Detroit Lions defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers spent five years in Tampa Bay working alongside Bucs head coach Todd Bowles. During a press conference Thursday afternoon, when asked about what information Rodgers might give his new team against the Bucs, Bowles made a reference to the Temptations.
“He’s gonna be singing like David Ruffin with the Temptations,” he said, with his usual wry chuckle sprinkled in.
Which got me thinking; is Todd Bowles big into old-school R&B?
Where do his tastes lie, do they get as funky as Tower of Power, or is he more of a mellow, Marvin Gaye fellow (not that Marvin Gaye couldn’t get down or isn’t elite, but it’s just a different style)?
And then that led me to the ultimate, silly point of this article.
What classic R&B tunes best represent the current Bucs’ players?
It can be about their situation, how they’ve been playing, or just vibes.
Enough hemming and hawing, let’s get into it, starting with everyone’s favorite QB.
Baker Mayfield: “You’re Still a Young Man” by Tower of Power
“I was accused of being too young, but I’m not so young”
Look, I’m closer to being 30 than I am 20, so I have no room to talk, but I hadn’t realized Baker was 30 already. He’s playing a style that betrays his age, scrambling and making plays as if he was still at Oklahoma or Texas Tech.
Only now, he’s cleaning up his game, with only one interception thrown over the first six games. That was really his only issue last year, and now that he’s cleaning it up he’s absolutely in the MVP conversation.
Mike Evans: “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green
“Let me say that since, baby, since we’ve been together, ooh, loving you forever”
Ah, Mike Evans. Is he the greatest Buc ever? Offensively, without a doubt. Overall? Well… he’s up there, among some very elite defensive players and Hall of Famers.
Regardless, he’s longer in the tooth and closer to the end than I’d like to think, and it’d be great for him to be a career Buc.
But, business is business, and Evans is going to be a free agent after this season.
He could potentially retire, but he could also go elsewhere, a sad thought that I hope doesn’t come to pass. So let’s stay together, Mike. Or retire. You deserve it.
Emeka Egbuka: “Partyman” by Prince
“All hail the new king in town”
I mean, every time that dude touches the ball something good happens.
His immediate rapport with Baker has been impressive, but factoring in his status as a first year player it’s absolutely bonkers that he’s been one of the best wide receivers in football up to this point.
The Ohio State product is crazy talented and seems to be a good presence in the locker room; all of the coaches and vets have spoken glowingly about his work ethic and preparation.
But when he’s on the field? It’s like a party breaks out every time he makes a catch.
Jamel Dean: “Try a Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding
“It makes it, easier, easier to bear, yeah”
Poor Jamel Dean has been the scapegoat for a lot of the Bucs’ defensive struggles over the years against the pass.
But this past week he was not only good, he was superlative, as he took home NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors (the same week as his birthday, maybe I should’ve had Stevie Wonder for him… ah well).
And you know, he really hasn’t been the reason the Bucs have been so bad defending the pass over the years, it’s been a multitude of issues.
A non-existent pass rush, poor linebacker play, and so many injuries have all had a far greater impact than Dean’s play. So let’s “try a little tenderness,” shall we?
Tez Johnson: “Playing Your Game, Baby” by Barry White
“You start, you stop, you know what you got”
What a shifty guy, huh? Tez might be the smallest player in football, but he made a massive impact Sunday with a circus touchdown catch that put the Bucs firmly in the driver’s seat in their win over the 49ers.
And if he keeps playing his game, avoiding big hits and making people miss with his elusive and elite change of direction, he can be a force in this league.
Antoine Winfield, Jr.: “Get Up Offa That Thing” by James Brown
“I’m Back”
AWJ had a rough 2024. He knows it, fans know it, everyone with eyes knows it.
That’s not representative of who he is as a player, and he’s proving that this season, bouncing back to be the great safety and linchpin of this defense that he truly is, contributing greatly to the Bucs’ excellent start.
One could make the argument that he saved Tampa Bay from a Week 1 loss with his clutch pass breakup late in the fourth quarter that set up a missed field goal, giving the Bucs a key divisional victory over those damn Dirty Birds.
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This article appears in Oct. 16 – 22, 2025.