Seems Dolphins Were Ready For Benjamin Chukwuma
December 29th, 2025
Struggled Sunday.
This shows you the difference in the defensive coaching staffs of the Bucs and the Dolphins.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles, who runs the defense, is notorious for letting two-bit and backup quarterbacks boat race his defense.
Good defensive coordinators and good defenses devour these guys.
(Guess that tells you what Joe thinks of the Bucs’ defense.)
So Dolphins rookie backup seventh-round pick quarterback Quinn Ewers, making the second start of his career, sliced and diced Bowles’ defense in the first half Sunday for 144 yards and two touchdowns.
That sort of held with how the Bucs treated backup quarterbacks this year. Prior to Sunday, backups averaged 313 yards per game passing against the Bucs.
Now flip that over to Miami defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Bucs rookie left tackle Ben Chukwuma also was making his second start. And apparently, Weaver and his defenders were ready for him, if you study the intel from NextGen Stats by way of Eric Edholm of NFL.com.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Buccaneers-Dolphins (via NFL Pro): Bucs OT Benjamin Chukwuma struggled in his second NFL start, allowing two sacks and five pressures (two of them quick pressures).
The Bucs used to have a former head coach/defensive coordinator who Joe swears didn’t watch film. That was lousy Lovie Smith. The guy was so arrogant he probably figured he didn’t need to.
(If he did watch tape, it wasn’t football.)
Joe cannot say Bowles doesn’t watch tape. That’s ridiculous. But how is it one defensive coordinator has a plan for a scrub rookie making his second start, and the other defensive coordinator didn’t know how to attack a scrub second-time rookie starter until the second half?
December 29th, 2025 at 12:06 am
If we’re ISO players … let’s talk about:
Godwin & JMac
I thought CG was washed. He looked great today.
Jmac looked awesome. Dumbest play ever but also some really good catches and he got open.
Bucky
He needs to be RB2. We can’t over use him.
December 29th, 2025 at 12:07 am
We don’t have a pass rush. Simple . We can’t defend the flats. Couple that with bakers untimely picks, tough to overcome 3 turnovers. This one wasn’t on Bowles.
December 29th, 2025 at 12:09 am
This teams a bunch of soft pssi
December 29th, 2025 at 12:10 am
I knew that Wirfs missing the game would factor in. Wirfs has been a big disappointment this year along with everyone else. I would love to know if it was his people or the Bucs’ medical staff who botched up the timing of that summer surgery which sidelined him to start the season. Whoever messed that up started a cascade of events which led to this OL being a huge weakness rather than a strength. Again, no accountability from anyone on the Bucs…..
December 29th, 2025 at 12:11 am
It says all you need to know about this Head Coach. You are correct. GOOD (not even great) Defensive Coordinators, and Head Coaches are just chomping at the bit to EAT THEIR LUNCH.
December 29th, 2025 at 12:11 am
How do you lose to a team that literally wants to lose…
Let that sink in…im talking about ATL too
December 29th, 2025 at 12:21 am
Baker, most of the day, had plenty of time. His two INTs were terrible, and had nothing to do with pressure. The strip sack was on Chewbacca, but outside of that, I didn’t think he looked too bad. I don’t remember what the other sack was, but I do know Baker had happy feet, and held the ball and would run in circles rather than get rid of it, but maybe it was a legit sack he gave up.
In any case, what I’ve seen from Chewy overall is promising for an UDFA, but I’d still have to go back and watch some tape as I didn’t focus on him really.
December 29th, 2025 at 12:21 am
Benjamin Chukwuma is a UDFA rookie
Why is he even the backup LT, this is one of the most important positions
This makes absolutely zero sense
I blame this on the HC and GM
December 29th, 2025 at 12:27 am
FortMyersDave Says:
December 29th, 2025 at 12:10 am
I knew that Wirfs missing the game would factor in. Wirfs has been a big disappointment this year along with everyone else.
———-
Well the same people, PFF, that says Chewy was terrible today, have Wirfs as having the best year of his career, and I believe he’s ranked the best tackle in football.
I’d say Wirfs was better last year, but that doesn’t mean he’s been bad or had a down season.
December 29th, 2025 at 12:36 am
Chukwuma had 23 starts at Georgia State
Less than a year later, he’s the starting LT for the Bucs
In a game with their playoffs hopes at stake
This entire OLine was poorly put together by Licht and Bowles
I think it’s mostly Bowles, who’s really running things
I really think Licht is a puppet GM
December 29th, 2025 at 12:53 am
How is anyone asking how they lost? Have you not watched the Buccaneers recently? They have no guards and no ILB. LVD is not the player he wants was. Dennis is not the player. We thought it could be.
Everyone else on the team is decent, obviously they need another edge. We’ve known that for years.
The reason for the loss is because for 10 weeks they’ve been one of the worst teams in the NFL. 2–8.
A defense that cannot stop anyone when it matters and an offense that cannot block when really matters. I give Mayfield a pass because he’s been injured and dealing with another new OC and this OC is not good.
As time goes on and the players get healthy it’s become very evident the play calling sucks. Everything is wide left or right, he doesn’t seem to be able to throw the ball in the entire middle of the field.
Most of the time we can’t seem to draw up plays for someone to be open 15 yards down field. When they need 10 they throw it 5, need 15 they throw it 10, need 3 they throw behind the line of scrimmage.
And always a long throw way out in the flats or up the sidelines.
At first, I thought he would get better as the players got healthy, but he has not. Granted they don’t have any guards , but the play calling has been horrible and it’s been a reason Baker has been trying to force things.
New HC/DC
New OC
New ST coach
Draft ILB‘s and a new guard
Trade what you have to do to get Maxx Crosby
See you next year
December 29th, 2025 at 12:56 am
Don’t blame Wirf he’s toe hurts. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
December 29th, 2025 at 1:53 am
The ‘tiff’ that Bucky had with the Oline on the sideline was revealing. Something happened during the bye week that has only gotten worse and seems to be at a boiling point. I’m really surprised the local media, PR & JBF, for instance, has been unable to uncover the issue. Perhaps the media knows and is sitting on it til after the season. During the after game radio show, T Kraz stated he heard ‘something’ that seems to define the problem. What ours see is a team in crisis and is a mess.
December 29th, 2025 at 1:55 am
Truly a sad state of affairs in Buccaneers football when you can’t beat a crappy Dolphins team when you need to. Now what? I guess just lose out for better draft positioning? What else is there to look forward to?
December 29th, 2025 at 2:24 am
Can this nightmare be over already? Panthers, please bury us in the ground next week. 20 feet under. Please and thank you.
December 29th, 2025 at 4:59 am
I’m with Crazyhorse54.
The wheels came off the bus.
December 29th, 2025 at 5:01 am
FUBAR
December 29th, 2025 at 5:10 am
In full agreement. The Dolphins were fully prepared. Film, practices, standards, studying it all, and doing it all over again. They were on it.
December 29th, 2025 at 5:43 am
Anyone still defending Bowles at this point has to be medicated
December 29th, 2025 at 5:45 am
“ I’m really surprised the local media, PR & JBF, for instance, has been unable to uncover the issue. ”
The media is complacent in this mess of a team we have
The most ridiculous item of the day. –Joe
Jo, Ira, where are the tough honest questions?
Plenty are asked. Just because you don’t like the answers …–Joe
December 29th, 2025 at 6:06 am
Td – Not just Bowles. It’s many other factors too. All combined, not good.
December 29th, 2025 at 6:21 am
todd is a players coach. nobody is excluded from todd wanting a player to have a great game, breakout day, first td day, record passing day. todd is the coach ALL players love.
December 29th, 2025 at 7:56 am
Sacks were by Chubb…..anyone surprised?
December 29th, 2025 at 8:17 am
This game is definitely on Baker. He stunk and he knows it.
Bowles is still a horrible coach and needs to go.
December 29th, 2025 at 8:31 am
Baker is playing bad because Grizzard simply cannot construct a competent NFL caliber scheme from week to week. If I was Grizz, I’d pull the top 5 most successful plays from every game last season and build out my game plan from there. Run the best of the GREAT Liam Coen’s playbook.
December 29th, 2025 at 9:00 am
Rod Munch Says:
December 29th, 2025 at 12:21 am
“Baker, most of the day, had plenty of time. His two INTs were terrible, and had nothing to do with pressure. The strip sack was on Chewbacca, but outside of that, I didn’t think he looked too bad. I don’t remember what the other sack was, but I do know Baker had happy feet, and held the ball and would run in circles rather than get rid of it, but maybe it was a legit sack he gave up.
In any case, what I’ve seen from Chewy overall is promising for an UDFA, but I’d still have to go back and watch some tape as I didn’t focus on him really”
Chewys block was non existent on the fumble. The edge ran right by him. Other that Baker’s nice scrambling plays the running game was non-existent and forced the Bucs to pass and pass again. Miami was getting pressure with 4 which l
put extra defensive backs into coverage. Don’t get me wrong, the pics were bad as Bakers tried to force the ball into tight coverage. That being said no one was very open. Did you watch the Bears/49ers game? Wideouts running wide ope all over the field.
December 29th, 2025 at 9:15 am
Let’s make LVD defensive coordinator for the final game, let Mayfield coordinate the offense.
December 29th, 2025 at 11:01 am
The Bucs are a 1970’s muscle car with a 90 hp engine. They rust out, can’t find parts, have no acceleration and you can’t get rid of them except for the dump.
December 29th, 2025 at 11:01 am
The Bucs are a 1970’s muscle car with a 90 hp engine. They rust out, can’t find parts, have no acceleration and you can’t get rid of them except for the dump.