Damning Defensive Stats
September 23rd, 2026
A few numbers from the Bucs-Browns game were dropped on NFL Live yesterday.
First, the Browns had 163 yards after the catch against Tampa Bay, the second most YAC of any team in the league in Week 2. But that’s worse when you combine it with Browns QB Deshaun Watson averaging 3.7 yards “at the target,” meaning he threw short excessively. Watson, again per NFL Live, threw only three passes over 10 yards.
In total, per official NextGen Stats, Watson threw 20 passes that traveled less than six yards downfield, and more than half of those were at or behind the line of scrimmage.
Yeah, Joe would attack the Bucs that way, too. Make them tackle.
September 23rd, 2026 at 9:37 am
This has been an issued since 2019, Buc fans have seen this for OVER SEVEN years!!!
How can Cincy fix their defense sooner than a team that employs a Defensive GURU?
watch the league, teams are improving and changing their weaknesses WEEKLY. Todd has been calling the defense for OVER 7 years and it still gets shredded every year.
It’s not hate, it’s not personal, Todd just is not a great coach unless he has a great offense to bail him out.
September 23rd, 2026 at 9:37 am
What if the Bucs implemented a short link and dunk offense?. LOL
One teams successful game plan is another teams albatross. Ya think teams realize the Bucs are weak tacklers? And game plan for it?
September 23rd, 2026 at 9:40 am
The most repetitively disgusting thing about the last 3 years of Bucks D is watching the opponent get to 3rd and 4, committing a presnap penalty, losing another 5 or 10 yds and having no doubt they’ll get the 1st down.
Just ask Mike Evans
September 23rd, 2026 at 9:42 am
Same issues different year, only now its compounding bc the players are tuning him out as well.
September 23rd, 2026 at 9:43 am
This is just one game. Bowles is a defensive genius and great HC. I expect him to lead the bucs to the playoffs and beyond not only this season but for many seasons to come.
LOL
September 23rd, 2026 at 9:43 am
Thats Bowles defense. Its schemed that way.
Then everyone wonders why none of our guys can get to the QB. There is always an open reciever, no matter what. Drafting pass rushers and playing coverage 5+ yards off the ball is counterproductive.
September 23rd, 2026 at 9:47 am
What do you call someone that gets paid to do a job that they can no longer be successful at???
Bowels must have the same agent as Faker.
Paid like a champion despite performing like a bottom feeder.
Now we’re stuck in reverse. Welcome to the suck!
September 23rd, 2026 at 9:53 am
Joe that’s the most frustrating of all, the defense over the past few years. The Bucs have drafted, signed defensive players over the pass few years that was supposed to make the defense better and even Bowles SUPPOSEDLY changing the defense a bit but still, players missing assignments, poor tackling no pressure on the QB is the same. Over the last few years rookie and poor rated QBs look like superstars when they play the Bucs. DEFENSE is the main word here, no more DEFENSE for Bowles as a HC
September 23rd, 2026 at 9:53 am
“Yeah, Joe would attack the Bucs that way, too. Make them tackle.”
Same, especially after the last two weeks of atrocious tackling in space mostly being done by the guys who’re supposed to be reliable tacklers in space.
Said in another thread, DBs leading the team in tackles means you’re giving up too much booty. You need to get your freaky self sorted out/saved.
September 23rd, 2026 at 10:06 am
“make them tackle!” – Analyst “the best I can do is Anzalone” – Licht and Bowles
September 23rd, 2026 at 10:17 am
But, the Bucs are 12th in Total Defense
And they are 5th in Run Defense
We just need touchdowns from our offense
We can’t beat these teams with FGs
September 23rd, 2026 at 10:30 am
Anyone surprised ? Is ownership shocked ? If so they can hire me and I will point out the obvious for them .
September 23rd, 2026 at 10:33 am
Those of you who keep defending this defense with stats. Please read this article again!! This is what’s been going on for several years now! And so far, it doesn’t look to be improving. Of course this offense looked about as bad as I can remember too. I’m not defending them either!
September 23rd, 2026 at 10:35 am
Ouch Joe!
Go Bucs!
September 23rd, 2026 at 10:59 am
infomeplease- I am with you on that- the yac stats are damning. But… if we should finish the year 5th in run defense and 12th in total defense- then we should win alot of games.
The defense has been playing well enough to win. That’s not to say we don’t need to improve.
September 23rd, 2026 at 11:05 am
Browns threw short NOT because of the the Buc’s ferocious pass rush. They throw short knowing and seeing our CBs 7, 8 yards off the ball – knowing that they can’t tackle. LMAO. DAH! Did we see this last season? Yes. The season before? Yes. Yet Team Glazer decided to bring him back!
September 23rd, 2026 at 11:58 am
Hey just a heads up Todd, Justin Jefferson is elusive and hard to tackle. Put down the candy bar and go make your team play better. It’s called being a head coach. Something you apparently don’t understand.
September 23rd, 2026 at 12:08 pm
We are screwed next week. 0-3 here we come. Im a bucs fan but this is horrendous. The browns beat us, the browns. I really wish reporter’s would call out bowles the way we do.
September 23rd, 2026 at 12:21 pm
Tackling.
Chronic problem for this team.
Only one explanation.
Poor coaching.
September 23rd, 2026 at 12:32 pm
this is Mike Smitty bad!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
September 23rd, 2026 at 12:38 pm
Joe, don’t destroy Rod Munch’s narrative that it’s Baker that is “single-handedly” destroying this team!
September 23rd, 2026 at 1:04 pm
Get What You Pay For Says:
September 23rd, 2026 at 12:38 pm
Joe, don’t destroy Rod Munch’s narrative that it’s Baker that is “single-handedly” destroying this team!
It is both, the super soft defense and Baker looking like a trash QB. If you have to overcome your QB constantly and have a pathetic Defense, this is a recipe for weekly disaster and painful Sundays for Buc fans. Its one thing to have a crappy defense, it another completely when combined with the guy who touches the ball more than any other player playing like trash and giving no hope at all.
September 23rd, 2026 at 1:10 pm
Its not just Baker killing this team. It’s not just the defense. This is a 100% team effort and it starts WAY UP AT THE TOP WITH TEAM GLAZER. The stink permeates through this entire organization. But hey, at least the special teams looks improved through two weeks.
September 23rd, 2026 at 1:19 pm
Every system is perfectly designed for the results it achieves.
September 23rd, 2026 at 1:43 pm
@August, that’s the exact point…but not “single-handedly” comments over and over. Todd sucks (period). Baker is sucking. We are stuck (now) with one, we do not have to be the other.
September 23rd, 2026 at 2:01 pm
We are just waiting to see a masterclass from Kyler Murray so he can earn his new contract.
Sorry but I have reach a level of my Bucs fandom that I m just watching the game and expecting the opposition QB to have no pressure complete more than 70% of his passes and have the best game of his season. We will see a couple of good games by the Defense but most of the times QBs are looking like All Pros against us.
We have seen it too many times.
Of course some players are not good enough.
Of course some players are not performing.
But when the Heads that make the decisions dont see that this Defense, this scheme, this philosophy is not working (for years now) I just dont expect something to change.
Dont get me wrong the Offense is really bad as well.
After Coen we have seen nothing. And if that does not prove that a playcaller matters then I dont know what else does. Because when Coen left I heard from journalists and fans that Grizzard was a seamless transition, I heard all offseason that Robinson is a mastermind etc etc. But all I see is a dysfanctional offense.
That is why last season I believed hire Coen was a logical move. After all these years of the Defense being underperforming and often being in the bottom 10 of points and yds allowed we saw a unit being in the top 5. Coens Offense.
I would rather give a top 5 Offense a chance than a bottom 10 Defense one more year after years of bad results.
Go Bucs
September 23rd, 2026 at 2:14 pm
Tampa2ATL’s personal fandom classification: “vomiting in my own mouth”.
September 23rd, 2026 at 2:43 pm
Same problems, different players is a tell. Can’t be the players – it can only be the Coach, scheme and play design and playcalling. End of story.
September 23rd, 2026 at 2:44 pm
God help us! Another year of being fed Bulls*it
Don’t Pea on me and tell me its raining……….
September 23rd, 2026 at 3:01 pm
Now show the stats of how many of those yards were the results of Analzone missing a tackle, or better, missing a tackle while wiping out two of his teammates.
September 23rd, 2026 at 3:15 pm
The players change, results do not. Also what hasn’t changed is the coach and the scheme. Must be some connection, I dunno.
September 23rd, 2026 at 4:10 pm
Yes, make them tackle but also, it neutralizes the blitz. People can say what they want about Mayfield and the offense but more often than not, when it’s clutch time, the defense is the issue. It’s just not working anymore. It’s been 6 years of basically the same scheme. The NFL has figured it out. Turning point in my opinion was end of 2021 Season, Cooper Kupp runs wild.
Team sack totals and QB hits with Bowels as the DC/Head Coach
2019/2020 16 game seasons, projected out to 17 games for this analysis.
2019 50 sacks/124 QB Hits
2020 51 sacks/123 QB Hits
2021 47 sacks/127 QB Hits
2022 44 sacks/104 QB Hits
2023 47 sacks/84 QB Hits
2024 46 sacks/113 QB Hits
2025 37 sacks/89 QB Hits
2026 26 sacks/85 QB Hits Projected
Opponent passer rating since 2019
2019 90.0
2020 89.5
2021 85.9
2022 95.5
2023 93.2
2024 97.3
2025 97.5
2026 105.4
Points allowed per game is trending up also.
Everywhere I look, it looks ugly.
September 23rd, 2026 at 6:03 pm
Bowles is an awful D coach. He’s been so for years.
His rep as a good coach was built in an era that doesn’t exist anymore.