Every week seems to bring the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back to the same painful point: letting Liam Coen walk may have been the wrong move, and the comparison keeps getting uglier.
The latest reminder came in Week 1. Tampa Bay lost to the AFC North’s Cincinnati Bengals, 33-27, and while this one wasn’t actually on Todd Bowles, it still did nothing to quiet the noise around the decision to stay with him. Even Baker Mayfield’s uneven performance only sharpens the larger point, because Bowles still looks like the wrong kind of coach to help Mayfield take the next step as the Buccaneers’ franchise quarterback.
That frustration grows louder when the Buccaneers watch Coen from afar.
The Jacksonville Jaguars opened their season by beating the Browns, and that alone may not be some massive achievement. But stacked next to Tampa Bay’s shaky showing, and paired with how sharp Jacksonville looked on both sides of the ball, it only adds to the sense that the Bucs had the right man in the building and let him leave for another team in the same state.
Trevor Lawrence was perfect against a defense that was legitimately one of the best in the NFL last season, and that only makes the contrast with Mayfield more glaring. Lawrence is still outplaying Mayfield by a wide margin, handling the football more cleanly, landing difficult throws outside the numbers more consistently, and creating big plays without the kind of untimely Hero Ball mistakes that can sink a game.
Coen, after leading the Jaguars to the postseason in 2025 while Tampa Bay completely collapsed in the NFC South under Bowles, now looks positioned to do it again in 2026. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers keep running into the same problem: Bowles isn’t lifting the floor, and the team still finds ways to beat itself. The Bengals are not some formidable force in 2026, either, which only makes Tampa Bay’s loss sting more.
In Other News...
Buccaneers May Have Found The Better Answer At Offensive Coordinator
Mike McDaniel was the name most closely linked to the Buccaneers offensive coordinator opening before he opted to join the Chargers, and that decision now looks a little different after one week of football. Tampa Bays offense under Zac Robinson showed real efficiency both through the air and on the ground, even with turnovers getting in the way, giving the Bucs reason to feel encouraged about the direction of the unit early on.
Meanwhile, the Chargers offense with McDaniel had a rougher opening against the Arizona Cardinals, which only sharpens the contrast between the two situations. It is far too early to draw any hard conclusions from one Sunday, but Tampa Bays first look under Robinson made the case that the better fit may already be in place, even if the offseason chase ended another way. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers' Cade Otton Decision Already Looks Tougher To Defend
Cade Ottons new contract was supposed to settle one of the quieter questions surrounding the Buccaneers offense, but his Week 1 showing made the discussion linger a little longer. After signing a three-year, $30 million extension, Otton finished Tampa Bays loss with three catches for 30 yards and had a notable drop, a start that did little to quiet scrutiny around how the Bucs are valuing him at tight end.
The comparison only gets sharper when Isaiah Likelys debut is in the mix. Likely, who signed a three-year, $40 million deal with the Giants, opened with eight receptions for 78 yards and two touchdowns, and Pro Football Focus also gave him a better run-blocking grade than Otton in 2025. For Tampa Bay, the issue is not just whether Otton can bounce back, but whether the extension already looks harder to justify than it did when it was signed. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Just Sent An Encouraging Message About Bucs Rookie WR
Ted Hursts first NFL game gave the Buccaneers something to look at beyond the final score. The rookie wide receiver was on the field for about 75% of the offensive snaps in the season opener against the Bengals, and he made the most of the opportunity with three catches for 36 yards. Todd Bowles came away pleased with what he saw, pointing to Hursts ability to create separation, work open when targeted and compete for contested throws.
There is still development ahead, as Bowles made clear, but the early usage suggests the Bucs are willing to trust Hurst quickly. For a young receiver trying to carve out a role, the combination of playing time and a solid debut matters, especially on a team that will keep looking for reliable options to complement its passing game. The question now is how much more the rookie can add as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]