Baker Mayfield’s postgame comments make Bucs’ loss to Eagles sting even more than it already did
Baker Mayfield is known for his honesty, and he had no issue owning up to the offense’s slow start that put the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an 18-point hole against the Philadelphia Eagles before halftime.“We talked about starting fast, and we quite obviously did the opposite today,” Mayfield told reporters after the game. “So [we] […]
Baker Mayfield is known for his honesty, and he had no issue owning up to the offense’s slow start that put the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an 18-point hole against the Philadelphia Eagles before halftime.
“We talked about starting fast, and we quite obviously did the opposite today,” Mayfield told reporters after the game. “So [we] have to fix that. You can’t expect to beat teams with that caliber when you start slow like that.”
The Bucs offense managed to gain just 99 yards in the first 30 minutes of the game and converted just one of seven third-down attempts. The key issue with the third down attempts is only two were of the third-and-long variety. The Bucs averaged just under five yards per third down in the first half, so while the conditions weren’t ideal, they were certainly feasible.
The fight and grit that accompanied the Bucs through the first three games of the season weren’t there, which was strange since Sunday featured Chris Godwin Jr. and Tristan Wirfs’ return.
Mayfield says Bucs were ‘lifeless’ in the first half
“We were just kind of lifeless to begin with in the first half,” said Mayfield. “The first half “[We] got punched in the mouth. Going into halftime, look at the scoreboard [and] you’re like, ‘All right, what are we going to do now?’
“We’re too damn good to wait to get hit in the mouth. We have to come out swinging. We have to play better.”
All the respect in the world to Mayfield’s accountability, but it’s disappointing and slightly concerning that the Bucs were kind of lifeless in the opening half of their biggest game of the year. I mean, it makes sense on both sides of the ball. The defense allowed 24 points, and the offense scored six. That certainly represents “lifeless” football. The loss stings a bit more after hearing him say that.
“You can’t fight and get behind the eight ball against good teams and expect to win,” Todd Bowles said after the game. “We’re always going to have fight – we just have to clean up mistakes, now. It’s getting to that point where we got to cut them down.”
The Bucs weren’t underestimating the Eagles or anything like that, but they have to ensure they are well-prepared and ready for next week’s game in Seattle. The Seahawks are on a three-game win streak, and as we know, Lumen Field is one of the NFL’s rowdiest environments.
If the Bucs come out flat there, they’ll easily find themselves in the same position as the Eagles game, and that’s a spot they obviously won’t want to be in.
