Todd Bowles is the type of guy who doesn’t yell much. He rarely curses, so when he does, that makes December 11 an unusual day. Football can melt thermometers in December. And the Bucs’ coach had never reached his boiling point.
Coaches can choose how they add flavor to their team. For example, some may choose to sprinkle sugar. Others may pour hot sauce. Sterling Shepard loves that heat. Yes, you read that correctly—Shepard likes the heat. Bowles delivered a five-alarm blaze.
Todd Bowles Drops the Verbal Hammer
Disaster struck after the game on December 11. The Buccaneers led the Falcons 28-14 in the fourth quarter. The Bucs’ win probability hit its highest mark of 97.1% at this point. Fans were already making memes about the win. But everything fell apart. The Falcons scored 15 unanswered points in less than six minutes. Baker Mayfield threw a pick-six on Atlanta‘s half of the field. The Falcons then converted a fourth-down-and-15 and made a walk-off field goal. Final Score: Falcons 29, Bucs 28.
Todd Bowles walked into the post-game press conference. He let loose with a verbal blast. In a 30-second span, he used nine curse words. “It’s inexcusable. You don’t make excuses. You’ve got to f—ing care enough where this s–t hurts. You’ve got to f—ing care enough where this s–t hurts. It’s got f—ing mean something to you. It’s more than a job, it’s your f—ing livelihood,” Bowles ranted.
The video quickly became popular. Players understood the message clearly. Shepard approved the response right away.
“I think it was necessary,” Shepard said December 15. “I think it was the perfect message for us. Too many times I think people want soft, and coming to you soft like, ‘nah, nah.’ Sometimes you have to raise the tone up a bit and turn up the pressure for guys to respond. So I feel like he handled it the right way.” Tristan Wirfs also felt the burn.
Wirfs, the Pro Bowl left tackle, wished for the loss to “stew,” and he received his wish. Meanwhile, the Panthers suffered a loss to the Saints 20-17 on December 14. With both teams sitting at 7-7, the division title is still up for grabs.
Every year, small things separate winners and losers. Thus, Shepard understands this well. He is 32 years old and entering his 10th NFL season. He has seen this movie before. “When you get this late in the season obviously, most of your playbook has been out there,” he explained. “It’s just going to come down to the small details and being on top of everything.” Therefore, the Bucs need to correct the self-inflicted errors as soon as possible.
The NFC South Gauntlet Is Coming
The loss by the Panthers gave Tampa Bay new hope. And, in one night, playoff odds rose from 54% to 77% for the Bucs. However, Todd Bowles will not take time to bask in the glow of this development. Tristan Wirfs took the long view. “I wouldn’t say it changes our preparation,” Wirfs said bluntly. “We’ve got to go win still.” The message remains very clear. The remainder of the schedule heavily favors the Buccaneers. The Buccaneers play two games against the Panthers, and in between those two games, they will play the Miami Dolphins.
Veteran leadership plays an enormous role in times like these. When Mike Evans returned from his broken collarbone and accumulated 132 receiving yards against the Falcons, he proved why. Lavonte David brings the knowledge and wisdom to anchor the defense. Chris Godwin provides steady hands in crucial situations. These three played in the 2020 Super Bowl together. These three have also successfully navigated the December pressure before. The younger teammates watch what these three do and learn from them.
There is no team funeral taking place. Rather, this is a wake-up call for the Bucs. The Buccaneers have four consecutive division championships. Bowles turned the emotional tables. The players responded positively in their meeting. The story will continue to write itself this Sunday at 1 PM in Charlotte. The pressure cooker has not cooled down at all. It’s just getting started.
Main Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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