The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the talk of the league after their 30-24 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night.  Bucs scored a touchdown with 27 seconds left to pull within 24-23, with the chance to go for the lead.  

Head coach Todd Bowles opted to play it safe and kicked the extra point, banking on his tired defense somehow getting a stop in overtime.  That strategy failed when the Bucs lost the coin toss and Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense did what they did twice in the fourth quarter, drive 70 yards for a touchdown.  

Bowles' decision met has been met with a lot of criticism from fans and media.  Chiefs head coach Andy Reid even admitted he was glad Bowles went for two.  

Add Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce to the list of those who felt Bowles made the wrong choice. Kelce said on his New Heights podcast with his brother, Jason, that he would have gone for two if he was the Bucs, given the location. 

The Kelce brothers spoke about the Chiefs Monday Night victory against Buccaneers.

Travis very complimentary of Baker Mayfield & Todd Bowles. Both brothers also agreed they would have went for the 2-PT conversion in that spot.

(cursing disclaimer)

Courtesy: @newheightshow pic.twitter.com/65JLQndd9f

— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) November 6, 2024

"Man, I'll tell you what. I just think when you're at an away stadium, I feel like you go for it. I think at home, you've got home field advantage, you've got a lot more energy. Try and end it right there, instead of – especially with the overtime rules in the regular season where you're not guaranteed a possession if the other team scores a touchdown. You don't know whether or not you're going to get that ball back."

Jason Kelce was a little bit more on the fence about the call, understanding where Bowles was coming from. 

"I kind of agree with you, but I'll back Todd up a little bit. I've been a part of this before.  We scored Dougie P's first year.  We're in Baltimore. We have a great late-minute drive, and we elect to go for two to end the game. And yeah, we definitely got a blitz zero, and we did not connect, and the game was over and we lost.

"It's one of those decisions.  It's 50-50.  I think with Pat there, in Arrowhead, let's just try and get it done.  Let's not even give him a chance to get the ball back and really make something happen. But I kind of see both sides of it." 

What Travis said tends to be the most common philosophy: play for the tie at home, go for the win on the road.  And who knows how it ultimately would have turned out had Bowles rolled the dice. 

However, there's no doubt the Bucs' offense was playing far better than the defense – which couldn't get off the field when they needed to – at that point and had momentum on its side.  Giving Mahomes the ball back should also have been in the forefront of Bowles' thoughts.  Not to mention the result the last time the Bucs had their fate decided by a coin toss in overtime this year: a 36-30 walk off loss to Atlanta where the Bucs never possessed the ball. 

Now, the Bucs have what's almost a must-win game against the 49ers on Sunday that might not have had the same stakes of Bowles made a different choice on Monday night. 

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