INTRO: Tampa Bay’s protection has been atrocious, particularly during the last 4 weeks because the workforce has gone 1-3 after a promising 3-1 begin. Quarterbacks Kirk Cousins (4) and Lamar Jackson (5) have mixed to throw 9 touchdowns and no interceptions towards Todd Bowles’ leaky go protection in back-to-back weeks which have resulted in back-to-back losses for the Bucs. It’s not simply Bowles and the gamers, it’s the assistant coaches that deserve some much-warranted criticism.
If the Bucs protection can’t get mounted over the second half of the season – beginning with a difficult recreation versus Patrick Mahomes and the undefeated Chiefs in Kansas Metropolis on Monday night time – an overhaul will likely be wanted on that aspect of the ball in 2025. And that would finally price Bowles his job as the top coach, too.
FAB 1. Why Is The Bucs Protection So Dangerous? The Veteran Gamers Are Screwing Up
The Bucs are 4-4 close to the halfway level of the season and the protection has been the perpetrator in a number of of the losses.
It’s not simply the protection.
It’s Todd Bowles’ protection, actually.
And therein lies the issue.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and ILB Lavonte David – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
If Bowles’ protection is the workforce’s weak spot, and it definitely is true now because the unit is surrendering 26.6 factors per recreation – and he’s the top coach – what occurs after this season? Assuming, after all, that the protection may not get mounted and that it winds up inflicting the Bucs to overlook the playoffs.
Below that circumstance, how is Bowles allowed to stay as the top coach when it’s his efficiency as a defensive play-caller that bought him the job within the first place?
Why would I make this assumption when the Bucs are 4-4 with 9 video games left within the season? As a result of that’s what the Glazers and normal supervisor Jason Licht should be pondering too as they consider this season up to now.
It’s one factor to begin 3-1 then slide to 4-7 after which furiously attempt to rally to get a successful document down the stretch in 2023. It’s one other factor to should do it once more a 12 months later.
The Bucs began off 3-1 once more this season, however are staring 4-6 within the face except they’ll someway repair their defensive issues in a rush with video games towards Andy Reid and the Chiefs and Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers looming earlier than the bye week. The Bucs had been in a position to win 5 of their final six video games final 12 months.
Except they’ll beat Kansas Metropolis or San Francisco – or each – Tampa Bay must have an analogous end as final 12 months. But Bowles’ protection was taking part in significantly better a 12 months in the past than it’s this season and that’s why I’m not as optimistic.
The Bucs’ final two wins have come towards an Eagles workforce that was with out its prime two weapons in extensive receivers A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith and a Saints workforce that was lacking half its offensive line, its beginning quarterback and prime extensive receiver in Chris Olave, who was knocked out of the sport with a concussion on New Orleans’ first collection.
Sadly, it’s the workforce’s veteran gamers who’re screwing up on protection, which makes it even worse. That’s my first exhausting fact about Bowles’ protection.
One play it’s Antoine Winfield Jr. with a protection bust, and one other play it’s Jordan Whitehead. It’s Ok.J. Britt not attending to a landmark quick sufficient on a protection drop, or Lavonte David lacking a sort out and permitting yards after the catch. In keeping with Professional Soccer Focus, David has allowed extra passing yards – 357 yards – than some other Bucs defender in protection this 12 months.
It’s not essentially rookie gamers. We noticed Bowles truly bench cornerback Tyrek Funderburk at halftime of the Falcons recreation in favor of Josh Hayes within the second half. The guess right here is that Hayes begins at cornerback towards Kansas Metropolis.
Bucs SS Jordan Whitehead – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
It’s skilled gamers who’ve performed in Bowles’ scheme for years now who’re the perpetrator for permitting a few of these touchdowns on protection. Guys that Bowles has received a Tremendous Bowl ring with.
On Thursday, I requested Bowles how irritating that’s to see the veterans make pricey errors with blown coverages that result in touchdowns.
“It’s irritating at instances,” Bowles stated. “It’s human error and we’ve bought to calm down. They perceive their errors. As quickly as we appropriate beating ourselves, we’ll beat different groups.”
A few of that is on the gamers. A few of that is on his assistant coaches – and never simply Bowles. And he is aware of that, too.
“Simply preserve working,” Bowles stated. “Hold your head down, ensuring they’ll do the issues they’ll do, cross your T’s and dot your I’s. Make sure that they’re coming round and perceive every part and ensure they’re in place. They’ve bought to make performs. It’s a continuing strategy of teaching it higher and taking part in it higher.”
Teaching it higher and taking part in it higher.
And that leads me to my subsequent level in Fab 2 – however take a look at this video from Josh Queipo that illustrates my level.
FAB 2. Todd Bowles’ Defensive Assistants Are Not Holding Up Their Finish Of The Cut price
Can we be frank for a minute? Todd Bowles’ defensive assistants are usually not doing a very good job this 12 months. That’s my second exhausting fact to ship at the moment about Tampa Bay’s protection.
Teaching issues in soccer in any respect ranges, together with the NFL. Good teaching might help gamers attain their full potential. Dangerous teaching can forestall these gamers from reaching their full potential and permit gamers’ efficiency to slide.
Bucs OLBs coach George Edwards and HC Todd Bowles – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
It’s truthful to say that the Bucs defensive coaches haven’t completed a very good job this 12 months as a result of finally, they’re liable for their gamers’ manufacturing on the sector. And it’s been unhealthy in any respect ranges – defensive position, exterior linebackers, inside linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks – at totally different instances this season.
Heading into the Week 9 recreation at Kansas Metropolis on Monday Evening Soccer, Todd Bowles’ protection ranks twenty eighth in scoring protection (26.6 factors allowed per recreation), thirtieth in complete protection (387.0 yards allowed per recreation), twenty ninth in passing protection (255.4 yards allowed per recreation), twentieth in run protection (131.6 yards allowed per recreation). Tampa Bay has allowed a median of 33 factors per recreation within the final three weeks. That’s unacceptable given the expertise on this protection and it’s unimaginable to win video games surrendering that many factors.
As Bowles has precisely stated, it’s not simply the gamers’ fault. The coaches have to teach higher, too.
This week I did an train the place I listed the High 5 assistant coaches in Tampa Bay so as – together with the coordinators – when it comes to on-field manufacturing and efficiency this 12 months. And are you aware what I got here up with?
In all probability the identical checklist you’d give you.
1. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen2. Offensive line coaches Kevin Carberry and Brian Picucci3. Working backs coach Skip Peete4. Large receivers coach Bryan McClendon5. Quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and OC Liam Coen – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
All 5 are on the offensive aspect of the ball, and 4 out of the 5 are new to the workers.
Coen’s offense was averaging 30 factors per recreation earlier than Mike Evans and Chris Godwin bought injured, and nonetheless put up 24 factors within the first recreation of their absence versus the Falcons. His excessive soccer I.Q., his adaptability and his creativity are on show each week.
Carberry and Picucci have lastly, lastly, lastly gotten this offensive line to constantly pave holes within the working recreation. Tampa Bay’s offense is scoring as many factors because the Tom Brady-led offense in 2020 and 2021 – and doing so with out Professional Bowl middle Ryan Jensen and Professional Bowl guard Ali Marpet, who’ve since retired.
Peete has turned Sean Tucker into an actual participant in his second 12 months, elevated Rachaad White’s recreation, and has helped Bucky Irving have fairly a profitable rookie season.
McClendon was serving to put Godwin on the trail towards a profession 12 months in a contract 12 months, Evans was on tempo to shatter his personal single-season landing document, and McClendon’s profitable observe document in school has me optimistic that no less than a few the workforce’s younger receivers will quickly develop with extra alternatives because the season progresses.
Bucs QBs coach Thad Lewis and QBs Kyle Trask, Baker Mayfield – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Lewis, who was one of many few offensive holdovers from Bruce Arians’ workers, has Baker Mayfield on tempo to interrupt Brady’s single-season landing document of 43 TDs. Kyle Trask can also be coming off his greatest preseason but in Tampa Bay.
Soccer is a younger man’s recreation. It all the time has been and all the time will likely be. Generally the sport passes older coaches by. Generally older coach doesn’t relate as effectively to youthful gamers. I’m not saying that’s the case in Tampa Bay this 12 months, however I can’t say it’s not the case, both. It’s value mentioning this premise.
Whereas Peete is the oldest place coach on offense at 61, Lewis is 36, Coen is 38, McClendon is 40 and Carberry is 41. Tight ends coach Justin Peelle is 45. It’s largely a really younger workers on offense.
On protection, it’s a a lot older workers in Tampa Bay. Inside linebacker coach Larry Foote is the youngest at age 44, whereas defensive position coach Kacy Rodgers is 55, exterior linebackers coach George Edwards is 57, Bowles turns 61 on November 18, cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross is 62 and safeties coach Nick Rapone is 68.
Soccer is a recreation of adapt-or-die, and often youthful coaches are higher at adapting and innovating than older ones. And right here’s the issue dealing with Tampa Bay in 2025 and past that I’m certain the Glazers and normal supervisor Jason Licht should be contemplating as they consider Bowles’ third season as head coach on a weekly foundation.
If the protection continues to be mistake-prone and underachieve, will Bowles make the mandatory adjustments on the finish of the season and fireplace among the coaches which have underwhelmed?
I don’t suppose so, and that’s an issue.
Former Bucs ILB Devin White and head coach Todd Bowles – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Bowles is loyal to a fault. We’ve seen that along with his stubbornness in not benching Devin White when he deserved to be benched sooner than on the finish of final season. And we’re seeing it once more this 12 months along with his refusal to platoon anybody else with Ok.J. Britt regardless of how horrendous Britt is in protection.
Bowles is loyal to his defensive assistants. The one ones he’s fired are those he didn’t rent – assistant defensive position coach Lori Locust (2019-22) and outdoors linebackers coach Bob Sanders (2022) after the 2022 season, each of whom had been employed by Bruce Arians.
Bowles received’t half methods with Ross, who performed with him at Temple again within the Eighties. Nor will he half methods with Rapone, who was Bowles’ place coach at Temple. Rodgers is Bowles’ greatest good friend, and so they’ve coached collectively for 17 years within the NFL – longer than anybody else on the workers.
He additionally has a number of respect for Foote, whom he moved from exterior linebackers coach to the extra beneficial function of inside linebackers coach in 2022. And Bowles is a giant fan of Edwards, too.
Bowles is just not giving up play-calling duties, nor ought to he. I belief him greater than I do anybody else on the workers to name performs.
Bowles likes his defensive assistants greater than I do. I believe Tampa Bay’s defensive teaching workers might use an overhaul in 2025 except there are some dramatic enhancements defensively. And that’s my third exhausting fact about Bowles’ protection.
Bucs CBs coach Kevin Ross – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
If Bowles had been to get fired or retire on the finish of this 12 months, I might suppose that Ross and Rapone would most likely retire, too. I don’t see anybody hiring them given their age. Different defensive coaches on his workers might need a tough time discovering work elsewhere. Perhaps I’m improper.
Bowles isn’t improper when he says, “we have to play it higher, we have to coach it higher,” which is one thing he’s stated just a few instances over the previous couple of years.
On Thursday, he stated one thing related.
“You most likely can single everyone out from a training standpoint and participant standpoint on protection to do some issues higher,” Bowles stated.
If the Bucs protection, which has given up 9 passing touchdowns within the final two video games and solely give you one takeaway, doesn’t begin dwelling as much as its potential and cease being a legal responsibility, there will likely be a brand new defensive workers in Tampa Bay subsequent 12 months.
And a brand new head coach as effectively – as a result of that’s Bowles’ aspect of the ball.
FAB 3. Is It Poor Drafting Or Poor Participant Improvement In Tampa Bay – Or Each?
The Bucs couldn’t run the ball value a rattling over the previous three years and haven’t averaged 100 yards per recreation since 2020 when the workforce ranked twenty fifth in dashing yards. The final two years beneath run recreation coordinator Harold Goodwin, Tampa Bay ranked useless final in dashing.
The Bucs didn’t shed any tears when Goodwin and offensive line coach Joe Gilbert left for Carolina to observe Dave Canales. Goodwin and Gilbert weren’t good at teaching run blocking or developing with a very good run scheme.
Bucs OL coach Kevin Carberry – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
The Panthers averaged 104 yards dashing per recreation earlier than Goodwin and Gilbert arrived, and are you aware what Carolina is averaging this season? That’s proper – 104 yards per recreation. No enchancment.
In the meantime, Tampa Bay has gone from averaging 88.7 yards per recreation to averaging 131 yards per recreation, which ranks eighth within the NFL with new offensive line coaches Kevin Carberry and Brian Picucci. And the Bucs are doing it with a rookie middle in Graham Barton and a brand new left guard in Ben Bredeson, who is barely barely higher than the combo of Matt Feiler and Aaron Stinnie final 12 months.
Goodwin and Gilbert had far more expertise to work with just a few years in the past with three Professional Bowl linemen in Ryan Jensen, Ali Marpet and Tristan Wirfs.
It’s a testomony to the teaching job that Carberry and Picucci have completed already with this group of offensive linemen, which options Wirfs, a rookie middle, a journeyman guard, a second-year guard in Cody Mauch, and Luke Goedeke, who’s coming into his second 12 months at proper sort out.
Tampa Bay has already had 5 video games with 100 yards dashing or extra out of the primary eight video games of the 12 months. These 100-yard dashing video games had been actually exhausting to come back by final 12 months.
That’s a chief instance of what higher teaching can obtain.
Over the past 4 years, normal supervisor Jason Licht and the Bucs entrance workplace have invested the next premium draft picks to assist Todd Bowles’ protection:
Spherical 1, 2021 – OLB Joe Tryon-ShoyinkaRound 1, 2023 – DT Calijah KanceyRound 2, 2022 – DT Logan HallRound 2, 2024 – OLB Chris BraswellRound 3, 2023 – OLB Yaya DiabyRound 3, 2024 – NCB Tykee Smith
Bucs assistant GMs John Spytek and Mike Greenberg, personnel director Rob McCartney and GM Jason Licht – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
A few of these guys are actual gamers and a few are simply meh. All however one has been drafted with Bowles being the top coach.
However are the Bucs’ good draft picks on their approach to turning into nice gamers and reaching their full potential? Can the meh gamers truly be higher than they’re if that they had higher teaching?
Is teaching holding these guys’ growth again? Or are the defensive assistants truly squeezing every part out of those draft picks – a few of which can simply be common at greatest?
I don’t know the reply. However I’ve seen Carberry and Piccuci and offensive coordinator Liam Coen step in and make huge enhancements with the offensive line in only a brief time frame.
We’ve been ready to see Tryon-Shoyinka reside as much as his athletic potential, however he’s had three exterior linebackers coaches and I’m undecided he ever will. Kancey has one sack this 12 months since coming back from a calf damage and I haven’t seen him grow to be the disruptive power I anticipated him to grow to be in his second 12 months in Tampa Bay.
Corridor has made some strides as a go rusher this 12 months and already has a career-high three sacks. Is he only a respectable rotational participant or might higher teaching unleash extra from Corridor and Kancey?
Braswell has been gradual to develop at exterior linebacker, identical to Diaby a 12 months in the past. Whereas Diaby has amassed extra pressures this season, he disappeared within the playoffs final 12 months and has simply two sacks by way of the primary eight video games in 2024. Might higher teaching take their video games to the subsequent degree?
Bucs NCB coach Rashad Johnson and CB Josh Hayes – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Smith has had a standout rookie season up to now and that’s a testomony to Rashad Johnson, the workforce’s nickelback coach. The 38-year outdated Johnson flies beneath the radar a bit and isn’t as well-known, however is effectively considered at One Buccaneer Place.
It’s one factor for the Bucs’ defensive assistants to have a hand in among the go rushes and blitzes that don’t get dwelling, in addition to the protection busts. However apart from recreation plan set up, the opposite important job of an assistant coach is participant growth and getting guys to degree up.
Is that occuring sufficient with the Bucs defenders on the roster?
Why does it look like security Jordan Whitehead has regressed this 12 months? What’s taking observe squad inside linebacker Vi Jones so lengthy to get able to platoon with Ok.J. Britt on passing downs? Why isn’t edge rusher Jose Ramirez lively on recreation days?
These are the questions that should be going by way of the minds of Bucs possession and the entrance workplace as they’re witness to the continuing collapse of Tampa Bay’s protection this 12 months.
FAB 4. Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby Is Taking part in With A Chip On His Shoulder – Actually
In case you’ve been pissed off with the shortage of sacks from Bucs exterior linebacker Yaya Diaby, sit and wait your flip.
Nobody is extra pissed off than Diaby, who has been receiving a wholesome dose of chips from working backs and tight ends regularly as a result of he’s Tampa Bay’s greatest go rusher.
“They’re doing it extra,” Diaby stated. “It’s the working again, the tight finish – all of them – it’s only a scheme that I really feel like they only making an attempt to do something to gradual us down.”
Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby – Photograph by: Cliff Welch P/R
That’s not an excuse, that’s a purpose why Diaby has simply two sacks by way of the primary eight video games, in response to Bucs head coach Todd Bowles.
“I believe our edge guys should be higher at getting chipped and nonetheless understanding tips on how to strain the quarterback aside from letting the chips knock them off their recreation somewhat bit and getting somewhat pissed off making an attempt to power issues,” Bowles stated. “We now have to do a greater job of gaining it, we’ve to higher job of studying when to get off the chip blocks.”
Don’t get me began on exterior linebackers coach George Edwards, who I don’t suppose is doing a very good job.
“Similar to this [past] recreation [against Atlanta], that they had the tight finish and so they had the working again, so it was like eight [blockers] after which that they had two individuals working the routes,” Diaby stated. “And generally they might preserve of their slot in as effectively after which simply have two individuals working a route.
“In opposition to Atlanta final week, I attempted to line up extensive after which stem down and assault. I used to be making an attempt to do various things to not get chipped. You don’t wish to line up too extensive as a result of then it takes away time to get to the quarterback. It’s a problem, however it’s additionally enjoyable whenever you do get there.”
Diaby has a team-high 81.8 go rush grade, in response to Professional Soccer Focus, which ranks him because the Thirteenth-best go rusher within the NFL this 12 months. His 31 QB pressures is the eighth-most within the league, and Diaby’s 24 hurries are the sixth-most.
Though Diaby solely has two quarterback captures this 12 months, he’s forward of final 12 months’s tempo as his first profession sack didn’t come till Week 8 at Buffalo towards Josh Allen. That was fairly a trophy sack for Diaby, who completed with a team-high 7.5, given how cellular Allen is. Diaby has recorded a few different trophy sacks towards two different scramblers this 12 months in Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson.
Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby and Ravens QB Lamar Jackson – Photograph by: USA Right now
“I used to be enthusiastic about that, particularly with him being a Louisville alum,” Diaby stated concerning the Cardinal-on-Cardinal crime of sacking Jackson. “I needed to get him.”
Whereas Kansas Metropolis’s Patrick Mahomes isn’t as quick as Hurts or Jackson, he’s simply as elusive because of the means he wiggles out of the pocket and appears to increase passing performs behind the road of scrimmage as typically as he seems to scramble for yards and a primary down.
“Seeing him on movie is thrilling as a result of whenever you go towards a quarterback like him along with his sort of expertise he can actually tear down your protection,” Diaby stated. “The problem for the D-line is to maintain him within the pocket. As a result of if we preserve him within the pocket he’s going to make some unhealthy choices. He’s going to throw some picks.”
It’s exhausting to imagine that Mahomes truly has thrown extra interceptions (9) than landing passes (eight) this season, however that’s the case.
“You simply can’t cease [rushing],” Diaby stated. “It’s not two seconds with him. It’s six or seven seconds with him holding the ball. We simply should rush.
“When he will get out of the pocket that’s the place he makes these performs and he all the time seems for [Travis] Kelce. That’s yards after the catch. Little stuff like that, however we’ve a very good recreation plan moving into to attempt to gradual him down and have him roll out a technique as an alternative of the opposite.”
That recreation plan ought to embrace attacking Chiefs left sort out Wayna Morris, who has been flagged for holding 3 times and surrendered three sacks this season, probably the most of any Kansas Metropolis offensive lineman. Morris additionally has drawn three penalties and allowed 4 QB hits and 14 hurries, in response to Professional Soccer Focus – each workforce highs. He has a 54.8 PFF go blocking grade.
The Chiefs have additionally performed Kingsley Suamataia, their second-round draft decide, at left sort out and he’s been flagged for holding 3 times and has a 42.3 PFF go blocking grade this 12 months – the worst amongst Kansas Metropolis offensive linemen.
FAB 5. Get Prepared To Be Annoyed By The Officiating – Or Lack Thereof – On MNF
There’s a narrative across the league that Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs obtain a number of favorable calls – or no-calls – from sure NFL officiating crews. A type of explicit crews is headed up by John Hussey, who has been assigned to the Bucs vs. Chiefs recreation at Arrowhead on Monday Evening Soccer.
The speak within the Bucs locker room is that head coach Todd Bowles has knowledgeable his workforce that this crew doesn’t name a number of penalties to start with, particularly on Kansas Metropolis. So count on the Chiefs offensive line to get away with a good bit of holding on Monday Evening Soccer.
Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photograph by: USA Right now
Chiefs proper sort out Jawaan Taylor has a maddening behavior of lining up up to now off the road of scrimmage in his go units that he’s actually within the backfield by the rulebook, however Hussey and his crew have hardly ever referred to as unlawful formation after they’ve officiated Kansas Metropolis video games.
And Taylor additionally has a behavior of stepping into his go set a hair early, as he’s been flagged 5 instances this 12 months for false begins. Will Hussey’s crew even name it on Monday night time?
It’s one factor to should beat an undefeated Chiefs workforce in a raucous atmosphere like Arrowhead in primetime the place the Bucs are 0-2 this 12 months. It’s one other factor to have to beat unhealthy officiating and beat the zebras, too.
Watch the video under on YouTube to grow to be acquainted with Hussey’s officiating crew.
