It’s safe to say everyone involved with the Bucs were a bit frustrated by their tough loss to the Falcons, most of all head coach Todd Bowles. Still, Bowles was able to shed some positive light on QB Baker Mayfield’s message to the team.
Both were involved in highly critically and emotionally charger postgame press conferences, with Mayfield bluntly stating that most of the blame fell on the team. Bowles was much more fiery, yet was able to appreciate the comments Baker made amidst a turbulent time for the team.
“Well, he’s taking responsibility as one of our leaders,” said Bowles. “Obviously, you don’t want the turnover, but he can look himself in the mirror and be honest with himself and, you know, coaches and players have to do that alike. That’s what makes him who he is. So, if everybody did that, we would figure out our problems [really] quick. So, I think it’s an eye-opener for a lot of guys and a lot of coaches on this team.”
Leadership in the Face of Adversity
It’s important that the Bucs don’t lose sight of their primary goals. They still control their own playoff destiny and still have the personnel and talent to beat anybody in the league. On both sides of the coin, there are positives to take away.
For some, Bowles’ rant can be seen as a little too late. Others will see it as adding more fuel to the fire. Bowles was especially harsh of how the Bucs executed down the stretch, especially blowing a 14 point lead late. He went so far as to call it “inexcusable”. Still, by lending credence and support to Baker as a leader of the team, it also allows the Bucs to maintain a focus while not getting themselves down.
Accountability Starts at the Top
Most importantly, Bowles was also able to look inward. During a time where his own performance as a coach is being heavily assessed, he was able to focus on his own mistakes as well. “[It is] very frustrating thus far,” he said. “You can do it all right in practice all week. You can do it in the game right four out of five times and on the fifth time, we don’t play it right, and that’s frustrating. That’s very frustrating as a coach – very frustrating as a player, I’m sure – but we’re all in this together. So, it starts with me. I’ve got to do a better job. They’ve got to do a better job, and we have to somehow scratch and claw and find a way to make this thing work.”
With the Bucs’ most important stretch of the season ahead, the messaging is clear: if we don’t improve ourselves, the play on the field won’t improve either. The fact that both head coach and quarterback are on the same page moving forward bodes well for the squad. Now, they just have to go out there and take control of their destiny.
Bowles Backs Mayfield After Postgame Messages