It is somewhat unusual for a head coach to also be a defensive coordinator.

I have been thinking for a while that one possible explanation for the defense's struggles these past few years is that Bowles has too much on his plate. He was good when he was just a DC, perhaps trying to do two jobs at once is just too much.

Dungy was a defensive coach but he still had Kiffin, if you look around the league it's mostly the same story.

37 comments

  5. I’ve been saying this for the last 2 years. I am on the fire Bowles train (have been for awhile) but if the buyout is crazy then I think a good middle ground is hiring a competent DC

  6. A possible scenario is glazers and licht are telling bowles he can stay if he hires a DC and gives up playcalling, which he would hopefully decline as he wants full control over his defense, and retires instead.

  8. Need a DC and OC. The fact they hired some dude with no experience calling plays as an OC is insane in the NFL.

    This isnt central fucking michigan or a sunbelt team for gods sake.(no offense to CMU or Subelt).

  9. The pewter report guys seem to think he is more in Limbo than the national media is letting on. Bowles who has worn bucs gear for every press conference was in street clothes for the this last one they seem to think it was pretty telling. I still think he is let go or they come to a mutual parting of ways where Bowles retires, especially if the try to force him to get a nee OC and DC and relinquish those defensive play calling duties

  10. Can we hire a proven DL coach. Bowles can’t develop a young edge rusher but maybe we can get an assistant who can.

  12. You either have a head coach for their scheme or their ability to manage the team and game time decisions.

    Bowles has already shown an inability to manage in-game decisions and provides us no advantage over other teams when it comes to in-game decisions.

    So all he has left is his defensive scheme. If he’s forced to hire a DC and gives up playcalling, then he’s nothing more than a figurehead who adds nothing to the table. In that case, just fire him and hire someone else

  13. And for the love of God – can all of the national media pundits stop calling him a defensive genius? He may have been at one time but he’s not now.

  14. Probably not a playcaller but if he stays he’s almost certainly going to have to bring in new coaches to gameplan defensively for him. Even if there’s no “DC”, there’s going to be a defensive-passing coordinator or some similar title for a coach who can work with him to create better defensive plays.

    A lot of Bowles coaches now are older than him (Bowles is 62 I believe), and because of that I think they’re falling behind in modern play-calling, play-design, and player development. New young coaches might not call the plays but they’ll make the plays better and give insights Bowles himself likely hasn’t yet been given.

    There’s historical precedent for this too, Tomlin was our Defensive Backs coach under Monte Kiffin (Lane Kiffin’s father) and was brought in because Kiffin wanted younger coaches who could bring in new methods in player development/play design (which worked out very well for us).

  16. The guy’s been eaten with that shit eaten grin his whole life, probably weaseled his way into OC!

  19. Just fucking fire him already. Enough with this shit. Forcing him to hire a DC gives him someone else to throw under the bus. He’s lost the fans, likely the locker room and has no future here regardless. It’s now or next year. Get it the fuck over with and let’s move on.

  20. Nice try. We’re going to go out there and scrape together 8 or 9 wins. That’s what we do.

  22. IF he’s not fired, this is the minimum that needs to happen. BUT we need to hire someone, and a new OC with EXPERIENCE. I’m tired of being like an internship where coordinators learn on the job. This is so Busch league

  23. The most serious reply I have for this is that even though keeping Bowles feels wrong how in the world has McGaughey not been fired yet. And week after week 5 was acceptable with it becoming more and more required every week. If you merely move our special teams to middle of the pack we easily make the play offs despite Bakers shoulder making him throw to dudes needing ladders to catch it or defense forgetting how to cover running backs or how to put qbs on the ground.

    Think about that. Even with all of out shortcomings their is a coach who is easily the weakest link on our team that mathematical a can be proven by themselves to have cost us a playoff spot and that person still has a job

  24. I just dont understand people who are defending him. You cant just blame the whole season collapse on injuries. Like if he’s good coach he would have found a way to win the division. They had to win 1 of 7 games in the back half of the season that we lost. 9-8 wins the division. If everyone on the team gave up, he failed as a leader and we need to just clean house and start over, cause if the rot is that bad, what’s another year gonna do?

  25. LOL if you think he hires a DC, if anything im more nervous if he keeps the special teams coach and the only change is Grizzard. This is about to be a very depressing year as a Bucs fan.

  29. Just get a magic 8 ball with two options: blitz the house from 4 yds off the ball and rush 3 drop Vita Vea to safety.

  30. This is the least I’ve ever been looking forward to the next season. But I’ve only been a fan since ’76. Please, please Glazers give me a reason.

  31. What proven dc would want to work under him though? That’s the question. I mean they’d know bowles is a lame duck and on thin ice already. Best solution is new regime

  32. No top tier DC would join a staff on a hot seat like Bowles. Same problem at every assistant coach position.

  33. During the press conference, it sounded like a defensive coordinator might be actually in discussion.

    I’ve not been happy with him as HC but I also know I have some emotions tied up to it wanting him gone. So, if he was to delegate some more and maybe bring in an outside name for DC, I’d get behind it. Honestly, maybe Raheem. I know he wasn’t a successful HC here but the falcons Dline was nasty this year and that’s what he’s good at.

    I’ve never player football so pardon my naivety but, it seems hard to imagine successfully coordinating a defense while also leading the rest of the team. It makes me wonder how practice goes and if all sides of the ball are truly prepared as best they could be.

  34. There no viable HCs, or DCs, right now. 6 teams are without HCs, and we may 7, who is out there!? Seriously?

  35. Exactly this. He’s proven year after year that he is incapable of being a good DC AND HC simultaneously. He was a solid DC. When he does both, he’s shit at both. Not hiring a DC is hubris plain and simple.

    He should be fired, but if he isn’t, then he damn well better hire a DC.

  37. Gruden for OC, Morris for DC. Koetter 3rd down specialist. Lovie for secondary. Schiano for if they try to take a knee

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