David Walker And More Snaps
October 1st, 2026
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
Could KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles be seeing the light (finally)?
Or does Bowles see the handwriting on the wall because if his team doesn’t start stacking wins on Sunday, he might be stacking boxes in three months filled with personal possessions at One Buc Palace to be hauled home?
Since Bowles was promoted to replace Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians, he has been resistant, if not hostile, to the idea of developing a rookie edge rusher.
Is there any wonder why the Bucs have consistently been in the bottom third of pass defense year after year?
Still, earlier this year when Bucs outside linebacker David Walker started flashing that he might be able to get after quarterbacks, it was the same ol’ song and dance from Bowles that began with Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (yes, Joe knows JTS was not drafted by Bowles — and he sure as hell was never developed by Bowles) and continued with YaYa Diaby and Chris Braswell.
Sacks are nice but Bowles asks edge rushers to do other things. In other words, sacks from the edge simply are not a priority.
Yesterday, however, maybe Joe was hearing things, but Joe could have sworn encouraging words came from Bowles that Walker, who has two sacks in 28 snaps, should be seeing the field more.
Asked if Walker has earned more snaps on defense, Bowles enthusiastically responded, “Oh, definitely. He’s earned them.”
Joe hopes Bowles was talking about Walker rushing the passer.
This subject also got under Gerald McCoy’s skin. In his takedown of Bucs defensive coaching, GMC decried how Walker, who he called the Bucs’ best edge rusher, wasn’t close to seeing as many snaps as he should be getting.
Maybe Bowles has seen the light? Or is it career preservation? Desperate coaches can and sometimes will do desperate things.
October 1st, 2026 at 7:05 am
Honest question – what team would hire Bowles if he became available in the offseason? That shows you the value of a coach.
October 1st, 2026 at 7:06 am
David Walker and Josiah Trotter are the only players I’ve enjoyed watching this year. Mike Evans 49ers have been depressing/fun too
October 1st, 2026 at 7:07 am
*Mike Evans 49ers highlights
October 1st, 2026 at 7:10 am
“Desperate coaches can and sometimes will do desperate things.”
Like putting a player in position to do what does best, and not what he can’t do?
You know, like trying to take a proven talent at OLB and using him as a DB?
October 1st, 2026 at 7:11 am
How long can Bowles last. Those boxes should have been packed a while ago. What’s wrong with the owners? I wonder if they watch the games or are they just counting money.
October 1st, 2026 at 7:12 am
@gbobucsfan, obviously, Bowles will not ever get another HC job.
But with all the shots Licht is getting now bc of Bowles ineptitude, if Licht got fired, I will bet anyone he will get another shot as a GM. But I don’t see him getting fired. I think the Glazers love him
October 1st, 2026 at 7:16 am
My theory on the main reason Bowles did not get fired last year (besides the Glazers like him) is there were no obvious Ben Johnsons out there. Kibiack was a question mark IMO at that time, but is looking good now.
I think they made a mistake with John Harbaugh when he said he wanted to bring in his own GM. That might have worked out in negotiations
October 1st, 2026 at 7:40 am
Nobody would hire him. He’d be sitting next to leftwhich, mike Smith, lovie smith, dirk koetter outside of the league. I did think Koetter was a good playvaller but he dug a deep hole staying too loyal to mike Smith and went down with the ship.
October 1st, 2026 at 7:42 am
The Glazers have never fired a coach midseason, and the post Malcolm boys have only fired two.
If you had a leaky pipe in your home today, would you wait until January to call a plumber?
The Bucs have been leaking a Todd Bowles for years. One Buc Palace is flooding!
Time to fix the leak, and now!
October 1st, 2026 at 7:53 am
@ gbo
“what team would hire Bowles if he became available in the offseason?”
As a head coach – none, unless they are trying to tank a few seasons for the high draft picks.
As a D-coordinator? He isn’t that bad… This defense has over-achieved so far IMO.
October 1st, 2026 at 7:59 am
For some reason this piece triggered an old feeling that I’ve had that Bowles sticks with HIS SYSTEM mostly because he hand-picks assistant coaches who aren’t really innovators. Name me ONE Bucs defensive assistant coach who’s got such an outstanding resume that other teams want to hire them as their DC. I can’t think of any. And I think the reason is that Todd isn’t looking for ‘innovators’ when he hires his coaches; he’s looking for coaches who can teach HIS SYSTEM.
Bowles’ defensive system may be ‘complex’ as some have decried, but it’s also STALE. It’s very good at defending the run. No surprise there really, since that’s where the focus is. It’s terrible at defending the pass, not because we don’t have the talent to do better, but because of what the guys are being asked to do. We’re leaving huge swaths of real estate open, and that’s surely why opposing QBs are completing such high percentages of their passes against us. And obviously why wwe’re giving up so many passing yards.
This defense is talented enough to hold most opponents in the 20 PPG range. But only if this coaching staff starts innovating a bit and focuses on getting (and allowing) players to play up to their potential. Todd’s not gonna save his job (he’ll be replaced next season), but he can fill a role much like Sam Wyche did when he preceded Tony Dungy. Sam left Tony a defense with a decent core of starters. Tony & Monte took it from there.
October 1st, 2026 at 8:15 am
JA,
If the Glazers fired Bowles right now, would you be happy?
Now what?
Do you think a good Coach would start mid season? Would he be able to bring in his staff, or are most of them working with other teams right now?
Could he implement his system, trying to get players to learn a new system on
The fly?
The answer to those questions is no
A new coach would have to use Bowles system and coaches. And all the losses would go on his record.
No good coach is gonna do that.
Better to just play this out, and have some high draft picks, to help lure in another Coach and GM.
October 1st, 2026 at 8:15 am
Todd is toast and he probably knows it already barring a miracle. Too bad, seems like a helluva nice guy but seems a bit stubborn. He is not going to change his defense because its all he knows. Personally, I would clean house after the mini bye at the earliest and replace every single coach on the roster with the exception of Danny Smith. Lets practice the rest of the year and see what we got at the end.
October 1st, 2026 at 8:18 am
When can we have Bowles do other things besides coaching the Bucs into the abyss?
October 1st, 2026 at 8:27 am
We know Todd is feeling the pressure. Word on the streets kit-Kats are backed ordered in the Bay Area. As long as it helps, keep eating them coach!
October 1st, 2026 at 8:43 am
@ Capt.Tim: The short term solution is to fire Bowles immediately, promote Larry Foote to interm head coach, trade Vea, Winfield and and maybe a few others for future draft picks. Hire a new HC in January.
October 1st, 2026 at 8:48 am
if Todd wants to fall on his dull sword, let em lol….
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 1st, 2026 at 8:51 am
Todd has zero pressure whatsoever to win games. That’s already been proven.
Losing to Miami should have been the death knell for his coaching career.
Instead everyone else was fired except for Teflon Todd. He’s a guru.
I’m not convinced he’ll lose his job even if we go 0-17. The Baker injury might be all the excuse he needs to stay employed.
Billionaires can afford to make huge financial blunders unlike the rest of us.
October 1st, 2026 at 8:58 am
That’s the problem with hiring these old head coaches
They don’t have the incentive to win, as a young coach
These old coaches are already set financially, and their career is already over
A young head coach career is on the line, he’s fighting for his career
A 60+ year old head coach career is basically already over
Especially a former player like Bowles that gets a fat pension
Intelligent management grooms the young to replace the old
October 1st, 2026 at 9:23 am
The hatred of Todd Bowles keeps getting worse by the week for Bucs fans. His only chance of staying is to win NFC SOUTH division. Right now that’s a long shot. But there is some hope. This is one of the worst divisions in the NFL.
THE talent is there but the performance by the offense is so bad. So maybe Mayfield taking time to heal will give him time to reflect and get his head together and throw the ball away when no one is open. An injured Baker is nothing but an expensive and overpaid player.
I personally hope Daniels plays well enough to get Bakers performance right.
October 1st, 2026 at 9:31 am
No one hates Todd Bowles.
October 1st, 2026 at 9:35 am
Eff this Stupid MFer!!!! @%#$
October 1st, 2026 at 10:02 am
Honestly I liked Bowles as just a DC. His defense wasn’t perfect but it did get the job done. As head coach his defense slipped badly. I mean we won a SB off that defense and it wasn’t just good against the best offense in the league that year it did well verses good QBs in Brees and Rodgers. Demote Bowles back to full time DC and find a real offensive mind HC.
October 1st, 2026 at 10:10 am
Walker is doing well. Everyone else? Nah.
0-4
October 1st, 2026 at 10:40 am
I don’t like saying this but Bowles has been his own worst enemy. Stubbornness can make you or break you. In his case it’s gonna get him run. Add to that his blind faith in players who should have been shipped out the door years before they were. Diva White, Hall, JTS and Reddick come to mind. Refusing to replace them was just plain asinine. We have good players riding the bench right now behind dudes who have done nothing. We have had dudes who just plain quit.
Evaluating talent? I don’t think the athlete exists who can play OLB the way Todd wants. Those dudes that could do that were freaks from days gone by. Overpower an OT on one play defend a RB or TE the next? Not many out there it seems to me…ever. Too stubborn to adjust his defense accordingly. He Insists on running his blitzes…
Go Bucs!
October 1st, 2026 at 10:54 am
Lt.Dan,
I think the key is to hire a new coach, who can get Vea to play hard again.
He’s a Probowl nose tackle. They don’t grow on trees.
Vea, Godwin, and Wirfs are not playing hard. They have given up on this team.
I think Gerald McCoy nailed it, when he said players are being improperly coached.
The key players have given up.
I think a new GM and HC will reenergize them.
Don’t know what promoting Larry Foote would do.
I don’t think that anyone hates Todd Bowles. He seems like a great person.
I have done my very best, yet been replaced for not getting the mission done.
It happens. It didn’t make me a bad person, or a failure.
I’m sure Coach Bowles is doing his best. It’s not working.
That doesn’t make him a bad person.
Nobody successful ever wants to fail. Being human means that sometimes we do.
Todd Bowles will rebound.
October 1st, 2026 at 11:01 am
According to this blog.Why doesn’t Bowles like getting after the qb after the SB win against Mahomes? What’s changed?
October 1st, 2026 at 11:03 am
Who was the coach then and who is the coach now?
October 1st, 2026 at 11:08 am
“This Joe” keeps saying January because the Glazer Family has *never* dismissed a coach midseason.
No, not Raheem (10 straight losses), not Schiano (complete chaos), not Lovie (clueless a-hole). Hard to believe they would start with Bowles who they truly like.
If you think about it, if you are going to suck, as Jameis once said, “Do it big!” Get that good draft pick.
October 1st, 2026 at 11:21 am
Steve what’s changed? He doesn’t have Arians telling him what to do. Notice Leftwich couldn’t do squat, and was fired one season without Bruce. Notice Bowles hasn’t had a top defense since Bruce left. That’s what a good HC does. Bowles is a bad HC, and without Arians apparently a bad DC also. Coaching matters, we have none.
October 1st, 2026 at 11:34 am
Joe ,thanks for the reply..I disagree, everyone knows that penetration and disruption of the qb is needed for a successful defense..There’s a reason in pop warner they have in each age group a gold and blue team. Its about personnel.The team played for Bowles very well for the 1st half of last season till the injury bug hit,and the defense is playing now,of course the offense with all the changes is struggling
October 1st, 2026 at 11:40 am
Bowles has already started to change up his defense a little. The grass spot guarding has started to play match up with the receivers a little more. If it continues, the defense may start to improve a lot. BUT, Todd has no clue how, what or who to help the offense. If he does meddle, it will make it worse. I’m not sure if it is Zac or the offensive line coaching or both, but I know Todd won’t make it better. Either the Oline play suddenly improves exponentially or the play calling covers up the mistakes or we are in for more of the same inept offense that is the calling card of a Bowles’ team. Coen created some excitement for a season, but that is long gone. Todd has no answers. You can’t coach it better, play it better when you don’t know what you are doing.
October 1st, 2026 at 11:48 am
Capt. Tim——
It’s not about firing Bowles for firing’s sake.
It’s about changing the culture. Both players and coaches are far too comfortable knowing the ramifications of losing are few.
If Bowles goes midseason it sends shockwaves through the locker room to front office. “If he goes, am I next?”
Players take plays off. Bowles does nothing. Belichick, despite his personal flaws, would have sent them down the road. He would’ve been ripping Baker a new a——— until he began performing up to his so-called standards. Do you really think the good coaches in this league would’ve signed off on Baker’s insane extension without confronting management?
The season is already lost. Time to shake things up now and start anew next year.
And think for a moment, could any interim coach do worse?
October 1st, 2026 at 2:24 pm
I’d like to thank the Glazers for keeping Bowles, torpedoing the season, and letting me enjoy my other hobbies, like giving Rod Munch the sads.
October 1st, 2026 at 2:51 pm
If Walker was a full time starter… his 17-game pace for sacks is, 69. Nice.
October 1st, 2026 at 3:16 pm
How is the season lost last i looked 1 game out 15 more
October 1st, 2026 at 5:53 pm
bowles is clearly holding back a kid who is ready to blossom…
in a D where a so called guru clearly can’t manage to develop his young rushers, this is a cardinal sin…and a reason to be demoted to sh!t shoveler or goal post polisher…
yep, 2 new jobs i just crated at one buc place 🙂
October 1st, 2026 at 5:53 pm
bowles is clearly holding back a kid who is ready to blossom…
in a D where a so called guru clearly can’t manage to develop his young rushers, this is a cardinal sin…and a reason to be demoted to sh!t shoveler or goal post polisher…
yep, 2 new jobs i just created at one buc place 🙂