The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hit rock bottom with four straight losses, slipping to 4-6 before their Week 11 bye. However, they’ve since rallied, winning four of their last five games to reach 8-6, setting up a critical Sunday Night Football matchup against the 6-8 Cowboys.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles revealed to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer the key strategies his team employed during their November bye week to spark a season turnaround.
“We really went back to basics, fundamentals and technique because we lost a lot of games on fundamentals and technique [in] the first part of the year,” Bowles stated. “And it sounds corny or crazy, but we really tried to concentrate on that. We thought we were in every game. But if we just took care of us, and learned how to win in the fourth quarter, and tackle better and block better, and just take better angles all the way around, we thought we could squeeze some games out.”
The Buccaneers benefited from a soft landing after their bye week, facing a trio of struggling opponents in the Giants, Panthers, and Raiders.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Buccaneers are now on the radar of teams around the league after their explosive offense exploded for 506 yards in a 40-17 rout of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Tampa Bay holds a precarious one-game lead over Atlanta in the NFC South heading into the final weekend before Christmas. The Falcons, despite having already beaten the Buccaneers twice this season, are now relying on rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to reignite their fading playoff hopes.
“The confidence grew from the first half of the year,” Bowles added. “and now we’re finishing them off in the second half.”
Under Bowles’ leadership, the 2023 Buccaneers overcame a mid-season slump, rebounding from a 4-7 record to win five of their next six games and secure the division title. Bowles’ ability to steer his team through adversity was further demonstrated by their impressive playoff win and hard-fought divisional-round loss to the Detroit Lions.
