2-Point Conversion: Bowles May Have To Win NFC South To Keep His Job

Remember that Bowles inherited this coaching staff – Bruce Arians’ coaching staff – on March 30. That’s two weeks after the start of free agency. Any assistant Bowles might have wanted to add would’ve already been on a staff elsewhere so late in the offseason. So, Bucs ownership and general manager Jason Licht should be willing to let Bowles make some changes to his staff, including finding his own offensive coordinator, next year.

The Glazers have also given every head coach they’ve hired two years to win and right the ship. Lovie Smith got two years – even after going a dismal 2-14 in his first year in Tampa Bay in 2014. Greg Schiano got two years before Smith.

But the other school of thought is that if Bowles’ Buccaneers don’t make the playoffs after leading the NFC South all season, that could be a real source of contention for the Glazers. Remember, the Glazers fired Jon Gruden in 2008 after the Bucs started the season 9-3 and in the driver’s seat to win the division, but fell to 9-7 after an 0-4 finish.

Part of the reason for the collapse was due to Monte Kiffin deciding to bail on the Bucs at the end of the season to coach with his son, Lane, at the University of Tennessee. The Glazers had just given Gruden a four-year extension earlier in the year, too. But the fact that Tampa Bay missed the playoffs after a 9-3 start was enough to fire Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen.

So, if Bowles goes 0-3 or 1-2 down the stretch and the Bucs fail to make the playoffs, it could put him in jeopardy. Especially if Tom Brady doesn’t return for 2023 and the Bucs might be forced into a reset/rebuild mode.

The next three weeks will be interesting when it comes to how Bowles is perceived – inside and outside of the organization.

STATEMENT 2: Bowles Is Finding Some Biscuits

Lost in Tampa Bay’s 34-23 loss to Cincinnati that was marked by the Bengals outscoring the Bucs, 31-6, in the second half was the fact that head coach Todd Bowles might have found some biscuits.

As in “no risk it, no biscuit” – Bruce Arians’ catchphrase and coaching style.

Bowles has scoffed at the notion that he’s a conservative coach this season, but he’s proven that he is far too often. Look no further than the end of regulation in the Cleveland game when the Bucs weren’t aggressive in trying to go for a game-winning field goal. Bowles and the Bucs settled for overtime and lost to the Browns, 23-17.