Todd Bowles Decision Making Cost The Buccaneers The Game On Monday Night
The undermanned Buccaneers team who are missing the two best Receivers in their franchise's history and their top Cornerback played their hearts out against the undefeated defending champs in Kansas City. The Chiefs were nine point favorites coming into the game and nobody expected the Bucs to be in it.
But the Bucs had the lead going into the 4th Quarter and that's when things started to slip away for Tampa Bay, but it began on the sidelines with Bucs Head Coach Todd Bowles. And I should say that I am a fan of Bowles. I think he's a good coach. He gets the team ready and they play for him. That being said, some of his game management decisions are puzzling.
It started with 12:48 left in the 4th Quarter. The Chiefs just tied the game at 17 and the Bucs just got a 5 yard gain on 3rd & 7 to make it 4th & a short 2 at their own 38 yard line. That would be a super aggressive call, but going three-and-out immediately after giving up a TD against Patrick Mahomes would be a tough proposition for the defense. The Bucs punted and while I understand it, I don't like that call. I would've been more aggressive there.
They punted and the Chiefs proceeded to chew up eight minutes and 26 seconds on a 15-play touchdown drive to go up 24-17. The Bucs went three-and-out getting two total yards and punted the ball to Kansas City with 2:39 left and all three timeouts. Tampa Bay stood up on Defense and forced a KC three-and-out with 2:16 left.
At this point, this would be Tampa's last gasp to win the game. As they started moving the ball down the field, on stream I told the OC to get the two point conversion play ready. They had plenty of time to think about it. But first they had to get there. One of the more egregious coaching decisions happened as Trey Palmer had a catch and run from the KC 20 down to the 1. The clock is running. You have one timeout. There is :33 seconds left. You're moving in to score and potentially tie or go ahead in the game. What do you do?
The correct answer is run up to the line and run the ball. You can probably get the snap off around :18 seconds left and if you do not score, you call your timeout. That is fairly easy. What you don't want to happen is you score right away and give the ball back to Patrick Mahomes with ~:30 seconds left and three timeouts just needing a field goal.
That timeout won't be the headline in anything, but it was an absolutely crazy timeout. The worst possible move in that situation.
The Bucs had a quick incompletion followed by a touchdown pass with :27 seconds left.
So it's great that you scored, but you're still giving the ball back to Patrick Mahomes with :27 seconds left and three timeouts. But at this point that's a sunk cost. The decision has been made. The real decision is whether or not you go for two. On the road against the defending champs after you just took all the momentum back. owles called in the play and it was to kick it. Go for the tie. Hopefully force overtime IF the defense could stop Mahomes in the next 27 seconds.
This was his third and final mistake of the 4th Quarter when it comes to game management in my opinion. The Bucs lost the coin toss in overtime and gave up a game winning TD to Kareem Hunt and lost their second game in primetime this year that went to overtime where they never even got the ball. Just a brutal loss from a team that played terrific tonight.
They play at home on Sunday against the 49ers in Christian McCaffrey's likely return before going into their Week 11 bye but we are taking on water quickly. The post-bye schedule is VERY soft with:
at NY Giants
at Carolina
vs. Las Vegas
at. LA Chargers
at Dallas
vs. Carolina
vs. New Orleans
That should be at least five wins, so get your Buccaneers to make the post-season wagers in at good odds while you can.
As for Todd Bowles. I still support the man. I do not want him fired. He needs to be better with in-game decisions. The Bucs have won the division under him in both seasons and won a playoff game last year. The team plays hard and just took the undefeated defending champs to OT in their own building. We will be better from this, but this stings and unfortunately it falls pretty squarely on Bowles' shoulders. But he's the Head Coach and heavy is the head who wears the crown. I still believe in him. Let's learn from this.
