Changes Coming For Buccaneers? Why Dolphins Throwback Isn't Always Worn; Aaron Rodgers Bullish On Playoffs; And Dak Is Back

If changes are coming within the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they're not likely to be done this week. And they probably wouldn't be done by coach Todd Bowles.

That's the long and short of it for the Buccaneers as they try to stand straight after getting knocked down, and possibly out, by consecutive shocking upset losses to a decimated Pittsburgh Steelers team, and a Carolina Panthers team with seemingly nothing to play for.

After the Pittsburgh loss two week ago, Bowles said the coaching staff was looking to make changes. And, sure enough, there was an interior offensive line shuffle during Sunday's game, but precious little beyond that.

And certainly little that mattered.

After the loss Bowles said his coaching staff and their duties will remain intact.

"I would not consider a change in coaching but we need to change some of the things we’re doing," Bowles said. "We definitely need to change some of the things we’re doing and we’ve been discussing that. It can’t happen overnight but we’ve got to do a lot better in what we’ve been doing as a whole."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could have gotten off to a 7-0 lead against the Carolina Panthers but receiver Mike Evans dropped a sure TD pass on first series of the game. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Possible Changes for Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Couple of things: They've been discussing changes but haven't implemented them? Chop-chop, folks. The season doesn't last forever.

Secondly, the truth is this is a bad week for changing anything.

The Bucs host the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday. On such short weeks there's little time to even conduct full practices much less change coaches or significant adjust schemes or other plans.

So barring ownership or general manager Jason Licht stepping in, there won't be any revolutionary shift to something or someone else before this game.

But ...

The Buccaneers won't play again until Nov. 6. They'll have 10 days between games and that is plenty of time to make changes.

And what could those entail?

This is just speculation but the shadow of Bruce Arians looms. And the presence of offensive consultant Tom Moore intrigues.

Both men are constantly around the team, Arians as a senior advisor to the general manager, and Moore as an offensive assistant. Both have had great success coordinating offenses and calling plays in their pasts.

Arians or Moore could be placed alongside offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, who is in charge of the under-performing offense as the coordinator.

Leftwich, in his fourth season as the team's OC, would not like this. On the other hand, does he like his unit's lackluster production?

And there's a significant question whether either Arians or Moore have the desire or the energy to take on the job they would share with Leftwich.

There's also the question of whether a two-headed offense is a solution or a bigger problem in the making?

This much is certain: The Bucs will have 10 days following their Thursday night game to correct the pirate ship's course.

That's the time, Waiting until the bye week of Nov. 20 might be too late.

The Miami Dolphins rolled out their throwback uniforms Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

The Truth About Those Dolphins Throwbacks

The Miami Dolphins look better and arguably play better, in their throwback uniforms.

I don't know of anyone who thinks the club's regular uniforms are nicer than the throwbacks.

Well, actually I do know: Stephen Ross.

He's the one.

The franchise's owner and club chairman has for years preferred the new uniforms that were introduced in 2013 and updated slightly in 2018 under his auspices to the old uniforms.

And because Ross really likes the later look, the Dolphins are using their uniforms from their inception in 1966 through the 1970s, as an alternate look rather than their regular uniform.

Simple as that.

It's a Ross call.

If Ross wanted the uniforms changed back to what the entire rest of the Earth prefers, it would eventually happen. But he has instead resisted suggestions and even persuasion attempts from team brass to make the return to the traditional look.

Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Green Bay Packers offense struggled in a loss to the Washington Commanders. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Rodgers Convinced Green Bay Packers Headed To Playoffs

The Green Bay Packers are reeling. There's no argument about that with this team not only losing three consecutive games but headed toward a Sunday night meeting against the Buffalo Bills with no real clue why things are going so terribly wrong.

"I think if we knew what the answer was right now, we wouldn’t be standing here," coach Matt LaFleur said. "Whatever it is, right now what we are putting out there, what I’m calling, it ain’t good enough. So yeah, it’s a tough pill to swallow and we’ve got to be better."

And despite all this bad news and in the middle of these rough times, quarterback Aaron Rodgers is certain -- certain! -- a plausible reason to expect a playoff push for this team exists.

"You’re right it does," Rodgers said after Sunday's loss to the Washington Commanders. "I’m not worried about this squad. In fact, this might be the best thing for us. This week, nobody’s going to give us a chance. Going to Buffalo on Sunday Night Football, a chance to get exposed. Shoot, it might be the best thing for us."

Really? Rodgers thinks the Packers locker room is in agreement with that?

"I mean, it should be," Rodgers said. "Unless they don’t think they’re the right person for the job. I think I’m the right person for the job. So, you might have to ask them."

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott made a successful return from thumb surgery against the Detroit Lions. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Thumbs up for Dak Prescott

First, let's acknowledge that Dak Prescott had to convince himself his surgically repaired thumb, which forced him to miss five games, was no longer a problem on Sunday afternoon.

"The thumb definitely didn’t bother me once I got out of my head," Prescott said. "I felt like after a few throws I was back into it."

And now the next most important issue: The Cowboys underwent something of a transformation during the time Prescott was away and Cooper Rush was starting in his place. The team began to lean on its defense and running game to win games.

With Prescott's return against the Detroit Lions, the team leaned on it defense and running game to win this game.

"This was a great team win, this is what I had been watching for the last five weeks with this defense, special teams, and us playing complementary football," Prescott said. "It was great to be back and be a part of it."

There will be games in which the Cowboys will need Dak to be Dak and take over and throw the football maybe 40 times. But that looks like it's going to be the extreme circumstance.

It's not what the team is planning to do anymore. Prescott threw 1 TD pass while the Cowboys ran the ball 32 times compared to 25 pass attempts (Prescott had three runs).

"As I’ve been watching for the past five weeks, these are all the things I’ve seen," Prescott said. "I feel like we have been running the ball better than we have in a couple of years. We get the offensive line going and you can see how excited they are.

"They come back out to possessions saying, ‘Hey continue to run it.' You want to feed the backs and the offensive line to make sure they get into that rhythm and feel good about what they’re doing. We were able to do that tonight and it eventually paid off in some touchdowns."

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