Losses Are A Team Effort

The Todd Bowles project

I wish that the Todd Bowles project was over, and we could (which he just wouldn’t do) coax Bruce Almighty out of retirement and back to the sidelines. This team needs a major shakeup from Regular Season Lenny all the way to the practice squad. I even saw a Water (Gatorade) Boy taking a nap just before halftime. This team is in free fall with its hands tied up and no way to pull out of it. If it was just the offense that was struggling and the defense was holding their end and scores down. Then that would be a true silver (pewter) lining. A coach, a fan, a layman with only off and on interest, they could all work with that. If it was that way, we could all have some reasonable faith that the Brady Bunch could right the ship. As it stands, it’s neck and neck concerning who the bigger villain is.

Another meltdown and embarrassment

Before Sunday’s meltdown, the Bucs had won 6 straight over the Panthers and 8 of 10 over the last ten years. You have to go back to 2016 and a 14 -7 loss before Sunday. After the Steelers’ loss, I said that we can lose to anyone on the schedule now. Unfortunately, I was right on point. We have gone from a home Super Bowl stomping of the Chiefs; to losing all respect and swagger just two seasons later. The biggest surprise is that Brady is still here, and he’s just as bewildered as the guy selling Bud-Light on the concourse at Ray-Jay. We knew these days would come again; they always do. I just didn’t expect the depth of the fall. I was pretty much convinced in pre-season that this team certainly would not get to a Super Bowl. I did believe we would make the playoffs now, even though that seems like a pipe dream.

Not much more important than a Head Coach

Never underestimate how much a head coach matters in this game. Being that this let-down is spread team-wide, the Head Coach is written all over it. While it’s true, the coaches cannot get out onto the field and play the game for them. The coach has to find a way to motivate his team. To instill the drive it takes to wade through a 17-game schedule with the fewest low points as possible. I would not have believed the depth of the fall would have been this large without seeing it on my own 60” smart TV. Head Coaches are a dime a dozen. Everyone wants in; all the coordinators want a shot. The Exceptional is extremely rare. Quickly, name just 5 out of 32 Head Coaches who have been with their current teams for six to seven seasons or more. Belichick, Tomlin, Reid, Carroll, and John Harbaugh; that’s it! Several have been there for five seasons, including McDermott, Shanahan, and McVeigh. So that’s eight head coaches out of 32 with any real tenure to speak of. It was a class move for Arians to step aside and let Bowles take over. It turns out it just wasn’t a good move for the organization: so far. Go Bucs!!