“It’s Just A Matter Of Time”
September 23rd, 2026
Rookie receiver Ted Hurst dropped what very likely would have been the game-winning touchdown pass Sunday against the Browns on a dart of a throw from Baker Mayfield.
Hurst got two hands on the wet ball but couldn’t squeeze it.
Hurst also bobbled a sideline catch earlier in the game and didn’t secure it in bounds. He finished the afternoon against the Browns with 2 catches for 27 yards.
Head coach Todd Bowles was asked Monday on the team’s radio network what Hurst’s ceiling looks like after two games.
“I think it’s getting to be pretty good. Ted’s going to be a heck of a player for us. It’s only a matter of a time before he breaks out,” Bowles said. “His route running has been crisp. He’s been explosive off the ball. He blocks well. He has an outstanding catch radius. It’s just a matter of time before he catches fire.”
Of course, the Bucs are running out of time. Bowles and the Bucs needs wins in a hurry.
Today, Joe asked Bowles how Hurst’s confidence is after not catching the late end zone throw Sunday. Bowles said Hurst is not having a confidence issue.
Hurst led the Bucs in targets on Sunday with 7, and Joe expects the Bucs to again rely heavily on Hurst against the Vikings on Sunday. Hopefully, the break out game of which Bowles speaks is days hours away.
September 23rd, 2026 at 5:06 pm
Everything is great!!!!
We don’t treat any game different than any other game.
Yeah, it shows. Because they all look like a$$.
0-17
September 23rd, 2026 at 5:08 pm
Deff disappointed he didn’t catch that what would have bin a TD. One pass that was on the money from baker but he’ll get better.
September 23rd, 2026 at 5:10 pm
Get McMillan involved in the passing game. Almost like they need a coach in there who can come up with obvious ideas
September 23rd, 2026 at 5:22 pm
The way I see it McMillan and Hurst are our best man beaters. We see a lot of man defense, we need both of them on the field burning corners until teams switch back to zone and see more Egbuka and Godwin. That formula should be excellent.
September 23rd, 2026 at 5:23 pm
This sounds like an echo of his praising of Trey Palmer
September 23rd, 2026 at 5:32 pm
I don’t believe anything Todd Bowles or Jason Licht say
They set Leftwich up to be the fall guy
They did the same for Grizz last season
Look at them now
You reap what you sow
September 23rd, 2026 at 5:33 pm
Joe(s) hyped the heck out of this guy…….you can look great in practice and suck in a game……Joe(s) don’t understand that……oooooo Bain is working for an hour after practice……ooooo Bain is ready….oooo Bain Bain Bain…….
September 23rd, 2026 at 5:33 pm
In the middle of the road. Late at night you can smell them when driving. Whew. Bowles number 5.
September 23rd, 2026 at 5:35 pm
Mike Evans dropped a few catchable balls in his career here.
Need more than 2 games before declaring the Rookie a butter-fingers
September 23rd, 2026 at 5:40 pm
Mike Evans dropped a whole lot of touchdowns
September 23rd, 2026 at 5:41 pm
If Mike Evans didn’t drop so many passes
He probably would’ve broke Jerry Rice records
September 23rd, 2026 at 5:48 pm
Drops were his issue in college
September 23rd, 2026 at 5:50 pm
If he wants to replace Evans he needs to act a little injured after each drop. Taking a break on the sideline after each completed catch would help, too.
September 23rd, 2026 at 5:52 pm
Nice
Blame a rookie for the loss
Look at the many opportunities the world’s greatest qb had to win the game but he failed because he SUCKS just like everyone who thinks he is any good
September 23rd, 2026 at 5:53 pm
Least of our problems
Poor rookies and FA’s of 2026 stepped into this Sheetshow “ coached “ by
Fraud Bowels
And overseen by Jason Lite
🤮🤮🤮🤮
September 23rd, 2026 at 6:06 pm
St Pete Matt that’s a wonderful idea. Now they just a QB that can see the field and make the throws. We are so close.
September 23rd, 2026 at 6:07 pm
SB-LV
Jason Licht and Todd Bowles messed it up in 2022
And they setup Leftwich to take the fall
September 23rd, 2026 at 6:11 pm
the entire narrative this week would be completely different across tampa, and all media outlets across the country, if teddy hurst pulled in that grab after that lightning delay at ray jay…
literally one play changes everything sometimes…
i’m not down on the rook tho…he has looked pretty good so far
September 23rd, 2026 at 6:11 pm
Didn’t anyone watch the so called drop?
It doesn’t seem like it as the defenders were all kver him and could have even had a hand on the ball themselves. It would have been all timer of a catch had he brought it in
September 23rd, 2026 at 6:17 pm
I don’t believe it was a drop
It was just tight coverage, a good play by the Corner
September 23rd, 2026 at 6:17 pm
Godwin looks like he’s in slow motion. Injuries and time have caught up to him
September 23rd, 2026 at 6:28 pm
Lakeland… Leftwich was terrible. Tom Brady couldn’t overcome Bowles and Leftwich.
He also couldn’t take a hit, so Leftwich job wasn’t easy but it was so uncreative and stale. No motion, very little play action. You know, the stuff Byron referred to as fantasy football stuff.
Guy was a joke.
September 23rd, 2026 at 6:44 pm
Sakkbucs
Answer me these questions
Why wasn’t Alex Cappa resigned
Why was Luke Goedeke forced to play guard, while he’s a tackke
Why was Robert Hainsey a tackle, drafted to play center
Why did Licht trade fort Shaq Mason to play guard?
The problem was the interior of our OLine
We lost Cappa, Marpet Jensen
And we replaced them with 2 tackles, and a washed guard
Licht paid WR Russell Gave, 3 years $30 million
He gave a washed Julio Jones $6 million
It’s funn
y because last season, everyone was making excuses for the offense
Saying the OLine was injured, and they say they are playing bad now
But in 2022, when the OLine was at it worst, everyone was pointing at Leftwich
But, this is the same guy that was the only OC in NFL history
To have 2 different passers to pass for 5,000 yards
Even in 2022, the down season, Brady passed for over 4600 yards
September 23rd, 2026 at 6:45 pm
**Russell Gave**
September 23rd, 2026 at 6:47 pm
If Leftwich had any type of authority over personnel
I would be the first to call him out
But that was Licht and Bowles department
And they failed
September 23rd, 2026 at 6:48 pm
Where was J-Mac?? Was he active? I def didn’t see him in there much if he was.
September 23rd, 2026 at 6:53 pm
I don’t believe JMac even played
September 23rd, 2026 at 7:05 pm
He was on the field for a few snaps, inexplicable. We didn’t USE him, and we ALSO don’t activate the backup corner
September 23rd, 2026 at 7:05 pm
My hunch is that Hurst will not be relied on heavily for the Vikings game. McMillan barely played last week while he was being eased back into the lineup according to Bowles. That should change this week and we will finally see the starting three we thought we were going to get from the beginning of the season.
September 23rd, 2026 at 7:06 pm
Just looked at the inactive report and he wasn’t on it. Makes no sense why he wouldn’t get any snaps.
September 23rd, 2026 at 7:13 pm
all i kept saying on sunday:
“where is jmac, where is jmac…?…was he a late scratch…?”
September 23rd, 2026 at 7:15 pm
yes it was so weird…….
jmac was literally the missing man…
the missing piece
September 23rd, 2026 at 7:15 pm
J Mac needs to play. Throw it to Godwin and forget the behind the line screen passes to the left side to the RB. That is as predictable as last year when the tight end pulled across the line and the RB was to follow.
September 23rd, 2026 at 7:24 pm
Even though he had a bad overall game, he threw a great pass that should have been a game winner. At least give him credit for that! Plus, it’s still early in the season and most of you are acting like pansies.
September 23rd, 2026 at 7:48 pm
JMac is the missing piece?
I agree. He’s been missing since we drafted him.
Unless I missed his Probowl season.
Lakeland, you nailed the OLine problem.
1Bucfan,
One accurate throw? Meybe you can rewatch the game, sober this time.
If you do, you might notice Baker had driven us to a go ahead touchdown, a 4 point lead, very late in the 4th quarter.
Then the Defense let the Worst QB in the NFL drive the field, and score a TD.
Man, that would take brain power! Never mind. Just blame the QB. Like all the uneducated, hung over fans across the league do every Monday
September 23rd, 2026 at 8:00 pm
CG14 makes 22 mil and the rook gets the most targets
Screams volumes of the RIDICULOUS play calling
September 23rd, 2026 at 8:16 pm
What would Shula do?
September 23rd, 2026 at 9:18 pm
Jmac, EE and now Hurst are not reliable WRs. Cant get separation and can’t catch when the team is counting on them. Hurst should be riding the pine after last week. Hurst screws up and Bowles is hyping him. in the words of Chucky: Are you freaking kidding me.
I’d put Greene in before Hurst, at least he can catch the damn ball in traffic. lol.
September 23rd, 2026 at 9:28 pm
a guy being targeted 7 times and only hauling in 2 and dropping a game winner is normally benched. obviously we have a depth problem at wr
September 23rd, 2026 at 9:42 pm
Get it straight just looked at the replay, he didn’t drop it. The defender interfered and never turned around and the ref standing right there didn’t call it. We should’ve had the ball at the 1
September 23rd, 2026 at 11:16 pm
So you’re saying he’s no Mike Evans, well not even close but one day he’ll be adequate. Gotcha
September 23rd, 2026 at 11:43 pm
THIN at WR.
September 23rd, 2026 at 11:56 pm
I don’t call a fight under the basket a “drop”. ME13 might’ve pulled it in.
Nobody else has mentioned it, but Hurst would’ve already had a TD in the game if he hadn’t been robbed of it by a lack of interference call on Baker’s first “overthrow”. With the tangle in feet with the defender he lost a step. Too bad because he had angle on the pass and would’ve taken it to the house.
September 23rd, 2026 at 11:58 pm
The pass to Hurst in the end zone fell into his hands and he dropped the ball. His arms and hands were free, the ball was in his hands and he dropped the ball.
Also Hurst was mugged by the defender, clearly pass interference, it should have been 1-10 Buccaneers at the 1 yard line. Don’t know how the officials didn’t make that call but penalized the Bucs for holding. Just don’t get it.
Hopefully our Bucs will show the Vikings whose house they’re playing in !!
Go Bucs !!
September 24th, 2026 at 12:47 am
I’m not going to bang on Hurst, but I’d rather see the guy who Zsac says is “wired to separate” get more than single digit plays.
Aw fluckit, what good would that do us? They’re all auto separated by the LOS at the snap which is where Zsac has them shagging balls. Hell with these screen passes, bring back the Bennd-around. J-Mac can run that for no gain for sure.
September 24th, 2026 at 9:10 am
No benn’d around with JMac. Last time that happened he knocked the ball out of Mayfield’s baby hands which resulted in an season ending turn over because the defense couldn’t get off the field
September 24th, 2026 at 9:20 am
What DavidBigBucsFan99 Says: is correct. The Rookie was interfered with on that play. I am shocked that the media has not mentioned that in their coverage. The spot light should have been on the officials for the non-call. There were several non-calls during the game where the officials were looking at the play and did not make the call.
Also all the comments on why JMac was not in the game, Why was Godwin not targeted more in the game, why wasn,t there more play designed for him and his YAC. He and Baker has chemistry or at least they use too. What is Zac doing? Better start putting players in position to win. Hurst is good, but give the Defense someone else to focus on as well. If there is no other threat (Godwin), then the rookie is going to get double coverage. Godwin is the proven WR and should have been the primary, Hurst, JMac, EE and Irvine should have been the Alt’s.
September 24th, 2026 at 9:45 am
I’ve lost all faith in the game plan and scheme’s on both sides of the ball… we’re also looking pathetic in both trenches
September 24th, 2026 at 12:29 pm
Rookies don’t get the calls until the refs are convinced that they can make the tough, contested catches. Otherwise they assume that the contact wasn’t the cause of the incompletion.
September 24th, 2026 at 9:28 pm
Man I like Hurts he’s going to be a good receiver