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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the season as favorites to win the NFC South for the fifth straight year, but they are one loss away from missing the playoffs.
Baker Mayfield found a place in Florida after being drafted by the Cleveland Browns and making pit stops with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams.
However, with their playoff hopes teetering on the brink, head coach Todd Bowles was quick to point the finger at the person who has been considered the savior of this generation’s Bucs.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) speaks to head coach Todd Bowles before a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports)
“We have to be better at quarterback, and we have to be better at signal-caller, and we have to block better,” Bowles said after the Buccaneers’ 20-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins earlier this week.
After starting 7-5, the Bucs have lost four straight and need both a win against the aforementioned Panthers and a loss against the Atlanta Falcons to advance to the playoffs as the 8-9 division champion. With a loss on Saturday, Carolina would win the NFC South.
Baker Mayfield (6) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers jogs off the field after the first half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, in Houston, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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Mayfield made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons with Tampa Bay, but this season will be his worst with them to date. After throwing for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns with a 71.4 completion percentage, Mayfield currently has 3,490 yards and 25 touchdowns, while his completion percentage has dropped to 62.8%.
Carolina beat the Bucs 23-20 two weeks ago to earn their first win over Tampa Bay in more than three years. The Panthers haven’t made the playoffs since the 2017 season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Bowles joined the Bucs as defensive coordinator after being fired as head coach of the New York Jets in 2018, becoming head coach in 2022 following the retirement of Bruce Arians.
