“Urgency”
September 26th, 2026
Pressure is on.
Joe has been fortunate over the years to have many interactions with KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles. And he has people conned.
His public demeanor portrays a man with slightly more personality than a houseplant. That’s not the Bowles that Joe knows. Far from it.
Away from cameras, Bowles is borderline gregarious. Joe tells that to people and they think Joe is out of his mind. Fans cannot believe it. But people can only see what they see.
(If anyone caught Bowles trying to hum “Hail to the Victors” at Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield a week ago as Mayfield (Oklahoma grad) lost a bet to Bowles (whose son Troy is a starting linebacker at Michigan), that’s more like the Bowles that Joe knows.)
Fans see Bowles as the guy who often is as wooden as an oak tree at the podium, and a guy who stands on the sidelines looking like he’s in a trance. The word “urgency” never applies to Bowles for most fans. Because the public personality of Bowles doesn’t suggest he puts urgency on anything.
But that is exactly the word Bowles used for tomorrow’s game against the Vikings.
“There is definitely a sense of urgency,” Bowles said. “There is always a guy here or there, whether it’s a penalty or whether it’s a guy making a mental mistake, but we’ve got to correct that part of it.”
In the eyes of the Joe typing this here story, the Bucs’ backs are against the wall. Short of a league-wide work stoppage in the NFL, the Bucs have never made the playoffs after starting 0-2. And Joe doesn’t foresee the NFLPA staging a walkout in the next three months.
(That same work stoppage in 1982 flung the doors open for the NFL’s dregs to back door their way into the postseason as Neil Lummox Lomax and the perennial loser Cardinals made the playoffs, too. Over half, 16 of the then-28 NFL teams, advanced to the playoffs that winter.)
And if the Bucs go to 0-3, their playoff hopes are microscopic.
On the flip side, if the Bucs pull off an upset tomorrow, Joe can easily see the Bucs going 2-2 as a week from tomorrow the Packers come to town. Green Bay looked terrible being curb-stomped by the Dixie Chicks on Thursday night.
So yeah, there better damn well be urgency tomorrow. Otherwise, Bucs fans largely start looking toward the draft and studying potential candidates to replace Bowles in January.
September 26th, 2026 at 12:08 am
“replace Bowles in January.”
All that needs to be said!
September 26th, 2026 at 12:17 am
I like the new offense its kinda cool but the defense no like at all worse I’ve ever seen
September 26th, 2026 at 12:48 am
The offense and Defense are amateurish and embarrassing. Every other team with competent leadership can see it but not the Yuccs.
September 26th, 2026 at 12:49 am
New offense is boo boo I see it has one of us fooled lol
September 26th, 2026 at 12:53 am
How many times have we been in a must win situation and .. come out completely flat?
Bowles is and always has been a terrible HC, and his days of D guru are long over.
September 26th, 2026 at 12:54 am
Defensively we do nothing to knock a wr out of rhythm and that’s why they are always open..we need a bump and run scheme and I think Benjamin Morrison and Ayden garnes can get the Joe done with Parrish and Scott at nickel but hey i am no coach just an observer who knows what needs to change to register sacks and incompletions instead of madden busted play scheme Bowles been running.
September 26th, 2026 at 1:16 am
Wow, haven’t heard this before.
F this guy and his “team”
September 26th, 2026 at 1:20 am
Weren’t the Browns “curb-stomped” by El Serpiente’s Jags the week before the Bucs met them? And Green Bay doesn’t play again from their curb stomping last night until they meet the Bucs.
September 26th, 2026 at 1:54 am
there is none
September 26th, 2026 at 2:14 am
We need urgency alright – in the front office! Real coaches coach as if every week needs urgency. It’s the NFL and they make a gazillion dollars.
September 26th, 2026 at 3:25 am
0-3 is coming.
September 26th, 2026 at 4:04 am
The urgency is the D is going to have to go off script at times and MAN someone regardless of what todd says!!! PLAYERS, TAKE YOUR TEAM BACK!!!!
This BS of zone and allowing anyone, especially a TE to just run right past you, over the middle because you’re covering ghosts is stupid!!!
September 26th, 2026 at 4:56 am
Where was the sense of Urgency last week? Seriously, it was the home opener against a team that had no business winning. This team under Bowles has gone through long stretches of being flat and unmotivated. The common denominator in ALL of these losing streaks is lack of fire. The Glaziers should be more worried than anyone! If I were a young fan looking for a Jersey, who would I buy? Freaking no one on this team I’d get a Jags jersey! Not one single team captain is stepping up. They’re ALL unacceptable!
Glaziers if this team loses Sunday you need to break from tradition and fire Bowles before the day ends. The season will be over!
September 26th, 2026 at 5:23 am
Losing is the team telling the front office they need a new head coach and staff.
September 26th, 2026 at 5:38 am
Sure has me conned , I thought he was a nfl defense guru lol
September 26th, 2026 at 5:41 am
I have a feeling the Bucs will win on Sunday…
The MO of this franchise under Bowles is they lose when you believe in them and they win after you believe they are hopeless losers.
TB – 24
Min – 21
I wouldn’t consider it a major “upset” – Min is only favored by @ 1.5…
September 26th, 2026 at 5:47 am
Joe says: the Bucs have never made the playoffs after starting 0-2
————————————————————————————————————————
Wasn’t there an article on this here blog yesterday talking about making the playoffs after a 0-3 start?
September 26th, 2026 at 6:33 am
Assuming the Bucs can easily go 2-2 if they somehow beat Minnesota tomorrow is a bold assumption. The Falcons have something called a pass rush. The bucs do not. The falcons have arguably the best player in the NFL on offense, the Bucs do not. Doing this thing where people argue this team beat that team so therefore if they can do it we can do it doesn’t work and is always the worst argument and it especially makes for the the most terrible college football schedule arguments where everything deteriorates in to the brain melting takes that have been recycled for the last 50yrs. It amazes me that people don’t get tired of parroting the same takes year over year. It doesn’t work.
September 26th, 2026 at 6:36 am
Licht will get his walking papers too as no decent coach like McDermott or Gruden will take the Tampa gig without total control.
September 26th, 2026 at 6:39 am
Hope Bucs lose out the season so they can “urgently” blow up this whole coaching staff.
September 26th, 2026 at 6:45 am
There’s a whole lot of urgency all over the place for tomorrow’s game. Bowles should be have packed KitKats ny now.
September 26th, 2026 at 6:49 am
“Mental mistake” has been a long running theme here. The Tampa Bay Mental Midgets
September 26th, 2026 at 6:54 am
Sean McDermott is the only real option
September 26th, 2026 at 7:10 am
Joe … ‘On the flip side, if the Bucs pull off an upset tomorrow, Joe can easily see the Bucs going 2-2 as a week from tomorrow, the Packers come to town.’
Please don’t do the Nostradumus thing any more Joe. There’ll be NO ‘easy’ games for the Bucs this year. Every game will be a struggle unto itself.
And besides, the Packers are 1-2 right now (they did beat the Jets) and have a long 10 days to heal up until they play the Bucs. They’re undoubtedly thinking the same as you … ‘We can easily make it to 2-2 because we’re playing the Bucs next’.
September 26th, 2026 at 7:21 am
Todd Bowles … “There is definitely a sense of urgency. There is always a guy here or there, whether it’s a penalty or whether it’s a guy making a mental mistake, but we’ve got to correct that part of it.”
THAT RIGHT THERE defines the biggest problem with Todd Bowles’ defense. It can work, but demands near-perfection to work satisfactorily.
Newsflash to Todd: Penalties ARE a part of the game, for better OR for worse. Players’ mistakes ARE a part of the game, again for better or worse. The problem we’ve been seeing is that the mistakes (turnovers & poor tackling especially) are the most fundamental of all mistakes. Pros DON’T fumble the ball 4 times in 2 games and expect to win. Pros DON’T have 18 Missed Tackles in their first 2 games and expect to win.
BOTH games were perfectly winnable IF you take away those 2 most fundamental problems. They’re BOTH fixable, so STOP TALKING AND FIX IT.
September 26th, 2026 at 7:29 am
Heading into the season we all knew that our offense would likely need to carry the team. So far it appears that Bowles and Robinson have been oblivious to the type of offense that Coen created — an offense that moves the ball and is capable of putting 29 points on the board consistently.
Bowles and Robinson — the blind leading the blind.
September 26th, 2026 at 7:44 am
If ever there was a must win game this is it. Worse than going 0-3 is going 0-2 at home in September. That’s going back to the earliest days of futility. I’m not as confident as Joe that we’ll beat the Packers to go 2-2. It’ll be a home game for GB, and they’ll have extra time to prepare. This is a must win game. Lose this week, and next? Fire Bowles.
September 26th, 2026 at 7:49 am
The attendance will show it to the owners. I am busy tomorrow. I’ve asked 4 couples to take my seats…..Bucs fans, mind you. All declined.
September 26th, 2026 at 8:18 am
Ok fair enough..away from the camera’s and public view Bowles is as jovial as the GEICO camel on hump day.
But as you correctly point out Joe, “But people can only see what they see.” And all people have seen is an inept coach that is awash in mediocrity and always has been. That will not change.
September 26th, 2026 at 8:20 am
27-16 Vikings. Probably more Viking fans in the stands than Buccaneer fans.
September 26th, 2026 at 8:29 am
😆
Since the end of 2024
This is and will continue to etch itself into Buccaneer history as the WORST chapter in Buccaneer history!
🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
September 26th, 2026 at 8:32 am
Was planning to go to a Bucs game every year. Last year, my wife and I attended our first against the 49ers. Best time ever. I don’t think I can go watch this product though. We’ve been on a downfall ever since that game.
September 26th, 2026 at 8:47 am
Sb~LV, nah the Raheem, Schiano, Lovie, Koetter years were way worse! Hence the lost decade mantra
September 26th, 2026 at 8:49 am
12-134 td browns wide receivers. 7-83 0td vs bengals. 19-207 1td in two games is all we have given up to receivers in two games. So stop with the wide receivers are killing us. 8.5 catches for 103.5 yards a game and 0.5 tds a game. And we played against the best wide reciever duo in the league. If we keep that up all year we will be in great shape. There’s 9 receivers in the league that have more yards than that on there own and the tenth is writhing 3 yards of it. And we are 4th in the league in rush yards against at 75 a game. The defense is not the problem it’s the offense can’t get out of its own way. Our kicker leads the league in field goals. Our red zone is horrible again. We had 2 hours to game plan 2 and 4 on the 28 and looked awful
September 26th, 2026 at 8:53 am
@bucnjim
You are correct my friend my I’m trying to get my 9 year old son into football and the Bucs. And we have no one that takes over a game and constantly does good for him to know his name besides Bucky. How is a kid suppose to like a sport when there is no one to root for and want to immigrate at school. Growing up I wanted to be Jerry rice. And thought I was him when I played the back yard games. No kid is saying they are a buc player in the back yard for sure. They might get called a buc player when they fumble throw a pick or drop a touch down pass or let a guy catch a wide open pass that’s about it.
September 26th, 2026 at 8:56 am
The “urgency” is on the Glazers to fire Bowels.
September 26th, 2026 at 8:59 am
There needs to be urgency to draft a franchise qb in April, I’m tired of the average boy baker infatuation and overhype. He never was and never will a franchise qb. And Bowles should’ve been gone. And licht hasn’t done anything here without spytek here to guide him.
September 26th, 2026 at 9:02 am
It’s been a calendar year of garbage football. Are we to expect Mayfield to suddenly become a consistently good QB? The D will suddenly play solid error free football? Bowles will inspire the team to go on a deep playoff run?
Let the implosion continue and clean house, expect Baker of course because we are stuck with him. Just awful all the way around. Hats off to special teams though.
September 26th, 2026 at 9:06 am
Jeffbuc
It’s like 1976 all over again
September 26th, 2026 at 9:16 am
“Im trying to get my kid in football” Your kid is going to like what he likes not what your trying to get him to like..Bowles im sure is trying to tell mayfield not to drop the ball ,throw picks! Im sure Bowles is preaching to get to the qb, not to miss tackles etc…Its on the players!! Either the players do or dont ,cant make or get them to do what you want ..
September 26th, 2026 at 9:23 am
The Bowles haters are ready to toss him overboard if the Bucs loose tomorrow at Raymond James stadium. The offense has not adjusted to Robinson’s play calling. They are playing like an all rookie team and Mayfield’s fumbles have been devastating for the Bucs defense.
The ship needs to be righted on Sunday or we will be witnessing a Mutiny on the Bounty movie episode tomorrow with Todd Bowles haters with a gate magnitude off the ritter scale.
September 26th, 2026 at 9:33 am
Don’t give 2 _hits if he’s gregarious or like a frat brother on Animal House… dude has lost this team and needs to go asap…sick of hearing that him and his staff has to coach’em up… team can’t tackle for the last 4 years, fundamentals are nonexistent, energy level blows… our strength is special teams and that’s about it…
September 26th, 2026 at 9:36 am
Lofton, I have supported Bowles for almost his entire career with the Bucs. I’m not a hater, but I’ve had enough. The mid season losing streaks and our current record have one thing in common and it’s not the offense OR the defense. It’s the lack of discipline, lack of urgency, lack of leadership, lack of physicality, and most of all lack of motivation at crucial times. One of the most important jobs of an NFL coach is to motivate grown professionals. If your team captains are unmotivated like ours SEEM to be, then this team has no chance.
September 26th, 2026 at 9:42 am
Top 3 worst players on offense through weeks 1-2
1. Mauch
2. Bredeson
3. Mayfield
Worst players on defense:
All of except trotter, Robinson. BMo
That’s on coaching!!
September 26th, 2026 at 9:49 am
Someone get a sports psychologist for Baker ASAP…like this afternoon. Best investment the Glazers will ever make.
September 26th, 2026 at 9:54 am
If we go to 0-3, we all know what that means for the season – it’s kinda lost, kinda hopeless.
If we lose and look just as horrible as we did first 2 games, then yeah, Bucs are cooked this year.
Even with a loss against the Vikings, IF the Bucs are competitive, make few mistakes and do play inspired ball, maybe they can win a few games this season.
Let’s see what this team does or does not do during this absolutely critical, MUST WIN game. If they look like crap 3 times in a row…will probably tune them out.
Please play better Bucs, and coach better. Don’t you guys have any self-respect? Where’s your drive, your heart, your killer instinct?
September 26th, 2026 at 9:57 am
Please stop with the Sean McDermott suggestions.
Talk about settling for medicore coaching and more of the same.
McDermott is supposed to be a defensive guru. And couldn’t win with Josh Allen.
Hell no!
September 26th, 2026 at 10:19 am
No urgency in week 1. No urgency in week 2.
But now there’s urgency.
This is a mess. This is a joke.
I’m sure the Glazers are disgusted. They gave this guy another chance. They gave Licht another chance. They both failed miserably.
September 26th, 2026 at 10:38 am
How mamy years do you need to correct it coach gregarious?
September 26th, 2026 at 11:03 am
TB is a hard headed old school coach thats set in his way, and going to change. His team plays with the same emotion that he displays on the sideline during the game. And I’m pretty sure he has directed ZR to run the style of offense that they’re running. Welcome to the SUC!
September 26th, 2026 at 11:30 am
No it hasn’t been like the lost decade with Bowles as coach. More like the lost half decade with Bowles as HC. This is his 5th season, and although not lost,.500 ball hasn’t exactly been found.
September 26th, 2026 at 11:45 am
Only the media and apparently the Glazers care about his personality, the fans care about results. The only consistent talking point about a Bowles led team is how they need to fix mental errors FIVE YEARS LATER
September 26th, 2026 at 12:00 pm
The man is a sideline stiff.
September 26th, 2026 at 12:01 pm
.A message for Todd Bowles…. Urgency! Urgency? Actions speak louder than words!!! It’s about time you get this team to MAN-UP!!!! That is your job!!! No one else! Not the captains! Yours!! Stop being the official excuse maker of the team!! Do your job!!!
September 26th, 2026 at 12:04 pm
Mr Lofton…what an interesting comment….Mutiny on the Buc Ship. Good one.
September 26th, 2026 at 12:05 pm
Yeah I dunno about McDermott… him and Brady were clearly better than what Bowles is delivering but they are nearly Tampa North.
Rely on the O, stout OL and run game. A QB playing hero ball. They have Superman though and we have Guy Gardner.
D largely bereft of talent and they have gotten to beat up on the Jets, Dolphins and for a couple seasons the Pats.
If the Bucs can get an offensive HC who could lure Schwartz or McDermott as his DC, then I think we would be heading in the right direction.
September 26th, 2026 at 12:12 pm
You heard it here 1st Buc fans. BUCS 28, Vikings 17.
September 26th, 2026 at 12:12 pm
Joe can’t count how many comments over the years people had about how he’s a supposed introvert and that they can’t stand that. Hell, hardly a day goes by there isn’t a comment on this site about Bowles’ personality.
They ragged on Father Dungy for the same thing. Many think Bowles is a bad coach only because he is stoic, which Joe agrees, is a complete load of crap!
Many fans want a Chucky-like mental patient on the sidelines. “He gets fired up!” Or a dopey Dan Quinn who constantly paces up and down wearing his stupid baseball cap backwards like he’s some fraternity bro.
So many people equate sideline gymnastics with football IQ. Joe doesn’t believe that, but so many do.
September 26th, 2026 at 12:49 pm
Hey Joe. People do not get to observe inside Info like you. We see the press appearances and the during game persona. Sounds like 2 different things. He is not animated during the games at all from what we see.
September 26th, 2026 at 1:00 pm
Joe Says:
September 26th, 2026 at 12:12 pm
Joe can’t count how many comments over the years people had about how he’s a supposed introvert and that they can’t stand that.
They ragged on Father Dungy for the same thing. Many think Bowles is a bad coach only because he is stoic, which Joe agrees, is a complete load of crap!
Many fans want a Chucky-like mental patient on the sidelines. “He gets fired up!”
This fan wants competitiveness and a fire in this team. I could care less about the demeanor of Bowles. Can he coach? Does he get good/best out of his players Sunday in and Sunday out? That’s what we are screaming for – sound football, even if we lose.
September 26th, 2026 at 1:07 pm
DRoK…No Doubt!
September 26th, 2026 at 3:27 pm
Here we go again. “Our opponent is awful next week”. And GB is in fact mediocre.
There is no chance this team wins two games in a row. We won’t win tomorrow.
Time to call time of death tomorrow at roughly 4pm eastern.
September 26th, 2026 at 10:02 pm
We don’t like Bowles because he’s a bad coach. The stoicness on the sideline is the cream on top of this poop pie he serves up as a defense. He takes entire seasons for him to make adjustments and we’ve all watched what he does with time outs. His defensive scheme is ripe with players who constantly are out of position because they don’t always know their jobs. Bowles constantly trains rookies on other positions before they even have a chance to become proficient at their own at the NFL level. His choice of position coaches suck as well. Our players never get any better the longer they’re on this team.
September 26th, 2026 at 11:02 pm
Five years of talent and life wasted on an inept and incompetent coach. That water have to show for this team. It is all
On the owners!