Todd Bowles: Carlton Davis Had 'A Bad Day'

Bowles has admitted that the Bucs play better in man coverage rather than zone, but said that playing zone in the final minute of the game was the right call – despite the unfavorable result.

“Last series you’re going to play zone while the game is on the line so the clock can run out,” Bowles said. “You’re not going to sit there and play man and give them a chance to throw a fade. We played man within that game. We got beat in man coverage, too. Right now we’re getting beat in both, so it doesn’t matter which one we’re playing. We just have to play it better and coach it better.”

When asked what his defense is doing well right now, Bowles was at a loss in answering that question.

“Good question,” Bowles said. “They’re playing hard. Communication is not very good. Coverage has not been very good from a zone concept. Understanding taking from practice to the game has not been there. The effort is there. They want to win. They work hard. They understand what to do. Coach communication to player has been all the way there throughout. You’ve got to play better. We have to coach better and we have to play better on Sundays. We understand that.

“The last four weeks we have not whatsoever, and we own that. We have to look in the mirror. Coaches have to look in the mirror and players have to look in the mirror. We’re one game out of first place, and we haven’t won in it feels like quite a while, and it has probably been quite a while. We have to do it better. We have nobody coming to save us. We have to stay together in this building. We have to go out and work and we have to put it on paper.”

Todd Bowles Admits That Some Of His Bucs Players Aren’t Playing Well

When pressed about what he means specifically when he often says there were communication issues, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles finally admitted that is code for players not playing well.

“It’s really not all communication – some people are just busting [coverages],” Bowles said. “You know, it’s as simple as that. We’re saying communication and we’re putting a bow on it – but certain people have to play better. It’s really that simple.

“It’s not even a communication issue for the most part, and it wasn’t yesterday. We just have to play better. We can say it’s communication all we want. Somethings don’t even require communication. It requires playing better and things they’ve done a million times and we just have to do it.”

The players that have to play better are starting cornerbacks Carlton Davis III and Jamel Dean. Neither has an interception this season and both rarely make plays on the ball. Davis surrendered three touchdowns at Houston and Dean gave up the game’s first touchdown on a slant to Nico Collins before leaving the game in the first quarter with a concussion.

So is Bowles’ message or his assistants’ message falling on deaf ears with the players?

“No, it’s not falling on deaf ears,” Bowles said. “We have some very attentive guys. We have some leadership in that room that take full responsibility and understand what we have to do as a team. That’s getting across. We just have to play better.”

Todd Bowles Will Retain Play-Calling Duties On Defense

Todd Bowles was asked again on Monday if he plans to turn the defensive play-calling duties over to either co-defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers or Larry Foote. He said he would not.

“I consider it all the time, but it’s not the answers to the problems we have,” Bowles said.

Bowles was asked about the Bucs offense finally coming to life and erupting for a season-high 37 points and the disappointment in the defense letting the team down by surrendering 39 points.

“It’s very disappointing, especially since they’ve been keeping us in games the last couple of weeks, but yesterday it fell apart. It was the offense’s turn to play well and the defense didn’t play well. We have to play well together.”

At the end of his presser, Bowles addressed Lavonte David’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after Tank Dell’s game-winning touchdown.

“He was pissed off after the touchdown and he threw his helmet down, which you can’t do,” Bowles said. “But I understand the frustration.”