Brian Daboll, Mike McCarthy among NFL coaches with most to prove over rest of 2024 season

Bowles is in his third season as the Bucs head coach, and they went to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, winning a playoff game last season, the first since Tom Brady retired. In the weak NFC South, though, the Bucs have never won 10 games in a season under Bowles, and this season, with a cascade of injuries, the Bucs lost four in a row. They have also lost both games to the Falcons, and their defense, entering Week 13, had allowed, on average, the fourth-most overall yards and passing yards in the league. Still, Bowles has a chance to get the Bucs to the playoffs again, thanks to Atlanta’s inability to pull away in the division. An improved defense will be required. The unit got off to a good start following Tampa’s Week 11 bye by allowing just seven points to the Giants in Week 12, but on Sunday, the Bucs allowed Bryce Young to pilot a two-minute drive and take the lead for Carolina late in regulation. Then, in overtime, the D forced a turnover that led to Tampa’s winning field goal. The Bucs have a very manageable schedule, and they and the Falcons are both 6-6 atop the division.