Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles on the sidelines during the first half of a game against the Seattle Seahawks Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Buccaneers' Todd Bowles gives honest thoughts on season so far

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By River Wells | Last updated Oct 28, 2025 11:45 AM ET

It hasn't exactly been smooth all the way through, but it would be hard for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to complain about being 6-2 going into their bye week in Week 9.

The Bucs have a comfortable two-game lead in the NFC South, and that lead could only grow larger over the weekend as each other team in the division faces a tough opponent. Additionally, they've beaten two strong teams in the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks so far, proving they can hang with top competition.

That being said, of course, there is always room to improve. Head coach Todd Bowles knows that, and given how many injuries the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been suffering, he's welcoming this bye week as a week to recharge — but he also knows there is work to be done before the Bucs get going again.

Bowles was asked how he felt about the Buccaneers' season overall so far after the team's win over the New Orleans Saints, and he made sure to measure both his praise for what the team has done and his desire to improve down this final stretch.

Todd Bowles speaks on Buccaneers' season so far

"I feel good. We played tough, we’re 6-2, we can do a lot of things better, obviously. We [have] to work on fundamentals [and] we [have] to self-scout as coaches," Bowles said. "We [have] to make sure we do not forget the fundamental part of it, they [have] to make sure they continue to take care of their bodies. Our confidence is tough, and our confidence is strong, but we have a long way to go. We understand that it is going to be a big second half when we come back, so we [have] to be ready."

The Buccaneers do have a few things to clean up. The team is 28th in the league in yards per rush (3.8) and 24th in third-down conversion percentage (36.27%). They've also mightily struggled on offense in general over the past two weeks — per SumerSports, the Bucs are 30th in offensive EPA (-0.287) and 31st in yards per game (3.8) among all teams in Week 7 and Week 8, a significant slowdown from where they were toward the beginning of the year.

That being said, there's still plenty for Bowles to be happy about. The Bucs are currently third in the NFL in sacks with 25, and the team is currently fourth in turnover differential (+7) after grabbing four turnovers against the New Orleans Saints. Tampa Bay's rookie class has also been excellent, with players like wideout Emeka Egbuka, cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish and defensive tackle Elijah Roberts, among others, producing for the team.

There's still plenty to work on, but the Buccaneers have fielded a competitive squad, and their record shows it. They'll rest up this week before getting ready to face off against the red-hot New England Patriots at home in Week 10.