Bowles Needs Bucs To Grind

“[Our] turnovers had nothing to do with it, we have to play situational football if they do get it down there and hold up three, at least,” Bowles said. “Our red zone defense was poor, our run defense was poor, our pass defense was poor, our third-down efficiency was poor and we played a poor game and that falls on me. I’ll take that.”

Even though it was against superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Co., the defense’s showing was poor in all facets. Breaking down what Bowles mentioned went poorly, they allowed the Chiefs to go 5-6 in the red zone, gave up 189 rushing yards to a team not known for success on the ground, for Mahomes to throw three touchdowns, and let the Chiefs go 12-17 on third-down attempts. 

Of all the numbers, perhaps the third-down efficiency for the Chiefs proved to be the difference maker. Every time the Bucs defense would force a third-down, it seemed like they were on the verge of stopping their potent offense and giving the ball back to Tom Brady to orchestrate a comeback. But time and again the Chiefs converted, and while the saying goes to “bend but don’t break,” the defense was both bent and broken throughout the game.

Was Week 4 The Outlier For Bucs Defense?

As they head into Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons, the Bucs hope to prove that Sunday night’s game is an outlier for a defense that in the first three games allowed 3, 10, and 14 points and displayed an ability to keep them in the game, if not completely take it over. Whether it was shutting down the Cowboys, creating turnovers on five of six Saints drives in the second half, or holding back-to-back MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to two touchdowns, the defense has all of the pieces to keep them competitive week in and week out. 

That is why after Sunday night, Bowles called them out for their poor play. It was uncharacteristic to see them blow so many chances to make a stop and allow the Chiefs to control the clock for nearly ⅔ of the game. 

Most of that control of the clock was due to allowing 37 carries, and Bowles was concerned after the game after letting them dictate the game on the ground. “It’s very concerning, you know, it’s very concerning,” Bowles said. “We had heavy boxes most of the time too, so that’s very concerning.” A front led by Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea was nearly nonexistent in plugging lanes up the middle, which put more pressure on the linebackers to be apt to both the run and pass.

Next Test For The Bucs Is A Familiar Foe

Run containment is sure to be atop the points of emphasis for the Bucs as they host a Falcons team that ranks 4th in rushing yards per game at 168. Their attack is now headed by Tyler Allgeier, a fifth-round draft pick averaging 5.3 yards a carry this season. The Bucs will thankfully avoid facing Cordarrelle Patterson, who leads their team in rushing but was placed on injured reserve yesterday. Regardless, the Bucs will look to install packages and game plan more heavily for the run, a much-needed calibration after last week.

But for as bad as the defense played against the Chiefs, Bowles gave them a simple message after the game. “As bad as we played, and we did get our butts kicked – hats off to them – we’re still two and two. We have a lot of work ahead of us. We have to grind just like everybody else. You put in the work, you see the results.”

Hopefully, the fruits of their labor this week will be evident on Sunday as they look to put themselves above .500 and solely atop the NFC South.