Todd Bowles Predicts Offenses Will Respect Bucs’ Pass Rush More “Than We’ve Ever Seen”
September 5th, 2026
How bout hype leader Todd Bowles!
Bowles loves his re-worked defense. Man, he loves it so much that two old newcomer veterans, part-time players, represent his “biggest change,” not hungry rookies like edge rusher Rueben Bain and inside linebacker Josiah Trotter.
Speaking on The Rondé Barber Show this week, Bowles didn’t hesitate to gas up his new defensive front and say offenses may respect them like its the glory days of 2020.
“If those guys are working the [pass rush] games together well up front, you’re going to see a very much improved pass rush,” Bowles said. “I don’t think you can leave YaYa [Diaby] alone. I don’t think you can leave [Ruben] Bain alone. But at the same time, you’ve got [Calijah] Kancey and Vita [Vea] in there, as well. So I think we’re going to see more of six- [or] seven-man protections than we’ve ever seen.”
If the Bucs don’t see a lot of six-man protections, Joe will be stunned. If healthy, Tampa Bay has A-list talent, three first-round picks, getting after the quarterback. The seven-man protections, though, are a huge difference-maker. That cuts the offense’s threats, and that’s what the Bucs want to see.
Bowles, of course, said “the first domino” is stopping the run, the refrain of every defensive coach.
Still, the Bucs have to prove they can cover short routes and tackle running backs out of the backfield. Quick throws and pitch-and-catch football has carved up the Bucs defense for too long.
September 5th, 2026 at 2:18 pm
That factor alone will decide the fate of this 2026 Bucs Team. Is that Putrid Pass Defense of recent years really a thing of the past? No worried about the Offense. Its Bowles and his Defense. LFG!!
September 5th, 2026 at 2:24 pm
i hope the hype matches the output and the group stays healthy.
September 5th, 2026 at 2:24 pm
Burrow will prove Bowles wrong yet again. 55-17
September 5th, 2026 at 2:25 pm
Handicappers who I hang out with, several of them pros, really high on Buccaneers front 7 on defense. Think Buccaneers over 8, -135 is the best total on the board.
September 5th, 2026 at 2:26 pm
Let us wait til next week please. Then we know.
September 5th, 2026 at 2:28 pm
I’m worried about the offense. Baker hasn’t looked good at all from what we heard from Joe and seen in thr limited preseason action. J Mac is always hurt. Ebuka has an injury that’s going to nag him all season. Godwin hasn’t played a full season in how long? I’m very concerned about the offense and so should everyone else.
September 5th, 2026 at 2:32 pm
All hype before one snap of the season…..
Be interesting how many people are still high on Bucs if the Bengals manhandle the Bucs to an easy win week one!
September 5th, 2026 at 2:39 pm
Watching the Bowles interview with Ronde, and it’s really good – until that low IQ idiot JB keeps interrupting to ask soccer mom questions like, “would you want a smart player who has less ability, or a dumb player with lots of ability.” Hey JB, when the football men are talking, shut your mouth and listen, and don’t say until unless they ask you something – which no one would willingly do.
September 5th, 2026 at 2:41 pm
Blah, blah, blah… 7-10. I stand by that.
September 5th, 2026 at 2:45 pm
Budda:
Why listen to professional handicappers when you have Boy George this Summer to listen to her ridiculous takes?
Lame troll to say the least
September 5th, 2026 at 2:48 pm
Bowles is full of it. Saw Warren Sapp and Simeon Rice. No one on the Bucs can hold their jockstraps.
September 5th, 2026 at 2:51 pm
Full disclosure, (I love thi site) but the adds are starting to remind me of the Chappelle show bit “If the internet were a real place”. I know , I know; I can take my buisness elsware.
September 5th, 2026 at 2:53 pm
As I watch this video… another gem from this low IQ idiot JB… he asks Bowles… “how important is it for you to have the right players?”
Why does this moron have a job?
September 5th, 2026 at 2:55 pm
55-17? Bwahahahaha! Yeah, right. Go away non-Bucs fans.
September 5th, 2026 at 2:57 pm
Some here won’t believe it but I am more worried about the offense as well.
I don’t trust Zac at all. I think if healthy both offense and defense can be top 10 units.
Bowles probably has enough talent, if healthy, to maintain a good to great D throughout the season.
Robinson has enough talent but he did in ATL as well and they didn’t enjoy what he was up to.
September 5th, 2026 at 3:00 pm
Bowles is talking about Bucs defenses he had a part in.
September 5th, 2026 at 3:05 pm
He’ll say the same thing after we get torched 35-6 by the Bengals. Then he’ll say we just have to play a little bit better.
September 5th, 2026 at 3:09 pm
Overall, a pretty good interview with Bowles – but man did that moron JB just derail it any time it actually got interesting.
Certainly worth watching, and I’d say probably the best showing from Bowles I’ve ever seen.
While they talked some formation basics, I wish Ronde had gotten more into the weeds of his man/zone coverage, in particular the Super Bowl defense coverages vs what they’re playing now, and if he’s going to tighten up that zone. Also, what exactly is the idea of having guys literally stand around flat footed and wait for something happen, rather than having active zones with tiny windows.
But that idiot JB wouldn’t let it get that deep, he’d inset some moronic comment about “what player would you most like to spend time with in the sauna?”
September 5th, 2026 at 3:14 pm
Stpetematt Says:
“Bowles is talking about Bucs defenses he had a part in.”
Yep, and the results really suck. 5-1 ruined into 8-9.
Every year there are multiple long losing streaks under the charity hire.
Your boy is the Sultan of suck!
September 5th, 2026 at 3:15 pm
The Bucs defensive front seems to legitly be something to get excited about this year.
So many kvetching about the DBs all offseason – not realizing apparently that we are fine in the backfield – IF the Front 7 are as good as they appear to be coming into the season…..
An outstanding pass rush makes decent DBs look good – and good DBs look great.
Our starting “front 4” of Diaby, Kancey, Vea and Bain – with Robinson, Walker and AQM primarily rotating in – is going to get after the QB like we haven’t seen in a few years…..
Meaning the DBs will potentially have less receivers to cover (RBs and TEs will be in protection mode) – DBs will not have to cover tightly for as long and also will have many more opportunities for turnovers come their way.
Top 10 Defense – Incoming!
September 5th, 2026 at 3:16 pm
“As I watch this video… another gem from this low IQ idiot JB… he asks Bowles… “how important is it for you to have the right players?”
Why does this moron have a job?“
What’d Bowles say to answer the question, you’ll get the answer to this dumb question.
Did you catch the part why DT are listed as DEs in our base alignement?
Did you hear HOF CB, ROH & SB Champ Ronde Barber bring up the fact it’s hardest to teach CBs to play proper man tech? And how Bowles answered with teaching quarters which is a zone concept?
Or are you just worried about JBs employment, because you’re jealous and want to hang with Ronde a few days a week?
September 5th, 2026 at 3:16 pm
Fanofdabucs Says:
“Lame troll to say the least”
Way better than a Pom Pom waiving lobotomized lemming.
Go make love to your Todd Bowles sex robot.
September 5th, 2026 at 3:17 pm
For the interview, I think the most interesting thing I took from this was a little shot Ronde took early on. When talking about play sheets, Barber noted how Monte’s defensive play sheet only had like 8 calls on it – where as Bowles’ defensive play sheet looks like something an OC would use. Bowles – a bit defensively – said yes there’s a lot of calls, but most of that is just small variations of the same plays.
Humm… if true, how about killing all the variations and simplifying things?
A huge thing we heard over and over again during the Monte years, when the Bucs literally had THE best defense in NFL history in 2002, and one of the very best runs every by a defense overall – one thing we always heard was about how they’d just practice the same plays over and over again until everyone knew their job inside and out, and no one was ever out of position.
While a scheme like what Bowles run can’t be widdled down to 8 plays, it almost certainly wouldn’t hurt to go through and drop a lot of those small variations. In addition to reducing the likelihood of guys being out of position, the more confident guys are in what they’re doing, they generally end up playing faster.
September 5th, 2026 at 3:24 pm
“Monte’s defensive play sheet only had like 8 calls on it – where as Bowles’ defensive play sheet looks like something an OC would use. Bowles – a bit defensively – said yes there’s a lot of calls, but most of that is just small variations of the same plays.
Humm… if true, how about killing all the variations and simplifying things?“
You missed how Bowles passed that remark off and reminded Ronde he played on a unit w/3 other HOFers. Having a lot of calls doesn’t mean they’re complicated and you’re comparison a base 4-3 to a hybridized 3-4
Also, that was the NFL 24 years ago, the pistol wasn’t invented, NFL teams weren’t running RPOs or trying to be perimeter passing concepts. It was line up, force the ball upfield on the ground, or if you had a good enough QB you could be a vertically aggressive team. Fullbacks were still mainstays on NFL rosters, the game has changed plenty even since Barbers’ last year in ‘12.
September 5th, 2026 at 3:35 pm
@ Summers eve ..You dont have to be an azzh@le all your life!!
September 5th, 2026 at 3:39 pm
Warren Brooks Lynch Says:
You missed how Bowles passed that remark off and reminded Ronde he played on a unit w/3 other HOFers. Having a lot of calls doesn’t mean they’re complicated and you’re comparison a base 4-3 to a hybridized 3-4
————
I didn’t miss anything sweetheart. As I said, “While a scheme like what Bowles run can’t be widdled down to 8 plays” — the point is, get rid of all those small variations since one of the big failure points with this defense is people out of position.
Try reading my full comment before responding you dope.
September 5th, 2026 at 4:03 pm
Truth be Told Says:
September 5th, 2026 at 2:18 pm
That factor alone will decide the fate of this 2026 Bucs Team. Is that Putrid Pass Defense of recent years really a thing of the past? No worried about the Offense. Its Bowles and his Defense. LFG!!
————————-
Reminder:2025
Total offense 21st
Total defense 19th
September 5th, 2026 at 4:17 pm
SummerofGeorge Says:
Burrow will prove Bowles wrong yet again. 55-17
*************
Burrow when healthy is as good as a young Aaron Rodgers. But even Rodgers never hung 55 on anyone. It’ll be closer than that.
Even Bowles haters have a hard time knocking him in opening games. 4-0 speaks for itself. Win or lose the Bucs will have some solid play of their own.
September 5th, 2026 at 4:20 pm
Pickgrin … ‘Our starting “front 4” of Diaby, Kancey, Vea and Bain – with Robinson, Walker and AQM primarily rotating in – is going to get after the QB like we haven’t seen in a few years. Top 10 Defense – Incoming!’
Thanks Pickgrin for actually talking FOOTBALL in a decent level of detail instead of whoofing down the Pablum & spitting it back out again. And BTW, I’m totally onboard with the Top-10 defense.
I was surprised though by your ‘front 4’ (Diaby, Kancey, Vea, Bain) as opposed to ‘front 5’ (Diaby, Robinson, Vea, Kancey, Bain). I personally think that’s what we’ll see much more of this year … as long as the 5 of them are getting great pressure. Get Vea, Robinson & Kancey all attacking in the middle & the edges are gonna feast IMO … without (hopefully) needing a huge amount of blitzes. I’ve been convinced for the past 4 years (since Suh & JPP left) that it’s excessive blitzing that screws up our pass coverage more than anything else.
Definitely can’t prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt, but our best Pass Defense ranking was #9 back in 2022, giving up 3461 passing yds that year. We blitzed 249 times (14.6 blitzes per game average).
o Our Pass Defense fell to a #29 ranking in 2023, and we gave up 4232 passing yds in 2023. We blitzed 341 times (20.1 blitzes per game average).
o Our Pass Defense stayed at a #29 ranking in 2024, and we gave up 4147 passing yds in 2024. We blitzed a whopping 461 times (27.1 blitzes per game average).
o Our Pass Defense improved very slightly to a #27 ranking in 2025, and we gave up 4049 passing yds in 2025. We blitzed 276 times (16.2 blitzes per game average).
The problem with too much blitzing IMO is that IF the DLine interior guys don’t create some semblance of a ‘path to the QB’ then the blitz usually doesn’t seem to have the desired effect. Our interior was far too light these past several years, and Bowles kept insisting on fielding 2 DLinemen more times than not instead of 3 (the cost of going 5 on the back end). He mostly blitzed 1 of the 2 ILBs, but also blitzed the Nickel or 1 of the Safeties quite a bit. And I’m convinced that’s what left gaping holes in our coverage.
September 5th, 2026 at 4:31 pm
I like the fight in his voice! They have depth in the pass rush for once.
Offseason is the time for whining and complaining about the HC and GM. That’s over.
Let’s see toe to leather!
September 5th, 2026 at 4:37 pm
What also jumped out at me besides the 8 plays and 4 HOFers was when Ronde mentioned that Kiffen didn’t have Bowles’ calculated approach’s to setting up and dialing up blitzes. He blitzed when he was possed. Just gave up two first downs in a row? Know you’re blitzing. The talent of those HOFers and guys like Simeon Rice and Brian Kelly gave Kiffin the luxuries he enjoyed as a DC..
I’d like to see a little more of that from Bowles with these “savage” additions. If Bowles gets a little more Baker and Baker gets a little more Bowles it wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Great leaders are great simplifiers but an 8 call playsheet isn’t going to get us the results we hope for when the Bucs will be seeing stuff like 13 personnel lined up in trips with orbit motion. What I’d like most from Bowles is for him to be realistic about what the players out there can do in coverage. He expected too much of guys like Britt, SVD and Funderburke. The guys added may be able to do what Bowles needs and the returning offenders have had their bitter failures and mistakes from 25 distilled into teachable moments for everyone. The post Super Bowl cap is no longer strangling the defense and I think more capable players will make a noticeable difference.
I loved seeing them put a white board in front of Bowles. It would have been cool if they had him explain his superrotations that have the edge rushers and Vea in coverage. Those are a part of today’s game that, though agonizing to watch at times are not getting cut from the play sheet.
I don’t think the Bucs will have 60 sacks but they’ll be close.
September 5th, 2026 at 5:35 pm
Bengals – The team holds a 3–6 record in Week 1 games since 2017.
Bowles is 4-0 as Bucs head coach game 1.
I like our odds. Put Burrows on the turf early and often and we win.
September 5th, 2026 at 5:37 pm
For years quarterbacks had enough time against Tampa Bay to refinance their homes. I’m ready for that sh*t to end. Bain, Diaby, Kancey and Vea. That’s less a defensive front and more a quarterback relocation program.
September 5th, 2026 at 5:38 pm
We are entering the golden age of Bucs pass rushing this season.
September 5th, 2026 at 5:41 pm
Boy who peed in Rod’s Wheaties
September 5th, 2026 at 5:59 pm
Two Super Bowl seasons 0-2 on opening day, 0-4 against New Orleans. Opening weekend means little, the most over blown week of the year wim or loose
September 5th, 2026 at 6:03 pm
“Wim or loose”.
Yep
September 5th, 2026 at 6:12 pm
Bwaaaahahahaha
September 5th, 2026 at 6:16 pm
DR –
“it’s excessive blitzing that screws up our pass coverage more than anything else.”
I’m gonna disagree….
Little or no pressure on the QB is what screws up our pass coverage more than anything else…..
Even Kirk Cousins can look like Dan Marino out there when he has enough time in the pocket to make a ham sandwich and eat three bites of it before releasing the ball…..
Bowles has always been an ‘aggressive’ Defensive play caller – usually blitzing in the 25>40% range most seasons.
Todd is a much more effective play caller – and his defense works so much better – when he blitzes because he WANTS to – not because he HAS to blitz just to try and effect the quarterback….
Things are going to be different defensively this year for the Bucs.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Defense winds up being the strength of the team.
Top 10 stats (points!) – on both sides of the ball makes almost any team a legit contender. That’s what I think we are looking at with the Buccaneers this year. I expect 10 or more wins for this team. Hope I am right…..
September 5th, 2026 at 6:29 pm
“I didn’t miss anything sweetheart. As I said, “While a scheme like what Bowles run can’t be widdled down to 8 plays” — the point is, get rid of all those small variations since one of the big failure points with this defense is people out of position.“
It isn’t 1999 sir, the game is a lot more complex and players out of position happen to every single football team on any side of the ball because it’s an assignment based game dependent on player performance. There’s no scheme drawn up that takes players out of plays, until that player doesn’t play up to his assignment. Coaching is for correcting that, it doesn’t inspire it by design, darling.
September 5th, 2026 at 6:30 pm
More interested in seeing if these corners can hold up. Until they show they can stop the pass I would take Burrow over his passing yards and chase over his receiving yards.
September 5th, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Kirk is the man! Beat out yall’s drafted ” franchise qb”!
September 5th, 2026 at 6:58 pm
This Oregon Defense has been VERY disappointing today, versus Boise. I was concerned for them going into this season after having to replace BOTH Coordinators this off-season. Will Stein looked REAL GOOD at Kentucky today… HE is just VERY ‘impressive’ PERIOD, and such a HOMERUN HIRE for My Cats.
It just makes what Saban did at BAMA, even that more IMPRESSIVE. Though, I’m pretty sure he never WON a ‘national championship’ the year immediately following, after replacing BOTH. Regardless, it would be quite the feat by Dan Lanning this season, if HE could somehow, PULL THAT OFF.
September 5th, 2026 at 7:14 pm
I expect Burrow and Chase to provide overreaction material week 1 but they’d do that to the Rams with their fancy FA corners. Those two with a healthy Oline will eat. I like Parrish a lot but he gets mossed a lot it seems. He is, like so many Bowles DBs is at his best near the line of scrimmage. He definitely doesn’t get vertical at the catch point and I worry about him carrying vertical routes down the field.
When Bowles’ defense works like it does in his imagination the blitz gets home before those types of balls get in the air or vertical routes or levels concepts develop. It doesn’t help that none of these talented DBs can do as much as Bowles has been expecting of them as a safety valve on the back end. Winfield has excellent click and close ability but he can’t make up for every blitz that doesn’t get home and I’d like to see him doing more work in the box. Safeties with true single high ability are exceptionally rare but Bowles doesn’t seem to have use for anything but little dudes who are demons in the box. Morrison has a chance to shine against the longer WRs the Bucs will face this season.
I’m hoping the front 7 awakening and the coverage can turn last year’s wreck into a high functioning defense. I hope to see lots of blitzes but more simple blitzes and less sell-out ones. This front 4 or 5 with a touch of Bowles voodoo can get home on a much higher percentage of blitzes than these past few seasons whether we see more or less of them.
September 5th, 2026 at 7:31 pm
I’m tellin’ ya… I’ve BEEN saying it all along, that Alex Golesh is waaaaayyyy OVERRATED as a Head Football Coach. I watch PAWL Finebaum literally EVERYDAY (all 4-HOURS of it)… And, it’s ALL I’ve heard. All. Winter. Spring. And, Summer. LONG. At just how ‘impressive’ HE is and bla, bla, blah… From EVERYONE. And, then these Auburn Fans… Just. OH. MY. GOD. They are soooo insufferable. Now, he’s KILLING-IT right now on the Recruiting Trail… So, we’ll see. But, I thought there were soooo MANY times, that HE and HIS South Florida Teams, showed up VERY small, and just way too often, woefully underperformed. Too many mental mistakes, and unprepared. Lethargic. Uninterested and unmotivated. HORRIBLE in-game management, AND play-calling (some real head scratches). Just some real ‘questionable’ decisions period, especially with 4-Downs, and use (or lack there of) of Timeouts. Willing to just BURN way too many EARLY ON in the 3rd-Quarters, over little mental errors (to save 5-yards), & etc. Idk… But, we’ll see. I’d LOVE nothing more though, than to see these INSANE “Auburn Fans” start PANICKING and ‘wet-the-bed’ though! I CAN’T WAIT. Just too many times, HIS TEAMS are NOT READY to play!!!!
September 5th, 2026 at 7:49 pm
Lot of preseason talk for a team that’s barely mid. Like Nike said a long time ago…just do it.
September 5th, 2026 at 8:02 pm
Better move those corners up
September 5th, 2026 at 8:33 pm
Pickgrin … ‘Top 10 stats (points!) – on both sides of the ball makes almost any team a legit contender. That’s what I think we are looking at with the Buccaneers this year. I expect 10 or more wins for this team.’
Exactly! A lot of fans seem to be down on the Bucs for various reasons, but I’m also convinced we’ll win at least 10 games.
The Bucs’ offense has me a lot more concerned than our defense for some reason. I keep thinking that it’s most likely because of us having yet another new OC (well, new to us). Zach Robinson had a very weird 2024 with Atlanta. He started off great (6-3 at the halfway mark), but then only won 2 out of the next 8 to finish 8-9 on the season. His offense that year particularly struggled against top defenses.
Atlanta’s struggles continued into 2025, and they were only 4-9 after 13 games. But then they finished strong with 4 wins (including beating us & the Rams) to close out the season at 8-9 again.
Still, Atlanta’s offensive prowess was nothing to get excited about either year. I’m hoping though that Baker can do a much better job in his system than either Cousins or Penix did.
September 5th, 2026 at 8:57 pm
If not his arse is gone.
September 5th, 2026 at 9:42 pm
Zach Robinson had the wheels fly off his WR room last year. Ike Hilliard, who Robinson brought in as his WR coach was fired in September and was replaced with T.J. Yates who was the Falcons WR coach under Dave Ragone and Aurthur Smith. Ray-Ray McCloud and Darnell Mooney both had career years under Hilliard so they stopped blocking, running their routes and made the WR room toxic. McCloud was cut midseason after a brief absence and healthy scratches. 6 WRs who were on the Falcons’ roster one year ago are not on it today.
I’m not inspired with what Robinson and TJ Yates’s did in ATL but with the fresh start and the weapons they have in Tampa Bay I’m thinking they have a golden opportunity to succeed.
ATL might be sneaky good with its WR room rebuilt around Drake May. Jahan Dotson was underused and was picked only 8 spots behind May. Zaccheus was similarly buried on Chicago’s target-rich roster and was productive for ATL just a few years ago and Zachariah Branch is looking special. That speedy little slot lifts too. He “Rachaad White in Berlined” a Colts safety a couple weeks ago.
Tua (many concussions/much money) can be accurate and efficient and maybe even dangerous with these receivers and Bijan. He got that big contract dumping off to Achane and Mostert so I think he and Bijan may make some noise until Penix is back. Then who knows? Penix was dangerous at Washington with a wealth of WR talent but this team is soft-tanking for a QB.
I’m not writing any teams in the division off. New Orleans’ offense is neutered by injuries right now but by the time the Bucs face them twice late they might have everyone back and clicking on all cylinders. I have faith in Kellen Moore and that team that got hot towards the end in 2025. Not to make light of an injury but how about the rotten Saints losing their top 10 WR for two months out of the gate to a hamstring injury. Two months? That kid can teach Mike Evans a thing or two about how to pull a hamstring.
Injuries, Canales and Bryce Young all have the Panthers as the bottom of the NFC South but they’ll still be a tough out for the Bucs. They may soft tank for a QB too if the team doeasn’t look capable of earning a playoff spot early.
September 5th, 2026 at 9:58 pm
Drake London, of course not May.
September 5th, 2026 at 10:21 pm
I’m a few Hazy Little Things in, but I swear I just saw an edge rusher for LSU drop into coverage and get a pick 6.
Must be the beer, we know that never works.
September 5th, 2026 at 11:03 pm
Bowles has one more week left to speak in empty platitudes and recycled rhetoric.
Then his last dance begins. Can’t wait!!!
September 5th, 2026 at 11:13 pm
I believe this Bucs defense will be something special after some early growing pains. Rams vs Bucs. Look forward to this one.
September 5th, 2026 at 11:13 pm
Just SUCH BS. Western Michigan GOT FOCKED. It is THE single most BS call, that I HAVE EVERRRRRRR SEEN. Total BS. And, you have all those CLOWNS ‘rushing the field’ in Ann Arbor. I’ve been telling people, that this is going to be THE BEST MOST EXCITING CRAZY College Football Season, since 2007… And, we all know what happened (AND WHERE) to kick that one off!!!! But, THIS IS BS. Just Straight-up BS. And, I just CAN’T… If we’re going to have to go through another season of all these FRICKEN STUDENTS, thinking that they HAVE TO rush the freaking field, after EVERY FRICKING ‘WIN’ EVERY WEEK. This HAS TO STOP. And, they’re doing it now in Basketball too… Traditional POWERS!!!! It’s EMBARRASSING. I mean, SERIOUSLY… IN ANN ARBOR. AT THE BIG-HOUSE. VERSUS “WESTERN” Michigan. Not even, MICHIGAN STATE. What a DISGRACE. They’ve all got to get THEIR SELFIES, I guess!!!! It. MUST. STOP. NOW. What a JOKE. Western Michigan was SCREWED. It’s HORSESH!T.
September 5th, 2026 at 11:29 pm
CosmoKramer. There’s a pretty good chance that Bowles has one more week before he kicks the best regular season he’s ever coached. He sounds more positive than I’ve heard him sound to start out the season. Baker has started over 120 games with 4 different teams the last 8 years so and I’ve never seen him this confident going into a season.
These 2, Bowles and Mayfield, have been around for more than a minute in this league. We’d have easily made the playoffs last year except for the injuries. Kancey going down cost us at least a game, not to mention the offense.
CosmoKramer. What I’m saying is that if Bowles and Baker know that we’re good enough to play with anybody, that’s the battle. You gotta know you can do it. They know.
You say, “Then his last dance begins. Can’t wait!!!”
I’m here to tell you CosmoKramer. You can wait. You’re going to have to wait. Coach Bowles and Baker Mayfield can’t wait, either.
September 5th, 2026 at 11:33 pm
@ Drunk Bucs Fan Says: “I’m a few Hazy Little Things in, but I swear I just saw an edge rusher for LSU drop into coverage and get a pick 6.
Must be the beer, we know that never works.”
You did. And, he did it with EASE. Effortlessly. You have to KNOW your personnel… Their strengths and weaknesses. You have to also KNOW WHEN to pick your spots, and the right timing. You need to set your opponent up for it, too!!!! And, that’s EXACTLY what they did there. I saw-it coming from a mile away… Literally, said-it out loud BEFORE the snap. The play literally had ALL OF THAT, what was mentioned above. Just PERFECT execution there, and at the PERFECT time, right after the Clemson time-out… He drew that Blitz up JUST SO PERFECTLY. They actually ‘shaved-off’ that square peg into a circle. Whereas Bowles, just insists on trying to jam-it’ thru there regardless, and with no rhyme, reason, thought, or strategy behind-it… No matter WHAT.
September 5th, 2026 at 11:53 pm
“I’m a few Hazy Little Things in, but I swear I just saw an edge rusher for LSU drop into coverage and get a pick 6.“
Was it Pyburn? 😅
September 6th, 2026 at 12:23 am
I’m almost absolutely sure this defense will be top ten, sans injuries. The offense worries me a tad. 10-7 is doable.