HC Todd Bowles Held Responsible for the “Crushing Blow” of Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers by NFL World

Nov 29, 2022 | 2:00 PM EST

HC Todd Bowles Held Responsible for the “Crushing Blow” of Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers by NFL World

Nov 29, 2022 | 2:00 PM EST

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers succumbed to a shocking defeat away to the Cleveland Browns in Week 12. The Tom Brady-led team squandered the lead late in the fourth quarter to finally go down in overtime. But it was a play late in the second quarter that caught the attention of the fans. And they are calling out the Bucs’ HC Todd Bowles for it.

The loss was the Buccaneers’ sixth of the season, denting their hope of a smooth playoff ride.

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The NFL world calls out Todd Bowles

The contentious call came with less than two minutes left in the first half. Tom Brady threw the ball downfield towards Mike Evans on a second-and-10 play. Evans climbed up above the Browns cornerback M J Emerson and caught the ball. The Buccaneers thought they had got their touchdown. But the officials deemed Evans out of bounds.

That would have been the end of the story if the Buccaneers had won the game. But they didn’t. Now the fans are calling out the Bucs’ HC Todd Bowles for not challenging the call, which he could have done by calling a timeout.

Well that’s a catch. No idea why that wasn’t reviewed. pic.twitter.com/9L1872ZnAe
— JC Cornell (@CornellNFL) November 28, 2022

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But he didn’t. And now he is facing fire from the fans for it. This fan asked Todd Bowles why he did not challenge this call.

I was saying this during the game and crazy part was they replay everything multiple times but not this catch. No challenge on this though. Why not? Gonna lose a timeout!?! Oh my.
— GodlyShotzTV (@GodlyShotzTV) November 28, 2022

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A fan called the call a crushing blow.

A crushing blow.
Todd Bowles could have called timeout to plead for a review within 2 minutes of halftime and give officials more time to make it happen. https://t.co/qYAIyfDXHJ
— JoeBucsFan (@JoeBucsFan) November 28, 2022

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This fan blames the Buccaneers’ head coach too.

Took the ball down the field, 50 something yards and won and you are saying you're worried about Tom throwing interception when he's thrown 2 in 218. That's the best excuse. I've heard from Todd Bowles yet.
— diane lambert (@djl11rn) November 28, 2022

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But this fan found some other people to blame.

Also that’s not just on the head coach . If I’m not mistaken there’s assistant coaches that are suppose to look at stuff like that and let the coach know on the headset
— Mike B (@bucsd) November 29, 2022

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For this fan, coach Bowles does not like to call timeouts.

Todd Bowles is allergic to calling timeouts, apparently.
I said during the JBF gameday thread that it was a catch and needed to be reviewed.
Further proof the Bowles is simply not head coaching material. Great coordinator, but not HC material.
— TruthSeeker (@TruthSe33871974) November 28, 2022

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But not everyone thought it was a fair catch. This fan says the heel was on the line.

They showed an alternate angle and his heel was on the line.
Evans got owned by a rookie CB all game long.
— Watson Garrett Stefanski Era 🐶 (@MylesOffTheEdge) November 28, 2022

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Another time Bowles didn’t call a timeout was late in the fourth quarter when the game was tied. The Bucs could have reached a field goal position and won the game from there. But Bowles didn’t call a timeout, letting the clock run. It cost the team in the end.

The OT situation

The regulation time ended with both teams on 17 points a piece. And the Bucs capitulated in overtime. Nick Chubb scored the winning touchdown with a two-yard rush for the Browns. The Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper set up the play through a 46-yard catch and run gain to reach the Buccaneers’ two-yard line. The game ended 23-17 in the favor of the home team.

The Buccaneers are still at the top of the NFC South division, even after the loss. But if they somehow miss out on the playoffs this season, the fans will look back at this game to point out why. And from the look of things, they will blame just one person. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach.

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Written by

Shivam Pratap Singh

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Shivam Pratap Singh is a seasoned NFL writer at Essentially Sports. With a master's degree in international and area studies from a prestigious university, Shivam leverages his academic background to gain a deeper understanding of the global impact of sports. Shivam's passion for football developed early in his career as a writer. One of his breakthrough moments as a writer came when he reported on the '49ers GM John Lynch QB Announcement', demonstrating his talent for breaking news and providing insightful analysis. When not immersed in football, Shivam keeps up with the latest happenings in his favorite soccer club, Manchester United, and the wild European soccer scene. He is a passionate fan of the sport and enjoys writing about the intersection of football and culture.

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Edited by

Hitesh Nigam