Heading into Week 10, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were considered by many to be favorites to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LX this coming February. Unfortunately for the Bucs, they ran into an equally talented team on the rise from the AFC: the red-hot New England Patriots, led by MVP candidate Drake Maye.
Despite Tampa Bay putting up 371 yards of total offense and quarterback Baker Mayfield throwing three touchdown passes, the Buccaneers suffered a humbling defeat. The game showed that while they’re among the NFC’s top teams, there is still plenty of room for improvement.
There isn’t one singular reason for Tampa’s loss, but Mayfield made it clear after the game that he felt the blame fell on his offensive teammates. He sent a scathing message about the way they performed on Sunday.
“What I told the team, told the offense after the game, at some point when the stuff comes up during the week, whether it’s mistakes or things we talk about, and then it shows up on Sundays, you have to have some pride about you,” Mayfield told reporters.
“You’ve got to have the fear of that failure of messing up for your teammates. When we talk about something, you’ve got to have that responsibility and accountability for the guys around you and get it fixed. In tight ball games like this, when you play good teams like the Patriots, little things will get you beat.
“That was the case for us on offense today. Case in point, it starts with me. There were some throws there I’d like to have back, some completions. It starts with me, but everybody’s got to have pride about it too.”
Although Mayfield didn’t mention any players specifically, he made it clear that whatever caused his frustration wouldn’t be tolerated going forward.
Fans couldn’t help but notice Tampa Bay’s offensive lull from the second drive of the game until midway through the third quarter. The Bucs scored a touchdown on their opening drive, but then had four punts and a field goal before scoring their next touchdown nearly two full periods later.
Tampa Bay pulled to within 21-16 and forced a turnover on downs heading into the fourth quarter. However, they then mustered two punts and another turnover on downs before scoring their final touchdown with just 33 seconds left on the clock.
While the Buccaneers remain a formidable team, their performance highlighted the importance of consistency and focus, especially against high-caliber opponents like the Patriots. Improvements on offense will be crucial if Tampa Bay hopes to advance further this season.
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https://www.newsweek.com/sports/nfl/baker-mayfield-puts-buccaneers-teammates-on-notice-after-patriots-loss-11019129