Tackling Nightmares Haven’t Stopped
January 1st, 2026
A year ago, the Bucs were not a good tackling team.
They still aren’t. Make that Exhibit 9B why head coach Todd Bowles has failed this season.
Why aren’t the Bucs a hair-on-fire group of sharp tacklers? It’s not all on the players, though Joe realizes much of it is. A big part of tackling is “want-to” and focus. Not enough Bucs have that. And the Bucs’ on-field leadership has failed miserably this season.
Hall of Fame cornerback Rondé Barber sounds like a man who can’t take watching the subpar tackling any longer.
“The biggest fundamental that our team, this team, and I don’t know how you fix it in a week, is tackling,” Barber said this week on the WFLA streaming show that bears his name.
“There’s so many missed tackles in crucial situations early in games. If I am coaching, I’m doing a tackle drill every day this week.”
It’s January and the Bucs can’t tackle yet.