While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went through a bit of a rough patch during the season, they rallied back and won five of their final six games to clinch a playoff berth.
Rumors are swirling that a playoff coach could potentially be let go. Is Todd Bowles’ job safe?
Will the Buccaneers Fire Todd Bowles?
After starting 3-1, the Bucs went 1-6 after their bye week, and nothing seemed to be going right, leading some to believe Bowles’ job may be in jeopardy.
At the time, Buccaneers insider Rick Stroud dropped the news that Bowles might be on the hot seat but is not expected to be fired during the season.
“According to Bucs’ officials, Bowles’ job appears safe for at least the remaining six games, including four against the underwhelming NFC South,” Stroud wrote. “Barring something unforeseen, the Glazers prefer to evaluate everything at the end of the season and weigh all factors, including injuries.”
The decision to stick with Bowles paid off as the team saw a late-season turnaround. Winning five of their last six games to host another home playoff game is a remarkable turnaround not many head coaches could make.
Chances are very likely that regardless of the outcome of Monday’s game, Bowles’ job will be safe. And certainly, a win over the Eagles all but guarantees his future in Tampa Bay.
Additionally, Bowles has demonstrated improvement, going from an 8-9 record in 2022 to 9-8 in 2023 while winning a weakened NFC South for the second straight year.
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Another influencing factor is what head-coaching candidates are available. Both Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll are out at New England and Seattle, respectively. Both will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day, but they also are 71 and 72 years old, respectively, and not likely to coach the Bucs.
The Buccaneers will host the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Weekend finale Monday night.
Philadelphia has dropped five of its last six games. The Eagles have trailed for more game time since Week 13 than they did from Weeks 1-12, including the worst turnover margin in the league since Week 13.
The last time the two teams met, the Eagles posted 201 rushing yards in a 25-11 win and held Tampa Bay to a 2023-low 174 yards.
It’s been a rocky season for Tampa Bay, who barely made it into their fourth consecutive playoff appearance thanks to a 9-0 win over a 2-15 Panthers team in the final game of the regular season.
Mayfield is also not in the best shape, as he will be playing through rib and ankle injuries.
With Dallas losing to Green Bay, the Packers are the lowest seed still alive in the NFC, setting up a divisional matchup against the 49ers. With Detroit defeating Los Angeles, it leaves the Lions as the second-highest seed still alive in the conference.
That means the winner of Buccaneers-Eagles will play the Lions at Ford Field in the Divisional Round.
Want to predict the results of the 2023 NFL postseason with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? How about looking into in-depth breakdowns of team depth charts or the NFL playoff schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with all that and more!
