Bucs’ Todd Bowles in 1st team meeting: ‘It’s got to be the Super Bowl’ (2025)

TAMPA — At 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles addressed his team for the first time to kick off training camp. He immediately lifted expectations for the 2024 season to raising the Lombardi Trophy.

“Evening guys. Guys, like I said earlier, the most in shape team we’ve had in a long time,” Bowles said. “The expectations for us shouldn’t just be the division. It’s got to be the Super Bowl. We’ve won the division the last two years. We saw how good we were last year. We can’t take any of it with us. Our expectations have got to be how we can be great and, positionally, I’ll go over it for you.”

Bowles went around the room position by position, summarizing what needed to get done and how to do it.

"The expectation for us shouldn't be just the division. It's got to be the Super Bowl."

Coach Bowles addresses the team ahead of Training Camp tomorrow 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/2Rcm2Sy6Mv

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) July 24, 2024

Offensive line

“It’s the most continuity we’ve had since the Super Bowl,” Bowles said of a unit that returns four starters if you include center Robert Hainsey. “We’ve still got to work some kinks out, but the only way you guys can be great is to work with each other. You work with each other, we’re not going to get out-toughed by anybody. We don’t want to miss blocks, make them make a great play. We’ve got size, athleticism, you’ve got toughness, and you’ve got intelligence. There’s no reason for us to fail there.”

Quarterback

“‘Bake,’ you run the show. It’s your team,” Bowles said, eyes fixed on Baker Mayfield. “You get to be the eyes and ears of (offensive coordinator) Liam (Coen). You get to check. You’ve got athletes everywhere. Give them the ball and let them go. That’s what they get paid for. Give them the ball and let them go.

“Make the smart decisions. Get us in the right set, and we can go.”

Running backs

“Make the yards they give you. Take the yards they don’t,” Bowles said, directing his comments to Rachaad White. “Take care of the football. You got to be a jack of all trades. You’ve got to run. You’ve got to catch. You’ve got to block.’’

Receivers

“We’ve got a hell of a five receivers. You’re going to be open. You’re going to be open, right? You’ve got to know, but you’ve got to block, too.”

Tight ends

“Some of you’ve got bigger guys to block. Defensive ends. Some are even bigger outside ‘backers. Positioning is going to be everything. Get attached, and don’t get thrown off. If you get thrown off, make sure the hole is where you need it to be. We’ve got to be smart.”

Bucs’ Todd Bowles in 1st team meeting: ‘It’s got to be the Super Bowl’ (1)

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Defensive line

“D-line. Probably the most athletic we’ve been. And defensively as a whole, it’s probably the fastest we’ve been in years. Probably the fastest. It’s hard to say who’s the slowest guy. It ain’t (defensive lineman) Vita (Vea). I’ll give you the name (Wednesday), but it ain’t Vita, I can tell you that much.

“There should be 11 guys in the frame every time going to the football. If we get outside runs, screens, anything like that? We should be A to B right now. We’ve got to read our keys, all that taken care of. I understand that. We’ve got to read our keys.”

Bowles emphasized the need to create turnovers.

“Corners. Safeties, ‘backers, even outside ‘backers: Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers,” he said. “Sacks ain’t good enough. You’ve got to sack them and get the ball out. Sack them and get the ball out. We’ve got to defend every blade of grass.”

Special teams

“Two things that we cannot do: put the ball on the ground and get a punt blocked. That’s my No. 1 pet peeve: put the ball on the ground and get a punt blocked. And the second thing or the third thing, we can’t let a ball get run back on us. If we can take care of those three things, we can be good in the kicking game and we’ll get a return of our own.”

Roster

Bowles reminded his players the roster has not yet been selected and explained his evaluation process.

“Now, we’re not the Tampa Bay Bucs yet,” he said. “There’s a lot of people in this room. Lot of competition. A lot of competition. Almost every spot. Again, I’ve said this in the past, it’s not the best 53; it’s the right 53. You’ve got to fit what we’re trying to do. You’ve got to earn your keep as a starter, as a backup, as a practice-squad guy. Even if you’re injured, you’ve got to earn your spot. We see what we see. As coaches, we make decisions on what you show us. Our jobs can be hard, or they can be easy as hell. They can be easy as hell. Injuries happen, unfortunately, but be where you’re supposed to be, guys. We’ll treat you like men. It’s a hell of a a set-up. You can go anywhere in the league and you won’t get a set-up like this, but you’ve got to carry your own weight, right?”

Schedule

Bowles mentioned the daunting schedule the Bucs play, which includes four division champions and both Super Bowl teams.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do, but what we expect from ourselves, we don’t want a lot of up and down,” he said. “We play a lot of great teams this year.

“Every team we play, we play all the championship teams. All four of them. We play the Super Bowl teams. That’s great for us, because we want to be great. You can’t get to the playoffs without being great, so our expectations have to be high. So, no matter who we play, we’ve got to play against ourselves, guys. The only way you can be great is to play for that guy next to you and talk to the guy next to you. If you communicate with him, it’s 11 on 11. (Receiver) Mike (Evans) can’t make a deep-ball catch if we can’t block for the quarterback. Everybody has got to carry out their assignment. Everybody is not going to be a star on every play, but everybody can contribute and get an assist. And that comes from selflessness. You’re selfish when you’re out there by yourself. You’re selfless when you take somebody with you. Take somebody with you every day.”

Practices

Bowles cautioned players about the grind of training camp, the need to remain hydrated and that everything is about to get harder.

“We’ve got to do a hell of a job as coaches getting you in the right spot,” he said. “We don’t do everything right. We’re going to make a mistake, as will you. It’s that we learn from it, we grow from it and we move on. That’s how we’re going to win some ballgames. We’ve been in some hostile environments. We will this year. And there will be some people coming here. First game we’ve got is here at 4:25 (p.m., Sept. 8 vs. Washington). We haven’t had one of those in a long time. It’s going to be hot. The mental toughness. You’re fighting all positions, you’re fighting the weather, and then you’ve got to stay healthy and take care of yourself. That’s No. 1. And by the end of this camp, we should be jelling right to where we need to be. We’re not going to start over from OTAs and minicamp. We should have some carryover, right? We’ll go back to basic, but there should be carryover mentally. When we’re doing the install, we should be pretty sharp coming out there (Wednesday) and not going back to the building blocks. Now, as we go forward, everybody is going to get reps. Things will get harder, the weather is going to be hot. Make sure you hydrate, take care of yourself. Weigh in … Get stretched out.”

Expectations

Bowles concluded by reiterating that he believes the Bucs have the ability to play in the Super Bowl this season.

“We’ve got a long journey,” he said. “But I have no doubt, if we do everything we’re supposed to do, we’ll be in contention for a Super Bowl. But that’s a long way away. It’s a building block to get to that, guys. You’ve got to believe that. You’ve got to show up. I don’t want anybody trying to make the team. To make the team means you’re just trying to get over. I’d rather cut you and have somebody that’s busting their ass than for you to just make the team. You’ve got to want to be something on this team, and that’s what I’m looking for. If we can get that done, we’re going to have a hell of a team. We’re off to a good start. We’ve just got to get started (Wednesday).

“Break it up.”

Bucs’ Todd Bowles in 1st team meeting: ‘It’s got to be the Super Bowl’ (2025)

FAQs

What was the first year the Bucs went to the Super Bowl? ›

The Buccaneers won their first Super Bowl in 2003 (Super Bowl XXXVII). The team won its second Super Bowl in 2021 (Super Bowl LV) which marked 7-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady's first win as a Buccaneers player.

What coach did the Buccaneers trade for just prior to their Super Bowl winning 2002 season? ›

Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis was known to have the lowest salaries for coaches in the league, and head coach Jon Gruden was no exception. Instead of paying a high salary for Gruden, Davis opted to trade the rights for Gruden to the Buccaneers in exchange for four draft picks.

What team did Todd Bowles play for in the NFL? ›

He played eight seasons in the NFL as a safety, primarily with the Washington Redskins, and was a member of the team that won Super Bowl XXII. Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.

Who was the QB when Tampa Bay won their first Super Bowl? ›

2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
Playoff finishWon Divisional Playoffs (vs. 49ers) 31–6 Won NFC Championship (at Eagles) 27–10 Won Super Bowl XXXVII (vs. Raiders) 48–21
Pro Bowlersshow 7
AP All-Prosshow 5
Team MVPQB Brad Johnson
8 more rows

Did Tom Brady go to the Super Bowl his first year? ›

He made his Super Bowl debut as a second-year quarterback in 2002 and secured six titles for the New England Patriots. His final Super Bowl ring came with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021.

Who was the quarterback for the Buccaneers in the 2002 Super Bowl? ›

Quarterback Brad Johnson made the Pro Bowl, completing 281 out of 451 passes for 3,049 yards, 22 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions. Running back Michael Pittman led the team in rushing with 718 yards and one touchdown, and caught 59 passes for 477 yards.

Who was Tampa Bay's first Super Bowl coach? ›

With head coach Jon Gruden at the helm and young stars leading the way, the new-look Buccaneers captured their first NFL championship with a convincing 48-21 win in Super Bowl XXXVII.

Who was the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before Todd Bowles? ›

Arians spent just three seasons as the Buccaneers' head coach, winning a Super Bowl in 2020 before moving onto retirement and in the process naming former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles as his successor.

Who is the highest paid NFL coach? ›

Andy Reid

Did the Todd Bowles coach the Eagles? ›

Bowles spent one year with the Philadelphia Eagles (2012), serving as the team's secondary coach before being named interim defensive coordinator for the final 10 games of the season. Philadelphia finished ninth in passing yards allowed (216.9 per game) that season.

Who was the Buccaneers coach in 1979? ›

1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
Head coachJohn McKay
Home fieldTampa Stadium
Results
Record10–6
7 more rows

What years were the Super Bowl played in Tampa? ›

Tampa is a veteran host venue, as the Cigar City held the Super Bowl in 1984, 1991, 2001 and 2009. The first two Tampa-based Super Bowls were held at the original Tampa Stadium, which was closed in 1998 and demolished in 1999 to make way for Raymond James Stadium right next door.

Who has never won a Super Bowl? ›

Which NFL teams have never won a Super Bowl?
  • Cleveland Browns (0) ...
  • Detroit Lions (0) ...
  • Houston Texans (0) ...
  • Jacksonville Jaguars (0) ...
  • Arizona Cardinals (1) ...
  • Los Angeles Chargers (1) ...
  • Tennessee Titans (1) ...
  • Atlanta Falcons (2)
Feb 6, 2024

Who won the 2005 Super Bowl? ›

The Patriots defeated the Eagles by the score of 24–21. The game was played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium (now EverBank Stadium) in Jacksonville, Florida, the first (and as of 2024 only) time the Super Bowl was played in that city.

Who won the 2004 Super Bowl? ›

New England 32, Carolina 29

Adam Vinatieri's 41-yard field goal with four seconds to play lifted New England to its second championship in three years.

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