Todd Bowles Declares Sacks Are Not Key To Winning
October 14th, 2026
Joe has long pounded keyboards noting how Todd Bowles doesn’t value an edge rush to the proper degree — and to the degree most fans and analysts do.
More proof has emerged.
Bowled energetically spoke on the Buccaneers Radio Network this week about how sacks just aren’t very important. (Joe listened on the SiriusXM Buccaneers channel.)
“It’s really about making [quarterbacks] uncomfortable. Sacks doesn’t win you games. It does not win you games,” Bowles said.
“Turnovers win you games. Making the quarterback uncomfortable, making a pressure win games. Sacks are good for stats. And you want ’em and you want your guys to get some selfishly. But at the same time, if you’re making a quarterback uncomfortable and you’re very good on third down, that’s telling you the story right there. So, you know, as long as those guys keep rushing and [sacks are] gonna come, they like turnovers. Sometimes you get the best rush and that ball’s gone, and there’s nothing you can do. And then sometimes you don’t rush as good and he is holding the ball for a long time and you fall into [sacks]. That’s just part of it. That doesn’t mean they’re not very good pass rushers because they are. It’s just not working that way when the ball’s out or when some other things are going on.”
Joe disagrees and hangs out in the sacks-matter club. For those wondering, a shade less than 10 percent of sacks result in a defensive turnover. Sacks also have a way of getting into quarterbacks heads and bodies in a way pressure never can.
The Bucs have gone sackless the past two games and Aaron Rodgers is 26-4 when he’s not sacked. The Bucs will face Rodgers and the Steelers on Sunday.
Tampa Bay ranks tied for 10th in the NFL this season with 7 forced turnovers.
October 14th, 2026 at 2:03 pm
I can’t wait for this season to end !
October 14th, 2026 at 2:05 pm
Actually he’s not wrong. The stats are a mix bag …
Team – Sacks – Record
1. Detroit 20, 3-2
2. Texans 18, 1-4
3. Vikings 17, 5-0
Additionally, the Vikings have given up the 5 most sacks and they are undefeated.
Doesn’t excuse Vea, Kancey, Yaya, and Bain for their performances.
October 14th, 2026 at 2:05 pm
A punt is a form of turnover and sacks absolutely cause those – so it again goes to Joe’s long held belief that Bowles really doesn’t care to have an elite pass rush
October 14th, 2026 at 2:07 pm
Another great quote from our non-coach! Ridiculous
October 14th, 2026 at 2:15 pm
Sacks are needed if not your playing 7 on defense vs 11 on offense lol
October 14th, 2026 at 2:19 pm
Todd’s right.
October 14th, 2026 at 2:24 pm
Someone said this win would embolden him about no sacks. They were right. Good grief. I mean it’s great we won, but man it’s so frustrating to see.
October 14th, 2026 at 2:25 pm
7 of last 10 Super Champs did not have a 10 Sack guy…7 of the last 10 SB Winners also were not in the top 8 in sacks….A sack can be -1 yds..I agree constant pressure is the key but usually a sack or three comes with it.
October 14th, 2026 at 2:44 pm
“Sometimes you get the best rush and that ball’s gone, and there’s nothing you can do.”
What a terrible quote.
If they are trying to get the ball out fast then you can play some aggressive press man coverage and attack them as if you know that’s what’s coming. Design pass rushes where the emphasis on the cover guys is to assume a quick pass is coming vs playing off coverage and just letting it freaking happen.
“there’s nothing you can do” my 4ss.
October 14th, 2026 at 2:45 pm
I’m in the ‘can’t wait until Todd is gone’ club, along with 99% of other people that aren’t legally blind, so I’m not surprised to read this.
But it really is unfathomable that a defensive coach thinks this way.
As far as making the qb uncomfortable, well he certainly knows the how to do the opposite so there’s some domain knowledge there.
October 14th, 2026 at 2:45 pm
Would you be more shook if I said boo or absolutely trucked you into the turf ?
October 14th, 2026 at 2:47 pm
Please explain to Todd that with sacks comes lost yardage hence lowering the offenses’ odds of getting First Downs (yeah I know I know 3rd & 28)….
October 14th, 2026 at 2:49 pm
A QB gets uncomfortable when he feels pain. Sacks = pain or discomfort 100% of the time.
October 14th, 2026 at 2:52 pm
Well there are plenty of sorry teams that have double digit sack guys.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:00 pm
It’s all about points. I thought you knew.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:02 pm
The end of the Licht-Bowles Era cannot come soon enough.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:08 pm
You know what really makes a QB uncomfortable?
Sacking him into the ground.
Bowles can hire me as a special consultant for $500/hr to give him more ground-breaking tips like that one. Get the word out.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:09 pm
He’s just babbling. “It’s just not working that way when the ball’s out or when some other things are going on.” When some other things are going on? Huh?
Forget the W-L record, he deserves to be canned on the basis of poor communication skills. No wonder poor play in the secondary is often attributed to a breakdown in communication.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:17 pm
Todd just keeps spitting out pearls of wisdom. He’s an absolute genius.
Folks, who are you going to believe? Your eyes and brain or a guy who orchestrated a 4-12 record in the last 16 games???
Why even bother with a pass rush and sacks when excuses, empty rhetoric, and illogical statements get you raises and extensions???
Bowels is a guru of failing upwards. It’s his art form.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:19 pm
Told you Joe , I reported it first lol!!. I put on a prior post told you to check it out. Guess you listened to the broadcast too.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:23 pm
Aren’t sacks what makes quarterbacks uncomfortable. Oh gosh they almost got me. I’m playing the Bucs so the corners are 10 yards off the ball, I can get rid of it 2 seconds and not get hit at all. Hey Todd sacks make QBs shaky, getting knocked down, and then that is where the turnovers come from. Sacks lead to not only interceptions but fumbles as well. Hit the man while he has the ball. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel please.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:25 pm
Football 1 – Guess what? You win an imaginary blog poster prize! This is a really cool prize consisting of… Seeing your name/ handle online pontificating about a prediction you made! Excellent work.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:31 pm
Two things can be true. Coach is right, sacks are not the key to winning. It’s just the truth. Stats back that up. However….. As many have noted, sacks make quarterbacks uncomfortable. Which makes them more prone to error. And though I’m not a fan of players getting hurt, sacking a. Quarterback can do that as well. Then you’re dealing with a backup. Which, granted, in our case might not help much, but for most teams does. Case in point. Our guys Happy feet are almost certainly due to getting sacked a lot and fearing the rush. And has also noted, pressure caused him to get hurt. So yeah, sacks are meaningful. So is pressure.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:31 pm
Bowles will be coming after Rodgers. The guy is a sitting duck back there.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:37 pm
I can see both Joe and Bowles perspectives. An experienced QB can get the ball out fast and is hard to sack. That same QB may throw the ball away if he sees a free runner coming at him so no sack. Brady was great at both of those. Last week Dak would see a free rusher and get rid of the ball, so his completion percentage dropped from 71% to 57%.
Bowles wants his edge rushers to keep outside leverage and keep the QB in the pocket. No chance of making an inside move at the QB. For an immobile WB like Rogers the edges don’t need to contain him like a mobile running QB, so Bowles should let the edges go inside. Vita and A’Shawn are run stoppers not rushers so they should be subbed out on passing downs along with Yaya.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:39 pm
Disrupt the offense ruthlessly in all ways possible will win games. Todd Bowles game can do that. The bottom line is to win in all ways possible.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:41 pm
Boweles is a clown. Anything he declares is hogwash.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:43 pm
“Sacks matter for stats”
You know who cares about stats? The players trying to get accolades and big contracts.
So sure, maybe doesn’t matter in how it equates to winning, but it matters when it comes to team building.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:44 pm
Fun fact? A sack causes lost yardage. Getting to 3rd down with 6 yards to go in stead of 16 yards ro go is a big difference.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:46 pm
Then why draft a passrusher first round
October 14th, 2026 at 3:46 pm
Well, you know who really cared about sacking the quarterback? Bruce Arians. You know how many we had in 2020 the year we won the Super Bowl? 48. Tied for 4th in the NFL. Maybe he needs to sit down with his supposed defensive genius and remind him he has a ring because sacks are important.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:46 pm
1 Myles Garrett Cleveland Browns / Los Angeles Rams* 23.0
2 Brian Burns New York Giants 16.5
3 Danielle Hunter Houston Texans 15.0
4 Aidan Hutchinson Detroit Lions 14.5
5 Nik Bonitto Denver Broncos 14.0
6 Tuli Tuipulotu Los Angeles Chargers 13.0
7 Micah Parsons Green Bay Packers 12.5
T-8 Josh Sweat Arizona Cardinals 12.0
T-8 Will Anderson Jr. Houston Texans 12.0
T-8 Byron Young Los Angeles Rams 12.0
Last years top 10…… Hmmm, where’s the correlation between sacks and team success? You’d think all the top sack artists would be on good/great teams.
I’m not knocking sacks but the Joe’s narrative that sacks (especially off the edge) are an indicator of team success is simply NOT backed up by any data that I’m aware of.
October 14th, 2026 at 3:49 pm
You know what else ? And this is funny … 270 lb men suck in coverage. If you are a RB or a TE and you can’t get separation from a 270 lb man trying to cover you ? Get another job.
October 14th, 2026 at 4:10 pm
And, he’s right. The Bills won at SoFi the other night with ONLY 1-Sack, against 54 Stafford PASSES. It’s just another “STAT” that doesn’t mean a whole lot in the new-age modern day, against a ‘brilliant’ play-caller, and a QB who gets rid of the damn BALL, instead of trying to just sit back there, and HOLD-IT all night.
October 14th, 2026 at 4:14 pm
Sacks are the key to avoid losing, Todd
October 14th, 2026 at 4:14 pm
Honestly, if you’re a good smart QB, there’s NO REASON to ever take a Sack in the first place, unless under very unique and rare circumstances. Just get rid of the damn BALL, or throw-it AWAY. And, then say, NEXT…
October 14th, 2026 at 4:18 pm
DS Says:
October 14th, 2026 at 2:15 pm
Sacks are needed [insert period] i[capitalize]f not you[insert apostrophe]r[add ‘e’] playing 7 on defense vs 11 on offense[insert period] lol[insert period]
>> statement is also false.
October 14th, 2026 at 4:19 pm
Simple T Says:
October 14th, 2026 at 3:46 pm
1 Myles Garrett Cleveland Browns / Los Angeles Rams* 23.0
2 Brian Burns New York Giants 16.5
3 Danielle Hunter Houston Texans 15.0
4 Aidan Hutchinson Detroit Lions 14.5
5 Nik Bonitto Denver Broncos 14.0
6 Tuli Tuipulotu Los Angeles Chargers 13.0
7 Micah Parsons Green Bay Packers 12.5
T-8 Josh Sweat Arizona Cardinals 12.0
T-8 Will Anderson Jr. Houston Texans 12.0
T-8 Byron Young Los Angeles Rams 12.0
Last years top 10…… Hmmm, where’s the correlation between sacks and team success? You’d think all the top sack artists would be on good/great teams.
________________________________________________
Broncos finished 14-3 and went to AFC championship game
Rams finished 12 -5 and went to the NFC championship game
Texans finished 12-5 and made it to divisional round
Chargers finished 11-6 and made the playoffs
Packers also made the playoffs, albeit with only a 9-8 record
^ Those teams include 7 of the 10 players on your list… no correlation huh?
October 14th, 2026 at 4:21 pm
When players at the same position keep underperforming it’s pretty easy to see what the common denominator is.
October 14th, 2026 at 4:22 pm
I mean, if you’re only playing for pressure, you’re not going to get sacks. If you’re playing to get sacks, you’ll have a better chance of getting pressure.
Sacks change momentum. Pressure doesn’t. If you’re not putting the QB on his back, your coverage needs to hang on longer. Bad bet.
October 14th, 2026 at 4:24 pm
The best way to make the QB nervous with your pressure is to make it hurt by slamming him to the ground.
October 14th, 2026 at 4:30 pm
Well, a sack ends that play and adds yards to the next one. A sack may cause a fumble. Pressures are awesome…but the qb can throw it away if he’s not sacked.
So, I don’t agree with Bowles on this issue other than to agree that qb pressures are important.
October 14th, 2026 at 4:33 pm
Sacks make a QB uncomfortable and will force the clock in his head to speed up which in turn will make him make mistakes. This guy needs to go…
October 14th, 2026 at 4:35 pm
So Bowles has done what as a HC ???
Claim to fame is District title YEAA
AND AGAIN we listen to this guy and don’t FIRE HIM!! On the SPOT
HOW
Come GLAZERS have some respect for the people paying your bills
Bowles has PRODUCED NOTHING EXCEPT mistake after mistake
3 and 28 ASK MIKE
Clock management OH get a coach for that
Bridgewater. JOKE he every was back in league
AND now this Idiotic Statement
Some of yall still call him a COACH
HE CANT COACH A FANTASY TEAM
October 14th, 2026 at 4:38 pm
Reason number 172 why it’s utter nonsense Todd was retained after last season’s collapse.
October 14th, 2026 at 4:48 pm
Todd Bowles is correct.
Turns out the team that scores the most points wins! It’s in the rulebook and everything. Literally, it is, go look it up.
October 14th, 2026 at 4:51 pm
Don’t pay him no mind, he’s harmless.
October 14th, 2026 at 4:52 pm
Todd is correct again. He is the cat with the kit to force turnovers. I wonder how a kit kat turnover would taste. They could serve them at bucs games.
October 14th, 2026 at 4:55 pm
I’d like Bowles to tell that to Sapp’s, Rice’s and JPP’s faces. What a clown we have for a HC. Say what you want about Gruden but he is light years better than Bowles and Zac put together. This is just a travesty. All this talent going to waste. As always zero confidence.
October 14th, 2026 at 4:59 pm
what a pathetic old fool todd bowles is. other teams are just p issing their pants at the thought of the uncomfort the bucs are about to unleash on them.
October 14th, 2026 at 4:59 pm
If I were a QB and got sacked by a 300+ pass rusher, I believe I’d be pretty uncomfortable.
That said, disrupting the QB plays a key role in winning the game, and there are many ways to do that besides sacking him. But a sack at the right time can end a drive by causing a 3-and-out, can push back an offense out of field goal range, can cause a turnover.
When Tampa beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, they only had 3 sacks, but Mahomes was running for his life all game. Suh got to him a couple of times. Apparently that made Mahomes pretty uncomfortable. 😉
October 14th, 2026 at 5:20 pm
Is he still here?
October 14th, 2026 at 5:24 pm
Bowles Actually made Alot of sense there for once an I.agree with him on this topic although I’d love the.sack I did see what he was saying last week an I think the Bucs Match up really good with the Steelers on Defense it’s The offense I.hope keeps the magic alive after TNF
October 14th, 2026 at 5:28 pm
A pressure is the consolation prize for not getting a sack.
October 14th, 2026 at 5:32 pm
Bowels doesn’t believe what he is saying. He is just trying to justify his failed performance as a coach.
It’s not hard to read this guy. It all starts with his lack of accountability.
October 14th, 2026 at 5:35 pm
Come on Kit Kat of course sacks don’t win games alone , but they are a BIG part of your making the QB uncomfortable don’t you think. I mean our front doesn’t do much of anything,they aren’t even that good in coverage. Or maybe scoring more than 20 Pts per gam3 plus defensive pressures & a few sacks , how bout that ,that might win right . Good grief this is gonna be a long season & then there’s no guarantee the Glazier’s fire the guy.
October 14th, 2026 at 5:54 pm
Sacked are not important is like a single guy saying he’s okay not getting any.
It matters, but you can’t get it so you lie
October 14th, 2026 at 5:54 pm
His defense is working, if it ain’t broke dont fix it .. Yeah Todd Yeah!!
October 14th, 2026 at 5:54 pm
QBs get uncomfortable in the pocket when there is indeed pressure, but that means getting to the QB. If the QB knows you can’t sack him he will throw on you all day long. DBs can only jam WRs so long before they get free. The more time the QB has, the higher the probability of a completion. Can we end the season now so we can drop this clown!
October 14th, 2026 at 5:56 pm
Sacks are icing on the cake! Sometimes I like powdered sugar,that works as well! YEAH TODD YEAH!!!
October 14th, 2026 at 5:56 pm
A sack can be a 0 Yard Loss ..lol..thats a drive killer for sure.
October 14th, 2026 at 5:59 pm
I have to absolutely agree with Lokog in saying why waste the number 15 pick on a pass rusher if sacks don,t matter.
October 14th, 2026 at 6:00 pm
Ide rather have constant pressure up the middle, the qb can see it he knows he’s gotta hurry, a blind side hit ,is good for the highlight reel! Anyhow how many passes get off from a guy coming off the edge…
October 14th, 2026 at 6:01 pm
YEAH TODD YEAH!!
October 14th, 2026 at 6:02 pm
Taking the Bucs to cover and the under
October 14th, 2026 at 6:03 pm
Just parroting everyone else, but this guy is freaking mind blowing.
October 14th, 2026 at 6:07 pm
Sacks make quarterbacks uncomfortable. So does 3rd and 15.
October 14th, 2026 at 6:15 pm
And he said this with the same enthusiasm he would as encountering a low populated Buffett all you can eat restaurant.
October 14th, 2026 at 6:17 pm
@Larrd says : Sacks make quarterbacks uncomfortable. So does 3rd and 15.
I don’t know after last years third and twenty-eight everyone’s confidence is higher on converting against a Todd Bowles defense.
October 14th, 2026 at 6:23 pm
Sacks intimidate the QB/offense and result in negative offensive yards. Isn’t a QB sack a step up from QB pressure?
More Bowles-speak. Justifying lack of performance is his specialty.
October 14th, 2026 at 6:29 pm
Bowles wipes his azz with his left hand… OMG thats insane he should be fired and never allowed to use the commode again WTF is Licht thinking?? And Robinson only buys the single ply!
October 14th, 2026 at 6:30 pm
@Steve V please tell me you are trolling us for a reaction, or this is your version of sarcasm. We will have a lot more respect for you if either is the case, because right now a lot of us are thinking you want to take Bowles out on a dinner date. Maybe take him to the sizzler, then to a movie and see where it goes from there.
October 14th, 2026 at 7:00 pm
Oh my gosh, he has been saying that and other similar comments since he took over as a head coach for Bucs. Please,please,please just let him go and move on, let some other team hire Todd as a Head Coach. I dare Todd to say that same comment in an interview for another head coach job for another NFL team. Absolutely insanity that we have a defensive minded head coach who thinks that sacks do not matter much. Please, please Glazers get another HC in here.