The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are no strangers to turbulence this time of year - and once again, they’re flying through some rough air. After a stunning Week 14 home loss to the New Orleans Saints, who came in with just three wins on the season, the Bucs find themselves in a deadlock atop the NFC South with the Carolina Panthers at 7-6. It’s not the position they wanted, but it’s one they’ve been in before - and one they’ve managed to survive.
Déjà Vu in December
Head coach Todd Bowles didn’t sugarcoat things after the loss. “We’ve got to get over it,” he told reporters Monday.
“We’ve got to be big boys … and own what we did.” It’s a sentiment that echoes through the locker room - a mix of frustration and familiarity.
This isn’t the first time the Bucs have hit a wall midseason. In fact, it’s becoming something of a pattern.
Over each of the past three seasons, Tampa Bay has stumbled hard in the middle of the year. But in both 2023 and 2024, they found a way to rally when it mattered most, clawing their way to division titles in dramatic fashion.
That’s not just resilience - that’s institutional memory. This team knows how to grind through adversity and still come out on top.
The Mayfield Effect - Hot and Cold
If the Bucs are going to pull off another late-season surge, it starts with Baker Mayfield. The quarterback has been the heartbeat of this team’s December revivals in each of the past two years.
From Weeks 13-18 in 2023, Mayfield helped lead Tampa to a 5-1 finish after a brutal 1-6 stretch post-bye. Last season?
A 6-1 run to close out the year after starting 2-6 between Weeks 3 and 10.
During those 11 wins to close out the last two regular seasons, Mayfield was dialed in: 282 completions on 412 attempts (68.4%), 3,451 yards, 28 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. That’s elite-level production - the kind that keeps playoff hopes alive and division banners hanging.
But right now, that version of Mayfield feels like a distant memory. During the Bucs’ current 2-5 skid, his numbers have dipped significantly: 57.7% completion rate, 169 yards per game, eight touchdowns and five picks.
Not disastrous, but not the spark this offense needs either. For a team that’s built to rally late, Mayfield has to be the one lighting the fire.
A Golden Opportunity on Thursday
The good news? The next chance to start turning things around comes quickly - and against a vulnerable opponent.
Tampa Bay heads to Atlanta on Thursday to face a Falcons team that’s lost seven of its last eight games and is giving up nearly 27 points per contest since Week 7. If there’s a get-right game on the schedule, this is it.
Then there’s the Panthers - twice - in Weeks 16 and 18. Mayfield has had their number since leaving Carolina after a brief stint in 2022, going 4-0 against them as a Buc. Those matchups could prove pivotal in the race for the NFC South crown, especially with the division still wide open.
The Familiar Fight Ahead
This stretch isn’t new territory for Tampa Bay. It’s hard, yes - but it’s also familiar.
The Bucs have made a habit of stumbling out of the bye and then charging down the stretch like a team possessed. They’ve done it with grit, with defense, and with a quarterback who knows how to rise when the stakes are highest.
Now, they’ll need to do it again. The path is there.
The division is within reach. And for a team that’s been through this kind of grind before, the question isn’t whether they can bounce back - it’s whether they can summon that late-season magic one more time.
The clock is ticking. The Falcons await. And if history has taught us anything, it’s that you can never count the Bucs out in December.