New Season, Old Problem
December 26th, 2025
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BY IRA KAUFMAN
Way back at the annual NFL owners meetings, Todd Bowles acknowledged one of Tampa Bay’s top issues heading into the 2025 season. Eight months later, it’s still a major headache.
The Bucs can’t seem to get out of their own way in the fourth quarter — when the vast majority of games are won or lost. For the year, Tampa Bay has been outscored 109-72 during the final 15 minutes.
Bowles identified the problem in April when addressing the offseason priorities.
“We’ve got to play not even better football at the end, but we’ve got to have killer instinct,” Bowles said. “We’ve got to try to blow people out and try to win the division instead of it going down to the last week.”
But here we are in late December and Tampa Bay’s plans for a fifth consecutive NFC South crown are very much in jeopardy.
The division title will likely be decided in the regular-season finale, when the Panthers face the Bucs at Raymond James Stadium. But before that Jan. 4 showdown, Tampa Bay could be eliminated Sunday if the Bucs lose at Miami and Carolina upsets the heavily favored Seahawks in Charlotte.
Baker Mayfield lamented the lack of a “killer instinct” last month, just as the Bucs were one week into a shocking tailspin that plunged them from 6-2 to 7-8. It hasn’t gotten any better since that home loss to New England, either.
During this seven-game slide, the Bucs have scored all of 30 points in the fourth quarter, allowing 55. The only three fourth-quarter touchdowns in that span have come from Mayfield completions. Chase McLaughlin has provided the rest with three field goals.
The Bucs opened the season by owning the biggest moments as Mayfield led comebacks against the Falcons, Texans, Jets and Seahawks. In each case, Tampa Bay scored the go-ahead points with less than a minute remaining. At that stage, Mayfield was being touted as a strong All-Pro candidate. And after the Bucs beat San Francisco 30-19 the following week to improve to 5-1, 49ers GM John Lynch praised Mayfield as a leading contender for league MVP honors.
But those frantic finishes have given way to weak endings.
The lack of a killer instinct has been a major factor once again and the transition from Liam Coen to Josh Grizzard as offensive coordinator hasn’t helped in that regard.
With Coen calling the plays last season, the Bucs averaged 8.6 points in the fourth quarter, second in the NFL to Philadelphia. This year, Tampa Bay’s average fourth-quarter production has dropped to 4.8 points.
That ranks 31st in the league, ahead of only the Browns. Is that the kind of company you want to be keeping?
Since that sweet getaway, the Bucs have wilted with the game on the line. Both sides of the ball have contributed since a bye week that was supposed to foster refreshment, not retreat.
Always be closing is an appropriate motto for successful NFL teams. The Bucs ought to give it a try.
A family-owned Tampa icon since 1960, one mile north of the stadium on Dale Mabry Highway.
December 26th, 2025 at 9:08 am
Stick a fork in this team they are done. Bowles and staff have to go. Baker can only get a 2 year extension and no way can they pay him 50M a year either
December 26th, 2025 at 9:13 am
You neither win an MVP nor the Super Bowl the first six weeks. That talk should of never started and this team has certainly missed those results.
Bottom line is, they are the same team the last three to four years. Thats on JL. No dawgs and no new young stars.
I actually feel like they have become boring.
December 26th, 2025 at 9:19 am
Fans on the run.
December 26th, 2025 at 9:33 am
I dunno why anyone is even talking about “PLAYOFFS!?”
……….this team doesn’t deserve to be in the playoffs…..and even if they somehow made it in, they’ll be a “one and done” team……let’s just all get honest here…..the Bucs are a BAD team right now.
The last thing I wanna see, is the Bucs get nationally embarrassed in the Playoffs again…..
But I’m sure Good Teams like the Rams would love to see the Bucs make the Playoffs so they can have an easy 1st round win……Easy pickings for team playing against the Bucs in the 1st round if we’re all being honest with ourselves.
December 26th, 2025 at 9:34 am
Well said, Ira.
While watching past Bucs seasons too, it’s true now that there is a lack of a toughness grind, “Killer instinct.” It has gotten softer. Sometimes they are tough and then it stops.
December 26th, 2025 at 9:50 am
“Killer instinct ” shoot we don’t even have any spark. We come out flat in every big game. Bowles is the leader who can’t lead. The team reflects his lack-luster talent. All he is capable of is blaming everyone but himself. The poor execution is the result of poor preparation. The stupid penalties at crucial times are more of the same. Year after year it doesn’t change. Coen was the fresh air we needed. He bolted to get away from the wet blanket. Change is needed now. You can’t give this guy anymore time. Save the Bucs. Fire Bowles.
December 26th, 2025 at 9:56 am
All this talk of the defense and while well deserved, Ira nails the main problem. The Bucs can’t score. Two games left to fix this team. Not sure it can be done. Three of the seven NFC teams that made the playoffs are on the outside looking in this year. Haven’t heard much about those three coaches having to be pushed aside. Certainly not like all the talk on this site about Bowles. The defense has kept this team in the games for all but maybe the Rams and Bills and I would argue those. If you can’t score 30 points in the modern NFL, you’re in big trouble. It really is that simple and this team is broken on offense. Period.
December 26th, 2025 at 9:58 am
Braswell is going to shock the world—Jason Licht
December 26th, 2025 at 10:04 am
Including LVD, the Bucs do not have a Warren Sapp, or Derek Brooks or Hardie Nickerson on the defensive side of the football. They would never tolerate what is going on right now with the bucs defense. “I am that man” just come back to haunt jason licht.
December 26th, 2025 at 10:13 am
“you can’t score 30 points in the modern NFL, you’re in big trouble. It really is that simple and this team is broken on offense. Period.“
Message!
December 26th, 2025 at 10:37 am
So long as the Bucs are still in the running, they are whatever they do next game, and the game after that…
December 26th, 2025 at 10:39 am
There are so many reason why Bowles has to go. There are statistics and numbers which do not lie. Yet we are told by people like Ronde Barber that Bowles is safe despite all the gaffes he continuously does. If the Glazers are trying to lose the fan base and crater ticker, corporate and merchandise sales; retaining Bowles would be the way to do it. Keeping Bowles as HC if he does not actually win a playoff game or two will make the Glazers about as popular as Culverhouse was when he proposed moving to Orlando in the late ’80s and only cared about making coin via TV revenue and tax loopholes as he was the cheapest and one of the most disliked owners of his era.
December 26th, 2025 at 10:44 am
Without Baker’s heroics early in the season, the Bucs would have a record of about 2-13…….
The only difference in the slide is that Baker hasn’t come back with the final drive.
The Defense has done absolutely nothing to help…..allowing teams to get a late lead.
Something is dreadfully wrong with our offense….and it starts with the Oline.
December 26th, 2025 at 10:47 am
The head coach and coaching staff set the tone. If this team does not have any killer instinct, look no further than them.
The Todd Bowles era needs to come to an abrupt end after the season is done. It would be a crime if they kept Todd for another season.
December 26th, 2025 at 10:48 am
Perhaps they try to instill a killer instinct but don’t have the confidence or skills to get it done. It’s sure not evident in their play. Is it effort or is it that they’re thinking too much in the scheme to play instinctually with a killer instinct?
December 26th, 2025 at 10:49 am
Over the past 8 games two things are certain:
-Our offense is anemic late in the game
-Our D is nonexistent in the 4th quarter. No lead -on the rare occasion we have one- is safe.
December 26th, 2025 at 10:52 am
The glazers have never had a problem paying out a lame duck contract while also paying a new coach. Bowles’ contract isn’t the biggest anyway…
I’m going to go optimistic and say the coaching search ( and hopefully GM search) is in full swing behind the scenes.
December 26th, 2025 at 10:54 am
Grizzard will wind up being the scape goat for this season. Bowles and Baker will get another chance with another OC.
December 26th, 2025 at 11:18 am
In other words Bowles knows what the problems are he just can’t fix them. Got it. Find someone who can already.
December 26th, 2025 at 11:57 am
Bad as it sounds, every member of our coaching staff seems unintelligent. Listen to interviews with Bowles, Skip Pete, George Edwards, Foote, and on and on. These guys can’t even string together a coherent sentence, but we’re counting on them to design strategies?
December 26th, 2025 at 12:45 pm
After the 1st paragraph I could have swore you were going to write, “A head coach who is in way over his head and a QB with happy feet.
December 26th, 2025 at 1:02 pm
Has anyone else, EVER heard a (good) GM before, ‘shout to the rooftops’ and praising HIS “MVP” Quarterback, AFTER WEEK-6!? Ummm, YEAH… I didn’t think so!!!! 92-103, INCLUDING The “Brady Years.” He is what HE IS. And, that is NOT good. He should’ve been FIRED in 2018-2019, at the LATEST. 💯 You bunch of “LICKT-Lickers.”
December 26th, 2025 at 1:05 pm
The fat lady song at the bye week for this weak team.
7-10 is coming.
Todd lost the team and coaches.