Time stood still last month when Todd Bowles broke from repeated claims that effort was no issue with his Buccaneers in 2025.
The head coach referenced guys “just taking plays off.” That sure sounds like an effort issue, so Joe launched operation Loaf Watch.
Joe has been disssecting Tampa Bay’s post-bye-week games, the ones that sent the Bucs from a 6-2 record to a sad 8-9 conclusion.
Who was “just taking plays off?” This is Joe’s search.
The first installment of the Loaf Watch series (Bucs-Patriots) was followed by Part II (Bucs-Bills) and Part III (Bucs-Rams) and Part IV (Bucs-Cardinals). Then it was Bucs-Saints from their Dec. 7 game in Tampa.
This exercise is about clarity following the Bowles comment, and after Lavonte David admitted to being called out for loafs and YaYa Diaby wagged a finger of shame at Bucs film.
Today, it’s time for the soul crushing Bucs-Faclons game.
Joe will start by noting that over and over again Haason Reddick half-assed his play.
“Disinterested” is a word Joe would choose. Early in the third quarter, the Falcons chose, by design, not to block Reddick on a run play and he had no interest in attacking the ball carrier to chase him down. Unblocked! It was a loafing clinic.
However, Reddick got motivated very late in the game and had a strip-sack of Kirk Cousins that somehow the Bucs did not recover. That play could/would have made Reddick the game’s hero and, subsequently, handed the Bucs a division title.
The play illustrated how checked out Reddick was for most of the night. The defense literally played/looked better when Chris Braswell was in for Reddick. But then Reddick stepped up late — which is probably why he was on the field in the first place.
Joe can’t chastise former Bucs guard Michael Jordan for loafing, but the guy was too overmatched too often. That’s probably why he has no 2026 team — neither does Reddick.
Shabby fourth-quarter tackling effort by Jamel Dean. He might as well have been wearing a sign, “I don’t want to hit Bijan Robinson.”
That’s about it for pure loafs.
*Despite knowing what was coming, Joe needed medication after cornerback Zyon McCollum was called for offsides in the red zone. The field goal was wiped out, the Falcons got a first down and put up seven points instead of three.
*Back-to-back plays early in the third quarter, Dean drops an interception and Jacob Parrish whiffs on Bijan Robinson in the backfield before Robinson made Deion Jones look like a 70-year-old man chasing a chicken for a 20-yard gain. Those two plays kind of summed up the Bucs defense.
*Rough moments for Baker Mayfield. In addition to the bad interception, Mayfield earlier ate two sacks that didn’t have to be.
*On one sack, Mayfield sat in the pocket staring at open Rachaad White in the flat after Mayfield’s initial read and wouldn’t throw it to him. Instead, Mayfield looked back downfield and ate a sack a full 6 seconds after the ball was snapped. Falcons edge rusher James Pearce dropped Mayfield to set up a 3rd-and-15. The other major blunder was at the Falcons-26 with 13 seconds remaining in the first half. Mayfield ate a 9 yard sack — for no good reason. A 52-yard field goal bailed him out.
*On the upside, it sure was fun watching Vita Vea block as a fullback. Christian Izien and Lavonte David had special forced fumbles that weren’t recovered by Tampa Bay. And Mike Evans had an iconic night as the Bucs moved the ball at will when they weren’t shooting themselves in the foot.