Bucs Gameday

Coaching Change 'Likely Coming' for Buccaneers After Disappointing Loss to Colts

Despite the confidence Todd Bowles has in his team — based on what he says after the games, not the decisions he makes during them — has he done enough to keep his job as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

Collin Haalboom

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After falling to the Colts by a score of 27-20 on Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have officially lost for the sixth time in their last seven games. 

After a very positive start to the season — which saw the team win three out of their first four games — the Bucs have proceeded to play ugly football and lose games.

Inconsistency is the glaring issue.

When the offense plays well, which isn't often, the defense struggles. When the defense seems poised for a big day, the offense hangs them out to dry. It's a vicious game of cat-and-mouse, where all phases of the game just refuse to work together.

The one consistent for the Bucs this season has been the old-school, overly conservative decision-making of their head coach, Todd Bowles. 

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Bowles has shown that he's almost always content to settle for field goals from inside the 5-yard line, to punt in plus territory, and to head into halftime without committing a turnover — instead of, you know, trying to score points. 

The players on the field play the game, so the blame isn't all on Bowles. But he's certainly not giving them much confidence when it comes to his in-game decisions. 

Following the team's loss to the Colts, Bowles took to the podium to answer some questions from the media. And despite the lack of confidence he's shown in his offense on the field, he's apparently maintaining a pretty optimistic outlook regarding his team's chances for the rest of the season.

This became clear when he stated, "As crazy as it may sound, we’re one game out of first place.”

When asked about his team's inability to score points, Bowles ultimately offered the opinion that his team simply isn't on the same page. Which, if you ask me, is something that could be attributed to coaching, if nothing else. 

Buccaneers Suffer Their Seventh Loss of the Season Losing to Colts, 27-20

"We’ve got to punch it in. We’ve got to execute. Whether it’s a penalty, whether it’s a missed pass, whether it’s a sack, we’ve got to be on the same page at the same time. Parts of the game we look very functional other parts of the game we don’t. We’ve got to tie that together if we’re going to win any more ball games." 

When Bowles was asked to describe the most frustrating part of being 4-7, he used it as an opportunity to praise his team's resolve. 

"It’s frustrating because you’re losing. But you know, we play hard. And nobody is hanging their head and nobody is down and out. The most frustrating part is not making plays when we have chance to make plays, and we’ve seen things a thousand times. We’ve just got to make them." 

So despite the confidence Todd Bowles has in his team — based on what he says after the game, not the decisions he makes during it — has he done enough to keep his job as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? 

We don't know for sure. But, immediately following the game, Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report — who is extremely plugged in to the organization — proclaimed that a coaching change is likely coming for the Bucs.

When it comes to evaluating any rumors surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there's no one as reliable as Reynolds. Which is why this statement, combined with Todd Bowles' lack of success as the Bucs' head coach, deserves our attention.

How much longer will Todd Bowles last in Tampa Bay? What will be the deciding factor for the Buccaneers' front office in making this decision? 

These are questions that will likely be answered sooner rather than later. 

You can follow Collin Haalboom on X.

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Collin Haalboom
COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.