Todd Bowles two-point conversion decision: Buccaneers coach cites ‘wet conditions’ for playing for overtime vs. Chiefs

The Buccaneers had a chance to become the first team to beat the Chiefs this year, but they couldn’t get the victory in a 30-24 overtime loss on Monday night. While Tampa Bay had many plays it wanted back on the night, one in particular stands out.

Tampa Bay scored a touchdown with 27 seconds left and tied the game with an extra point, but Tampa could have tried to take the lead — and potentially end the game — with a two-point conversation. 

The Sporting News takes a look at what happened at the end of regulation and why coach Todd Bowles opted to play for overtime.

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Todd Bowles’ two-point conversion decision vs. Chiefs, explained

Down seven with under 30 seconds left in the game, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield found Ryan Miller for a touchdown to cut the Chiefs’ lead to one. Tampa Bay could have opted to go for the two-point conversion, which, if successful, would’ve forced the Chiefs to get in field goal range or else lose the game. However, head coach Todd Bowles instead opted for the extra point, comfortable with the eventual overtime period.

While the Chiefs didn’t score on the ensuing drive, they did win the coin flip in overtime and ended the game with a touchdown drive.

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After the game, Bowles explained his decision.

“We wanted to get it to overtime,” he said. “Wet conditions on the field, we felt we had to go for overtime instead of going for two. We had our shots and we lost the game.” He added that the team gave “very minor” thought to going for two.

Reactions to Todd Bowles playing for overtime vs. Chiefs

Many people believed Bowles was in the wrong to prefer the extra point, starting with Troy Aikman, who called the decision out in real time and defended his opinion on the postgame show.

“I thought the entire drive that if [the Bucs] scored they would go for two,” Aikman said. “When you’re on the road against the defending world champs, and you’ve got them on the ropes, and you get a chance to win a game on one play, I think you’ve got to do that.”

Many viewers watching the game agreed with Aikman and were disappointed that Bowles wasn’t more aggressive in the end.

However, ESPN’s Seth Walder said his two-point decision algorithm actually preferred the extra point, noting that the Chiefs would have played the final drive of regulation differently if they were losing by one and easily could have gotten in position to attempt a game-winning field gal.