The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter their 2026 bye week with a clear issue staring them in the face: they need to get more out of Baker Mayfield and the passing game.
That’s the biggest fix on the table for a team sitting at 3-6, a mark that still leaves Tampa Bay just a half-game behind the Saints and Panthers in the NFC South. The division is there for the taking, which means the Buccaneers are still very much alive if they can clean up a few problem areas.
One of those problems is the load on Bucky Irving. Todd Bowles has leaned on him heavily all season, and the numbers tell the story.
Irving has 189 touches for 931 yards and eight touchdowns. The rest of the offense hasn’t come close to matching that production, with the Buccaneers totaling only 18 touchdowns in nine games.
Bowles acknowledged the workload issue, saying, “I think the bye week for him has come at a perfect time,” said Bowles. “I think he's tough and he's handling everything right now. But I don't know if he has the frame to keep up that type of workload.
“We're going to have to take some of the carries off of him. And it's hard to do because he's playing such great football right now and he's our bell cow. But we've still got to be wary of trying to keep him upright the entire season.”
Still, the bigger swing for Tampa Bay may not be trimming Irving’s touches as much as unlocking more from Mayfield. Bowles said the bye week will be a chance to sort through what’s working and what isn’t on that side of the ball.
“That's definitely one of the things we have to look at during the bye week,” Bowles said. “Are we comfortable with the calls that we're calling, that (Mayfield is) comfortable calling and playing with? Are we doing the right things for him schematically, and then how his mechanics are and what he's seeing on the field?
“We've got to come to a decision on that, and we've got to come to it quick because it's been a little bit of a challenge lately. We've got to make some changes there for the betterment of the team from a coaching and playing standpoint so we can move forward after the bye.”
Mayfield’s ceiling is the reason this matters. He has shown in recent seasons that he can do more than he’s doing now, and he’s coming off a season-high 243-yard performance against the Bears. Tampa Bay has the pieces to be more dangerous through the air; the question is whether the staff fully commits to that direction.
There’s also another option in the backfield to help ease the burden. Kenny Gainwell has drawn strong praise from Mayfield, who made it clear he sees him as more than a specialty piece.
“He is much more than a gadget guy,” Mayfield said. “I have just been completely overwhelmed with the amount of talent that he has.
I did not know until a little later in the spring, more towards minicamp, that he was a receiver going into college and was a slot receiver at Memphis. That explains why he is so smooth running routes.
“Then, just him in the run game, he stays true to his tracks and reads his blocks really well. I thought he has been a huge addition for us and is a spark to give Bucky a spell and obviously still have Tuck in there. Josh Williams has had a great camp as well, but KG is another guy that adds a veteran presence, a leader, and a guy that leads by example and continues to help set the tone for us.”
So the pieces are there. Bowles just has to use them better.
If Tampa Bay can make the right adjustments on offense, the Buccaneers can still push toward the top of the NFC South. And with a defense strong enough to keep them in the mix, the bye week gives them a real chance to reset.
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Bucs Still Have A Real Shot To Save Their Season
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The next few weeks will go a long way toward deciding whether this turns into a late-season push or another missed opportunity. A favorable slate only matters if Tampa Bay can take advantage of it, and there are enough tests ahead to make the margin for error thin. The Ravens game after the bye stands out as one of the most intriguing on the calendar, especially with the kind of uncertainty that can change a matchup before it even gets here. [Read more 🡒]