The Tampa Bay Buccaneers put the Kansas City Chiefs‘ backs against the wall on Monday. However, Todd Bowles‘ men couldn’t get the job done at Arrowhead, with Andy Reid‘s team extending its perfect streak in the 2024 NFL season to eight games.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Bucs had a golden chance to take the lead with less than 30 seconds remaining. But instead of going for two, Bowles ordered the team to kick for an extra point to tie the game 24-24 and force overtime.
This decision proved costly for Tampa Bay, with quarterback Baker Mayfield losing the coin toss to Patrick Mahomes before Kareem Hunt sealed the deal in Kansas City with a game-winning rushing touchdown for the Chiefs.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Reid was asked whether Bowles’ controversial decision not to go for two points took him by surprise. “No, but I’m glad he didn’t,” Reid admitted.
Head coach Todd Bowles of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on during the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Raymond James Stadium on October 21, 2024 in Tampa, Florida.
Todd Bowles explains why Bucs didn’t go for two against Reid’s Chiefs
The outcome of the game saw Bowles get criticism from around the NFL, as Tampa Bay had a great chance to upset the defending Super Bowl champions on the road. However, the Bucs head coach defended his controversial decision after the game.
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“We wanted to get it to overtime,” Bowles told the press, via Pro Football Talk. “With the wet conditions on the field, we feel like we had to go into overtime instead of go for two.”
Bowles played it safe by going for the extra point, but it’s hard to blame him. To be fair, going for two was risky, even if the attempt was successful. While 27 seconds may not look like too much time for most NFL teams, Mahomes has already proven this could be more than enough for him.
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Bowles reveals Bucs had already made the call before the TD
In an interview with WFLA, Bowles revealed that the Bucs’ decision to go for the extra point in Kansas City was made before Mayfield found wide receiver Ryan Miller in the end zone.
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“I mean, we talked about it as a staff going down there [to the end zone]; going forward we understood we were going for one and we were going to get it into overtime,” Bowles told Dan Lucas. “We felt we had momentum with moving the ball on offense; we thought defensively we could hold them to three and get the ball back and either tie them or beat them that way, as well. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.”
