The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ path forward is staring them right in the face: if they move on from Todd Bowles, the next coach has to be an offensive mind.
That point is sharper now with Tampa Bay off to a 0-3 start. Bowles is not the only reason the Buccaneers have stumbled out of the gate - Baker Mayfield has been described as the biggest problem after three poor performances since signing a massive contract - but the head coach still carries the final responsibility.
The critique of Bowles goes beyond the record, too. In terms of X’s and O’s, managing players and handling games in real time, he is being cast as one of the league’s weakest head coaches.
The argument for change isn’t really about whether Bowles will survive this week or next. The source material makes clear that the Glazers have shown him a long leash, and that a replacement may not come as quickly as many fans would want. Still, the expectation is that Bowles’ time is running out.
And when that change does happen, the next move is supposed to be obvious: Tampa Bay needs an offensive guru.
The case for that approach is built around Baker Mayfield. He is under contract, so he is not going anywhere, and the belief here is that he will not improve without a stronger offensive leader in charge of the whole operation. The source points to how effective Mayfield looked with Liam Coen guiding the offense as the model the Buccaneers should have leaned into long ago.
That missed opportunity is part of the larger frustration. Tampa Bay passed on promoting Coen from offensive coordinator years ago, and now both Coen and David Canales are being held up as examples of what the Buccaneers could have had. Their work with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers, respectively, is cited as evidence that better offensive leadership can help turn around a franchise by improving Trevor Lawrence and Bryce Young.
The current offensive setup is not being viewed as the answer, either. Zac Robinson, Tampa Bay’s new offensive coordinator, is described as having been terrible with the Atlanta Falcons and as having called plays worse than Josh Grizzard to open this season. That leaves the same conclusion hanging over everything: the Buccaneers need a new head coach, and it needs to be someone who can run the offense and take the keys away from Bowles.
In Other News...
Bucs Loss Exposed A Bigger Problem Than Fans Wanted To See
The Buccaneers 23-16 loss to the Vikings in Week 3 was more than just a one-score setback. Tampa Bay kept bumping into the same problems on both sides of the ball, with the offense never finding much rhythm under coordinator Zac Robinson and the defense undone at key moments, including an 86-yard punt return touchdown that tilted the game in Minnesotas favor.
Baker Mayfield finished with a 50% completion rate, one touchdown and one interception, then added a right hand injury late in the game to an already frustrating night. There were also rough stretches for players such as cornerback Jacob Parrish and right tackle Luke Goedeke, leaving the Bucs with an uncomfortable reminder that the issues exposed Sunday go well beyond a single bad sequence or a single phase of the game. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfield Injury Just Raised The Stakes For A Reeling Bucs Team
Tampa Bays rough Week 3 got even messier late in the loss to Minnesota, when Baker Mayfield dislocated his thumb near the end of the game. The Buccaneers were already dealing with the sting of another defeat, and the injury to their starting quarterback quickly became the biggest concern coming out of the night.
Todd Bowles said Mayfield will undergo an MRI to get a better read on the injury, leaving the team waiting on a clearer update. Mayfield was replaced by rookie Jalon Daniels after leaving the game, and for a Bucs team trying to steady itself, the timing of the setback only adds to the pressure heading into the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Loss Exposed Problems Fans Wont Stop Arguing About
The Buccaneers latest loss did more than dent the standings - it reopened the same arguments that have followed this team for weeks. Between the defenses uneven stretches, the offenses uneven rhythm and a special teams sequence that left plenty of second-guessing behind, the game against Minnesota became the kind of all-around mess that forces a closer look at how Tampa Bay is being coached and why so many drives still seem to stall at the wrong time.
Todd Bowles now has a familiar debate on his hands, because the scrutiny is not just about one bad afternoon but about how the Bucs handled key moments through the first three quarters. Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving and a few others had their moments, but the bigger issue is whether the teams decisions and execution can keep matching up against good opponents when the game starts tightening. [Read more 🡒]