Buccaneers’ Unsung: Week Three Win Over Jets

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers improved their overall record to 3-0 on Sunday with their win over the New York Jets. It was a game that looked to be well in hand going into the fourth quarter, but ended up being another come from behind Bucs win in the last two minutes. It was more stressful than expected, but wins don’t come with extra credit for style points.

There are always hero’s in a win like this. Whether it be Jamel Dean for his pick six or Baker Mayfield for leading the comeback. However, there is one name that deserves credit as an unsung hero. Here is my choice for this week’s Buccaneers’ Unsung Hero.

That man this week is Bucs head coach and defensive mastermind Todd Bowles. His performance all year, but especially this week, has been excellent. He was a decisive advantage in this game.

This is especially true when you consider the injuries the Bucs have endured this year. This was a game when the team had no starters on the offensive line playing in their actual position. Even their practice squad elevation for the offensive line in weeks one and two (guard Michael Jordan) was injured and out for this game.

Despite this, the Bucs put up 350 yards of offense and five trips into the Jets red zone for scoring opportunities. And if you want to credit offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard for the success of this banged up offense vs a good Jets defense then that’s fine. However, remember that Bowles hired Grizzard as a first time play caller and spent the entire offseason helping him prepare for this new job.

Bowles also went into this game without his best pass rusher. Last week we learned that star defensive tackle Calijah Kancey would be out for the rest of the regular season. It puts more responsibility on Bowles shoulders to create pressure on the quarterback.

That’s exactly what happened in this game.

The Bucs were dialing up the blitz all day on Sunday. They sacked Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor four times (forcing one fumble) and put pressure on him constantly throughout the game. This also led to ill advised passes, including the Dean interception.

All these things led to a comfortable 23-6 lead going into the fourth quarter. However, things went wrong from there. The Jets went on a 4:00 minute touchdown drive, followed by a drive that ended in a fourth down touchdown on a very controversial call, followed by a field goal block return for a touchdown to give the Jets a late lead.

It’s hard to blame Bowles for most of this. Forcing a long drive when you’re up three possessions in the fourth quarter is what you want if you can’t force a punt. And attempting the late field goal with the chance to go up two possessions is undoubtedly the right choice, even though it resulted in a block and a touchdown for New York.

Despite these wacky things happening, the team remained calm and was able to drive down the field to win the game. That is a reflection of culture and mental toughness. All a result of the locker room that Bowles has helped develop.

It’s easy to write off Bowles as a very average coach. I have been critical of him in the past for being too conservative and adapting to things too slowly. He has taken his fair share of verbal abuse from fans and media alike.

However, if I’m looking at the job he’s done this year then I have to say that he’s done an excellent job. This Bucs team has overcome a ton of injuries and a difficult first month of the schedule to go 3-0. Based on the job he has done, I would say that Bowles is the front runner to be coach of the year this season.

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