Baker Mayfield calls out serious problem with Bucs’ offense that can cost them more games if it isn’t fixed
We are officially a month into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ current slog on offense, and it’s safe to say Baker Mayfield and Co. are having a tough time figuring out the issues that have plagued them over the last three games.A lot of it is execution, and honestly, most football-related problems stem from that. Mayfield […]
We are officially a month into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ current slog on offense, and it’s safe to say Baker Mayfield and Co. are having a tough time figuring out the issues that have plagued them over the last three games.
A lot of it is execution, and honestly, most football-related problems stem from that. Mayfield knows it’s something different, however, and it starts with the mindset of the Bucs offense.
“You know, we’re a good team, but to be great, when you score on the opening drive [and] you know what it looks like [and] you set the tone – you’re not satisfied with it,” Mayfield told reporters after the game. “You come back in your head, it’s 0-0, and you go do it again. And right now, I think we’re lacking that on offense, and that comes down to me. That’s my job to get that fixed, and I will do that.”
Mayfield was later asked to clarify exactly what the Bucs offense lacks, and he strictly replied, “killer instinct” is what’s missing.
That’s certainly fair to say, at this point. It’s easy to harken back to the second half of the loss to the New England Patriots for an objective example, as well. The Bucs defense gave Mayfield and the offense not one, not two, but three consecutive chances to erase a five-point deficit and take the lead, but they couldn’t get the job done.
Sure, the defense had its issues beforehand, but at the same time, it held up and paved a runway for the offense to put the Bucs back on top.
“In tight ball games like this, when you play a good team like the Patriots, little things will get you beat,” said Mayfield. “And that was the case for us on offense today. Case in point, I mean, you know, it starts with me.
“Games like this, when you don’t win them, it should sting. It should really, really hurt.”
The lack of a killer instinct is not what the Bucs want 10 weeks into the season. Bowles talked about developing that all offseason, and we’ve yet to see it come through at all in 2025. There’s only been one game where the Bucs dominated throughout, and that was in Week 8 against the hapless New Orleans Saints.
Outside of that, it’s been nothing but nail-biting wins or tough losses. There hasn’t been an in-between.
The Bucs have to get this figured out. Their games have looked like EKG monitors all year long, and I’m sure plenty of fans have had to invest in at-home EKGs just to get through the first two-and-a-half months. If they don’t remedy this, you better believe the rest of the schedule will also be filled with plenty of peaks and valleys that could easily put the season on thin ice – or worse.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers News
Baker Mayfield and Bucs’ offense can’t hold up their end of the bargain in tough loss to Patriots
The biggest questions facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coming out of the bye week surrounded the offense. Could Baker Mayfield get back on track after inconsistent games against the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints? How will the offensive line look now that Luke Goedeke is in the fold? Can Rachaad White add some juice […]
