Bucs Monday Mailbag: Leftwich, Bowles Get Blame For Loss

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Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds answers your questions from the @PewterReport Twitter account each week in the Bucs Monday Mailbag. Submit your question to the Bucs Monday Mailbag each week via Twitter using the hashtag #PRMailbag.  Here are the questions we chose to answer for this week’s edition.

QUESTION: Tom Brady and Devin White both seemed to take responsibility for the loss in post-game pressers. Doesn’t seem like the same can be said for the coaching staff. At what point will Todd Bowles and Byron Leftwich follow suit? Play sequencing and time management cost the Bucs a much needed win today.

ANSWER: Yes, Byron Leftwich’s offensive play-calling and Todd Bowles’ poor clock management played a huge role in the Bucs’ 23-17 overtime win in Cleveland. Tampa Bay had 11 possessions in regulation and had three-and-outs on six of those possessions. That’s just unacceptable. Leftwich’s offense converted just 4-of-15 (26.7%) third downs. Three of those six three-and-outs occurred in the fourth quarter.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs needed just one more score – even a Ryan Succop field goal – in the fourth quarter and they beat the Browns. Instead, the score remained 17-10 and the fact that it was a one-score game allowed the Browns to continue to run the ball in the fourth quarter. For 59 minutes and 28 seconds, Bowles’ defense held a Cleveland offense that was averaging 24 points per game to just 10 points. Tampa Bay’s inept offense played a big role in Sunday’s loss.

But so did Bowles’ time mismanagement at the end of regulation. The Bucs had three timeouts and should have called one after a screen pass to Rachaad White netted only one yard. Seventeen seconds elapsed before Tom Brady threw a 26-yard pass to Julio Jones down to the Browns’ 48, but there were only eight seconds left.

Had either Bowles or Brady called a timeout after White’s catch, it would have saved enough time for the Bucs to run two or three more plays to get into Ryan Succop’s field goal range. The fact that regulation ended with Tampa Bay having two timeouts left was incredibly disappointing – and costly. I don’t know how Leftwich stays on as offensive coordinator next year, and time management mistakes like the one Bowles made could put him on the hot seat in 2023 unless the Bucs get hot really quick and finish this season strong.

QUESTION: Is this the least enjoyable season in recent Bucs history? I lived through the ’80s and early ’90s, but this feels like a special type of suck. Isn’t this supposed to be enjoyable? The future looks bleak.

ANSWER: The least enjoyable Bucs season that I covered in my 27 years on the Bucs beat was in 2014, which was Lovie Smith’s first season as head coach. Smith was a terrible head coaching hire. He replaced Greg Schiano, who went 4-12 in 2013, and was supposed to be an experienced upgrade. Instead, the Bucs went 2-14 in Smith’s first season, including a 0-8 mark at Raymond James Stadium. Imagine being a season ticket holder in 2014 and paying thousands of dollars for seats and not seeing one victory at home.

Then, the Bucs opened the 2015 season at home against the Titans and got shellacked, 42-14, by rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota, who threw four touchdowns. Tampa Bay’s own rookie quarterback, Jameis Winston, threw a pick-six on his first NFL pass. Smith’s Bucs went 6-10 and he was fired after just two seasons.

The Glazers have never fired a head coach after one season. And since Todd Bowles has already won five games in his first season at the helm, I think he gets the 2023 season to try to right the ship. The guess here is that there will be significant turnover on the roster and on the coaching staff this offseason, and Bowles needs to really make all the right moves as he could enter the 2023 campaign on the hot seat – especially if the Bucs don’t win the NFC South and miss the playoffs.

I think fans are thinking this season had the chance to be another 13-4-type year. But given the departure of some key Bucs like Rob Gronkowski, Ali Marpet and a potential season-ending injury to Ryan Jensen, I knew this team wouldn’t be as good and predicted an 11-6 record. That drew the ire of a lot of Bucs fans, but all of them would be thrilled if the team wound up with 11 wins now. This Bucs squad will be lucky to finish with nine wins the way it’s played this year.

Most thought the turmoil the Bucs are experiencing this year was actually slated for next year when Tom Brady leaves. That’s truly the most disappointing aspect of the 2022 season.

QUESTION: With Bruce Arians as head coach this year the Bucs would be 8-3. Prove me wrong.

Bucs senior football consultant Bruce Arians – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: It’s tough to play the woulda, coulda, shoulda game, especially speculating about the Bucs’ record if Bruce Arians were still the head coach. What I do know is that Arians was one hell of a head coach. His 80-48-1 (.624) record speaks for itself. Arians retired with the best winning percentage (.633) in Tampa Bay history with a 31-18 record.

Arians’ direct nature held the players accountable, and I think it’s safe to say that there have been some accountability issues in Tampa Bay this year. Would the Bucs be 8-3 with Arians at the helm? I can’t say necessarily say that. But with his head coaching experience, I think the Bucs might better than 5-6.

In the end, this is all a hypothetical. Arians is retired and will be inducted into the Bucs Ring of Honor later this year, and Todd Bowles is the head coach. Bowles is coming under fire for the team’s lackluster record and the heat will only be turned up if the Bucs don’t win the division and miss the playoffs.

QUESTION: Doing the drinking game all week this week … one shot every time a Bucs player or coach says the word “execution.”

ANSWER: Hilarious! You could be quite tipsy by the end of Todd Bowles’ day-after press conference on Monday afternoon. And be prepared to get even more hammered on Wednesday when Bowles speaks again, and on Thursday when offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and quarterback Tom Brady address the media. Be wary of that.

QUESTION: Jason Licht has been successful at finding O-linemen in the draft. What are your thoughts on Luke Goedeke? Potential bust? Is there still a chance he develops into an above average guard? Does he need to just get stronger and refine technique?

ANSWER: It’s far too early to call Luke Goedeke a bust. The second-round pick certainly hasn’t made the instant impact that players like Tristan Wirfs and Ali Marpet did during their rookie seasons. Goedeke really struggled in the first seven games of the year and is one of the lowest-graded guards in the league (41.5), according to Pro Football Focus.

Bucs LG Luke Goedeke – Photo by: USA Today

I remember when cornerback Ronde Barber struggled mightily during his rookie season in 1997. The third-round pick was so disappointing that he only played in a few games and the Bucs thought he was a bust. So much so that they drafted another cornerback, Brian Kelly, in the second round of the 1998 draft to potentially replace him. Of course, Barber turned out to be the best defensive back in Tampa Bay history and has a Hall of Fame résumé.

It’s taken Goedeke a while to transition from Central Michigan to the NFL, from playing tackle in college to guard in Tampa Bay and also from moving from the right side to the left side. Nick Leverett is playing well at left guard right now – better than Goedeke. So, it may be some time before Goedeke becomes a true starting-caliber offensive linemen. And he might be better at right guard in the future because he’s used to playing on the right side of the line.

With Tristan Wirfs expected to miss some time with his left leg injury, Goedeke might even take some snaps at right tackle in practice behind Josh Wells, who is poised to fill in for Wirfs. Goedeke is under contract for three more years. That’s plenty of time for him to either sink or swim in Tampa Bay.

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