Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles made a questionable decision with just 27 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs. After Tampa Bay’s offense marched down the field to score a touchdown and cut Kansas City’s lead to one point, Bowles elected not to attempt a two-point conversion on the road.
The Chiefs won the coin toss ahead of overtime, and Tampa Bay’s offense never retook the field in Week 9. The NFL world reacted accordingly to Bowles’ odd decision.
NFL World Reacts to Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles’ Controversial Decision Against Chiefs
Following Tampa Bay’s 30-24 loss to the Chiefs, many immediately questioned Bowles’ decision to settle for the extra point attempt on the road in Kansas City, Mo.
Bowles was asked the reasoning behind the questionable decision during his postgame press conference. He mentioned the wet field conditions as one of the factors in his decision.
Video: Todd Bowles said he gave “very minor” thought to going for two after the late touchdown. Cited wet field conditions, thought they could win in overtime. pic.twitter.com/uR67NorVnA
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) November 5, 2024
ESPN analyst and former Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman offered his thoughts on the controversial decision, including what he would do in a similar situation.
“I thought the entire drive that, if they scored, they would go for two,” Aikman said. “You are on the road versus the defending world champs and have them on the ropes and you get a chance to win a game on one play, I think you have to do that.”
Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, Bowles didn’t agree with Aikman, and it ultimately cost them a potential upset victory on Monday night.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked for his thoughts on Bowles’ decision to opt against the two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter.
While Reid stated that he wasn’t surprised by Bowles’ decision, he joked that he was glad Tampa Bay didn’t attempt the potential game-winning two-point conversion.
Video: Andy Reid, asked if he was surprised that Todd Bowles didn’t go for two after their late touchdown. “No … But I’m glad he didn’t.” pic.twitter.com/gyThOf06q4
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) November 5, 2024
Jason Smith of Fox Sports Radio questioned Bowles’ reasoning for passing up on the two-point conversion opportunity. Smith highlights how Tampa Bay’s offense was able to overcome the wet conditions on a 71-yard drive to score the eventual game-tying touchdown.
Yet Bowles was somehow scared to attempt a potential game-winning play in those same exact weather conditions. Bowles’ reasoning for the decision nearly makes it seem worse.
Todd Bowles watching his team go 71 yards in 2:00 for the late 4th quarter TD but then saying he didn’t want to go for two because “the field was wet” is some sort of crap, lemme tell you.
— Jason Smith (@howaboutafresca) November 5, 2024
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com expected Bowles to settle for the extra point given his personality. However, he points out that the Buccaneers needed to give themselves a chance to win it all by attempting the two-point conversion on the road in Kansas City.
While a one-point lead with 27 seconds remaining in the game against Mahomes isn’t necessarily a guaranteed win, it’s a significantly better situation than giving the ball to the Chiefs at the start of overtime.
I expected the personality of Todd Bowles to decide to kick the extra point, but you’ve got to just give yourself a chance to win it all with one play in that scenario.
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) November 5, 2024
Josh Hill of FanSided highlighted that Bowles’ decision to kick the extra point wasn’t his only questionable decision on that final possession. The Buccaneers could have used more of the game clock and limited the time the Chiefs had on their next possession.
If there was significantly less time remaining in the game, Bowles may have opted to go for the win with a two-point conversion as well. Week 9 certainly wasn’t the first time that Bowles’ clock management ability has been called into question.
If we’re going to crush Todd Bowles for anything, it’s calling that timeout with :30 left before the touchdown. That changes a lot of the dynamic.
— Josh Hill (@jdavhill) November 5, 2024
Bowles Wasn’t the Only Timid HC During Crunch Time in Week 9
While Bowles’ decision will be magnified because it happened under the bright lights of “Monday Night Football” against the defending champions, he wasn’t the only head coach to become timid during crunch time in Week 9.
The Buccaneers joined the Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins, and New England Patriots as teams that scored a touchdown while trailing by seven points in the final two minutes of their respective games this week.
All four teams elected to kick the extra point instead of attempting a two-point conversion. Thanks to questionable decision-making, all four teams eventually lost in Week 9.
According to PFN’s NFL Playoff Predictor, Tampa Bay’s postseason chances took a significant hit following the team’s loss on Monday night. The Buccaneers’ chances of making the playoffs dropped from 55.24% to 44.55% after losing to the Chiefs.
Bowles and the Buccaneers have now lost their first three prime-time matchups in 2024. Tampa Bay lost by a final score of 36-30 against the Atlanta Falcons on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 5.
Then the Buccaneers lost against the Baltimore Ravens on “Monday Night Football” in Week 7. Tampa Bay fell short by a final score of 41-31, while the Buccaneers lost both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin against the Ravens in the process.
Lastly, the Buccaneers had a chance to escape with an upset victory in Kansas City. Ultimately, Bowles’ questionable decision-making handed Tampa Bay its fifth loss of the regular season.
The Buccaneers have one prime-time game remaining on their regular season schedule. They are slated to visit the Dallas Cowboys for “Sunday Night Football” in Week 16. Although, if Bowles and the Buccaneers continue to struggle, the game could be flexed out of that prime-time spot by the NFL.
