The Collapse Of The Defense
November 29th, 2025
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
Only twice before the bye did the Bucs cough up 28 or more points in a game.
Since the bye, it’s every game.
The Bucs defense has absolutely collapsed. It’s like dudes’ heads are still in the DR or in Tulum, or back in their old college town or wherever the hell these guys visited during the bye week.
Did the loss of cornerback Jamel Dean help make things this bad?
Rich Hribar of Sharp Football Analysis documented how far the Bucs defense has fallen off and is on the cusp of pushing the Bucs out of the playoff chase in a division they had a death grip on.
* Over their past six games, the Bucs are averaging 1.72 points per drive, 26th in the league.
* Tampa Bay has allowed a league-high 13 touchdowns from outside of the red zone.
Joe hopes the Bucs’ head coach has had a sitdown with his defensive coordinator and figured things out. If the head coach can’t help the defensive coordinator fix the defense, when both guys are defensive guys, then you have a real problem on your hands. (Yes, Joe knows who’s in charge of the defense.)
The Bucs were play9ing decent defense after Calijah Kancey’s pectoral injury. Can’t blame that.
Simply put, if the Bucs allow a sad sack team like the Cardinals to win in their house on the day Simeon Rice is inducted into the Ring of Honor, there must be serious appraisals of job performances at One Buc Palace.