Baker Mayfield clearly doesn’t get the picture based on his comments after Bucs’ awful loss to Dolphins
Mayfield proved the Bucs don’t have the right mindset to be a playoff team when he spoke with reporters after the Dolphins loss.
We’ve been hearing it from Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for weeks: They still control their playoff destiny despite the fact they’re now 1-7 since Week 10.
While it’s true, it’s an old and worn-out adage by now. For starters, it’s a complacent mindset that reflects no sense of urgency. The Bucs should’ve had the NFC South won weeks ago, yet they head into the season finale facing an absolute must-win situation.
And frankly, they wouldn’t even have a shot at making the playoffs if the Carolina Panthers took care of the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Yet, Mayfield still drove home the lackadaisical message after the Bucs’ awful loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Baker Mayfield sends the wrong message after Bucs’ lose to Dolphins
“Here’s the thing, we still have a chance next week,” said Mayfield. “We’ve been blessed with a chance next week, and guys need to handle it the right way. I think Lavonte [David] spoke to the team at right after the game and hit the nail on the head. So [we] gotta respond.”
Talk about falling on deaf ears, as it should. He’s damn right the Bucs are blessed to be in the position they’re in, but it’s still a bad situation. The Bucs have now lost four in a row (and seven of eight), and three of those losses came against teams that were eliminated from playoff contention before kickoff.
How does that show any sort of winning mindset or ability to beat anyone? We’re seeing downtrodden teams like the Cleveland Browns beat playoff competitors in the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17, and here are the Bucs, losing to a Dolphins team that started a seventh-round rookie at quarterback.
No one is saying the Bucs need to pack it up and go home, but my goodness. It’s been obvious this isn’t the correct outlook, yet Mayfield continues to push the message. Getting propped up on a weekly basis is not how a team with preseason Super Bowl expectations operates, but the Bucs continue to glorify the fact they’re still alive despite their awful play.
It’s simple, at this point. The Bucs don’t deserve another NFC South title, and if they do, in fact, nab their fifth-straight crown, it’ll be the most fraudulent division title in franchise history, and it’ll lead to a playoff appearance that is completely unwarranted.
