Tristan Wirfs and Bucky Irving sideline spat proves there is some kind of disconnect between Todd Bowles and the Bucs
The Bucs are clearly unhappy with their 1-7 record over the last eight games, as they should be.
A 1-7 slump after a 6-2 start would frustrate any NFL team to no end and the sideline spat between Tristan Wirfs and Bucky Irving was ultimate proof the water is boiling over for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Both players were seen arguing at one point during the game. It’s unclear as to what was said, but Wirfs and Irving were very lively and they were clearly at odds with each other for whatever reason. FOX Sports reporter Greg Auman later said Wirfs described the situation as a “little tiff” when he spoke with the All-Pro left tackle after the game.
Of course Wirfs shrugged it off, that’s to be expected. And while it’s ultimately not a huge deal, it’s something Todd Bowles specifically said wouldn’t happen a few weeks ago.
Bowles wasn’t worried about frustrations boiling over but it still happened
Bowles was asked about keeping the Bucs’ frustrations in check and from spilling over in negative fashion. He didn’t look at it as an issue and seemed confident nothing would occur down the line, either.
“I don’t worry about it boiling over,” Bowles told reporters after the Bucs lost to the Falcons in Week 15. “You know, if it boils over, it’s gonna be in a good way, from a mean standpoint, legally, as we take the field. So we just we should be stewed all the way up until next weekend, probably the next three weeks of the season.”
This isn’t your typical heated moment and I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw two Bucs players getting into it on the sideline. The last moment that comes to mind is Antonio Brown’s strip-down at MetLife Stadium all the way back in 2021.
The spat shows some kind of disconnect between Bowles and the Bucs
Yes, two more games were lost in frustrating fashion after the Falcons loss, so there was certainly a different level of exasperation during the Dolphins matchup. At the same time, however, Bowles was confident in projecting his answer over the final games of the season and he ended up wrong.
To me, that indicates some sort of disconnect between him and the players. It’d be one thing for an argument to occur between a couple of backups or whatever, but to see one of the team captains and one of the star players go at it is different. That’s coming from the top level of the roster and it most certainly trickles down to the guys below them.
Regardless, they all need to get on the same page, because it could be their last chance to do so if they don’t. There is a definitely a world where Bowles gets fired after a 7-10 finish and that’s as real as ever heading into Week 18.
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