Todd Bowles had no interest in optimism, encouragement, or playoff hypotheticals following the Tampa Bay Buccaneersâ damaging brutal loss to the Miami Dolphins.Â
As The Pewter Plank noted, on Buccaneers Radio Network, Bowles repeatedly framed the defeat as a self-inflicted failure by his team.Â
He did not take any responsibility and placed all of the blame squarely on execution.
After the loss, Bowles angrily called out âcertain guysâ he believes are still failing to pull their weight in critical moments and hurting the team.Â
He refused to name names.Â
Itâs not the first time Bowles has publicly pointed to his players during this losing streak.
Without ever saying it outright, he suggested Tampa Bay didnât lose because Miami beat them, but because the Buccaneers âbeat the Buccaneers.âÂ
âItâs not the leadership failing, itâs the execution,â Bowles said.âÂ
“The leadership has been great. The message has been great by the leaders. We just got to execute at critical times.âÂ
With the season now hanging by a thread, Bowles has sent a clear message towards his team.Â
Self-Inflicted Mistakes Define Another Loss
Bowlesâ frustration stemmed from what he again characterized as avoidable mistakes at critical moments.Â
This has been the same issue that has plagued Tampa Bay throughout the second half of the season.Â
The Buccaneers turned the ball over, failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities, and once again unraveled late.
In the end, Baker Mayfieldâs passing numbers look alright as he threw for 346 yards and two touchdowns but that does not tell the full story.Â
76 of those passing yards came on the Bucs last drive when the game was already out of reach.Â
Mayfieldâs struggles continued for most of the afternoon as he threw two game-changing interceptions in Dolphins territory that swung the momentum of the game.Â
The Bucs were unable to get their run game going as well.Â
Tampa Bayâs running backs managed just 37 yards on 13 carries, with Bucky Irving leading the group on only nine attempts while averaging a rough 2.1 yards per carry.
Baker and company got outplayed by a seventh round rookie quarterback in just his second career start.Â
One Final Chance Against Carolina
Despite the loss, Tampa Bay still somehow controls its postseason fate.
A win in Week 18 against Carolina would secure the NFC South and a playoff berth.Â
Bowles acknowledged that reality but also issued a warning.Â
âIf we keep stubbing our toes, it wonât matter what Carolina does,â Bowles said, making it clear that external help or favorable scenarios are no longer part of his thinking.Â
The Buccaneers have dropped six of their last seven games after starting the season 6-2.Â
After a season that has felt like itâs been kept alive by countless second chances, it now comes down to a win-or-go-home matchup.
Bowles framed Week 18 as a final test of accountability:
âWeâve gotten in different ways the past few years,â he said. âThis is a different way of going about it. We have to work on us.âÂ
If Tampa Bayâs season ends at home, there will be no excuses left and nowhere else to point the finger.
The Week 18 matchup between the Panthers and Buccaneers is set for Saturday, January 3 at 4:30 p.m. EST.
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