The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have only lost by one score in a 28-23 defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots in Week 10, but anyone who watched the game came away from feeling like it was much more than that.
It definitely seemed that way to one person who actually played in the game — 2-time Buccaneers Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield.
“I’m hoping our guys do get pissed off about this,” Mayfield said in a video posted to X by ESPN’s Jenna Laine. “This isn’t the end of our season. I know that. We have a very important game ahead of us. Games like this, when you don’t win them — it should sting. It should really, really hurt.”
Mayfield couldn’t be more right. After the home loss to the Patriots, the Buccaneers are staring down their toughest road trip of the year with a trip to the East Coast to face the Buffalo Bills in Week 11 followed by a trip to the West Coast to face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12.
The Buccaneers dropped to 6-3 with the loss to New England.
Mayfield’s Third Season Follows Similar Path
While the Buccaneers still have a 2-game lead over the Carolina Panthers in the NFC South Division, their season is starting to take on a similar feel to Mayfield’s first 2 years as the starter in Tampa Bay.
In 2023, with Mayfield on a 1-year, $3 million “prove it” contract, he led the Buccaneers to a 9-8 regular season finish and an upset win over the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Round.
In 2024, now armed with a 3-year, $100 million contract, Mayfield rallied the Buccaneers from a 4-6 start to a 10-7 regular season record, the NFC South Division title and another playoff appearance.
How the Buccaneers finish out in 2025 will be largely determined by how Mayfield plays once again, but also if and when several key players return from injury.
Injuries to Skill Positions Finally Take Their Toll
The game against the Patriots was just the latest in which the Buccaneers missing a good chunk of their key skill position players was so noticeable.
When those players come back is anybody’s guess at this point.
The Buccaneers have been without second-year running back Bucky Irving for the last 4 games with a shoulder injury and it’s not clear when he’ll even be back. Irving hasn’t practiced in that time and head coach Todd Bowles said in the week leading up to the Patriots game that he still wasn’t able to take contact on his shoulder.
It’s not clear when NFL All-Pro wide receiver Chris Godwin will return, either.
Godwin missed the first 3 games as he recovered from a dislocated fibula suffered in Week 7 of the 2024 regular season and returned for 2 games before irritation in that same injury forced him out of the lineup for the last 4 games.
Another NFL All-Pro wide receiver, Mike Evans, broke his collarbone in a Week 7 loss to the Detroit Lions and might not even return this season.
Wide receiver Jalen McMillan, who scored 7 touchdowns in the final 5 regular season games in 2024, is out until at least Week 13 with a severe neck injury.
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