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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the season as the favorites to win the NFC South for the fifth year in a row, but they are one loss from missing out on the playoffs.
Baker Mayfield found a place in Florida after being drafted by the Cleveland Browns and taking 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) speaks to head 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 blocking it,” 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 by the Atlanta Falcons to make the playoffs as an 8-9 division champion. With a loss on Saturday, Carolina would win the NFC South.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield (6) jogs off the field after the first half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, in Houston, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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 at a 71.4 completion percentage, Mayfield currently has 3,490 yards and 25 touchdowns, while his completion percentage has dropped to 62.8%.
Carolina defeated the Bucs 23-20 two weeks ago for their 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, on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
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Bowles joined the Bucs as their defensive coordinator after being fired as the New York Jets‘ head coach in 2018, becoming the head coach in 2022 after Bruce Arians retired.
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