Baker Mayfield Doesn’t Hold Back After Buccaneers Loss to Panthers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield didn’t sugarcoat anything after Sunday’s crushing Week 16 loss to the Carolina Panthers. 

With the Buccaneers’ playoff hopes suddenly hanging in the balance, Mayfield delivered a blunt, emotional assessment of both the defeat and his own role in it.  

As Yahoo Sports noted, Mayfield got brutally honest.

“It’s as clear as it can be,” Mayfield said. “Wish we would have taken care of business today, but the situation doesn’t change. It sucks.” 

As Tampa Bay watched control of the NFC South slip away, Mayfield repeatedly pointed inward, citing “too many penalties on offense.” 

He also pointed towards missed red-zone chances as the difference in a game decided by a late interception. 

“You’ve got to finish with seven instead of three. It’s beyond frustration when it keeps happening,” he added. 

Baker made it clear that his frustration wasn’t about effort, but rather, it was about execution, accountability, and missed opportunities in the biggest moments. 

The veteran QB made it clear that accountability starts with him and he has to be much better going forward. 

Mayfield Owns the Moment in Painful Loss

The Buccaneers fell 23-20 on the road to the Carolina Panthers in a heartbreaking loss that had major playoff implications. 

The game turned on a late, game-sealing interception thrown by Mayfield with under a minute remaining.  

Trailing by three and driving near midfield, Tampa Bay had a chance to at least force overtime. 

Instead, a miscommunication between Mayfield and star wideout Mike Evans ended the comeback drive.

“It was going to be a bang-bang play,” Mayfield explained. 

“I trust Mike in those situations. He thought I was going to scramble, and I was trying to step up and make the throw. It happens in a millisecond.”

Head coach Todd Bowles echoed that sentiment, later characterizing the interception as a communication breakdown rather than a reckless decision. 

Beyond the interception, Mayfield pointed to broader issues that plagued the Buccaneers throughout the afternoon. 

The QB emphasized stalled red-zone drives, costly penalties, and missed opportunities to the big reason for the loss. 

For Mayfield, though, his words weren’t about deflection. 

He consistently placed responsibility on himself rather than the offense as a whole. 

He emphasized that leadership goes beyond acknowledging mistakes at the podium, stressing that his performance has to improve and that he must execute at a higher level himself. 

Buccaneers Have Their Backs Against the Wall

The loss drops the Buccaneers to 7-8 and marks their third straight loss, a stark contrast from the momentum they carried earlier in the season. 

This was the same team that started 5-1 and once looked like they were in total control of the NFC South for most of the season. 

Now, that has all flipped. 

After the game on Sunday, the Panthers went into first place in the NFC South, putting Tampa Bay on the outside of the playoff picture with just two weeks remaining.

Despite the major setback, the Bucs still somehow control their own destiny. 

Tampa Bay can clinch the division and a playoff berth by winning its regular-season finale against the Carolina Panthers in Week 18. 

This is the case because they would hold the necessary tiebreaker. 

While this good news, the margin for error is nonexistent. 

Another loss would give the NFC South title to Carolina and abruptly end the Bucs’ season that once looked so promising.

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