“Baker Is Pissed”
November 11th, 2025
Speaks out.
Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield is the ultimate team guy. And even though he is required by the league to speak with the pen and mic club at least twice a week during the season, Joe is convinced Mayfield would rather talk about how hard his teammates work how well they play or how important they are than talk about himself or game strategy.
Joe thinks that a reason Bucs players look up to Mayfield so much.
So when Mayfield is ever publicly critical of his teammates, Joe thinks it’s a much bigger deal behind closed doors than he is letting on.
Mayfield shocked Joe after the loss to New England when he said the Bucs lacked a “killer instinct.” That may be the first time Joe has ever heard Mayfield say anything negative about the Bucs during a season. He’s definitely had offseason gems.
Apparently, Mayfield had more to say.
From the words of Bucs coach Todd Bowles, Mayfield addressed teammates in the postgame locker room.
Joe guesses from the information Bowles gave Aileen Hnatiuk of WFLA-TV Channel 8, Mayfield wasn’t exactly asking his teammates if they wanted to go out and have a steak dinner once they showered.
“We’re moving forward,” Bowles said of turning the focus to the Bills, the Bucs’ next opponent. “[Mayfield] said some things in the locker room, I said some things in the locker room. We kind of see things the same way most of the time.
“We understand where we are and what we have to do to get better. We’ll go from there.
“Baker is p!ssed. I’m p!ssed. The team should be p!ssed. Everybody should be p!ssed off.”
It is not unusual for a Bucs captain to tee off on the team. Last year when the Bucs were seal-clubbed by the Broncos, Lavonte David apparently tore into teammates for their lack of effort and focus.
When Joe asked David a couple of days after the game if that was true, that he had sharp words after the loss, David had a smirk on his face, replying, “Things needed to be said.”
And for Mayfield to be the guy to tee off, Joe suspects this may not be a minor issue.
@aileenhnatiuk♬ original sound – Aileen Hnatiuk
November 11th, 2025 at 3:13 am
Play to the whistle!! Zyon!!!!
November 11th, 2025 at 4:03 am
Its been four years of a team not playing to their collective talent level.
Bowles has been saying the same things: mental errors, communication problems, lack of focus. But he’s the coach who tolerates it.
Coaches of great teams do not tolerate continual mental mistakes.
Four years of underachieving. Four years of wasting talent. Enough is enough.
November 11th, 2025 at 5:40 am
Zyon sure seems to get burned a lot for someone who is allegedly the best athlete, and fastest player on the team. Great, freak athletes also jump off the screen – he never does. He has never made any wow plays. Ever. Is he a bad player? No. But he is one of a handful of guys fans grossly overvalue because theyre OUR guys and they believe they are better than they actually are. Cade Otton is another example. I have seen some people even call him a weapon. A weapon is someone who is a mismatch. Someone who can blow by linebackers, out jump you etc etc. Otton is a safety valve. A reliable one to be sure. But like Zyon, he is firmly in the “most average player ever” category for the position. Average line, average receivers outside of Ebuka, average running back. Our quote in quote star receivers are always hurt. At present state ado the Bucs even have a top 10 roster. But then again the quality of the nfl product nowadays is so terrible with no really good teams, there’s a chance to make some noise if Mike Evans comes back and he’s Mike Evans. Not counting on Godwin to be any kind of a threat.
November 11th, 2025 at 6:11 am
Tied 7 to 7, threw short of the sticks on 3rd down. That is lack of killer instinct. Its an attitude.
November 11th, 2025 at 6:30 am
With injuries side lining four of Baker’s top receivers, he only has one with more than 5 years experience, the one he knows the best, the one whose weaknesses is revealed by lack of focus and preparation! One who drops passes, is penalized at important points and fails to run routes that lead to separation. Surely, a practice squad receiver is hungry enough to take this players place.
November 11th, 2025 at 6:34 am
The long td runs are unacceptable. Otten needs to hold on to the ball. Shepherd should know better by now. Give Greene,a shot or pick-up the top cfl receiver from BC Lions. Use that kicker in 50-60 range. Dodgers milk the Japan league.
November 11th, 2025 at 6:35 am
What Davenport said he took the words right out of my mouth
November 11th, 2025 at 6:36 am
I don’t know why this is such a shock to Baker. I see numerous games EVERY year that the team doesn’t show up. How many times have we heard the word FLAT when describing the Bucs play? It’s astounding that this can happen so many times from year to year. I blame Todd Bowles. He talks about accountability frequently yet it rears it’s ugly head time and time again. Bowles is all talk and no action.
November 11th, 2025 at 6:37 am
davenport nailed it. for all the celebration about “culture” in this blog and other places, there is a culture problem with the bucs.
it is one thing after a loss to say “we got beat, they are better” yada yada. it is another thing to repeatedly, repeatedly come back to 1) fundamentals, 2) communication 3) mental lapses.
that goes for players and coaches. it’s somewhat shocking the slackness that is acceptable in one buc place. it’s not just acceptable, it is celebrated.
November 11th, 2025 at 6:48 am
The team plays with the demeanor of their head coach.
November 11th, 2025 at 6:58 am
Baker should be pi$$ed at GM Jason Licht when it is patently obvious that Bucs could certainly use another WR or Olineman and Licht did absolutely squat to help Baker while other Top NFC teams were making moves aplenty.
November 11th, 2025 at 7:11 am
If Licht knew that none of the injured players like Godwin, Bucky, Evans and JMac were not going to be ready to return anytime soon which he would know that being the GM then a move should have been made. Doesn’t look like BB any of those guys b are returning anytime soon. Before the trade deadline ESPN was reporting Bucky and Godwin out until late November early December.
November 11th, 2025 at 7:27 am
Baker needs to not throw into triple coverage and throw to the open man in the flat. Baker needs to not hold the ball so long. Lots of blame to go around. First and foremost offensively the OL needs to play way better and the play calling is horrific outside of the first 15 scripted plays. Hopefully Baker addresses the OC too.
Lots of football left to be played but if this team goes on another mid-season losing streak for the 3 year in a row with Bowles and Baker as the leaders of this team…then it shows their message and execution isn’t enough for this team to win a chip.
November 11th, 2025 at 7:38 am
Baker needs to not throw into triple coverage and throw to the open man in the flat. Baker needs to not hold the ball so long. Lots of blame to go around. First and foremost offensively the OL needs to play way better and the play calling is horrific outside of the first 15 scripted plays. Hopefully Baker addresses the OC too.
Lots of football left to be played but if this team goes on another mid-season losing streak for the 3 year in a row with Bowles and Baker as the leaders of this team…then it shows their message and execution isn’t enough for this team to win a chip.
November 11th, 2025 at 7:38 am
Why can’t I post my comment?
November 11th, 2025 at 7:41 am
We have several practice squad players on our team licking their chops to prove their worth as a player. Devin Culp, Garrett Green, Nick Jackson, Mohamed Kamara, n John Bullock. Killer instinct is in their DNA. We need to quit isolating guys based on their draft pick or their entry into the league. The following players play with no passion or killer instinct, is passive, and has proven nothing since joining the team:Chris Braswell, Logan Hall, Payne Durham. Bucs historically have a history of playing nonproductive players based on their draft status. OJHoward, JTS, Myron Lewis. JTS went to the Browns n didn’t last long so now he’s now on the bench with the bears as a backup.
November 11th, 2025 at 7:57 am
We are all pissed off!!!
November 11th, 2025 at 8:13 am
lol…
some clown says: Coaches of great teams do not tolerate continual mental mistakes.
WOW!!!!!!..obviously, you missed the previous article…
didnt know the BUCS were a “GREAT” team the past 4years lol…..THATS NEWS TO ME!!!!…good team yeah but great heck no and im a die hard fan….
folks have to hold players accountable……
Bowles told the teams last week during the bye, “DONT BE THAT TEAM”….
coaches can put players in position to succeed but the players have to execute….players taking bad angles, not wrapping up, Shep committing offensive PI is not on the coaches….
players have to execute…
GO BUCS!!!!
November 11th, 2025 at 8:17 am
IT ALL STARTS TODAY!!!…11/3
Starting today is the message Todd Bowles had for his players and they shuffled in fresh from their bye week.
“Coach Bowles stated that we don’t want to be that-team,” Diaby said.
What team would “that” be? Well, the Lions got thumped by the Vikings yesterday. Detroit was coming off their bye. Lions coach Dan Campbell thought his team was rusty.
Diaby said Bowles told the team they best rid themselves of rust.
“We don’t want to be that-team and come back from a bye [and lost] just like what happened to Detroit,” YaYa Said. “It all starts with today.”
So it seems whatever the Bucs did on their bye, that’s all in the past. They’re back to work. And the focus is on the Patriots.
“We don’t want to look ahead because that’s when you mess up,” YaYa said.
**********************************************************
GO BUCS!!!!!
November 11th, 2025 at 8:26 am
WE ARE STILL ATOP OF THE NFC SOUTH! We are currently 6-3 not 3-6. We have had a new OC the past 3 seasons, and we are still on a 4 season Division Champions streak. We have the same DC/HC that shut out the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.. Injuries happen and we are down many players, and are having to use Rookies as a need not as a choice… we lost our 2nd year Promising WR to a ” Bridgewater special” pass 8′ above the ground and climbing where TMac caught it, and got dumped on his neck and from what we hear he broke his neck… Egbuka and Taz Johnson and Otton are standing up and preforming when called upon.
November 11th, 2025 at 8:36 am
season is over
November 11th, 2025 at 8:48 am
a better right guard to replace cody and maybe we won that game
the bucs are too nice and definitely lack the killer instinct
new england is gnarly and will go deep in the playoffs they are having a season like the chiefs did last year they’ve figured it out they have talent and they know how to win keep it close and win the fourth quarter
we have three losses all to teams that will win playoff games
we miss mike evans without him this offense does not scare anyone
November 11th, 2025 at 8:50 am
6-5 is on it’s way
The only guy who is mad and wants to win and has a killer instinct is Baker. Majority of the players have adopted Todd Blows passive attitude
Let’s see who wants it and let’s see who is ok being 6-5 because, we know Todd’s Daddy Sean McVay is on deck and he is licking his chops to embarrass Todd on Primetime
November 11th, 2025 at 8:56 am
MJ, Cody has been on IR since week 2…try and stay current… We have had a flux of OLine players, and are still 6-3, what very few “fans” on JBF predicted us to be at this point. So many doom and gloomers here on JBF… Any given Sunday…. One game at a time. Take our medicine and use the taste of that bitter loss as fuel to hit the next team in the mouth and keep hitting them.
November 11th, 2025 at 9:12 am
I recall him speaking up in 2023 during the losing streak. What he had to say then was similar to what he had to say Sunday. I don’t think he said anything last season probably because the losing streak was triggered mainly by not having Evans and Godwin for that stretch and there was no Egbuka to pick up the slack. Egbuka has made such a huge difference this season. We saw it for sure in the game against the Seahawks. No way do we win that game without him.
November 11th, 2025 at 9:36 am
The OC is a problem. How many times did the HC say ‘we have to coach it better’ when asked about the Os lack of execution and output? A lot. Sure, he put it on the players too, but he seemed uncharacteristically frustrated at his postgame presser. Baker was calling out hustle. HC calling out smarts. Injuries catching up. Feels like we’re getting amped up for the standard issue mid-season free fall.
November 11th, 2025 at 9:40 am
If only the HC would get pissed off. It is his job to light a fire. Not just say ” we need to play better & coach better”.
November 11th, 2025 at 9:43 am
I feel like some people just want to complain I for one am thankful the Bucs have Won the NFC south for years in a Row an go to the playoffs each year an are 6-3 right now ill take this Bucs team over the the 7-9 Bucs teams we had for years I’m thankful for what we have Bowles has brought Stability to this team so people think it’s so easy to Win A SB Josh Allen the the Bills are still trying to get there Lamar Jackson an the Ravens there are plenty of team that can’t get there The 49ers the Lions it’s hard to Win a SB I’ll take what the Bucs give us every year NFC South Champs an maybe SB champs
November 11th, 2025 at 9:53 am
I was worried when all sports media was calling for Baker as a MVP caneidate. Stuff like that goes to his head. He needs drive. He needs to pissed. Losing this game might be the spark this team needed to make a run.
Go bucs
November 11th, 2025 at 10:12 am
There are no great teams in the NFL this year. Reading this board you would think the Buccaneers were 1-8. NFL football is violent. Did Green Bay and Philadelphia look like Super Bowl teams last night? Buffalo has lost to Miami and Atlanta in blowouts. The Ravens have 5 losses LA lost to the 49ers. Coen’s Jaguars lost to a backup QB. Do the Colts scare you? Does Denver? KC has four losses. Check out the sites for these teams. Only the Buccaneers throw their coach under the bus.
November 11th, 2025 at 10:24 am
Been a fan since 76. Seem like every year Bucs have several games where they play without any passion. There are no Suh, JPP or Hardy Nickerson on this team and there are so e pretenders on this team, mostly on defense.
November 11th, 2025 at 10:32 am
I think Coach Bowles and the team are trying hard to put the best Buccaneers team on the field week after week. The injuries of our starters are definitely a factor. Football is a game of emotion and execution, whoever has the highest level of emotion and executes best usually wins.
Hopefully the Bucs will take from this loss a level of emotion that will result in a win against the Bills. Like they did against the Seahawks after the loss to the Eagles!!
Go Bucs !! Beat the Bills !!
November 11th, 2025 at 11:44 am
Davenport,
Underachieving??? 4 years of underachieving means you’re going back to 2022 and including this year. It’s delusional to think that the 2022 team underachieved. That was a season of transition. The Bucs lost so many players before that season began and Brady was no longer Brady by then. That alone is enough to refute your contention. 2023 was also a year of transition and yet they miraculously overachieved even winning a playoff game. Just about every media entity believed that Bucs team was doomed to failure. So now you’re 0 for 2 in your assessment. 2024 we were a great offensive team but deficient defensively so I think we can say the results were on par with the expectation. That’s not underachieving. This year is still in process so it’s too early to say how things will unfold. But at this point considering all the injuries across the board, it’s fair to say we are overachieving again. In conclusion I think it’s fair to say that you have no idea what you’re talking about!
November 11th, 2025 at 12:24 pm
It all starts, continues and ends with the head coach. He has no fire in the belly to win, his mantra is to play not to lose. Big difference. If anyone lacks a killer instinct it’s Todd.
November 11th, 2025 at 12:27 pm
He should be angry. And hopefully that emotion will power a bounceback against the Bills.
What frustrates me is everyone saying that the Bills will be pissed off (like the Lions were after the Chiefs beatdown) because they lost to the Dolphins. Shouldn’t the Bucs be really pissed after the Pats game going into Orchard Park? What does it say that no one thinks the Bucs can play with that kind of emotion? Baker can. But everyone else?
November 11th, 2025 at 12:37 pm
Is it any real surprise this team lacks killer instinct?
We have a GM that is only willing to draft polite ‘nice guys’
We have a zombie of a HC that doesn’t believe it’s his job to instill that killer instinct among the team
That same HC claims to preach accountability, but based on reports, he runs a cupcake TC, constantly cuts practices short, and gave the team the entire bye week off
November 11th, 2025 at 12:37 pm
Joe, last week you wrote an article about how Bowles ‘has his finger on the pulse of his team and gave them a full week off during the bye. This following 2 very lackluster performances. Clearly, he does NOT.
November 11th, 2025 at 12:43 pm
What took Baker so long. He should have been passed after the NO game and this has to be geared towards his OL and OC. I truly think they could have run 2x as much as they did and controlled the game a bit more. Wonder boy may be an Xs and Os wizard, but he can’t read the room in game
November 11th, 2025 at 12:47 pm
Offensive play calling is killing the Bucs.
The Bucs were two for two converting third downs running the ball. But, they kept trying to convert third downs passing the ball; they tried passing eleven times despite only succeeding twice.
From the time Bredersen left the game after the first Bucs possession, the Bucs never ran for less than four yards running over left guard and left tackle.
Does Baker see that?
Is Grizzard calling the passes, or is Baker checking down to them? Either was it is a Grizzard problem. And, it may also be a Baker and quarterback coach problem.
November 11th, 2025 at 2:43 pm
Davenport Says
“Its been four years of a team not playing to their collective talent level.”
I’m sorry, but you are wrong. We’ve been getting division titles every year. That’s not because we don’t play well.
You might say it’s because our division sucks…but we’ve been in a bad division for much longer, and we lost plenty of those games. So this team is simply the best in the NFC South, maybe top 3 in the NFC.
November 11th, 2025 at 2:45 pm
toopanca, if Baker is playing at 50% as the coach says, then that alone limits playcalling.
November 11th, 2025 at 5:52 pm
Mayfield shocked Joe after the loss to New England when he said the Bucs lacked a “killer instinct.”
———–
Baker, the defense gave you the ball three times in a row in the 4th quarter with a chance to take the lead, and you turned that into zero points.
You need to pull out a different generic talking point this week, instead of “we”, it should have been “you.”
And to be clear, I’m not bashing Baker, just the selection of that talking point. I thought Baker played fine, but man, those generic talking points – that everyone does to be sure – just drive me nuts. Players have a Rolodex of like 12 sayings they give, and sometimes I wonder if it’s purely random. It’s just for media consumption, it means nothing, and I truly wonder how reporters deal with it every week, just hearing the same things recycled over and over.
November 11th, 2025 at 8:26 pm
simce 76 its a buc life sos father dungy and the defence and terrific tom did happen though i thought it was a dream
November 13th, 2025 at 7:22 pm
Culp could be a weapon if he caught the ball. Dude should be standing in front of the Jugs machine 24/7!
November 13th, 2025 at 7:24 pm
Otton too really. They should try the training thing where you cover one eye, catch tons of balls, then cover the other eye and repeat. Will make catching feel a lot easier….