Todd Bowles Questioned for Decision Not to Go for Two Late in Loss to Chiefs

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles arrives before a game against the New Orleans Saints. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were defeated in overtime by the Kansas City Chiefs, and they didn't even get a chance to possess the football during the extra period.

Baker Mayfield guessed incorrectly on the coin toss, resulting in Patrick Mahomes and Co. marching down field and winning the game on a Kareem Hunt touchdown run on the first and only possession in overtime.

Of course, overtime could have been avoided entirely if not for one decision from Todd Bowles after the Buccaneers scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Rather than go for a two-point conversion and have a chance to end the game in regulation, Bowles opted to kick a PAT to even the score at 24.

That decision ultimately proved costly, as Tampa Bay's offense never touched the football again. Mahomes and the Chiefs failed to score a touchdown with 27 seconds left in regulation, but they didn't fall short in overtime.

Many NFL fans, and even Troy Aikman on the ESPN broadcast, expressed their disagreement with Bowles' decision to play it safe.

Yeah, should have gone for 2.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) November 5, 2024

Go for 2 you coward Todd Bowles!
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) November 5, 2024

Gotta try to win it again Mahomes right?!
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) November 5, 2024

Todd Bowles opts to let Patrick Mahomes have more possessions to win the game. Go for two and take it out of his hands.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) November 5, 2024

Todd Bowles really thought going to overtime against the best quarterback in the world was a better idea than attempting a 2 point conversion.
— Brenden Deeg (@BrendenDeeg_) November 5, 2024

Don't blame us, blame Todd Bowles for not going for two
— Rany Jazayerli (@jazayerli) November 5, 2024

Tampa Bay never got the ball back after deciding to kick the extra point to tie it.

On the road vs Kansas City I think you go for 2 every single day of the week.
— Zach Bollinger (@zachbollinger18) November 5, 2024

Clearly, Bowles's decision wasn't a popular one among NFL fans, who felt that it was a wiser move to go for the two points rather than put the ball back in Mahomes's hands. Hindsight says they were right.