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Tag: Todd Bowles

  • Too Many Mistakes: Atlanta Falcons start 2025 season with 23-20 loss to Tampa Bay Bucs

    The American Flag on full display moments before kickoff during the Atlanta Falcons season opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    The Falcons lost the home and season opener 23-20 on Sunday. Atlanta kicker Young Koo missed a field goal that could have tied the game.

    Mistakes will cost you everything in the National Football League. Three roughing the passer penalties, a pair of missed field goal, a missed extra point attempt, they all mattered during this game.

    “We have to find a way to win next week,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said after the game.

    “We have to keep going, it’s just one game,” Leonard Floyd said in the locker room after the game.

    The biggest play will go down as the touchdown pass from Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield to receiver Emeka Egbuka that made the score 23-20. But it was the roughing the passer penalty from the Falcons that helped extend the Bucs’s drive.

    Minutes earlier, the score was 17-13 in favor of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game clock read 3:33 in the fourth quarter. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. (27-42 for 298 yards, a touchdown pass and run) ran for the goal line and was short of scoring a touchdown. He was however past the first down marker. The Buccaneers had two roughing the passer penalties called on them during the drive.

    The biggest play of the game came courtesy of the feet of Penix, Jr., because Atlanta’s fresh set of downs lead to another Penix, Jr. run, this time for a one-yard touchdown with 2:17 left to play. The touchdown put Atlanta ahead 20-17 following the extra point by kicker Younghoe Koo.

    Back on defense, the Falcons put pressure on Mayfield (17-32 for 167 yards) late in the game, but not enough to keep him from throwing three touchdown passes.

    The video montages featuring former Falcons Andre Rison, Ray Buchanan, and Roddy White, Freddie the Falcon bungee jumping from the rafters, a smoke-filled entrance to the field, and a loud roar from a crowd of re than 70,000 when starting quarterback Michael Penix, Jr.’s name was announced. The Falcons season opener had it all.

    The Atlanta Falcons opened the 2025 season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 7. Their opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have won the NFC South division crown time after time, and this game was an opportunity for Atlanta to set the tone for the next 17 weeks.

    Under current head coach Raheem Morris, the Falcons have had success against the Buccaneers and head coach Todd Bowles. Atlanta swept Tampa last season, winning on the road by five points, and winning at home by six points.

    The Falcons put together a one-minute and 46-second offensive drive to open the game. The big play came on a Penix, Jr. screen pass to running back Bijan Robinson for a long run and score. Robinson caught two passes during the abbreviated drive.

    Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Tampa’s first score, a 48-yard field goal from kicker Chase McLaughlin, came eight minutes after they began their third drive at the tailed of the first quarter. By the time the score was 7-3 in favor of the Falcons, it was midway through the second quarter.

    The Buccaneers took their first lead of the game at 10-7 when quarterback Baker Mayfield found perennial Pro Bowl receiver Mike Evans over the outstretched hands of Falcons rookie safety Xavier Watts for a touchdown at the seven-minute mark of the second quarter.

    The Falcons tied the game at 10 on a 41-yard field goal from kicker extraordinaire Younghoe Koo. That subsequent Falcons offensive drive included a fourth and one that was completed by running back Tyler Allgeier. The Falcons offense rushed for only 27 yards during there first half.

    The second half began with a Tampa Bay drive dow to the Atlanta 26 yard line. The Bucs and McLaughlin attempted a 44-yard field goal that missed the mark and kept the score tied at 10.

    A 53-yard punt return and 20-yard scramble by Mayfield gave Tampa Bay the kind of field position deep in Falcons territory that usually leads to a touchdown. And it did. A few plays later, Mayfield found running back Bucky Irving on a screen for a touchdown a 17-10 advantage with seven minutes to play in the third quarter.

    The Falcons offense found a way back into the scoring column, adding three more points on a 36-yard field goal from Koo. The 11-play drive included receptions by Kyle Pitts, Ray-Ray McCloud III, Drake London, and the team;’s leading receiver at that moment of the game, Robinson (5 receptions for 94 yards). On one play, Robinson took a Penix pass 23 yards to get into the team into field goal possession.

    Down 17-13 with less than 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter, the Falcons

    [ad_2] Donnell Suggs
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  • Tom Brady Saves Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Season — And Coaching Jobs — With Game-Winning Drive

    Tom Brady Saves Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Season — And Coaching Jobs — With Game-Winning Drive

    Tom Brady did it again.

    Despite four quarters of offensive ineptitude, the G.O.A.T. pulled it off in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 16-13 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. With just 44 seconds left on the clock and no timeouts remaining, Brady led the Buccaneers to a game-winning touchdown drive in just 35 seconds.

    The Buccaneers are now 4-5 and in position for the NFC’s fourth seed despite a first half of the season that has been marked by shoddy offensive line play, a lack of running game and questionable coaching.

    And despite all of that being true, it’s a moot point following Tampa Bay’s potentially season-defining win.

    “That was f***ing awesome,” Brady said after the game. “We needed it. And we got it. We fought to the end.”

    In the process of completing his NFL-record 55th game-winning drive, Brady snapped the Bucs’ three-game losing streak. After failed game-winning drive attempts in close losses to the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, Brady got his mojo back.

    And so did the Buccaneers.

    Had Tampa Bay lost this game, they would have dropped to 3-6. While that’s not exactly a season-ending record in the woeful NFC South division, the Bucs have an upcoming matchup in Germany versus the 6-3 Seattle Seahawks and won’t host another home game until early December.

    This loss would have crushed the morale of the team. While the season may not have been over from a mathematical standpoint, it would have been considered over by anyone with a dose of logic.

    Yes, the running game is still bad. Yes, the play-calling and scheme from offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich is still questionable. And yes, the Bucs still struggle to complete passes for longer than 10 yards.

    But this was classic Brady. When the Rams decided to call a conservative run with Darrell Henderson on 3rd-and-5 with an opportunity to win the game with 1:39 remaining, did anyone really think Brady and this stagnant Bucs offense would pull out the victory?

    “We always have a chance with him,” head coach Todd Bowles said of Brady after the game.

    Following the Bucs’ first offensive drive of the game until Brady’s 15-yard completion to Leonard Fournette at the 9:05 mark of the fourth quarter, Tampa Bay failed to successfully run a play for over 10 yards.

    That’s three entire quarters of football without a play for over 10 yards.

    And despite it all, a rushing attack that mustered just 2.6 yards per carry, and an offense that produced just 4.6 yards per play, Brady and the Bucs pulled it out.

    “You run out of things to say about him,” Bowles continued to say about Brady. “I’m sure I can’t say anything different than the 50 million people that (have) already commented things on him. He’s a great player. He’s one of the best, if not the best to ever play the game, and he continues to do that.”

    That means despite the desire by some for Leftwich and Bowles to be fired, they’re not going anywhere after this victory.

    The Buccaneers still have major issues. The offensive line continues to be shoddy, which is a major reason Brady and the offense continue to heavily rely upon quick passing attempts. It’s also a big reason why Tampa Bay was just 5-of-16 on third-down conversions prior to their last two offensive drives, when they went in no-huddle mode.

    But this win felt like a season-changing victory. The locker room was lively for the first time this season, Brady was smiling again in the postgame presser and it felt like a whole weight was lifted off of Tampa Bay’s shoulders after defeating the very team that beat them in this same stadium during the playoffs last year.

    The Bucs may not be the favorites to win Super Bowl LVII, but they shouldn’t be ruled out of it.

    With Brady in the fold, this team always has a chance.

    DJ Siddiqi, Contributor

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  • Bucs’ Protection Scheme Involves O-Line Asking Defense To Go Easy On Tom Brady While He’s Going Through Some Stuff

    Bucs’ Protection Scheme Involves O-Line Asking Defense To Go Easy On Tom Brady While He’s Going Through Some Stuff

    CHARLOTTE, NC—Taking a new approach to better safeguard their quarterback, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were reportedly using a protection scheme Sunday that involved their offensive line asking the defense to go easy on Tom Brady while he’s going through some stuff. “We’re always trying to refine things to make things easier for Tom, which is why we’re having left guard Luke Goedeke pull the defensive linemen aside to fill them in on Tom’s marital and family issues before the snap,” said Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, adding that he hoped the Carolina Panthers defense would refrain from blitzing Brady after the offensive line told them the sad story of how he’s struggling with heartbreak. “We’ll have the left tackle pick up any linebackers or safeties and let them know that Tom’s really getting it from all sides right now, he’s not sleeping well, and really the last thing he needs is to get sacked on his blind side. We’re hoping that this new offensive scheme will allow Tom to relax in the pocket and clear his head until he works things out at home.” At press time, Bowles was scolding Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans for yelling that he was open, reminding him not to bother Brady when the quarterback had so many other things on his plate.

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  • Questionable roughing the passer calls raise more questions

    Questionable roughing the passer calls raise more questions

    TAMPA, Fla. — Can’t touch this.

    Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett found out the hard way when he sacked Tom Brady and got flagged for roughing the passer in the fourth quarter of Atlanta’s 21-15 loss at Tampa Bay on Sunday.

    The questionable penalty that benefited Brady and the Buccaneers raised more concerns about interpretations of the rule. It was the second straight week referee Jerome Boger made the critical call late in the game on a play that didn’t seem to warrant a flag.

    Last week, it helped the Buffalo Bills on a drive that ended with Tyler Bass kicking a 21-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Baltimore Ravens 23-20.

    This time, it allowed the Buccaneers to extend the final drive and eventually run out the clock.

    Protecting quarterbacks has always been a point of emphasis for the NFL. That was magnified after Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was taken off the field on a stretcher following a violent hit in a game against Cincinnati on Sept. 29. Tagovailoa sustained a concussion when 6-foot-3, 340-pound Bengals defensive tackle Josh Tupou threw him backward, slamming his head into the turf.

    Tupou wasn’t penalized for sacking Tagovailoa. Neither Josh Allen nor Brady were injured on the hits Boger called roughing.

    “What I had was the defender grabbed the quarterback while he was still in the pocket, and unnecessarily throwing him to the ground,” Boger told a pool reporter after the game. “That is what I was making my decision based upon.”

    Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles, of course, understood the decision.

    “I saw that one being called. I saw it against Tua when he got hit, and in the London game this morning,” Bowles said. “I think they are starting to crack down on some of the things, slinging backs. I don’t know. Right now, the way they are calling (it), I think a lot of people would’ve gotten that call.”

    In the NFL rulebook, it states: “Any physical acts against a player who is in a passing posture (i.e. before, during, or after a pass) which, in the referee’s judgment, are unwarranted by the circumstances of the play will be called as fouls.”

    The rulebook also notes: “When in doubt about a roughness call or potentially dangerous tactic against the quarterback, the referee should always call roughing the passer.”

    Many analysts, including former quarterbacks, disagreed with Boger’s call.

    “The league office has to get that fixed,” Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy said on NBC’s “Football Night in America” pregame show. “If you cannot tackle the quarterback, it’s going to be impossible to play defense.”

    Robert Griffin III tweeted: “The Falcons got ROBBED. Hitting the QB hard does not equal Roughing the Passer even if it’s Tom Brady.”

    Despite the perception that the 45-year-old Brady gets special treatment, the seven-time Super Bowl champion ranks 41st with .14 roughing calls per game since 2009. This was the first time Brady was the beneficiary of a roughing penalty this season. He only got one last year.

    Jarrett was visibly upset about the penalty and refused to talk to reporters after the game. Falcons coach Arthur Smith wouldn’t criticize the officials.

    “Obviously from my vantage point, it looked like it was a bad call,” Falcons cornerback Casey Hayward Jr. said. “But that’s why you put the refs out there to make these calls. They pay these guys to make those calls. It looked bad (from) my standpoint – but like I said – I was on the back end. They put these guys there to make those calls.”

    Nobody wants to see any player endure a hit like the one that sent Tagovailoa to the hospital. But there’s a difference between protecting quarterbacks and punishing defenders for playing football.

    Finding a balance is the NFL’s dilemma.

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    Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi

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