Keeping Todd Bowles, Byron Leftwich Huge Win for Bucs
Despite another losing season, there were plenty of reasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be excited about what they accomplished in 2020.
One silver lining to their 7-9 season? Employing a pair of coordinators that are full of experience on one side, and potential on the other.
That's why Byron Leftwich and Todd Bowles were expected to at least generate some level of interest this offseason as potential head-coaching candidates for open jobs throughout the league. But with only the Cleveland Browns job still vacant, and with neither Tampa Bay coordinator interviewing for the job, the Bucs are sure to retain the services of both for the 2020 season.
That's huge news for a defense that led the NFL in stopping the run and scoring touchdowns of their own last season, while boasting the league's sack leader. Bowles' prowess as a schemer and play-caller helped transform one of the NFL's worst defenses to one of its most improved, especially over the second half of the season.
Under Leftwich's guidance, the Tampa Bay offense led the NFL in passing yards, and send two wide receivers to the Pro Bowl. There's still improvement to be made in terms of turnovers and the running game, but in Leftwich's first season as a full-time play-caller, he proved he's got what it takes to deploy a successful unit.
The Bucs could still undergo plenty of significant changes on both sides of the ball this offseason, but the continuity they'll keep in the coaching ranks should allow them to build on the positive momentum they developed in the first season of the Bruce Arians era.
