After listening ๐ง to the 6 seeded Washington Commanders (12-5) against the 3 seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7) play on the radio ๐ป last I checked online to see and read headlines asking Could the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fire Todd Bowles as Bucs head coach after the Commanders ended the Bucs season beating the Bucs 23-20 in Raymond James Stadium ๐️ in Tampa, FL (the only upset ๐ญ in Super Wildcard weekend). I couldn't help but to wonder ๐ค why would the headline be that? It should be when will Todd Bowles be fired as head coach. I'm looking and reading reasons why Bowles should stay and none of the reasons make any sense to me.
Bowles has had 3 years to make this Bucs team a Superbowl caliber team. Bowles has had a chance to make this Bucs team a Superbowl caliber team. In 3 years, the Bucs have managed to go (8-9) win the Division and get hammered by the Dallas Cowboys (12-5) in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL 31-14 in Tom Brady's last season with the Bucs in the Wildcard in 2022. The Bucs at (4-8) on the outside looking in won 5 straight games to go (9-8) and win the Division in 2023 rolled the Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) 32-9 in Raymond James Stadium ๐️ in Tampa, FL in the Wildcard. Then the Bucs loss 31-23 to the Detroit Lions (12-5) in Detroit in the Divisional playoffs which we knew that the Lions were a better team than the Bucs.
Then the Bucs at (4-6) looked like they were on the bubble won 6 out of their last seven games all against weak opponents. The Dallas Cowboys a team who had nothing to play for beat the Bucs 26-24 on a recovery of a key Bucs fumble that cost the Bucs a chance at winning in the end. The Bucs played two horrible teams in the Carolina Panthers who the Bucs steamrolled 48-14 at home and the New Orleans Saints who the Bucs needed a big play to win 30-19 to go (10-7) and win the Division.
It's time to stop making excuses for a coach who is awful ๐ at clock management. Bucs QB Baker Mayfield made a costly turnover on a botched Jett sweep pass that Washington recovered at the Bucs 12 yard line when the Bucs were up 17-13 over the Commanders. You can blame Mayfield for that costly turnover but it's ultimately the coach who designs the play or plays. Emotionless Bowles didn't say anything to Mayfield to indicate that what Mayfield did was wrong. A really good coach would have had a conservation with Mayfield and said, "this is not the time to try anything fancy with our season on the line. You go out there in that huddle and tell the players do not give up 6 points force the Commanders into 3 points and when we play on offense and get first downs, run the clock out and get out of here with a 17-16 win and play another game!"
Todd Bowles much like Tony Dungy is not emotional. When Tony Dungy was the Bucs head coach he was in a similar situation when Dungy coached the Bucs in the late 90's. Tony Dungy took this Bucs team at (11-5) to the NFC Championship game in 1999. The Bucs loss to the Saint Louis Rams (13-3) 11-6. Management extended Dungy's contract. The Bucs (10-6) would play the Philadelphia Eagles (10-6) in the Wildcard and the Bucs got embarrassed ๐ณ 21-3 in Veteran's Stadium ๐️ in 2000. Then the Bucs (9-7) with the addition of Brad Johnson and Keyshawn Johnson played the same Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) in 2001 in Veteran's Stadium and got humiliated 31-9. Tony Dungy's scheme was so predictable that the Eagles stuffed their runs on 1st & 2nd downs that the Bucs were forced to throw on 3rd down and long and the Eagles played the pass really good and forced incomplete passes, interceptions, fumble and recovery, and sacking the Bucs QB.
Dungy clearly was out schemed and just didn't mentally prepare his team who were a better team then those Eagles teams to play the Eagles in Veteran's Stadium. Management had seen enough and decided to fire Dungy as head coach because the Bucs was no longer Superbowl contenders. They became a vulnerable team that was only a Wildcard team and they were afraid ๐ ๐ณ to play the Eagles. Dungy went on to win a Superbowl with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006. Bowles won a Superbowl as Bucs defensive coordinator and nothing else.
In my humble opinion (IMHO) I think ๐ค that we need to ask Bruce Arians if he would be our coach again. BA is a proven winner and he would have us at (13-4) or (14-3) and competing for Superbowl Championships. If we don't fire Bowles as head coach it will get worse every year. Bowles is not the right coach for the Bucs. That is all for free speech on all topics sports edition. Till next time keep an eye out for more blogs like this. God Bless You!