“How Do You Get Healthier And Worse?”
December 23rd, 2025
Here’s one for the Todd Bowles defenders who scream about the impact of injuries and demand proper justice for the head coach.
And it comes from a guy heard on the Buccaneers Radio Network.
Pat Donovan is that guy, and he co-hosts The Pat And Aaron Show weekdays on WDAE radio, where on Monday morning Donovan made an interesting point.
When the Bucs played the Seahawks in Seattle in Week 5, Tampa Bay was without Luke Goedeke, Cody Mauch, Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan and Bucky Irving. Chris Godwin was barely healthy in that game and Tristan Wirfs was still getting in football shape in his second week back after summer knee surgery. The Bucs also were without Calijah Kancey.
And somehow that Week 5 Bucs team beat a powerful Seattle club on the road.
On Sunday at Carolina, the Bucs were a significantly healthier but far less effective team than the one that walked off winners in Seattle. So Donovan asks, “How do you get healthier and worse?”
It’s a great question.
That reality, in part, has led Donovan to be sympathetic to the Fire Todd Bowles crowd that’s growing like a men’s room line at halftime and filling up the sports radio phone and text lines.
“I said earlier I’m not going to tell people if they say that Todd Bowles should be fired that they shouldn’t say that, or argue against it because I don’t have anything to stand on,” Donovan said. “… I’m not going to call for his job; I’m also not going to argue with people who do.”
December 23rd, 2025 at 8:24 am
Get all our WRs back and run the ball 100 times. Make it make sense! Horrendous game plan
December 23rd, 2025 at 8:32 am
This team is a gold mine with the right leadership, or its a dumpster fire with the wrong leadership.
The Bucs need changes in leadership, simple as that.
Todd is a decent man, but if it equates to a 500 record, and 1-3 in the playoffs it is time for a change.
There is a possibilty that the Bucs have a 2nd losing season with Bowles again. They need to win the next 2 games to prevent that, let alone miss the playoffs.
They have won the division 4 times in a row, but 1 season was a losing record. Thats not really bragging material
TIME FOR A CHANGE GO BUCS!!!!!!
December 23rd, 2025 at 8:38 am
Coaching coaching coaching. Where is the accountability? All we have to do is look at the 49rs. Tired of hearing about injuries.
December 23rd, 2025 at 8:39 am
“How do you get healthier and worse?” Coach Todd Bowles is how.
December 23rd, 2025 at 8:39 am
Same way you get to Carniege Hall, practice.
December 23rd, 2025 at 8:42 am
Game plans are out coached on both sides very badly. Not an expert but you dont need to be. ZERO adjustments during the game.
December 23rd, 2025 at 8:45 am
That’s because injuries was never the issue. All teams deal with injuries. Its always been gameplanning and execution that’s hurt the Bucs the most. Its easy to see that. The Bucs lost too many close games with the all the injuries that could’ve been won if the offense could stay in the field, or score or if the defense didnt blow coverages.
December 23rd, 2025 at 8:46 am
Its worse because you have a coaching staff that sucks and baker mayfield as qb.
Baker= carr brothers
December 23rd, 2025 at 8:47 am
When was the last time the Bucs won a game, and it was said the victory was because of Bowles. Now, how many times have the Bucs lost and it was because of the HC? Think about it……..
December 23rd, 2025 at 8:48 am
The game has gone softer than Charmin !
December 23rd, 2025 at 8:49 am
Joe
has the oline gotten healthier? I don’t think so and you can put that on top of barton’s regression
Baker has always had happy feet but in all the years I have watched him I see something more
He’s spooked for how bad he knows the line is and a case can be made so is Griff.
December 23rd, 2025 at 8:52 am
I do not understand how you’d want him to stay
Tell me one thing he’s done here that gives you confidence in him as a head coach? Personally, I cannot find something
December 23rd, 2025 at 8:52 am
The team got healthier but got worse because the rest of the league got better. Bucs added a few draft picks to fill holes and Reddick/JPP. The OC replacement is a regression. Otherwise Bucs didn’t make any headway from last year. Last few years the team went into mid season slumps but pulled out of them. Same thing this year but stayed stuck in it because the team isn’t much better than last year., However the opponents made gains. Sounds good to me anyway.
December 23rd, 2025 at 8:54 am
Its not the players its the coaching, no accountability.
December 23rd, 2025 at 9:01 am
“Get all our WRs back and run the ball 100 times. Make it make sense! Horrendous game plan”
It literally worked, lol now about that 4 points we left on the field in the 2nd qtr because we couldn’t punch it in from 2 yards out. 14-3 was right there for the taking and then our 53% success rate in the redzone reared it’s ugly head.
We got the ball back on 2 more drives and ran a combined total of 8 plays because of two separate penalties making it a 4 & out rather than 3 and out. We only ran the ball twice, and both penalties came on pass reps.
First offensive drive after going up 10-3 we started on our own 21 and punted from our own 9 yd line. Barton had the blindside flag & Baker took a sack before we punted. Last 3 plays of the drive were pass attempts
Second and last offensive drive before the half, and after allowing 3 points with the score now 10-6, we started from our own 33, gained 3 yards on the lone run then got victimized by 2 bonehead plays Goedeke drew flags on back to back. Then we punted from our own 31. The one pass we did get off was incomplete to Egbuka.
That’s not the type of behavior on offense that makes any coach say, “alright guys, let’s open it up”
December 23rd, 2025 at 9:02 am
Could have save you a few keystrokes, Joe. Worse because of Clueless Todd.
December 23rd, 2025 at 9:03 am
The offense was perplexing, to say the least! With the weapons available, running the ball 30 times seemed almost out of spite.
Bowles SHOULD be fired. The one common denominator throughout the season has been this abysmal defense. We the the blitzing-est defense in the league and yet, can’t come close enough to a QB to make them sweat!
Haven’t we seen enough of Jamel Dean?! Why did he drop off coverage on that TD? He’s a liability, and we’re supposed to believe that he’s our best DB?! I don’t buy it.
Lastly, has anyone seen Haason Reddick? Has the guy made a single play this season? Every time I focus on #5 he looks small and slow. Upgrades are needed desperately on the DL.
December 23rd, 2025 at 9:03 am
So Todd has a hand in the offense huh…..oh look what happened
December 23rd, 2025 at 9:05 am
Yes, it’s all baker’s fault. He’s the only one on the field, right? But it was all baker when he carried the team in his shoulders. So what is it Joe? Again the opposing QB looked like an MVP. I get it: we expect our QB to win every game. And if he makes a mistake, or doesn’t bail out the defense, then he’s a sh** truck. give me a break!!
December 23rd, 2025 at 9:06 am
This team is really starting to look like a State Farm commercial. First, you have a crossing guard with a stop sign, kind of like our guards. Then the second commercial has a fishing boat captain instead of an NFL player. Our captains look like they are tackling with a fishing net.
One thing is for sure: just like the actor says in the commercial, Aye, a squall is coming.
December 23rd, 2025 at 9:12 am
Bucsfanman, yes, I have seen Reddick. Last game I saw where he was walking around gimpy as an old man. Looked like a knee. Never saw him in the game after that.
December 23rd, 2025 at 9:24 am
End this fiasco Glazers. You look like fools (again) for extending the absolute worst HC in the entire NFL for no reason whatsoever. And Jason Licht did not deserve an extension. His fingerprints are all over this crime scene. I’m embarrassed to be a fan of this soft, weak, uninterested team. F them.
December 23rd, 2025 at 9:29 am
Why did this question get asked?
Well Because the BOWLES CREW is looking for noise so they can blame players or other coaches
The Bucs have been mediocre since Bowles took over YET
EXCUSE AFTER EXCUSE
BUCS fired a SuperBowl winning coach after one slip in one year
BUT KEEP BOWLES
Why??????????
I know WHY!!!!
December 23rd, 2025 at 9:37 am
Santa – PLEASE bring the Bucs a NEW coaching staff!!!!!
December 23rd, 2025 at 10:17 am
I haven’t seen any of the Bowles supporters from the last two years eating crow. Be men and face the fact that most of us saw this three years ago.
December 23rd, 2025 at 10:29 am
My concern is the getting fined and possibly losing draft pick(s) for not reporting Baker’s injuries. You can clearly tell something is off by his “long” throws. He did the same thing in Cleveland. Played hurt and sucked, then got ran out of town after giving up his body for the team. If it’s over 20 yards, he is struggling bad.
December 23rd, 2025 at 10:30 am
For GOODNESS SAKES OWNERS! WE WILL NOT BUY TICKETS TO SEE TODD BOWLES UNORGANIZED, SLOPPY AND AWFULLY COACHED PLAYERS! HE SET THE ROSTER AND NOW WANTS TO BLAME THE PLAYERS FOR HIS SCHEME!!!! HE IS A DINOSAUR AND THE GAME HAS PASSED HIM BY! HIRE A YOUNG COACH WITH IDEAS, ITS OVER DONT RUN THE FANS OFF LIKE WITH WINSTON BY YEAR 3!!!!
December 23rd, 2025 at 10:38 am
Stale and complacent is how it happens.
Once again, with how Bowles runs his we do what we do schemes and “it worked last year against them so let’s do the same thing, they will never expect it!” The team hits the ground running early in the season.
It’s obvious that is what is happening and why they start 2-0 or 3-1 every year. Other teams think he might actually change his ways or throw something new at them.
Then by week 6… every other team has their systems being executed properly and they know Todd, in fact, has not changed anything and it’s the easiest game planning week of their season when they play the Bucs.
Only thing throwing opposing teams is the offense having new OC and Dave was decent, Coen was great and Grizz is subpar… hello win regression!
December 23rd, 2025 at 10:42 am
Told You Says:
December 23rd, 2025 at 10:17 am
I haven’t seen any of the Bowles supporters from the last two years eating crow.
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i supported bowles from the jump…
didnt see this 3years ago tho LOL
1st year was the Brady BS, Jenson getting hurt and we were in salary cap hell…
things improved with baker year 1…we had some nice young pieces on both sides of the ball & a rookie OC….got a playoff win…
nothing from year1 with baker indicated we would possibly regress other than injuries and another rookie OC….made the playoffs, lost in the 1st round
bowles hired a clock manager while also adding more offensive weapons(EE2)…all the hype around reddick, yaya and braswell COMBINED with knowing the saints and falcons were still weak, i thought we’d win 12games easy…sweep the weak division and beat the teams you’re suppose to beat….
i was wrong!!!…bowles is who JETS fans said he was…
bowles is a nice guy and nice guys come in last…
i’ve been eating crow since the PATS game!!!
HIRE KLINT KUBIAK
GO BUCS!!!!!
December 23rd, 2025 at 10:42 am
“If it’s so obvious Saskbucs why were you bullish on the Bucs?”
Well I do believe this team has a good amount of talent, especially on O and I foolishly thought that would win out. Also hoped Grizz had some magic in him and the O wouldn’t drop off.
December 23rd, 2025 at 11:40 am
Donovan is 100% right. Can’t blame injuries. I am one that was blaming them for awhile too.
What happened around the bye I wonder?
December 23rd, 2025 at 11:58 am
Not firing Leftwich during the season was the example of who Todd really is. Now we see it loud and clear. He does not have the guts to manage his team. Just be passive and everything will fall in place. But when there is no action everything will fall apart.
December 23rd, 2025 at 12:10 pm
Gruden.
December 23rd, 2025 at 12:20 pm
@told you so – I disagree. Almost all of the Bowles supporters are heavy duty Bucs fans who just are overly optimistic. There are very few, if any, still strongly supporting Todd. Some are still hoping for the best. Nothing wrong with that. I would take no satisfaction from rubbing their nose in it.
December 23rd, 2025 at 1:51 pm
We’d have clinched weeks ago if our OFFENSE had played more than 1 or 2 good games all year. People kept saying “the offense won’t be a problem” or they “weren’t worried about the offense” during the off-season and now those same people are (still) trying to push the narrative that it all on Todd and the D.
The D has been pitiful. The offense has been pathetic.
December 23rd, 2025 at 2:12 pm
What happened around the bye week?
IIRC, instead of spending that extra week game planning for the Patriots, they took the week off to rest….
December 23rd, 2025 at 2:41 pm
Tom Petty,
While true, the offense has had to deal with injuries to our starting 3 receivers, both tackles, both guards, a new OC, qb injuries, bad calls and still Baker managed topull several wins out of his hat.
The defense has been coasting on the injury excuse for year. We were told once they are healthy finally the defense will be cooking. This year they are relatively healthy and yet are still worse than ever aside from the first few weeks . Defense sucks, team gets out coaches on the regular and many guys are actively regressing (the common denominator here is the HC/DC). Todd needs to go.
December 23rd, 2025 at 2:46 pm
In today’s NFL Baker Mayfield is considered short. He needs an excellent offensive line to buy him time in order for his talent to show. Because of injuries this year our OL regressed.
Todd Bowles is a good but not great head coach. He needs healthy superior talent on both sides of the ball.
Go Bucs!!
December 23rd, 2025 at 3:40 pm
Thanks Badbucs!
December 23rd, 2025 at 3:42 pm
Ugo
Last year the defense was devastated by injury and got no slack…. But the offense does?
The injuries on offense have certainly hurt our cause but we’ve had enough skill players healthy, imo, to scheme up and execute successful game plans but we have NOT. And we have a fully healthy skill group now but have looked worse than before.
No argument from me that the defense has let us down. I’m just pointing out, again, that some fans, primarily those who are very anti Todd, have buried their heads in the sand concerning the offense and ignored the reality of how crappy our offense has been ALL YEAR.
Based on what I’ve seen this season, I’m as confident in the defense to pull it together as I am that the offense will get their shlt together.
Imo it’s just ignorant or crazy to continue saying the offense is “fine” or that it’s not a problem or not to blame (equally at least) for the teams success or lack therof.
December 23rd, 2025 at 5:07 pm
Players make plays and need to execute. Got it. BUT… if the DC and OC give them slop for a game plan, they can execute that slop to perfection and the result will still be SLOP! Look at the Niners and Rams, especially the Niners. Their QB = our QB. They have a better RB and much better TE, but we have much better WRs. O-lines are similar. They’re on their way to possibly the #1 seed with 2 star D players out (Bosa and Warner). We’re getting beat by ATL, NO and Carolina?
Grizz isn’t good. Maybe one day, but not now. Bowles’ defense does okay early, but the second half (once the other team makes adjustments) they fold like Teavis Kelce when a little DB arm tackles him. Bowles can craft a game plan, but gets out-coached as the game goes on.
This reminds me of Leftwich’s final year. He got handed a Ferrari of an offense with tons of talent, but can’t get out if 1st gear.
December 23rd, 2025 at 5:20 pm
Well, when your offense goes against this defense ,and vice versa, no wonder they think they have the perfect game plan. We don’t throw across middle so we never coach against it. We play zone and Baker torches them… both sides think there good.
December 23rd, 2025 at 6:40 pm
The issue is one player. Baker Mayfield.
Vs Saints: 122 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT vs the Saints, threw a terrible pass at the feet of Otton on 4th and 4 on the last drive.
Vs Atlanta: Was missing guys all night. Played OK in the 3rd quarter though, thought he might finally be heating up, then throws one of the worst INT’s you’ll ever see in the 4th, then followed it up on the next drive by continuing the choke job, missing a wide open e2 for a first down that basically runs out the clock.
Vs Panthers: Clearly Bowles has lost confidence in Baker, told Grizz to take the ball out of his hands and run the ball, and the Bucs did that successfully. Baker has 145 yards on the day, 1TD and 1INT. On the last drive, the Bucs were moving right down the field, already in FG range to at worst tie the game, plenty of time left and a TO, and Baker throws another INT to lose the game.
If the Bucs got just a middling performance at QB the last three weeks, they’re 3-0 in that span. Instead Baker chokes three weeks in a row, and they go 0-3. 100% on Baker for losing those games. If he doesn’t snap out of it, the Bucs won’t win again this year.
December 23rd, 2025 at 8:32 pm
Who’s Pat Donovan?