Special teams players didn’t want to tackle.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles didn’t say it. But it sure seems like the idea has crossed his mind.
Apparently, players on the kickoff team are on the roster for no other reason than special teams. In his day-after presser, Bowles was open how the play of the kickoff team was “unacceptable” yesterday and hinted some players may have lacked heart or desire.
“There’s no new players involved,” Bowles said of the atrocious kickoff coverage against the Bills. “You have to be able to tackle and want to tackle. Give maximum effort to tackle.
“You have to make the plays when you are not a starter on this team. You are here because of special teams. You’ve got to play better than that.”
The Bucs kicked off six times yesterday and allowed an average of 39 yards a return. Chase McLaughlin’s kicks were returned for 61-, 29-, 49-, 41-, 44- and 15-yards.
This does not excuse the Bucs’ matador defense yesterday but it didn’t help.
Bowles confessed, in retrospect, the Bucs should have used drastic measures.
“Better off kicking it out of bounds or in the end zone than what we did yesterday,” Bowles said.
In his postgame remarks, Bowles told Joe the Bucs’ coaches “talked about” doing just that.
Joe got the hint Bowles might be looking at shuffling playrs in and out of One Buc Palace.
“We want to have better tackles moving forward,” Bowles said. ” [Yesterday] was not acceptable.”
Well, if there are guys on the kickoff team whose only reason for being on the roster is special teams, hell yes run them off. Jimmy Johnson would. That would certainly send a message to your team that yesterday was unacceptable.
Bring in hungry guys willing to put people on the ground. Geez.
Maybe launching guys will wake up the defense that apparently wasn’t moved by Baker Mayfield’s tongue-lashing last week about a lack of a killer instinct?