December gets you a very different kind of cold-weather football. The temperature drops. The stakes rise much higher. One error can lead to a complete collapse. Last Thursday night at Raymond James Stadium, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were faced with the exact type of situation. They had a 14-point lead over the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter. Then they lost control of the game. Like a puddle on a hot summer day in Florida, their lead vanished.
Thursday Night Football in Week 15 became a stage for something else entirely. A masterclass in taking responsibility. Or maybe a public self-flagellation session. Baker Mayfield accepted that role. “It falls on my shoulders,” Mayfield said during his post-game media availability. “Listen, you can say what you want about being up two scores and the defense right there, but we have to be better on offense, and it comes down to how I play. And this one’s gonna haunt me.” But Baker Mayfield did not end there.
The Quarterback’s Mea Culpa
On Wednesday, he doubled down even harder: “We’re up two scores, and we have a chance to go put it away. So, it is on us. It’s on me.” He met with the Buccaneers’ offense on Monday. “I told them it’s on me,” Mayfield stated. According to Mayfield, finger-pointing only occurs with poor culture. The Buccaneers appear to have a good culture.
The quarterback also defended his coach on Wednesday: “You’re up two scores, you have a chance to put the game away, and you don’t. The easy thing to do is point at the defense… blame me, don’t blame Todd.” He then referred to Todd Bowles as the man who “hit the nail on the head” when he unleashed an expletive-filled rant in the post-game media availability. Mayfield agreed with each of Bowles’ four-letter words. “Does this hurt enough for you to actually make changes?” Mayfield added.
Over the first nine games of the season, Mayfield had a 16-2 TD-to-INT ratio. The Buccaneers were 6-3 at that point in the season. Since then, Mayfield has thrown six touchdowns and five interceptions. And the team has struggled with a record of 1-4. As for the bread-and-butter plays that Mayfield used to excel in, they seem to be losing steam. However, Mayfield does not worry about who takes the fall.
With the Buccaneers facing three winnable games over the remainder of the season (two against Carolina and one at Miami), Sunday’s game in Charlotte will feel like a playoff game. In addition to the Buccaneers needing to find a way to score more than 28 points per game, the Buccaneers will also need to provide better protection for Mayfield.
The Buccaneers surrendered five sacks against the Falcons last Thursday night. Their offensive line has been banged up. Only center Graham Barton has appeared in all 14 games this season. Both guards, Ben Bredeson and Cody Mauch, suffered injuries that required them to go on injured reserve. Practice squad players have not provided adequate support.
Can Mayfield’s Accountability Save the Season?
While Baker Mayfield’s commitment to accepting responsibility for the Buccaneers’ failures could galvanize a broken locker room, it could also simply mask other problems.
Kyle Pitts torched the Buccaneers for 166 yards and three touchdowns on Thursday night. After missing the first nine games of the season due to injury, Mike Evans returned last Thursday night with 132 yards receiving. So did Jalen McMillan. For the first time all year, the Buccaneers have their entire receiving corps healthy. That is positive news. The negative news is that the Buccaneers’ secondary appears to be Swiss cheese since the Buccaneers’ bye week.
The Buccaneers have given up thirteen touchdown passes in their last six games. They gave up ten in their first eight games. Mayfield called the Buccaneers’ offense together to talk about the importance of accountability. He has taken the criticism. Will this accountability help save the Buccaneers’ season?
The Buccaneers have controlled the NFC South for four consecutive seasons. This time, the Bucs are rallying behind a quarterback who will not stop criticizing himself. Maybe this is exactly what the Buccaneers need.
Main Photo: [Nathan Ray Seebeck] – Imagn Images