Loaf Watch: Buccaneers-Falcons
July 17th, 2026
Time stood still last month when Todd Bowles broke from repeated claims that effort was no issue with his Buccaneers in 2025.
The head coach referenced guys “just taking plays off.” That sure sounds like an effort issue, so Joe launched operation Loaf Watch.
Joe has been disssecting Tampa Bay’s post-bye-week games, the ones that sent the Bucs from a 6-2 record to a sad 8-9 conclusion.
Who was “just taking plays off?” This is Joe’s search.
The first installment of the Loaf Watch series (Bucs-Patriots) was followed by Part II (Bucs-Bills) and Part III (Bucs-Rams) and Part IV (Bucs-Cardinals). Then it was Bucs-Saints from their Dec. 7 game in Tampa.
This exercise is about clarity following the Bowles comment, and after Lavonte David admitted to being called out for loafs and YaYa Diaby wagged a finger of shame at Bucs film.
Today, it’s time for the soul crushing Bucs-Faclons game.
Joe will start by noting that over and over again Haason Reddick half-assed his play.
“Disinterested” is a word Joe would choose. Early in the third quarter, the Falcons chose, by design, not to block Reddick on a run play and he had no interest in attacking the ball carrier to chase him down. Unblocked! It was a loafing clinic.
However, Reddick got motivated very late in the game and had a strip-sack of Kirk Cousins that somehow the Bucs did not recover. That play could/would have made Reddick the game’s hero and, subsequently, handed the Bucs a division title.
The play illustrated how checked out Reddick was for most of the night. The defense literally played/looked better when Chris Braswell was in for Reddick. But then Reddick stepped up late — which is probably why he was on the field in the first place.
Joe can’t chastise former Bucs guard Michael Jordan for loafing, but the guy was too overmatched too often. That’s probably why he has no 2026 team — neither does Reddick.
Shabby fourth-quarter tackling effort by Jamel Dean. He might as well have been wearing a sign, “I don’t want to hit Bijan Robinson.”
That’s about it for pure loafs.
*Despite knowing what was coming, Joe needed medication after cornerback Zyon McCollum was called for offsides in the red zone. The field goal was wiped out, the Falcons got a first down and put up seven points instead of three.
*Back-to-back plays early in the third quarter, Dean drops an interception and Jacob Parrish whiffs on Bijan Robinson in the backfield before Robinson made Deion Jones look like a 70-year-old man chasing a chicken for a 20-yard gain. Those two plays kind of summed up the Bucs defense.
*Rough moments for Baker Mayfield. In addition to the bad interception, Mayfield earlier ate two sacks that didn’t have to be.
*On one sack, Mayfield sat in the pocket staring at open Rachaad White in the flat after Mayfield’s initial read and wouldn’t throw it to him. Instead, Mayfield looked back downfield and ate a sack a full 6 seconds after the ball was snapped. Falcons edge rusher James Pearce dropped Mayfield to set up a 3rd-and-15. The other major blunder was at the Falcons-26 with 13 seconds remaining in the first half. Mayfield ate a 9 yard sack — for no good reason. A 52-yard field goal bailed him out.
*On the upside, it sure was fun watching Vita Vea block as a fullback. Christian Izien and Lavonte David had special forced fumbles that weren’t recovered by Tampa Bay. And Mike Evans had an iconic night as the Bucs moved the ball at will when they weren’t shooting themselves in the foot.
July 17th, 2026 at 10:49 pm
@Joe
I’m willing to believe there were loafs on film. Every NFL team has them over the course of a game. But let’s not pretend that’s why Tampa finished 8-9.
The bigger issues were explosive plays allowed, poor third-down defense, penalties, missed tackles, untimely turnovers, and inconsistent situational football. Those problems showed up week after week, regardless of who was on the field, and the root cause of my ulcers.
One player taking a play off might cost five or ten yards. Giving up explosive plays, extending drives with penalties, missing interceptions, lining up offsides in the red zone, and failing to recover multiple forced fumbles costs you football games. If loafing was truly the root cause, why did the defense struggle in those same areas all season? That’s a coaching, communication, and execution problem, not simply an effort problem.
And here’s the question nobody wants to answer: if the loafing was as widespread as suggested, why did Todd Bowles continue giving those players the overwhelming majority of defensive snaps!? Either the effort wasn’t nearly as pervasive as portrayed, or the coaching staff believed the alternatives were even worse. Either way, that’s as much on the coaching staff as it is on the players.
That’s exactly why Bowles’ seat should be scorching hot. Not warm. Not uncomfortable. Scorching. Because if players were repeatedly taking plays off and nothing changed, that’s a failure of accountability. And if loafing has been exaggerated, then the defense still collapsed because of poor preparation, communication, and execution. Either scenario leads back to the head coach.
Loafs deserve to be called out. But if we’re ranking the reasons the 2025 season unraveled, they’re nowhere near the top of the list.
🔥 LFG!
🍞 NO LOAF ‘26!!
July 17th, 2026 at 11:29 pm
wow I will pull this game up and evaluate. Joe says this about Jamel Dean wearing shirt, ” “I don’t want to hit Bijan Robinson.”” so funny. Sirvocea Denis could of had a shirt the first Falcons game that said, “I am too slow to even dream of tackling Bijan, I am not that man” The game I remember as being full of loafs was the Saints game at home when it was raining continuously. Last year was sooo disappointing. It is beyond comprehensible that Todd Bowles is still the head coach of the Bucs. Thursday night football loss to Kirk Cousins was inexcusable. I have picked a new team now as well as the Bucs. Unfortunately there is no JoeBearsFan web site to go with it.
July 17th, 2026 at 11:36 pm
Joe says this as well”*Despite knowing what was coming, Joe needed medication after cornerback Zyon McCollum was called for offsides in the red zone. The field goal was wiped out, the Falcons got a first down and put up seven points instead of three.” I agree with this, this kind of defensive bullsh** plays were soo crazy–my husband kinda freaks out when I start screaming at the TV. He has no belief in the Bucs anyway. So I needed another team to root for after the Bucs last season.
July 18th, 2026 at 12:52 am
Both Reddick and Dean were out the last several games- probably because they were benched, not injuries. Cannot say 100% for sure but I’ll bet it’s very likely.