Todd Bowles made headlines this week by clearing out a significant portion of his coaching staff - five assistants are out, including offensive coordinator Dave Canales and multiple defensive coaches. But while the Bucs are shaking things up around the edges, the core issue remains firmly in place: Bowles himself, and more specifically, his defensive philosophy.
Let’s get this straight - Bowles is known for his aggressive, blitz-heavy approach. That’s not news. But what’s becoming increasingly clear is that the system he’s built in Tampa is asking too much of too many players, and it's showing up in the worst possible ways: busted coverages, missed assignments, and game-losing breakdowns.
Take the numbers. The Bucs finished 19th in total defense this season, allowing 337.2 yards per game.
Solid against the run - they ranked 5th there - but they were porous in pass defense (27th) and dead last in the red zone (32nd). That’s not just a red flag; it’s a flashing neon sign.
One of the most respected voices in Bucs history, Hall of Famer Ronde Barber, has been candid about the issues. Barber, who redefined the nickel corner role during his 16 years in Tampa, sees a scheme that’s simply overloaded.
His critique? The defense is too complex, too scattered, and lacks a foundational identity.
“There are too many busts because it asks too many different players to execute too many different jobs,” Barber said. He’s not wrong.
Bowles often has edge rushers dropping into coverage or linebackers playing in space like safeties. On paper, it might make sense.
But this isn’t Madden - players need time, coaching, and the right skill set to pull that off consistently.
Barber pointed out that the scheme requires players to be able to handle multiple roles - something only elite, highly-coached units can manage. And even then, it’s a tall order.
“It’s almost as if [Bowles] expects every player to be able to do every position’s jobs,” Barber said. “Which in my opinion is ridiculous.”
It’s worth noting that this same scheme worked wonders back in Super Bowl 55, when the Bucs suffocated Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in a dominant 31-9 win. But that team had elite players all over the field.
Lavonte David and Devin White were at their peak, the secondary was flying around, and the pass rush was relentless. This current version?
Not the same.
The secondary, in particular, has been a problem. Despite returning starters like Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum, Tykee Smith, and Antoine Winfield Jr., communication and execution have been major issues.
One of the most glaring examples came in Week 17, when the Bucs needed a win to set up a division-deciding matchup with Carolina. Instead, they let rookie QB Quinn Ewers hit Theo Wease Jr. for a 63-yard touchdown on third-and-8 - a play where Smith took a poor angle in coverage, opening the door for a game-changing score.
And then there was the Atlanta collapse back in December, when the Bucs gave up 15 points in the final nine minutes. On that final drive, they allowed a 14-yard gain on third-and-28 and a 21-yard completion on fourth-and-14.
That last one? Backup corner Kindle Vildor was in coverage, and the breakdown was as much mental as it was physical.
Players stood around after the play, arms raised, wondering what just happened - a scene that’s become all too familiar.
The common thread? Confusion.
And it stems from the constant pressure looks Bowles dials up. The Bucs had the second-highest blitz rate in the league at 38.9%.
But with every blitz comes a gap - and those gaps need to be filled by players who often aren’t suited for the job. It creates a defense that’s reactive instead of instinctive.
Barber put it bluntly: “Almost every call is essentially a pressure - even if it’s just simulated pressure. So, they don’t really have a ‘base’ defense they can rely on.”
That’s a big deal. Most great defenses have a bread-and-butter - think Tampa 2, Seattle 3, or the Patriots’ man-match concepts.
The Bucs? They’re freestyling on every snap.
Up front, the lack of a consistent pass rush hasn’t helped. The Bucs haven’t had a double-digit sack season from an edge rusher since Shaquil Barrett in 2021. They tried to address that by bringing in Haason Reddick on a one-year, $14 million deal, but injuries limited him to just 2.5 sacks - the lowest total of his career in any season where he played at least 11 games.
Part of the issue is usage. Bowles often asks his outside linebackers - who are essentially 4-3 defensive ends - to drop into coverage.
That’s not playing to their strengths, and it’s showing in the numbers. The Bucs also haven’t drafted a true edge rusher capable of hitting that 10-sack mark since Warren Sapp.
That’s a long drought.
There have been some changes. Defensive backs coach Kevin Ross was let go, and safeties coach Nick Rapone retired.
There’s talk that assistant DBs coach Rashad Johnson, a former standout at Alabama and NFL veteran, could be promoted. That would be a step toward continuity, but it doesn’t solve the bigger issue.
Bowles is expected to continue calling defensive plays. That’s his identity.
But as Barber pointed out, for this scheme to work, the Bucs need one of two things - elite players or elite coaching. Right now, they don’t have enough of either.
“Now finally, if they had top-tier talent, they might be able to overcome this,” Barber said. He pointed to the Vikings as an example of a team that creates chaos with a more refined, focused scheme. “Or if the league hadn’t evolved to deal with 3-4 defensive fronts so well, this might work like it had when Todd was younger.”
The bottom line? The Bucs can shuffle assistants all they want, but until the system itself evolves - or they stockpile the kind of talent that can thrive in it - they’ll keep running into the same problems. The pressure is on Bowles now, not just to call plays, but to prove his scheme can still work in a league that’s figured out how to beat it.