As the Buccaneers, still reeling from the Washington Commanders’ go-ahead touchdown, opted to kick a field goal on their final drive of Wild Card Weekend, it appeared to be the pivotal play that would tie it for Tampa Bay at 20-20.
Facing a crucial fourth-and-3 situation with 4:41 remaining at Washington’s 14-yard line, the Buccaneers were presented with a daunting decision. They could either attempt to score a touchdown or gain a first down, thereby draining more clock time and increasing pressure on Dan Quinn’s offense, or opt to tie the game and rely on their defense to contain a Washington team that was visibly in rhythm.
In the heat of the moment, Todd Bowles chose to play it safe and settle for a tie, particularly after the Buccaneers’ run game was stifled for a -2 yard loss on the preceding play. However, in retrospect, this decision will be scrutinized indefinitely, as it ultimately paved the way for a game-winning drive led by Jayden Daniels, who methodically marched down the field and set up Zane Gonzalez’s decisive field goal.
Following the game, Todd Bowles was questioned about his conservative approach, particularly against an opponent that had shown a tendency to be overly aggressive at times. Bowles explained that, after being held to negative yards on third down, he lacked confidence in his offense’s ability to execute and secure the win, leading him to opt for a more cautious strategy.
“It was third-and-1, obviously … and we go backwards… it was fourth-and-3. We shot ourselves in the foot a few times on that drive, so it was easier to tie the ballgame in that [situation],” Bowles said. “If we were moving the ball at ease and getting down there every single time, we probably would’ve went for it. At the time when we were going for it, we had it third-and-1, and we thought we had two downs to get 1 yard. We didn’t get it; we went backward. If we didn’t get it, it was 20-17, and we possibly lose the ballgame, so at least we had the tie and try to get the defense to get the ball back.”
On paper, Todd Bowles’ assessment of his offense’s struggles appears valid, given the Buccaneers’ sputtering performance down the stretch, marked by multiple negative plays, including a costly fumble on the previous drive that relinquished momentum. Nevertheless, Bowles expressed pride in his defense’s overall performance, both in the game and throughout the season, as they demonstrated resilience in the face of injuries to deliver a strong showing.
“I don’t know, it changed so much. It’s not so much about deploying a defense as it is about executing what we call. I thought those guys, for the most part, did a good job of coming in and executing what we called with what they can do well,” Bowles pointed out. “That was the defense we were going to play. We had a chance to be successful if they executed the defense, and they did a good job after the Bye Week of coming in and doing that, so I was proud of them for that.”
It’s impossible to know for certain whether the Buccaneers would have emerged victorious if they had attempted to convert the fourth-and-3 instead of settling for a field goal. However, the lingering “what if” surrounding that pivotal decision will undoubtedly haunt the team throughout the offseason.
