Buccaneers fans were ready to fire Todd Bowles after horrendous 4th down play
By Josh Hill
It seems that with each passing week, Todd Bowles does something new to fully befuddle and enrage Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans.
It's easy to lose track at this point, from habitually carrying all of his timeouts into halftime to that weird field goal play in Buffalo, to seeming always to bet the wrong way when making a gamble. We saw a prime example of that on Sunday in Atlanta, when the Bucs attempted a fourth down play with the worst possible play call imaginable.
A few things were frustrating about this, but nothing seemed to send fans over the edge more than watching the team step on a rake once again and cough up a golden opportunity to be aggressive.
Bucs fans roasted Todd Bowles and Dave Canales over brutal 4th down call
While the Bucs decided to go for it on fourth down, passing up a 60-yard field goal, the playcall left a lot to be desired.
Tampa Bay needed two yards and elected to call a toss play to Rachaad White who proceeded to lose five yards and the Bucs turned the ball over on downs. It was an unmitigated disaster and was yet another moment that sent fans on social media over the edge with rage.
Without hyperbole, this might be the most embarrassing playcall of the entire season for the Bucs…which says a lot. pic.twitter.com/qtLhmUVR54
— The Pewter Plank (@ThePewterPlank) December 10, 2023
Needless to say, fans weren't pleased with what they saw.
An absolutely abysmal play call. They run a pitch and it's immediately blown up. Atlanta takes over near midfield
— Bucs Nation (@Bucs_Nation) December 10, 2023
What a dumb play call.
— Goff (@Jason1Goff) December 10, 2023
But y’all will keep defending Bowles why exactly?
— Ashlie (@EMT_Ashlie) December 10, 2023
Me to Todd Bowles: pic.twitter.com/queJYbWXj8
— Ken Barrett (@Bucs_Barrett) December 10, 2023
It wasn't just Bowles who was drawing the ire of fans, as offensive coordinator Dave Canales caught about the same amount of flack for the playcall.
Todd Bowles & Dave Canales leaving Tampa in January. #GoBucs pic.twitter.com/es6KTv9tZE
— JohnnyB (@JohnnyBTampa) December 10, 2023
Great call by Bowles to go for it but my Lord Canales WTF was that? 4th and a long 2 and you go condensed formation toss sweep with about 12 guys in the box? You’re not a power run football team stop acting like you are! #TBvsATL
— JP Peterson (@FanStreamJP) December 10, 2023
The Bucs were ultimately bailed out after Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo uncharacteristically missed a field goal that kept the score tied. Even though Atlanta wasn't able to capitalize on the bad call, it still feels rather indicitive of what's been going wrong with the coaching staff this season.
Decisions like this aren't rare, and it feels like Bowles' success rate on taking gambles is near-zero. It's a bummer because he's very clearly trying but is outwardly failing. The call to go for it on fourth down was no doubt motivated by the decision to not go for it earlier in the game, but the execution was about as bad as it could have been.
That's an unfortunate theme for Bowles throughout his tenure as head coach, and it's a giant mark against him that fans won't ever let him hear the end of.
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