So Bucs head coach Todd Bowles flatly rejected the notion Joe posed to him last week — that Bucs opponents last season played hungrier than Tampa Bay down the stretch.
“I don’t think teams were more hungry to play; they beat us,” Bowles said. “That doesn’t mean we weren’t hungry to play. We made physical mistakes, but effort-wise, our effort was outstanding. We didn’t play smart at times. We didn’t coach smart at times. But as far as from a ‘hungry’ standpoint, I would not use that word.”
Bowles’ comment is extra interesting considering what Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht told Kevin Clark of BSPN that same afternoon. (Keep in mind Joe was on-scene in Phoenix and saw Licht sit down for the Clark video that popped today.)
Clark asked Licht to state the biggest difference between the 2026 Bucs and the 2025 Bucs.
“Hunger,” Licht replied.
“I feel like we got a lot to prove. I feel like we let a lot of fans down last year. A lot of self-reflecting and I feel like we were better than that. So, I think that sentiment is shared by everybody in the organization.”
Joe is confused. Bowles thinks the Bucs played hungry, but Licht says “hunger” will be key to what separates the 2026 Bucs from last year’s edition.
Licht added that many free agents he signed this offseason were hungry to play for the Bucs and view the team as a good clube that’s a lot better than the 8-9 team that walked off the field in January.