It has been a cataclysmic few weeks for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization. As if losing to AFC powerhouses the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills weren't enough, the Buccaneers botched their chance at redemption on Sunday Night Football against an NFC title contender in the Los Angeles Rams, getting blown out beyond recognition.
Every time Todd Bowles has a chance to change course, bounce back, or show some sort of fire as Buccaneers head coach, he screws it up and almost cements his status further as a symbol of mediocrity - a modern day Jeff Fisher who is dragging down a talented and ascending franchise.
What makes Bucs fans even more sore about watching the monotone Bowles dial up conservative play calls, show no urgency, and start struggling players on defense is seeing the coaching candidate they could have hired instead thriving.
Liam Coen is crushing it in Jacksonville
Former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen took the Jacksonville Jaguars job, and he is absolutely crushing it as their head man in charge. Coen has helped the Jaguars orchestrate some very impressive nail biting wins that showed his young coaching genius, namely a Monday Night Football battle with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs - and mostly recently a 27-24 overtime victory over the Bucs next opponents, the Arizona Cardinals.
With a warning that his speech is Not Safe For Work due to cursing, watch how Coen addresses the Jaguars after the win and how passionate this guy is. It feels like he's one of the players and 100 percent invested in the team, and while Baker Mayfield and others may try to defend Bowles, it's hard for Buccaneers fans to see Bowles showing even half this kind of emotion of investment in the team.
Everyone has a different personality, but when the Jaguars have a better record than the Buccaneers with a worse roster and are significantly improving after hiring Coen, it's hard for the Bucs not to look at Bowles as a massive disappointment in 2025. He's not taking the team further, he's never taken a team further than where the Bucs were last season, and he's not helping a single player on either side of the ball achieve their potential.
A defensive guru, Bowles is heading up one of the worst statistical defenses over the past several weeks. His pass rush is nowhere, and his secondary looks terrible for it. And if Coen were the head coach, there's no way this offense would be as lifeless and lackluster, even with lively players like Baker Mayfield and Emeka Egbuka starring in it.