Bucs Earn A Passing Grade In A Loss
October 20th, 2026
“See, it wasn’t that bad.”
Joe sure wishes he had John Breech as a professor in college. Joe would be happy as hell to take a good grade after failing an exam.
That’s what Breech of CBS did for the Bucs. In the overtime loss to the Steelers on Sunday, Breech didn’t think the Bucs failed. He didn’t even think the Bucs were average.
Breech gave the Bucs a “B-” grade.
The Buccaneers simply let this game slip away. The Bucs defense bullied the Steelers during a first half in which Pittsburgh totaled just 116 yards. Tampa Bay appeared to be in control of this game until the fourth quarter, when Jalon Daniels threw two interceptions, including one that went to former Buccaneers corner Jamel Dean. Of course, that’s what happens when you put the ball in the hands of your rookie QB. Asking your rookie QB to throw the ball 43 times is almost always going to lead to a loss and that’s what the Bucs did here.
The problem here wasn’t that Jalon Daniels put the ball in the air so much. It was that the running game stunk. The Bucs had no choice if they wanted any sort of offense.
No, it’s not great that the Bucs had Daniels throw so much. Maybe the next time he plays on Sunday, if Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is still here, maybe Robinson will realize it’s not smart to have Daniels throw out passes to the sideline.
But what do Bucs fans know? They could see this watching the past two games after four or five beers. Yet the offensive coordinator couldn’t see it while standing on the field sober.
October 20th, 2026 at 12:12 am
A+ Rays!!! F- Bucs.
October 20th, 2026 at 12:13 am
This Coach has a losing Record as a Head Coach, no way around it.
This team needs a different Head Coach PERIOD.
Todd is a decent man, but a losing head coach for his career.
October 20th, 2026 at 12:22 am
This year it is a baseball town. Major changes needed on the Bucs. There are some players to build around but this team is tiring right now.
October 20th, 2026 at 12:27 am
Granted we sucked on offense, but have seen zero credit given to the Pitt D. The fact that it was basically a Steelers home game didn’t help the Bucs O either lol.
October 20th, 2026 at 12:32 am
Stuff like this is why national media coverage of small market teams is worth as much as a fart in the wind. Thank goodness we have JBF for the real scoop on the Bucs šš»
October 20th, 2026 at 1:20 am
Todd is the best HC in the history of the league. His record proves that in spades.
All he does is win. Not sure what more you people want from him.
Heās a guru.
October 20th, 2026 at 3:12 am
Go Rays. Hey Glazers, take a lesson from the new Rays ownership on how to build a winner.
October 20th, 2026 at 4:11 am
Breech … ‘Asking your rookie QB to throw the ball 43 times is almost always going to lead to a loss and thatās what the Bucs did here.’
That right there is a solid conclusion, and pretty much what happened. In the 1st half, Bucs ran the ball 11 times, threw it 18 times, and Daniels was sacked 3 times. So we ran it on 34.4% of our plays in that 1st half.
In the 3rd qtr (with us leading 16-3), we ran it 10 times & passed it 9 times (no sacks). Very conservative approach (protecting the lead?) that led to zero points.
In the 4th qtr (still leading 16-3 at the start of the 4th qtr), we ended up playing catch-up. Ran it 2 times and passed it 9 times, with 1 sacks AND 2 INTs. Overall in the 2nd half however, we ran it 12 times, passed it 18 times, and took 1 sack. So we ran it overall in the 2nd half on 38.7% of our plays (slightly higher than we did in the 1st half actually).
Then in overtime, we ran it 2 times, passed it 7 times, and took 1 sack. So we ran it on 20% of our plays in overtime. Our running game stunk, and that put undue pressure on our rookie QB IMO. It didn’t help that our blockers didn’t block for him, and our receivers never got decent separation to make his throws easier.
October 20th, 2026 at 4:47 am
What really didn’t help is the fact that Daniels is a running QB that’s one of his strengths. Did the Bucs game plan for this? Nope! I can’t remember one play call that had Daniels rushing. The Bucs needed to pull out all the stops including some trickery. The Steelers were over pursuing Bucky Irving all game. Both Tez and Daniels should have been used in misdirection while the Steelers sold out for Irving.
October 20th, 2026 at 5:02 am
I’m guessing this person grading just glossed over the game instead of actually watching it. If an NFL team is up 16-3 going into the 4th quarter, (and loses) the best grade I’d give is a D. If it were the Seahawks or 49ers maybe that would be different, but the Steelers are average at best. Why would you award a B to a team that can’t beat an average team makes no sense.
October 20th, 2026 at 5:45 am
Same as a participation trophy.
October 20th, 2026 at 5:56 am
A passing grade in a loss? Don’t even know what that means. There was one winner Sunday, and one loser. That’s the only grade that matters.
October 20th, 2026 at 6:46 am
I just want to know why this offensive coordinator is allergic to the middle of the field. I was watching the commanders and watched Rashad white catch a couple passes in the middle of the field where the linebackers vacated. And it looked so familiar to how we used to throw to him and Bucky. But everything now is outside behind the of scrimmage. White just caught the ball got tackled but still got 7-8 yards. Where is that at this year. And where is the quick slants. We only use them when we need a 3 and 6 or 4th down here or there. Then the rest of the game itās 6 yard outs. What do you think is going to happen to any qb throwing 6 yards outs all game and not testing the corners. They start sitting on the route by the end of third 4th quarter. And thatās exactly what Steelers did. Even the announcer said dean is just sitting on routes they need to do a couple double moves on him. Nope just do a deeper out for a 30 yard throw to gain 8. This is some of the worse offense I have seen. He doesnāt watch film and realize this Bowles doesnāt tell him enough with the 5 yard outs. What a horrible coaches team. Us fans can see it we would have adjusted but not our staff. Itās eventually going to work when the players play it better. Did I and dunk down the field thatās what defensive coaches try to get a team to do against them we do it for them as our regular offense. Just a joke. Then the same thing every week we were close Iām done and I have stayed through horrible football over the years but this isnāt fun anymore to sit there pissed on a beautiful Sunday afternoon for three hours. Itās making me dislike something I have loved with a passion for so long. And itās so obvious the problem. Coaching. Sorry for the long rant.
October 20th, 2026 at 6:46 am
Go Rays! On to Milwaukee.
October 20th, 2026 at 6:49 am
As in passing gas
and sheeting the bed ?
October 20th, 2026 at 6:57 am
SB Nation did a list of Five coaches who should be fired.
Each one had an analysis two or three paragraphs long. Until it got to Bowles. All it said was, ā we donāt need to break it down.. heās terrible ā
Pretty fitting.
October 20th, 2026 at 6:58 am
write anything to try and spin someway of keeping this HORRIBLE COACH
This Bum Coach has been sold for too many years
I know the Bucs LOVE this Coach
BUT HE IS TERRIBLE
October 20th, 2026 at 7:02 am
āYou play to win the gameā
October 20th, 2026 at 7:11 am
Hodad … ‘There was one winner Sunday, and one loser. Thatās the only grade that matters.’
Agree 100% Hodad. The snap counts often tell an interesting story about why we lost. In Sunday’s game, just focus on two sets of snap counts:
1 – Bucky played 85% of the game (63 snaps), while Gainwell played just 17% of the game (11 snaps). Bucky ran the ball 19 times and was targeted 3 times, for a total of 22 plays. The rest of the time (41 plays) he was very likely getting the snot beat out of him trying to pass block. Turns out bucky was VERY INEFFECTIVE that game (contributed 49 TOTAL yds in those 22 touches). Maybe he was overused? Duh.
2 – Vea played 84% of the game (66 def snaps), and Kancey played 70% of the game (55 def snaps), both much higher than usual for both of them. In comparison, Robinson played just 37% (29 def snaps), and Roberts played just 9% of the game (7 def snaps). Very poor personnel usage IMO. Vea got 3 tackles (1 solo), that’s it; Kancey got NADA, zip, zero, nothing. Meanwhile Robinson, who’s been playing great, had 3 tackles in a lot fewer snaps plus 1 INT; Roberts had 2 tackles.
With key starters like Vea & Bucky being used so much, I can only imagine that they were pretty chewed up by the 4th qtr. Score does seem to indicate that was the case, as the Steelers pretty much had their way with us in that 4th qtr and in Overtime.
October 20th, 2026 at 8:02 am
The problem is this is just a bad team that’s pretty much it.
October 20th, 2026 at 8:41 am
I hope thereās a plan for Baker next Sunday. You know, maybe some blocking and some sort of game plan that could possibly work.
October 20th, 2026 at 8:48 am
I would guess Todd has already packed about 30% of this office stuff.
October 20th, 2026 at 8:48 am
The play selection was vanilla and predictable. Robinson is garbage. Oo look we just wasted first down running bucky up the middle again. 0 rhythm. 0 creativity. 0 ability to call plays to set your players in the best position to win. Trash oc in every capacity
October 20th, 2026 at 9:00 am
would love to see Ko Kief in the backfield as a lead blocker to the RB with Durham at TE to improve the run game….
but that screams adjustments and we know the OC is incapable of making adjustments
GO BUCS!!!!
October 20th, 2026 at 9:04 am
Jeffbuc Says:
October 20th, 2026 at 6:46 am
I just want to know why this offensive coordinator is allergic to the middle of the field.
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The few times he did throw to the middle were his best throws. What killed me was that his two long throws both went off the receiver’s fingertips and we never went back to those plays again. Yet they kept going back to the sideline throws. AND they never once made Dean pay for his aggressiveness with an out and up.
October 20th, 2026 at 9:21 am
Joe droppingā hot copy
Just after the rays win to go to >> World Series!!!
Love your commitment boys
October 20th, 2026 at 9:24 am
A for effort! A good grade for the worst pupils.
The Bucs are in a doom loop. If they donāt win a couple in a row weāll likely see them quit, like last year.
October 20th, 2026 at 9:52 am
Yeah…they pass with flying colors for blowing leads late in games, which result in losses! 3rd and 28!
October 20th, 2026 at 10:28 am
It was an absolute crime to have your rookie QB drop back that many times. You have three good RBs. Keep pounding the run and punt if thatās what it takes. Again, coaching malpractice!
October 20th, 2026 at 10:29 am
Sundays performance was a rookie quarterback making rookie mistakes. Whether Baker is fully ready or not, Bowles will start him.
When Baker is not healed he’s been marginal at best. His performance in the last few years has been a disaster. This team lacks depth and will likely end like last year.
October 20th, 2026 at 10:38 am
John Breech understands quality coaching. Bowles deserves an A for the job heās done this season, keeping the locker room together and doing the other things.
October 20th, 2026 at 11:32 am
Very, very over generous rating. But even then, is practically a āCā okay with this franchise? Thatās been my rub since Arians and Brady, and long before that. We settle for mediocrity blinded by being in a less than mediocre division. This is not okay.
October 20th, 2026 at 3:26 pm
Grades?
B- for the first half, for sure. Enough decent plays to be above average
D- for the second half. The only thing that saved it from an F was the stop after the Dean interception.
I love the Bucs! The players are well above average and should have a winning record. The play calling is just ridiculously amateur. When someone like me who stopped playing after 8th grade, can tell what the next play is, something is really wrong.