For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the stakes just don’t get any higher than the Week 18 regular season finale at home against the New Orleans Saints.
Win or tie and you’re in the playoffs. Lose and the Buccaneers put their fate in the hands of the Carolina Panthers — a scary proposition — to beat the Atlanta Falcons in Week 18.
For one member of the Buccaneers’ coaching staff, the game against the Saints could also have higher stakes outside of a playoff spot — it could very well be an audition to become the next New Orleans head coach for Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Liam Coen.
Thanks to an explosive offense that includes a potential Pro Bowl quarterback in Baker Mayfield having a career year and a rushing attack that’s gone from the worst in the NFL to one of the best, Coen is a hot candidate for several head coaching openings for 2025.
“Coen has unlocked the potential of Tampa Bay’s offense, which is now fourth in the NFL in scoring at 29.7 points per game following Sunday’s 48-14 win over (Dave) Canales and Carolina,” The Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds wrote on December 30. “That’s an eight-point per game increase, which is amazing progress in Coen’s first year as a play-caller.”
Bowles 2-for-2 Hiring Offensive Coordinators
Were Coen to be hired by the Saints, it would create a strange dynamic in which all 3 of the NFC South’s other head coaches all had ties to the Buccaneers — Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was Tampa Bay’s head coach from 2009 to 2011 and Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales was Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator in 2023.
Were Coen to get a chance as an NFL head coach, that means the last 2 offensive coordinators hired by much maligned Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles have been good enough that other NFL teams came in and swooped them up after just one season.
That’s a pretty high hit rate.
“The Bucs offense, when they’re firing on all cylinders, they can beat anyone,” The Ringer’s Steven Ruiz said following the Buccaneers’ win over the Panthers in Week 17. ” … this offensive line deserves to be celebrated. This run game led by Bucky Irving deserves to be celebrated. Mike Evans is playing well. Baker Mayfield is throwing the ball so well downfield when he gets time … it’s just a fun offense to watch.”
Saints Have Been Spiraling Since Payton Left Town
The Saints spent almost 2 decades as one of the NFL’s best teams — including a Super Bowl win following the 2009 season — under former head coach Sean Payton.
New Orleans hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020 — Payton’s next-to-last season — and have gotten steadily worse since he left town and finally bottomed out in 2024. The Saints are 5-11 headed into the regular-season finale against the Buccaneers and fired head coach Dennis Allen after a 2-7 start to the season.
Allen lasted less than 3 seasons as head coach — interim head coach and former special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi has gone 3-4 after taking over for Allen following a 23-22 loss to the Panthers in Week 9.
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Buccaneers OC Predicted as Next Head Coach for NFC South Rival