s supposedly a defensive “Guru”. He served up the momentum and the lead back to the Panthers on a silver platter. Whatever games we have won have been on sheer Talent, not coaching, or brilliant play-design either on defense or offense!
December 21st, 2025 at 7:42 pm
Last but not least, it’s kind of hard to put this all on Baker Mayfield shoulders when he has a Swiss cheese o-line and has about 3/10 of a second to throw the ball, usually with a free runner bearing down on him. There are no Hall of Fame quarterbacks that can be successful with such a soft offensive line! Like I said plenty of Talent on this team, especially at the skill positions. It’s just all being wasted by lousy, unimaginative, incompetent coaching. The locker room seems lost.. several games ago. Seahawks should be the Panthers next week, and Bucks should be the Dolphins. Those are “shoulds.” Then we would get one more crack at the Panthers, at home, for the division title. If I were Mayfield I would change every single play at the line of scrimmage and call my own game, just like Joe Namath did in Super Bowl III. Yep, that’s going way back, but what do we got to lose at this point!?
December 21st, 2025 at 8:17 pm
Blah, blah, blah…the entire coaching staff needs to be fired!