Bucs’ Todd Bowles gives NSFW response after loss to Falcons, calling out players

The Buccaneers’ head coach reached a breaking point and had a emotional NSFW reponse after another collapse.

Dec 11, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles looks on before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered one of the most painful losses of their season Thursday night, blowing a two score lead and falling 29 to 28 against the Atlanta Falcons.

What happened after the game may have been just as telling as what happened on the field.

Head coach Todd Bowles walked into his postgame press conference furious and did not attempt to hide it.

Todd Bowles cant help but let the expletives fly after that embarrassing loss pic.twitter.com/LH40a3XEd0

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) December 12, 2025

Bowles Lets Frustration Boil After Collapse

Bowles’ body language said everything before he even spoke. The normally measured head coach delivered one of the most emotional and profanity laced press conferences of his Tampa Bay tenure after watching his team unravel late yet again in the 4th quarter.

Bowles repeatedly stressed that the Buccaneers are not losing because of preparation or coaching effort, but because of execution and repeated mistakes at the worst possible times. He made it clear that a small group of players continues to undermine the work of the rest of the team, and his patience appears to be wearing thin.

Bowles’ anger came through loud and clear. For him this loss felt different because it followed a familiar script, one that has cost Tampa Bay multiple games this season. The Bucs had full control, then lost it. And for the first time publicly, Bowles sounded fed up watching the same mistakes resurface.

Bowles Says Accountability Must Come From Players

After venting his frustration, Bowles shifted to what comes next and his message remained just as blunt.

“At this point, you've seen everything in the season. You know, the coaches have done everything like this is a player driven team in the last 4 or 5 weeks. You got to execute and they got to hold each other accountable. As coaches, you can sit there till your blue in the face, until they start holding each other accountable and doing the little things right, and that's not everybody that we're talking about a small select few, but the small select few is what's getting us beat, till that happens. It's not going to get right, so we got to get up and go to work tomorrow, no matter how bad your day looks. You got to put it behind you and we got to win the last 3 games. We know that.”

Bowles made it clear that the final stretch of the season will be driven by leadership within the locker room, not speeches from the podium. With three games remaining and playoff hopes still alive, Tampa Bay must respond to its coach’s strongest message yet.

The Buccaneers still control their own fate with 2 games against the Carolina Panthers left, but only if the details get fixed. Bowles has said his piece. Now it’s on the players to prove they were listening.

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READ MORE: Buccaneers’ biggest concerns going into Falcons matchup

Hopefully for McCollum, and the Buccaneers, this injury isn’t too serious, because despite the young corner’s struggles so far in 2025, Tampa Bay doesn’t have anyone better waiting in the wings.

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