The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have done it again, started a season hot only to come up on a losing streak. With key players out due to injury it seems increasingly more difficult for the Bucs to dig out of this hole. Quarterback Baker Mayfield has been having a career year, but the Bucs defense has been one of the worst all year long. Current Head Coach Todd Bowles is known for his aggressive and run stopping defense, but that hasn’t been the case this year.
However, many of the players in the locker room love playing for Coach Bowles. Making it a very difficult decision to go separate ways with the coach or not. Bowles took over as head coach after Bruce Arians retired following the Buccaneers Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Tampa. Bowles has led the Bucs to the playoffs each of his seasons as head coach, but the NFC South was much weaker then, the Atlanta Falcons prove to be a new challenger for the crown.
This four game losing streak, that has seen Tampa’s defense play at an atrocious level has made fans call for the firing of Bowles. Opposing quarterbacks have truly torn the Bucs secondary to shreds every week, with no signs of improvement. It doesn’t appear that Bowles has made many adjustments, if any. It may be time for the Buccaneers brass to take a look at some other candidates.
Tampa Bay’s Offensive Coordinator Liam Cohen
This is the obvious choice to take over for Bowles, an internal hire that is already familiar with the offensive pieces. Liam Cohen has been the name on many Tampa Bay fan’s lips as of late, taking to social media to demand the firing of Bowles for Cohen to take over in season.
Cohen has clear chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield and has been very impressing while running such a shorthanded offense. Losing key players like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin would doom some team’s production, but the Buccaneers continue to produce on that side of the ball. Keeping Cohen with Mayfield would make sense and if Bowles is let go, Cohen would probably be the favorite. Mayfield and Cohen have familiarity dating back to when Mayfield played a short stint for the Los Angeles Rams and Cohen was the offensive coordinator there.
Minnesota Vikings DC Brian Flores
If fixing the defense is the primary concern for the Bucs moving forward, defensive guru Brian Flores might be someone they should call. Flores has head coaching experience, previous head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Since joining the Vikings staff as their defensive coordinator, the Vikings defense has been one of the best in the league.
The Minnesota Vikings have their defense to thank for a number of their wins this season. Including this past week when Vikings QB Sam Darnold threw three interceptions, but the defense held the Jaguars to only seven points. Flores is a name to keep an eye on this off-season, as he will probably be in demand for multiple head coaching interviews. If Flores could bring his defensive scheme to Tampa, that could be what the Bucs need to truly compete for another Super Bowl with Mayfield at the helm.
Super Bowl Champion Bill Belichick
The former New England Patriots head coach could pull a move similar to Tom Brady with moving to Tampa. Bill Belichick is a future hall of fame coach, and easily one of the best coaches to ever walk the sideline of an NFL field. If any coach knows how to build a winning culture, it’s Belichick.
Some may look to his last few seasons in New England and think he lost his way when Brady left. But if you saw, the Patriots didn’t really have a quarterback. Mac Jones was average at best; Cam Newton was far past his prime. Belichick could thrive once again with a QB like Mayfield and an offense already equipped with weapons like Mike Evans, Rachaad White, Bucky Irving, and Cade Otton. Maybe even Chris Godwin if Tampa can get him resigned in the off-season.
Clearly, if the Buccaneers want a defensive mind Flores and Belichick come from similar backgrounds. Flores even being on Belichick’s staff in New England at one point. If the Bucs want to go with an offensive mind, the opposite of what they currently have in Bowles. Then there would be no reason to look further than Liam Cohen. There are some other names out there, but Cohen already has the chemistry with the team and would make for a much smoother transition for a team that can still contend for a title.
