A brand new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts each Tuesday in the course of the Bucs’ common season. Every week, the Pewter Reporters sort out one other robust query. This week’s immediate: Can the Bucs flip issues round and make the playoffs?
Scott Reynolds: No, And It Will Price Todd Bowles His Job
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
I simply wish to put the phrase “no” on this area and name it a day. However you Pewter Folks deserve greater than that.
There may be simply one thing off about this 12 months’s Bucs staff. It jogs my memory a lot of Raheem Morris’ remaining season in Tampa Bay in 2011. The Bucs got here off a promising 10-6 season in 2010 and began the following 12 months 4-2 earlier than dropping 10 straight video games in a complete free-fall that led to Morris’ departure. The gamers beloved Morris and performed onerous for him, however he didn’t maintain them accountable sufficient to repair the staff’s fixed errors.
We’re seeing the identical factor occur with 12 months’s Todd Bowles staff. They play onerous. They like him. They don’t give up. However they aren’t held accountable sufficient to repair their errors and the losses proceed to mount.
Regardless of the playoffs being properly inside attain, this staff has to win not less than 5 of the following six video games to get to 9-8 and in place for the postseason, and the place is the proof that the Bucs can pull that off? Tampa Bay solely gained 4 out of the primary 11 video games, and has misplaced six of the final seven. The place is the momentum to counsel this could happen?
If – and it’s a giant if – the Bucs one way or the other pull this off we’ll look again and say that the following two video games on the schedule advised the story. Tampa Bay will need to have a convincing, feel-good win at dwelling over Carolina on Sunday. One thing like 30-10 the place the Bucs can acquire some confidence heading into Atlanta the following week.
Then they have to beat the Falcons, who’re an ideal 3-0 within the division thus far. With out that win at Atlanta, the Bucs’ probabilities of profitable the division are all however doomed. The Falcons could be within the driver’s seat with a 4-0 document within the NFC South, and the Bucs would possible end third within the division.
Until Tampa Bay finds a strategy to win the division once more, which appears impossible, Bowles will in all probability be fired and a new head coach will take over in 2024.
Matt Matera: No, Bucs Gained’t Make Correct Changes
Bucs DT Calijah Kancey – Picture By: Cliff Welch P/R
I really feel like we’ve been doing the identical factor for a 12 months and half now with regards to the Bucs. They’ve made too many painstaking errors to consider in – or belief – them to win video games when it issues most, so why ought to we consider they’ll take the division? Even in opposition to groups that Tampa Bay ought to beat, they don’t.
The most important purpose that the Bucs gained’t win the division is as a result of they fail to make the best changes in two separate phases. Todd Bowles both stubbornly gained’t change up his recreation plan after a selected defensive system isn’t working and is being uncovered, or with regards to participant personnel, he takes a lot too lengthy to place in a distinct participant, or the higher participant for the state of affairs.
For the primary concern of it, what number of instances have we criticized Bowles and the Bucs for his or her defensive alignment? How typically has the media and viewers pulled their hair out as we watch corners play 8-12 yards off the ball in worry of giving up the large play, solely to permit simple brief acquire after simple brief acquire that also leads to a primary down for the opponent?
Gardner Minshew seemed like he was slinging it again in his Washington State days once more. Brock Purdy salivates on the considered taking part in the Bucs as a result of two of his finest profession video games has come in opposition to them.
And a part of why groups are in a position to name over 65 performs in opposition to Tampa Bay is as a result of the Bucs do not know constantly generate a constant cross rush. Positive, generally Devin White or Antoine Winfield Jr. can get dwelling on a blitz when it’s dialed up on the proper time. However week in and week out the Bucs depend on inside defensive linemen Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey to take down the quarterback when it ought to be Shaq Barrett, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and others on the sting that ought to be racking up the highest sack numbers.
That’s the place this intertwines with the latter half of Bowles’ adjustment points – the personnel facet. It took approach too lengthy for Bowles to determine that JTS simply wasn’t getting the job completed as a cross rusher. Nearly as good as YaYa Diaby has performed of late, why couldn’t this occur three weeks earlier?
Then you definately take a look at Markees Watts, whose 11 snaps in Week 10 in opposition to the Titans impacted the Bucs tremendously when his quarterback hit prompted an interception. The place was he in Week 11 when Brock Purdy had an ideal passer score? Effectively, he was on for a grand whole of three defensive performs.
How about final recreation when outdoors of Vea and Kancey, the Bucs solely registered one different quarterback hit? Watts couldn’t get a rattling snap. Dare I even go into how all people felt about Ryan Neal taking part in for too lengthy? Lastly, Bowles pushed the button to present extra snaps to Dee Delaney, however once more it occurred later than when it ought to’ve been completed.
We will spend one other total article concerning the Bucs’ offense and its inefficiencies, however I’ll ask this – are we to consider that Bowles would have willingly subbed out Matt Feiler for Aaron Stinnie at left guard if not for damage? I believe not. The offense has completed higher when Stinnie’s been in, however that adjustment in all probability doesn’t even come but if Feiler didn’t miss a few video games.
Todd Bowles simply takes too lengthy to make adjustments on a number of ranges for this staff. It’s going to price the Bucs a playoff spot and the possibility to win one other division title.
Bailey Adams: Bucs Simply Don’t Appear To Have A Run In Them
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles – Picture by: USA In the present day
The Bucs are clearly inside vary of the NFC South title – not less than mathematically. They’re just one recreation again of the lead with six video games remaining, and 4 of these video games come in opposition to divisional opponents. That features head-to-head matchups with the Falcons and Saints, the 2 groups forward of them within the standings.
The division is there for the taking, however it is going to require a late-season run of consistency and a few huge wins in opposition to groups on related footing as them. And I simply don’t consider this staff has it in them.
What has this group proven over the course of this season to make it value believing in the opportunity of a late-season cost towards the division title? The Bucs haven’t gained back-to-back video games since Weeks 1 and a pair of and so they’ve misplaced six of their final seven video games. It appears fairly clear that they’re nearer to the staff that has lost six of seven than the team that started 3-1.
Tampa Bay simply makes too many errors and is simply too inconsistent to string wins collectively. A win over the 1-10 Panthers isn’t even a positive factor anymore. However even when that occurs this week, does it actually look like this staff goes to exit and beat the Falcons in Atlanta subsequent week? Say the Bucs do win each of these video games and get to 6-7, I’m nonetheless not believing in them sufficient to go up and beat the Packers at Lambeau Area the next week. They’ve gotten too far beneath .500 and gained’t be capable to deal with the sport of catch-up the best way they should down the stretch.
In actuality, this staff has to win not less than 4 of its remaining six video games to have a shot. Which may not even do it, that means Tampa Bay must go 5-1. Neither of these finishes appear to be within the playing cards, which is a disgrace as a result of the Falcons and Saints aren’t good groups. It’s simply that the Bucs are proving to be worse. And due to that, a brand new head coach and a contemporary begin will likely be within the playing cards this offseason.
Josh Queipo: No, Nope, Nada, Zilch, None
Bucs ILB Devin White and Payments RB James Cook dinner – Picture by: USA In the present day
You’ll assume the staff with the very best quarterback play, the very best receiver duo, and a protection that’s largely intact from a Tremendous Bowl run not too way back would be capable to separate themselves from a moribund division stuffed with wannabes and has-been franchises. However nope. Not the Bucs.
Regardless of getting the high-end of potential outcomes from free-agent cut price Baker Mayfield, surprisingly good play from an offensive line that options 4 gamers in several spots from the 12 months prior, and play that’s pretty much as good as one may count on from their first-round draft decide, the Bucs proceed to shoot themselves within the foot week-after-week. They’ve been in virtually each recreation they’ve performed this 12 months.
Hell, they even hung with the 49ers for big swaths of that recreation. However continuous mismanagement of the sport and the clock has left me with completely zero religion this teaching employees can correctly elevate a aggressive (within the NFC South) roster to the four-to-five wins wanted within the subsequent six video games to win this division.
Whether or not it’s the fear-based decision-making that stops Todd Bowles and Co. from wanting to attain extra factors due to minimal danger concerned, the backwards pondering surrounding timeout utilization and clock-management or the general adherence to antiquated methods of approaching the sport, the proof is within the pudding of not simply the losses which have piled up over the previous 15 months, however how these losses have piled up.
I see no change within the imminent future for this franchise. Subsequently I’ve no confidence they are going to be capable to pull off the run wanted to win this sorry excuse for a division.
Adam Slivon: They Nonetheless Can – However I Don’t See It Taking place
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and HC Todd Bowles – Picture by: USA In the present day
Now in the event you would have requested me earlier than Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Colts, I nonetheless would have mentioned sure, the Bucs can nonetheless make the playoffs and maybe win the division. Nobody anticipated them to win in opposition to the 49ers, and so they put up a stable effort in a 20-6 win over the Titans. However after their most up-to-date loss – their sixth up to now seven video games – it appears to be like unlikely that they are going to flip it round and win the NFC South.
For the Bucs to have a turnaround and show themselves as a staff that may compete, Tampa Bay actually wanted to beat an Indianapolis staff rolling with a backup quarterback. The snowball actually began forming in opposition to the Falcons, and whether or not Todd Bowles admits it or not, it has constructed as much as the purpose that I’m uncertain they’ll bounce again.
I keep the assumption that on paper, the Bucs nonetheless have the very best roster within the division. There may be loads of star energy on either side of the soccer, however with regards to the teaching and the execution, that’s the place the outcomes haven’t backed it up. As was the case final 12 months, each recreation outdoors of the Saints in Week 4 was one which didn’t convincingly present up and play high quality soccer for 4 quarters. With that, I don’t see them with the ability to end 5-1 to be 9-8. Heck, repeating their 2022 document of 8-9 will likely be a problem.
At this level, it’s onerous to select Tampa Bay as a favourite with confidence in any remaining recreation, together with in opposition to the 1-10 Panthers who just lately fired their head coach and have a bleak future. Additional video games subsequent month in opposition to the Packers at Lambeau and the Jaguars are two extra matchups that they should present up and show they’re greater than a staff presently sitting at No. 7 within the draft order.
That’s to not say they can not declare the division. If the gamers need it unhealthy sufficient and may play disciplined soccer and capitalize on their in-game alternatives, they’ve the flexibility to drag it off. I simply don’t see that potential being realized.
