Buccaneers' Awful 0-2 Start Exposes the Todd Bowles Problem

Todd Bowles is 35-35 in the regular season as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach. He is 1-3 in the playoffs and is 36-38 overall as the head coach of the organization.

Bowles has two losing seasons in four total with the team, and he now finds himself in charge of a 2026 Buccaneers team that has started 0-2 for the first time since 2014 in the organization's history.

The biggest issue with Bowles through two weeks of the regular season has been an absolute lack of ability to get this team prepared and bring out the best in either side of the football.

Sep 20, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles looks on prior to the game against the Cleveland Browns at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Yes, the team made the playoffs in three straight years under Bowles between 2022 to 2024. However, the team is in an absolute tailspin with no stop in sight. Since week 8 of 2025, the Bucs have been at 3-10, and the only teams worse during that stretch are the Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals and the Tennessee Titans.

Sep 20, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) walks off the field as they lost to the Cleveland Browns at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Baker Mayfield and the Bucs' Offense Isn't Enough

This team is not trending upward in any way, shape, or form at this point, two weeks into the season. The offense under Baker Mayfield and Zac Robinson has regressed, with Mayfield especially not looking like a franchise quarterback who should be making 55 million dollars per season. The offensive line looks like one of the worst in football, with deep chemistry and communication issues, and players simply looking lost.

Wide receivers are struggling to get separation, and the group as a whole looks like a shell of their former selves, with Mike Evans winning football games with the 49ers.

Aug 22, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Alex Anzalone (34) against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Bucs Defense is Getting Worse...

The defense looks completely lost.

New players like A'Shawn Robinson, Al-Quadin Muhammad and more are failing to make an immediate impact on this team, and inside linebacker Alex Anzalone is looking absolutely unplayable through two weeks of the season. Bowles won't even entertain the idea of taking Anzalone out at this point, as he serves as a captain of this roster and wears the green dot on his helmet to relay the plays to the rest of the defense.

Rueben Bain Jr. is a ghost on the field through two weeks of the season. Yaya Diaby and every other pass-rushing outside linebacker look just as lost as ever, with your fifth rusher, David Walker, notching the group's only sack over two weeks.

The Bell Tolls For Todd Bowles...

The best and most productive player in this roster has been the kicker Chase McLaughlin, which should tell you exactly where things are to this point for the franchise.

The clock is ticking, and soon the bell may very well toll on Todd Bowles and his time with the Buccaneers.

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