Rondé Barber: Lack Of “Elite” Coaching Has Hurt Bucs Defense For Years
January 13th, 2026
Here’s an interesting, detailed and somewhat confusing take on the Tampa Bay defense by legendary Bucs cornerback Rondé Barber.
The Bucs defense was bad last year and very shaky in 2024.
On the WFLA streaming show that bears his name, The Rondé Barber Show, the man who calls Bucs preseason games and breaks down film for the team website explained that those failures don’t mean the Bucs should find a new defensive playcaller — a job held by head coach Todd Bowles.
“His defense is difficult. It’s hard. I’m telling you, the playbook is hard. It’s comprehensive,” Barber began.
“And it’s a lot of check-with-me; it’s a dial-up-a-blitz type of defense. I’ve said that over and over again. Every defense is somewhat of a pressure and it asks everybody a lot a questions on how to play the position. Like an edge rusher has to have the same responsiblities as an outside linebacker. Safeties and corners have to have sometimes the same responsibilities as those two standup inside linebackers. So you’re asking a lot.
“Now, if you’re trying to play zone coverage, it makes it even more complicated. If you’re playing man-to-man, it’s easy; it’s just, ‘You got that cat. You take that cat. We’ll see whose athletes are better.’ But when you’re trying to play zone, when you’re trying to throw in zone blitzes, there’s different people that have to cover up the back end of the defense. And when you have so many different bodies playing in those spots, the coaching better be elite. And if it’s not, you’re going to get beat. And that’s what’s been happening to us for the past however many years.
“You see these failures in coverage and people running wide open and guys looking at each other on the sideline like, ‘Did I mess that up? Did you? Who messed that up?’ That can’t be the case anymore.”
Barber went on to say the Bucs scheme is a good defense that works in the modern NFL — with the right talent and coaches. He says Bowles is not the problem but the Bucs need “better teachers” of the defense.
There was clarity from Barber when it came to his personal opinion. He doesn’t like the Bucs defense. “No, I think it’s complicated and guys can’t play fast in it. But it works,” he said.
Joe understands Barber’s explanation, though the “better teachers” line is questionable.
In 2019, the Bucs had three rookie defensive backs getting a lot of playing time and second-year men Carlton Davis and Jordan Whitehead learning the defense for the first time. They struggled. But the group was known for early-a.m. film sessions with Bowles and the self-proclaimed “Gravediggers” balled out a year later, with rookie Antoine Winfield, Jr., thrown into the mix.
The same defensive backs coaches were in place from 2019 through 2025. So is Barber saying they lost their ability to teach the last couple of years, or that Bowles was too hands-off?
Safeties coach Nick Rapone retired last week and cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross was fired. Inside linebackers coach Mike Caldwell and edge rushers/outside linebackers coach Larry Foote arrived with Todd Bowles on Bucco Bruce Arians’ staff in 2019.
Joe doesn’t know what’s next for the Tampa Bay defense.
Fresh talent and different voices should help and, well, we gotta coach it better and we gotta play it better.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:11 pm
Bingo! This is why they need a DC with the right assistants. Bowles cannot play HC and DC and expect the quality to be there. Its too much for him to manage. Belichick is a defensive genius, but he had enough sense to know he needed a DC and the right people to coach the D to get it to the level of quality needed to win games. So, either the Bucs are being cheap or Bowles is letting his ego get in the way, because what has happened so far is not working.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:11 pm
The lack of a effort, lack of fire, lack of desire, lack of urgency, is also missing. There is only one man to blame for that and he’s the defensive genius, the man who is the Defensive Coordinator, the only coordinator that didn’t get fired.
#noconfidence
January 13th, 2026 at 1:14 pm
And our head coach is the head of the defense and still has a job
January 13th, 2026 at 1:16 pm
If it doesn’t work (“for the past however many years”) it doesn’t work.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:17 pm
Yes, the coaching leadership is really terrible. There seems to be no buy in from the players, at least in so far as is reflected in the on the field action and effort level.
It is a shame the once vaunted defense has degraded so much in just a few years under this HC who was once touted as a defensive GURU not that many years ago.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:18 pm
So Ronde, why don’t you apply for a defensive coaching position and help this team?
January 13th, 2026 at 1:18 pm
Unrelated to defense Almost all good QB’s this year went through ugly stretches with picks and bad play, only one coach threw their QB under the bus, this does not bode well for future.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:21 pm
It hasn’t worked since Todd’s been here. We are rankeded 20th+ plus in pass defense in a passing league. Rip the band aid off already
January 13th, 2026 at 1:23 pm
‘Did I mess that up? Did you? Who messed that up?’ That can’t be the case anymore.”
You actually see that on every splash play where a wide a$$ open receiver catches a pass against us. Bowles can’t fix it or he would have already. This defense is stupid complicated in a different way every single play. I believe the players are tired of it. It makes them look bad which hurts their potential earnings in this league. It looks like they are done with Todd’s $hit.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:25 pm
“And when you have so many different bodies playing in those spots, the coaching better be elite. And if it’s not, you’re going to get beat. And that’s what’s been happening to us for the past however many years.” – Ronde Barber
All due respect to Ronde, but that statement isn’t worth a velvet painting of a whale and a dolphin getting it on.
Bowles will never be elite coaching defense because he never has been elite coaching defense.
The only question is how many more years will be wasted under his failed scheme?
January 13th, 2026 at 1:30 pm
Starting with the HC.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:34 pm
I watched the Texan defense with an All Out Hustle and sound tackling. If they can do it and the Bucs can’t, what does that say about the Bucs coaching staff (including Todd Bowles).
There in lies the problem. Todd Bowles defence has looked inept for the last few years. Did Todd Bowles lay out a strategy to the Glazers that would make the 2026 Bucs defense look like the 2020 Super Bowl 🏆 champions.
I seriously have my doubts. Vegas assessment of the Bucs won’t change in 2026 and won’t change until the Bucs start winning games regularly after their bye week.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:35 pm
Sounds like Barber isnt a todd fan….great minds think alike.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:36 pm
Congratulations to JBF for gradually and skillfully encouraging the fans to blame Todd and the defense for ALL of our problems while giving the pathetic offense a full pass.
It’s been sad to see so many objective and knowledgeable fans just give up posting here 😔
January 13th, 2026 at 1:38 pm
All around bad leadership from GM to team Captains. AWJ is highly over rated for the handful of freak goaline strip. That is what made Lynch and Barber HOF players; they communicated, set guys up around them, and they are intelligent. Imo, that “C” on AWJ’s chest directly correlates to his salary and none of the aforementioned skills of Lynch and Barber. And this year h3 also looked slow, small, and weak. So, exactly what makes Licht ROH? Picks? How he hasn’t brought in good teachers/coaches? Or is it overpaying for mediocre talent? The issues are above just Bowles
January 13th, 2026 at 1:39 pm
Ronde talking out both sides of his mouth they don’t have elite coaching for years but the HC/DC isn’t the problem? Wtf are you even saying is the grass the problem then it’s a good scheme but it’s too complicated and is getting burnt all the time with all the players confused. Ronde it’s bowles just say it geez us.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:40 pm
So you have to have superior athletes at every position to play man or seasoned veterans in the system with superior communication on every play to play zone? How could this possibly work? One injury and you’re screwed. One bad player and you’re screwed. Good plan Todd.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:41 pm
I think Barber has a good point and all of us have seen the poor coaching on the defensive side of the ball. Undisciplined , poor tackling, players out of position giving up big yards is all part of poor coaching. Again, I am not a NFL personnel guy but I think that’s 50% on Bowles, he’s the head dog, and the other half on his defensive assistants. Let’s just admit, Bowles is not a high energy guy, not from what I have seen, I might be wrong but that’s my opinion. The Bucs need a couple of rah rah high energy coaches who can also bring some discipline to the defensive side of the ball
January 13th, 2026 at 1:42 pm
And elite players
January 13th, 2026 at 1:46 pm
It sure was refreshing to watch a defense line up and just smash their opponent last night. Houston does not rely on smoke and mirrors to stop an offense. They rely on good coaching, sure tackling, and glass eaters….all anti-hallmarks of a Jason Licht team
January 13th, 2026 at 1:48 pm
@Allen Lofton
Texans have a defense for the ages.
Nobody is doing what they’re doing. They’ve invested heavily in their D and they have studs in their prime…. We don’t. Definitely great coaching going on there but the biggest difference is personell.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:49 pm
Guess they forgot to add doctorate to that I am that man template so they can decipher Todd’s defense.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:49 pm
Your hiring pool is limited when you only hire friends so the chances of having elite coaches are severely diminished. Starting to think TB wants yes men, not great coaches
January 13th, 2026 at 1:49 pm
Your hiring pool is limited when you only hire friends so the chances of having elite coaches are severely diminished.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:49 pm
If you don’t have the right coaches, players, or talent to execute it then by definition it has to be a bad defensive scheme.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:51 pm
Bowles is awful and he should be fired. Bucs are too talented to really stink so the Bucs will be around a .500 team again and the fans will have to hope the Glazers make the right decision next year. Watching the coaching staffs for Jags, 49ers, Bears and Rams is so disheartening. It is so clear they all are significantly advanced over what Bowles and his staff do.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:54 pm
When Bowles was DC he could teach his own busted scheme. He regularly had his corners come into his office and have sessions. None of that is an option now so once he became HC this scheme instantly became a liability of the Bucs. Bowles is simply a coordinator, the only problem with this statement is he was hired to be a head coach and he looks lost.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:54 pm
Rhonde Barber seems to me to be an intelligent guy. Rhonde described what he sees Better then Any thus far. Even though this man Rhonde has MASTERED New Strategies and Made them WORK (Tampa Two) and yet can’t quit explain the OBVIOUSLY too complicated system Bowles has been failing with, With the very same men he had limited, decent results from the past with.
Did we lose a magic defensive coach along the way and get left with the scrubs? Bowles can no longer seem to describe and install his brain twister so who Did describe it for that ONE year of moderate success? And WHY IN THE HE!! ARE WE STILL STUCK WITH THIS FAILING SCIENCE EXPERIMENT?
Like Joe said, same coaches. Like players said, I’m TIRED of being confused! Like We’re ALL SAYING, I WANT TO WIN, D.@.MN THE TORPEDOES!
Like Bowles is STILL SAYING… We’re gonna Run It Back AGAIN with new coaches to coach this RIDICULOUS STYLE of defense AND it’s ASSURED we’ll have the same results. These guys AREN’T nuclear scientists… They are “mostly” intelligent, “College Educated”, athletes.. They Certainly Can deal with a complicated system but Bowles square system Just DOESN’T FIT into the Round holes. And it Never Will…. Either Bowles makes it practical or it’s just More of the Same…
January 13th, 2026 at 2:00 pm
We’re going to watch the same crap next year. To many young guys on this defense and they are not going to get it. Bowles and his confusing defense needs to go. I want a more simple defense so the guys can play fast without thinking as much. We can’t even evaluate the talent we have on defense cause they have been ruined with Bowles complicated scheme.
January 13th, 2026 at 2:08 pm
When will Todd and his defenders, such as Ronde, see the light? If it’s so damn difficult, why not simplify it or trash it all together and switch to something like the eletite defenses in the league use (e.g., Texas, Denver, etc.)? Just please stop trying to explain why it isn’t working!
January 13th, 2026 at 2:16 pm
Tom Petty brings up a great point, one that shouldn’t be overlooked. Yes there are issues with the defense, BUT, I don’t care how good your D is, if they can’t get off the field, they’re cooked!!!
Honestly, why these issues aren’t ironed out DURING the season is a mystery. If it’s “too complicated”, well, make it easier.
January 13th, 2026 at 2:25 pm
amen……3rd and 28…..never forget
January 13th, 2026 at 2:29 pm
I’ve been constantly saying they need somebody in there that’s familiar with the team in some way just like what NE has with Vrabel now.
January 13th, 2026 at 2:43 pm
Ronde has hit the nail straight on its head. And the Glazers should make Bowles hire Tomlin as his DC. But we all know they won’t and neither will Bowles.
January 13th, 2026 at 2:51 pm
You don’t have to be a Hall of Fame’r to SEE THAT!
Jason Lite has allowed this to happen!
January 13th, 2026 at 4:37 pm
Exactly, you don’t create a scheme that doesn’t fit your talent. Bill Belichick always got the most out of his players by figuring out who his team was and then building to their strengths, while targeting the other team’s weaknesses. Bowles is stubborn to a fault and everyone is going down with his ship now. He always says it’s the players but a good coach adapts to find what will work.
January 13th, 2026 at 4:56 pm
So Ronde is saying it was not Bowles fault for calling the defensive plays that failed, because it was simply that his coaches were poor in their jobs and his players couldn’t play fast? Makes sense.
It was obviously not Bowles fault for failing to recognize the problem all year because his team had great leaders.
Fortunately for us, ‘he is that man’.
Tomlin now please!
January 13th, 2026 at 5:00 pm
BA – please do something for your money. School Bowles on the 99 ways you would torture his quixotic Defense and make him cry uncle.
January 13th, 2026 at 5:15 pm
Elite Coaching? A term that hasn’t described the Bucs for years……
January 13th, 2026 at 5:17 pm
“Now, if you’re trying to play zone coverage, it makes it even more complicated. If you’re playing man-to-man, it’s easy”
———
This is the answer to everything, and why the defense can look really good at times, and really bad most of the time.
The Bucs lead the NFL in zone in 2024. I’m not sure what the rankings will be for 2025, but the Bucs will surely be near the top of teams using zone.
They suck at zone.
Yet Bowles keeps calling it.
When they go away from zone, it looks like a totally different defense as they’re aggressive, get sacks and turnovers. And yes, they might get burned, but they also, overall, allow less points and get better results.
There is a simple answer, and I truly have no idea why Bowles refuses to do it. Play more man defense. Period.
January 13th, 2026 at 5:22 pm
The same defensive backs coaches were in place from 2019 through 2025. So is Barber saying they lost their ability to teach the last couple of years, or that Bowles was too hands-off?
———-
Bowles, under Arians, was a true DC and was dramatically more aggressive and primarily a man coverage defense, because Arians was there to keep The Turtle from going into his soft zone coverage shell. I really think that’s 99% of the issue. Bowles never plays to win, he just plays not to lose.
January 13th, 2026 at 5:24 pm
He’s saying what the fans have seen for quite some time.
January 13th, 2026 at 5:57 pm
I get what Ronde is saying about the defensive backfield but to me, the game is won and lost in the trenches and the defensive trench warfare for the Bucs has been lacking to say the least, I rarely see any consistency in the pash rush. And let’s face facts about the inside linebacker play, you’re really beginning to see how long in the tooth Lavonte has become and the lack of real athleticism in the middle of the field has hurt the defense along with subpar d-line play.
January 13th, 2026 at 6:31 pm
Rod are you still beating the more man to man drum as a real fix ?
*Ai says
Man-to-man coverage problems include creating exploitable mismatches (speed/size), tiring defenders, leaving big plays open if a defender gets beat (no help), struggling against mobile QBs and screens, and being vulnerable to offenses using receiver movement to create space, requiring elite athletes to execute effectively.
Offenses counter it with crossing routes, picks, and motion to force confusion, making it a high-risk, high-reward strategy.
Key Problems with Man-to-Man Coverage:
Mismatches: If a defender lacks the speed, size, or agility of their receiver (e.g., a slow linebacker on a speedy tight end), they get easily beaten, leading to big plays.
No Help/Big Plays: When a defender loses their man, there’s often no teammate there to provide help over the top or underneath, allowing for huge gains after the catch.
Fatigue: It’s physically demanding, as defenders must chase receivers all over the field, leading to potential fatigue late in games.
Vulnerable to Screens & Motion: Offensive plays like screens, drifts, and receiver movement (like stepping one way and bursting the other) can easily create separation and exploit defenders caught in man principles.
Reliance on Individual Talent: It requires exceptionally athletic and skilled cornerbacks and safeties to succeed consistently.
Pass Rush Dependency: Without a strong pass rush, quarterbacks have time to find the open man, and defenders in man coverage get exposed quickly.
Poor Against Mobile QBs: Defenders assigned to receivers aren’t always focused on the quarterback, making it harder to contain running QBs.
When we get a pass rush that can be counted on we’ll run more man to man.
January 13th, 2026 at 6:33 pm
Maybe there’s a reason Ronde is a media “personality” and not a coach ?
January 13th, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Sounds to me like the owners are maneuvering Bowles into the same box canyon in which they find themselves. One way or another the owners will find a way to lay the blame on Bowles. If Bowles wants to stay he has to hire both an OC and a DC that are his potential replacements. If he hires lousy assistants and coordinators they’re all gone after next year. If he hires good ones one of them likely takes his job unless Bowles really plays ball (pun intended) and wins. If he doesn’t hire a DC then he better work miracles.
But if a knight in shining armor rides in, bye bye Bowles.
And then there’s the wild card, Baker. If he doesn’t approve or like what’s going on will he ask for a trade ?
January 13th, 2026 at 7:27 pm
Expect more of the same.
January 13th, 2026 at 8:54 pm
this reminds me of post 2002 super bowl, i don’t think its a coincidence. glazers pulling the strings
January 13th, 2026 at 9:05 pm
meanwhile there is a lack of elite coaching yet Bowles keeps his job. Whatever. The Bucs are a very bad team. coaching, quarterback, offense and defense and special teams. All bad. The blame for this sht show falls on the GLAZERS.