Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles addressed questions about his job security. It came after the Buccaneers blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead in a potentially playoff-squandering 29-28 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
With Tampa Bay’s playoff odds sliding in the wrong direction, the pressure is squarely on him.
What Todd Bowles Said About His Future as Buccaneers Head Coach
Bowles made it clear he isn’t spending time thinking about his future.
“I don’t think I worry about it at all,” Bowles told reporters in the postgame press conference. “It doesn’t creep into the locker room. Players play and coaches coach. I 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 on winning a ball game.”
The speculation surrounding his future continues to grow as the Buccaneers have lost six of their last eight games, following an impressive 5-1 start, and the late-game collapse against the Falcons has added to the disappointing skid.
It was a crucial divisional clash with the Bucs tied at the top of the NFC South with the Carolina Panthers. Now, their rivals could overtake them and put them out of the NFC playoff picture when they take on the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
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The Buccaneers were leading 28-14 in the fourth quarter before quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a late interception with 8:28 remaining. The Falcons capitalized on the error, cutting the lead to two and eventually sealing the win with Zane Gonzalez’s 43-yard field goal.
“This was inexcusable,” Bowles said. “We don’t make excuses. You gotta f**king care enough where the s**t hurts. It’s gotta f**king mean something to you. It’s more than a job. It’s your f**king livelihood. We can’t sugarcoat that s**t. It was f**king inexcusable, and there’s no f**king answer for it.”
Mayfield, who passed for 277 yards and two touchdowns, took responsibility for his mistake: “This one’s going to haunt me. This falls on my shoulders.”
Buccaneers’ Remaining Schedule
- Week 16: at Carolina Panthers
- Week 17: at Miami Dolphins
- Week 18: vs. Carolina
How the TNF Loss Impacts the Buccaneers’ Playoff Chances
The Buccaneers’ defeat against the Falcons severely damaged their hopes in the NFC South and the playoffs. Entering Week 15, the Buccaneers had over a 60% chance to make the postseason, per PFSN’s NFL Playoff simulator.
The 29-28 loss to the Falcons caused that number to tumble to 44.5%, a steep fall considering a win would have boosted their odds to over 70% and also given them control of the division.
The Buccaneers are currently sitting with a 7-7 record and have lost the lead in the NFC South. Divisional rivals Panthers benefited immediately as their playoff odds gained some life, climbing from under 40% to 55% following the Buccaneers’ loss on Thursday.
The Panthers can take a one-game lead Sunday with a win over the Saints. If that happens, the Panthers would need to win just one of their two remaining matchups with the Buccaneers to secure the division, thanks to a favorable head-to-head tiebreaker scenario.
