Rondé Barber Thinks Buccaneers Need ‘Better Teachers’

The Buccaneers’ defense struggled in 2025, and in recent years. Former Bucs Defensive Back and Hall of Famer Ronde Barber thinks the team’s lack of “elite” coaching has hurt their during this time.

Recently Barber spoke on his WFLA show, The Rondé Barber Show, and argued that the Buccaneers’ defensive struggles don’t necessarily mean they need a new defensive playcaller, which is currently head coach Todd Bowles.

“His defense is difficult. It’s hard. I’m telling you, the playbook is hard. It’s comprehensive,” 

Barber continued,

“And it’s a lot of check-with-me; it’s a dial-up-a-blitz type of defense. I’ve said that over and over again. Every defense is somewhat of a pressure and it asks everybody a lot a questions on how to play the position. Like an edge rusher has to have the same responsiblities as an outside linebacker. Safeties and corners have to have sometimes the same responsibilities as those two standup inside linebackers. So you’re asking a lot.” Quoted via JoeBucsFan,

“Now, if you’re trying to play zone coverage, it makes it even more complicated. If you’re playing man-to-man, it’s easy; it’s just, ‘You got that cat. You take that cat. We’ll see whose athletes are better.’ But when you’re trying to play zone, when you’re trying to throw in zone blitzes, there’s different people that have to cover up the back end of the defense. And when you have so many different bodies playing in those spots, the coaching better be elite, and if it’s not, you’re going to get beat. And that’s what’s been happening to us for the past however many years.

Barber continued,

“You see these failures in coverage and people running wide open and guys looking at each other on the sideline like, ‘Did I mess that up? Did you? Who messed that up?’ That can’t be the case anymore.”

Barber believes the Buccaneers’ defensive scheme is solid and effective in today’s NFL, but thinks they need better coaching to execute it. He places the blame on the lack of “elite” coaching, suggesting that head coach Todd Bowles isn’t the issue, but rather the team’s need for “better teachers” of the defense.

Barber was straightforward about his feelings on the Buccaneers’ defense: “No, I think it’s complicated and guys can’t play fast in it. But it works.” He’s not a fan, but acknowledges the scheme can work under the right circumstances.