Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing talks to his offense during Cardinals training camp at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, on July 31, 2025. © Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
GLENDALE – Following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals, head coach Todd Bowles said postgame that the team’s defense recognize multiple offensive plays from Arizona, leading to multiple fourth-down stops. The comment went viral and had many asking Cardinals coaches how that situation could happen.
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Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing spoke with the media on Tuesday about Bowles’ comments and how Tampa Bay was able to figure out what the offense was running on the fourth-and-one call in the fourth quarter.
Sep 10, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing walks on the sideline before the game against the Washington Commanders at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brent Skeen-USA TODAY Sports
Petzing on Bowles “knowing” the play call on multiple 4th downs:
“Got to go back and look and see if there’s anything that they really took advantage of to try to negate that.”
Arizona Cardinals OC Drew Petzing on Bucs coach Todd Bowles saying they recognized some looks on a pair critical 4th downs @PHNX_Cardinals pic.twitter.com/2amKs1CTNX
— Bo Brack (@BoBrack) December 2, 2025
The tape will show that before the fourth-and-one, Arizona lined up in the same formation four times and ran to the left four times. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett under center and two tight ends to the left was the calling card for what the Cardinals were going to do and had no motions or trickery to throw off the Buccaneers defense.
Sep 10, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon (left) hugs Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing before the game against the Washington Commander at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brent Skeen-USA TODAY Sports
Clips have surfaced online showing Tampa Bay linebackers pointing out the formation and knowing the play before stuff Arizona running back Bam Knight on the fourth-and-one to get the ball back. The stop allowed the Buccaneers to kick another field goal and essentially win the game. With the game on the line, Petzing was read like a book by Tampa Bay.
Petzing stated he’ll shoulder the blame if he sees something in the tape that shows that his play calling was too obvious for the defense to read. However, with the Week 13 loss already finalized, putting the Cardinals at 3-9 and eliminated from the playoffs, it appears to be a little too late to realize one’s mistake.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
