Todd Bowles had a defense that handed the Buccaneers every chance to walk out of Chicago with a win. Five turnovers.
Four interceptions of Caleb Williams. A unit that did its part and then some.
And still, Tampa Bay left with a 27-24 loss, with Bowles’ decision-making again sitting at the center of the frustration.
The game’s most glaring moment came early in the second quarter, when the Buccaneers were trailing 14-0 and had the ball inside Chicago’s five-yard line. Facing fourth and four from the Bears’ four, Tampa Bay had a real chance to punch in a touchdown and turn the game around. Instead, the Bucs lined up like they might go for it, couldn’t get Chicago to jump, took a delay-of-game penalty, and then sent Chase McLaughlin out for a 27-yard field goal.
That choice looked even worse when stacked against another fourth-down call. Tampa Bay had shown a willingness to gamble on fourth and one from its own 35-yard line, trying a quarterback sneak that Baker Mayfield couldn’t convert. So Bowles was ready to trust the offense in a spot where failure would have handed Chicago strong field position, but got conservative when his team was sitting just four yards from the end zone.
That’s the part that keeps sticking. It’s not about going for it every time.
It’s about the situation, the score, and whether the call actually gives your team the best shot to win. Down two touchdowns against a dangerous offense, settling for three from the four-yard line is a tough sell.
Bowles had another chance to be aggressive before halftime and passed on it again. With Tampa Bay at the Chicago three-yard line and only three seconds left, the Buccaneers settled for another field goal and went into the break down 17-6.
Later, in the fourth quarter, he went conservative once more, taking a delay of game before McLaughlin kicked a 35-yard field goal on fourth and nine from the Chicago 18. Tampa Bay eventually tied the game, but those touchdowns that never came loomed large.
The numbers only sharpen the criticism. Tampa Bay forced five takeaways, piled up 369 yards, and still couldn’t finish the job. The offense converted just two of 12 third downs and kept settling for field goals when touchdowns were there to be had.
That’s why this loss landed so hard. The defense gave Bowles a gift, and the offense did enough to stay in it.
But the head coach’s choices added extra strain to a team already fighting to finish drives. When your defense creates five turnovers, you have to cash in.
Tampa Bay didn’t, and Bowles’ game management made sure that failure would stand out even more.
The issues around him aren’t limited to one night, either. The criticism has grown around the same themes: questionable game management, uneven execution, and missed chances. Sunday night only gave that argument more fuel, and more people reason to believe his time in Tampa Bay should be coming to an end.
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Bucs Still Have A Real Shot To Save Their Season
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The next few weeks will go a long way toward deciding whether this turns into a late-season push or another missed opportunity. A favorable slate only matters if Tampa Bay can take advantage of it, and there are enough tests ahead to make the margin for error thin. The Ravens game after the bye stands out as one of the most intriguing on the calendar, especially with the kind of uncertainty that can change a matchup before it even gets here. [Read more 🡒]