Bowles has been breaking down every play on defense to determine what the Bucs need to do better to avoid another midseason swoon.

So when healthy, the team's talent is clear, but Bowles wants to see more of a "killer" mindset from his players in 2025 and having gotten more plaudits for how they've played over the past 24 months, the Buccaneers now realize that it is time to stand up and be counted.

There's an old adage that defense wins championships. In the modern NFL, that phrase doesn't pull as much weight as it used to. Defense certainly still wins cha