One of the greatest things about having Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield leading the offense the last 3 seasons has been his proclivity to gamble on big plays in big moments. He has guts.
It’s also been one of the worst things about having Mayfield at quarterback — not just with the Buccaneers but for the entirety of his career dating back to college. He always seems to push it just a little too far.
The worst and most inopportune example of that in Mayfield’s career to this point happened in a 23-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 16, dropping the Buccaneers to 7-8 overall while the Panthers improved to 8-7 and took over first place from the Buccaneers in the NFC South Division.
Trailing with under one minute to play and in Panthers territory, Mayfield was intercepted by safety Lathon Ramson, with no Buccaneers within 5 yards of the ball.
It’s the kind of play that’s made watching Mayfield play so frustrating.
Panthers Cut Mayfield Midway Through 2022 Season
That it came against the Panthers, the team that cut Mayfield midway through the 2022 season, only added insult to injury.
Mayfield tried to explain away the interception as miscommunication between himself and wide receiver Mike Evans, although that wouldn’t explain why Mayfield was guessing or anticipating a throw before it was there with the game — and possibly the season — on the line.
“Baker Mayfield said the miscommunication with Mike Evans at the end was because Evans thought he was starting off on a scramble, which was understandable given what had happened throughout the game,” Buccaneers.com’s Scott Smith wrote on X following the game.
Online Reaction Brutal to Mayfield’s INT
The reaction against Mayfield online was one of pure disgust at his decision to be so cavalier with the ball and with so much on the line.
It’s a far cry from the first 6 weeks of the regular season, when the Buccaneers started 5-1 and Mayfield was at the top of everyone’s early season NFL MVP list and he was being tossed around as a possible candidate for an early contract extension.
“Remember when Baker Mayfield was an MVP candidate early in the season?” Sports Illustrated’s Iain McMillan wrote on X. “He’s been a bottom 3 quarterback since Week 8. Only McCarthy and Sanders rank worse.”
Now, Mayfield will almost certainly not get an extension and play out the final year of the 3-year, $100 million contract he signed before the 2024 season.
“They were in FG range to send the game to OT, all they had to do was not do anything stupid,” Buccaneers fan Ralph Seebogin wrote on X. “Enter one Baker Mayfield.”
“I love Baker Mayfield so much, but what in the world was he looking at?” Fansided NFL Content Director Josh Hill wrote on X. “Why throw this ball?”
“This was the third straight game for Baker Mayfield throwing an interception after he recorded five in his first 12 games this season,” ESPN’s Jenna Laine wrote on X. “The Bucs are now 0-7 this year when No. 6 throws a pick, 7-1 when he doesn’t throw one (New England).”
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