The Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will square off in a Week 7 NFC battle on “Monday Night Football.” Lions coach Dan Campbell and Bucs coach Todd Bowles have a long history together, dating back
to when Campbell was a player in Dallas.
“We’ve got a real good opponent coming in Monday night,” Campbell said on Thursday. “Todd Bowles, got a lot of respect for him. As you guys know, we were together in Dallas. I’ve known him for a long time, coached together in Miami. And just what he’s done throughout the years, he’s an outstanding coach. (His) teams are tough, physical, aggressive, disciplined. So, we’ve got our hands full.”
Let’s take a closer look at the Bucs’ coaching staff, the scheme that they run, and some scouting notes from previously viewed games.
Bucs head coach: Todd Bowles
NFL coaching seasons: 26 seasons
Head coaching seasons: 9 seasons, Dolphins 2011 (interim), Jets 2015-18, Bucs 2022-present
Influences: Bill Parcells, Mike Zimmer, Mike Nolan, Chuck Pagano, Paul Pasqualoni, Juan Castillo
Playcaller: Yes (Defense)
Offensive coordinator: Josh Grizzard
NFL coaching seasons: Nine (first seven with the Miami Dolphins)
Offensive coordinator seasons: First (was Bucs passing game coordinator in 2024)
Influences: Liam Coen (Sean McVay), Mike McDaniel (Kyle Shanahan), Adam Gase, Jim Caldwell, Chan Gailey
Key Staff: Tom Moore, Senior Offensive Assistant (Lions OC 1994-6)
Offensive scheme
Passing game: McVay West Coast
Running scheme: Shanahan zone
Staples of scheme:
- Personnel: 11 (67.6%, seventh), 12 (21.2%, 20th), 13 (5,4%, 12th), 21 (3.3%, 12th)
- Heavy McVay/Shanahan scheme influences via Liam Coen (Bucs 2024 OC, current Jaguars HC)
- Core West Coast concepts: Play-action, pre-snap motion, bunch formations, etc.
- Balanced approach
- Pure progression reads
- Rhythm passing plays
- Want to attack and push the ball vertically
- QB has the freedom at the line to check into better plays
Scouting notes
- Vertical passing game is winning them ball games
- QB Baker Mayfield is manipulating safeties and striking deep when they vacate
- Mayfield is quick to diagnose errors on defense
- Mayfield adapts on the fly, pre- and post-snap
- Mayfield fights through sacks — defense can’t stop on a play
- Mayfield is dicing up zone defenses
- More 12 personnel with injuries at WR
- Reserve WRs are very good at YAC
- Loads of pre-snap motion
- Play-action usage is lower than expected for scheme: 18.9% (31st)
- More power and GAP runs (with Rachaad White at RB) than you’d expect in s Shanahan scheme
- OL had a lot of push vs. 49ers (DVOA run defense: 19th), less vs. Seattle (DVOA: 2)
Dan Campbell on the Bucs’ offense:
“Quarterback’s (Baker Mayfield’s) playing really good football right now. Got a lot of respect for him, the way he plays the game. They’ll grind it out but they’ve got an explosive element on their offense – they’ve got guys they can throw to here, they can run the ball, (and a) good offensive line.”
Dan Campbell on Bucs’ QB Baker Mayfield:
“I respect the player he is, the person he is and really what he has overcome. I do. In that regard it is a lot like (Jared) Goff. When there’s a lot of people or teams that told you that you’re not the guy and you hang in there, continue to work, improve your game, keep your confidence, don’t listen to that mess and you find the right fit. You find the right fit and then boy you take off and that’s really what he’s done. And I just think he’s resilient and I love that about him.”
Run Game Coordinator/OLB: Larry Foote
For the previous three seasons (2022-24), Foote (a Michigan native) was the Bucs’ co-defensive coordinator along with current Lions defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers, while Bowles maintained play-calling duties. In 2025, the Bucs shifted titles around, assigning Foote a new title of Run Game Coordinator and outside linebackers coach.
NFL coaching seasons: 11 seasons (four with Cardinals, seven with Bucs)
Roles with Bucs: OLB coach, Co-DC/Passing game coordinator/ILB coach, Run game coordinator/OLB coach
Influences: Todd Bowles, Dick LeBeau, Jim Schwartz, Steve Wilks
Defensive scheme
Base: Attacking 34
Coverage: Zone
Staples of scheme:
- Operate with 3-4 concepts, like 2-gapping DL and stand-up pass rushing OLBs
- Lots of subpackage looks that operate like a 2-4 front
- Primary focus on stopping the run
- Blitz Heavy (32.9%, 6th most) and very creative—although there’s a lot of tape on his style/tendencies
- 3-3 fire zones, Cover-1 man, and Cover-0 blitzes
- Replacement blitzing—Not afraid to drop edge rushers into coverages
- Phantom pressure
- Will also blitz to stop the run
- DL slants, games, twists, all designed to cause chaos
- Will load the box (29.9%, 6th most)
- Corners will press WRs in both man and zone coverages
- Zone-balanced coverage schemes
Scouting notes
- A lot more Base 3-4 looks vs. 49ers run-first attack—could see same approach vs. Lions
- Mainly used subpackages on third downs or obvious passing situations
- Heavy zone coverage with blitzing and fake blitzing
- Attack the intermediate middle; ILBs are struggling in coverage
- Deep slants behind the LBs and in front of the safeties are open…a lot (perfect route for Jameson Williams)
- Third down blitzes are a problem—disguised pressure and fill behind with disguised zone
- Not afraid to use an outside CB blitz
- Recorded 15 pressures vs 49ers, per Next Gen Stats—felt like double that
Dan Campbell on the Bucs’ defense
“Defensively, you’ve got to be ready for it all. (LB) Lavonte David’s been doing it a long time, he’s a takeaway machine. In the front, (DT) Vita Vea, obviously. (S Antoine) Winfield, I mean we can keep going. They’ve got a lot of good players over there and they play good football.”
