Todd Bowles sends crystal clear message about his job security after getting booed

Coming off two straight embarrassing divisional losses, many are ready for the Buccaneers to move on from head coach Todd Bowles.

That's been evident for the last two seasons, as Bowles has been subjected to questions about his job from fans pretty much from the start. Those cries grew to a crescendo on Thursday, with fans at Raymond James Stadium booing Bowles and the Bucs off the field following a 29-28 loss to the Falcons.

Under his tenure with the Bucs, Bowles has led the team to three-straight NFC South titles. However, he’s accumulated just one postseason win and has seen his team fall into midseason slumps that have almost derailed any shot at the playoffs every year.

It's also worth mentioning he's been the one to help pull the team out of those lulls. 

Right on queue, the Bucs find themselves in another one of those slumps, having gone 1-5 since the Bye Week after a 6-2 start. The team now needs to sweep the Carolina Panthers in their two upcoming games to secure a spot in the playoffs.

The recent string of losses and the defensive collapses over their last two games have landed Bowles in the hot seat with fans and media; however, it’s not something he’s worrying about as he prepares for the Panthers. 

Todd Bowles sends a crystal clear message about his job security ahead of showdown with Panthers

“I don’t think I worry about it at all,” Bowles said. “It doesn’t creep into the locker room. Players play, and coaches coach, and I’ve got more years behind me than I do ahead of me. I think we’re in a situation where we’re right back in it, and our only focus is to win the ball game.”

The Bucs have been in this position before; in fact, they’ve been in this position for the last three seasons. There has been no indication from the players that they haven’t been prepared enough by the coaching staff. On the contrary, they have mostly shouldered the blame for their lack of execution.  

After Thursday night’s loss to the Falcons, Bowles didn’t hold back his displeasure with his players' lack of execution and accountability. His postgame remarks to the media were blunt and honest. 

“At this point, you’ve seen everything in the season,” Bowles said. “The coaches have done everything they can do. This is a player-driven team in the last four or five weeks. You've got to execute. They got to hold each other accountable. As a coach, you can sit there till you're blue in the face. Until they start holding each other accountable and doing the little things right, and that’s not everybody, we’re talking about a small, select few. But the small, select few are what’s getting us beat. Until that happens, it’s not going to get right. We've got to get up and go to work tomorrow. No matter how bad today looks, you've got to put it behind you. We have to win the last three games. We know that.”

This is a player's game. Always has been, always will be. There can certainly be better calls made at times, but it will always be up to the players to execute their assignments. With the season on the line and 10 days to prepare, it will once again come down to the players if the Bucs are going to take another step towards capturing their fifth straight NFC South title and a trip to the postseason.