Buccaneers Spiral Continues as Bowles Brushes Off Hot Seat Talk
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in freefall, and the latest chapter in their downward spiral might be the most painful yet.
After a deflating loss to the last-place Saints, the Bucs followed it up with an even more frustrating defeat to the third-place Falcons-a game they led by 14 points before watching it slip away. The collapse was so jarring that Mike Evans, one of the team’s emotional leaders, walked off the field before Atlanta even lined up for the game-winning kick.
That moment said it all. A team that once prided itself on grit and resilience now looks lost-and fans are letting their voices be heard.
The calls for head coach Todd Bowles’ job, which have been simmering for much of the season, are now boiling over. Even the most loyal supporters, the ones who held out hope through the rough patches, are starting to concede that this version of the Bucs might have reached its limit.
And yet, Bowles isn’t flinching.
Bowles: “Our Only Focus Is on Winning a Ball Game”
Speaking with reporters on Friday, Bowles addressed the growing noise around his job security-and he did so with the kind of calm detachment that’s become his trademark.
“I don’t think about it at all,” Bowles said. “It doesn’t creep into the locker room.
Players play and coaches coach. I got more years behind me than I do ahead of me.
I think we’re in a situation where we’re right back in it and our only focus is on winning a ball game.”
It’s a veteran response from a coach who’s been through the highs and lows of this league. And technically, he’s not wrong.
Despite the back-to-back losses and the mounting frustration, the Bucs aren’t mathematically out of the playoff picture. Thanks to the chaotic nature of the NFC South, Tampa Bay still has a path to the division title. Two games against the Panthers remain, and with three games left overall, the door to the postseason hasn’t shut just yet.
But if we’re being honest, it’s hard to look at the product on the field and feel confident about a turnaround. The team has looked flat, uninspired, and at times, completely out of sync.
The defense-Bowles’ calling card-has given up critical plays in key moments. The offense has struggled to find rhythm.
And the energy that once defined this group under Bruce Arians feels like a distant memory.
A Familiar Seat Gets Hotter
Bowles has been on the hot seat in some form ever since he took over for Arians. But this feels different. This feels like the moment where the conversation shifts from “if” to “when.”
Whether it’s fair or not, the pressure is real. And while Bowles may not be letting it into the locker room, fans and media alike are already looking ahead. There’s a growing sense that, regardless of how the final three games play out, a change might be inevitable.
Could Bowles choose to step away on his own terms, much like Arians did? Maybe. But whatever the outcome, it’s clear that the franchise is approaching a crossroads.
Still a Sliver of Hope
There’s no sugarcoating it-the Bucs are in a rough spot. But the season isn’t over. The NFC South remains wide open, and if Tampa Bay can rally and take care of business against Carolina, the playoff door could swing open again.
It’s a long shot, especially with the way the team has been playing. But the NFL has a funny way of flipping the script when you least expect it.
For now, Todd Bowles is focused on the next game. And while the future may be uncertain, the next three weeks will go a long way in determining not just the Bucs’ playoff fate-but the direction of the franchise moving forward.