Buccaneers X-Factor In Win vs. Lions Was Not A Player

The Buccaneers head coach was in his bag in the team's 20-16 victory over the Detroit Lions.

Jul 25, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles during training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers walked into Ford Field on Sunday afternoon with one thing on their mind — revenge.

That lone thought about going out and beating the team that beat you twice last season with one of those losses knocking you out of the playoffs was enough to help the Buccaneers secure a gritty win against a powerful Detroit Lions team without several key players available for the game.

The Bucs needed a lot to go right for them in this one, and head coach Todd Bowles had his team ready to go. The offense sputtered at moments and didn't quite have everything going their way like they did in their season opener against the Commanders, but ultimately,, it was the Tampa Bay defense that stepped up to the plate when it mattered most.

READ MORE: Best and Worst Graded Bucs Offensive Players vs. Lions

That is why our X-Factor is being given to head coach Todd Bowles rather than a player. One could make the case for Chris Godwin's performance once again, but his impact on the game wasn't necessarily as huge as the impact that Bowles had in getting his defense to pretty much stop the Lions from being able to score the ball.

Leading up to the matchup, Bowles' defense knew they would be without All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and blossoming second-year defensive lineman Calijah Kancey, making it all that more difficult for Bowles to have his guys in the right positions and schemed up correctly.

Even with his defense not being at 100%, Bowles was able to get his guys in positions to make plays, and although they let up plenty of yardage to Jared Goff and the Lions' offense they were nails in the areas that usually decide the outcome of a game. The Bucs' defense was able to win the turnover battle by picking off Jared Goff twice, limited the Lions to 7/17 on third down and forced them to attempt five fourth down conversions, but where they stood out was when Detroit entered the red zone — allowing them to score a touchdown only once in seven visits inside the Bucs 20-yard line.

READ MORE: Best and Worst Graded Bucs Defensive Players vs. Lions

After years of being questioned when it comes to his head coaching abilities, Todd Bowles put together a masterful plan and it was executed to almost perfection, and he's the main reason why the Buccaneers were able to pull off the revenge game upset on Sunday afternoon.

The Buccaneers are now headed back to Tampa Bay fresh off the 20-16 victory over the Lions and will be looking to get to 3-0 when they host the Denver Broncos with struggling rookie quarterback Bo Nix.

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