Bucs HC Todd Bowles and OC Dave Canales – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR Over the first six weeks of the year Todd Bowles was his usual self when it came to in-game decision making. He ranked 29th in the NFL in going for it on fourth down during neutral situations when he should per Arjun Menon’s “The Scout,” doing so less than half the time. This was a continuation of the same coach Bowles was last year. Something changed around Week 7. Since then, Todd Bowles has literally been perfect on going for it on fourth down when he should in situations where the game was still largely in doubt. This culminated in Week 16 against the Jaguars when Bowles eschewed his conservative tendencies and added real win probability through his fourth down approach. After kicking on fourth-and-goal from the 6-yard line on the Bucs’ first drive, Bowles had his first “tough call” on the second drive of the game. At the Jacksonville 18 the Bucs faced fourth-and-2. Tampa Bay had a six-play, 38-yard drive up until that point. A field goal would have put the Bucs up 6-0. But Bowles had faith in his offense and left them out there to convert the first down and continue their quest towards a touchdown. The gambit paid off. On the first play of the second quarter the Bucs ran Rachaad White off the left end of the line for four yards and a new set of downs. Four plays later, Tampa Bay would score a touchdown on a pass from Baker Mayfield to Mike Evans. Instead of leading by less than a score the Bucs would take a two-score lead, 10-0. On the following drive Bowles kept the accelerator down. After traveling 24 yards in five plays the Bucs once again could have settled for a field goal to extend their lead to 13 points. This time the proposition of going for it was even riskier as Tampa Bay was facing fourth-and-5 from the Jaguars’ 34. 
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today A 51-yard field goal was well within kicker Chase McLaughlin’s range (he is 6-of-7 from 50+ yards this season). But Bowles elected to go for it once again. Offensive coordinator Dave Canales drew up a pass play that had Baker Mayfield attempt to find Evans once again, but the pass fell incomplete. Bowles and the Bucs would luck out on a roughing the passer call that would advance them 15 yards and reset their downs. Tampa Bay would eventually have to settle for the field goal, but the process was sound. The Bucs would go for it on fourth down one more time in the fourth quarter well after the game was in hand. Tampa Bay would fail to convert, but the process was still sound. All of this in a game leading up to a divisional matchup that just over a year ago featured Todd Bowles and New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen trade conservative, cowardly shots in a Monday night affair no one deserved to win. This recent aggressive adjustment from Bowles bodes well for his ability to the Bucs’ win probability at the margins. Yet Allen continues to play the game as a defensive coach typically would…defensive and scared. Over the same Week 7-on time-frame he is 29th in going for it when he should, clocking in at around 38%. The Bucs have been playing better of late. They have been achieving more positive outcomes as well. That is, in part, due to an evolution of head coach Todd Bowles’ decision-making. This bodes well for the team’s future prospects. The post Todd Bowles: Aggressive Head Coach?! appeared first on Pewter Report. Source: https://www.pewterreport.com/todd-bowle ... ead-coach/
