After a gut-wrenching 29-28 loss to the Falcons on Thursday night - a game that dropped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to 7-7 - Baker Mayfield didn’t duck the blame. He stood up, owned the moment, and called it like it was. That’s what leaders do, and head coach Todd Bowles made sure to highlight that the next morning.
“He’s taking responsibility as one of our leaders,” Bowles said during a Friday morning media session. “Obviously, you don’t want the turnover, but he can look himself in the mirror and be honest with himself - and coaches and players have to do that alike. That’s what makes him who he is.”
Mayfield’s self-critique came in the wake of two plays that loomed large in the final minutes. First, a fourth-quarter interception with under 8:30 left - the kind of back-breaking turnover that shifts momentum and haunts quarterbacks long after the final whistle.
Then, a missed connection with rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka on a crucial third-down play with just over two minutes remaining. Both moments stuck with Mayfield, and he didn’t shy away from saying so.
That honesty, Bowles believes, is exactly what this Bucs team needs more of.
“If everybody did that, we would figure out our problems really quick,” Bowles said, making it clear that Mayfield’s accountability should be the standard across the locker room. “It’s an eye-opener for a lot of guys and a lot of coaches on this team.
If we can come back Monday and look in the mirror and everybody can work on the little things, I think that'll carry us the rest of the way. What he said was very honest and very true.”
Bowles himself didn’t hold back after the loss, calling the team’s performance “inexcusable” - a pointed message considering the Falcons had already been eliminated from postseason contention. Mayfield echoed that sentiment, saying Bowles “hit the nail on the head.”
Now, the Bucs find themselves in a suddenly tighter NFC South race. The loss handed the 7-6 Carolina Panthers the top spot in the division heading into the weekend. Tampa Bay will be watching closely as the Panthers take on the 3-10 Saints this Sunday - a game with major implications for the playoff picture.
And then comes the rematch. The Bucs head to Carolina on Dec. 21, with the reverse fixture set for Week 18 at Raymond James Stadium. Two games that could ultimately decide who walks away with the division crown.
For now, the message inside the building is clear: Own your mistakes, fix the details, and follow the lead of your quarterback. Mayfield didn’t just talk - he took the heat. And if the rest of the roster follows suit, Tampa Bay’s season still has a chance to turn the corner.