Alex Anzalone “Just Got Overexcited”
September 17th, 2026
When it comes to the Bucs’ loss on Sunday, Joe wags a finger of shame at veterans playing like rookies.
Four names come to mind.
Perhaps you’ve heard of them: Baker Mayfield, Alex Anzalone, Vita Vea and Tristan Wirfs.
The Vea saga, as explained by Todd Bowles, still sticks in Joe’s craw.
Joe wrote all about Anzalone’s scary afternoon of poor tackling, shaky coverage, and a questionable effort or two. Todd Bowles offered some insight during his sitdown with WFLA-TV. It seems Anzalone didn’t operate like the seasoned pro the Bucs bought in free agency.
“[Anzalone] missed a couple of tackles, but he made some plays as well,” Bowles said. “Obviously, the missed tackles you don’t want in critical situations. And Alex understands that. He just got overexcited. And he needs to break down a little more instead of running in there out of control.”
Those four Bucs veterans — all captains — were healthy. So it seems their primary challenges were from the neck up, which is so frustrating.
If most of those guys were completely locked in on their fundamentals, the Bucs likely would be sitting pretty with a 1-0 record.