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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers began the season as favorites to win the NFC South for the fifth consecutive year, but 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 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) talks with coach Todd Bowles before a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports)
“We’ve got to be better at the quarterback position, and we’ve got to be better at the signal-calling position, and we’ve got to be better at blocking,” 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 to the Atlanta Falcons to make the playoffs as 8-9 division champions. With a loss on Saturday, Carolina would win the NFC South.
Baker Mayfield (6) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs off the field after the first half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans on Monday, September 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 fallen to 62.8%.
Carolina defeated the Bucs 23-20 two weeks ago for its first win over Tampa Bay in more than three years. The Panthers have not 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, Florida, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Bowles joined the Bucs as their defensive coordinator after being fired as head coach of the New York Jets in 2018, and became head coach in 2022 after Bruce Arians retired.
