Baker Mayfield has already matched his career high for touchdown passes in a season, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are riding a three-game winning streak that has propelled them to the top of the NFC South standings.
As the Buccaneers (7-6) aim for a fourth consecutive division title, Mayfield emphasizes the need for improved performance in the final stretch of the season to secure a playoff berth and make a deep postseason run.
“We will take wins. I don’t really care how it looks,” Mayfield said following a gritty 28-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. This win brought Tampa Bay back over .500 after a challenging stretch in which the team lost five of six games. “But offensively, we will have to be a lot more consistent for us to be able to make this push that we want to do, and we know that. There is a lot of ball left, and we have to continue to get better.”
In the game against the Raiders, Mayfield threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns, although he also turned the ball over three times in the first half, allowing Las Vegas to stay competitive until the fourth quarter. This marks the third consecutive season in which the Buccaneers have needed a strong finish to recover from midseason struggles and position themselves for a playoff run.
With 28 touchdown passes this season, Mayfield has equaled his total from last year, when he revitalized his career in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers have a strong December/January record, going 7-1 in their last eight games during this period, and they are the only NFC team to make the playoffs in each of the past four seasons.
“We’ve got four weeks to play. We’re happy to be playing meaningful football in December. We understand what that means,” said head coach Todd Bowles. “We have to go out every week and try to squeeze out these games, but it feels good.”
What’s Working
A significant factor in the team’s recent success has been the resurgence of the running game. Against the Raiders, the Buccaneers rushed for 152 yards, marking their tenth game this season with over 100 rushing yards. In contrast, they achieved this feat in only nine of 34 games over the previous two seasons. Rachaad White contributed to this success, scoring the team’s 14th rushing touchdown, surpassing the combined total of five in 2022 and eight in 2023.
Areas for Improvement
Despite the offensive line’s success in run blocking, it struggled to protect Mayfield in the passing game. The Raiders recorded four sacks and eight quarterback hits, leading to two interceptions and a fumble by Mayfield, which resulted in Las Vegas’ only touchdown.
Player Highlights
Rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan had a standout performance, recording four receptions for 59 yards and two touchdowns, all season highs. He is the first Buccaneers rookie to achieve multiple receiving touchdowns in a game since O.J. Howard in 2017.
Conversely, rookie punter Jack Browning had a challenging debut, with his first punt being a 49-yarder returned for 16 yards. His subsequent kicks were a 39-yarder returned for 14 yards and a 40-yarder fair caught at the 20-yard line. “It’s a work in progress,” Bowles commented on Browning, the third punter the Bucs have used this season. “I’m going to brush it off to rookie jitters and we’ll go from there.”
Injury Updates
Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (knee) and running back Bucky Irving (back) were both injured during the first half against the Raiders. Bowles indicated that Winfield could be sidelined for a couple of weeks, potentially missing upcoming road games against the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys. Irving’s status will be assessed later in the week.
Key Stats
Linebacker Lavonte David continues to excel in his 13th season, contributing a sack, a quarterback hit, and a fumble recovery against Las Vegas. His fumble recovery marked the 19th of his career, the most among players since he entered the NFL in 2012. He also has 37.5 career sacks, including four this season.
Next Game
The Buccaneers will face the Chargers next, the only remaining opponent with a winning record in their final four games of the season.
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