ESPN: Baker Mayfield Missing Starts Could Doom Bucs
November 27th, 2025
“Baker, we need ya’ big guy.”
Joe hates to type the following but is always real with readers.
Right now the Bucs are a bad team. The Bucs have lost four of their last five games. The defense is playing horrendous football, reminding Joe of The Smiths, lousy Lovie and Mike. It’s that bad.
Sure, you say, Bucs coach Todd Bowles always has a midseason swoon and the Bucs bounce back. This time, however, it feels (and looks) different to “this Joe.”
Last year when the Bucs had their annual tailspin, sure they got blown out by Baltimore. But the Bucs lost a one-score game to Atlanta (Antoine Winfield was likely robbed of a forced fumble at the goal line because the NFL/FOX was too cheap to have a camera on the goal line), took the then-Super Bowl champion Chiefs to overtime on the road and lost to San Francisco at home on a last-second field goal.
In the past four losses this season, only the loss to Buffalo was sort of close until Bowles decided to punt on fourth-and-two from the Bucs-38 halfway through the fourth quarter.
The defense had zero answers for stopping Josh Allen in that game.
No, the Bucs are not playing the same sort of football they played during their losing stretch last year. This year feels and looks a lot worse.
When you have both Baker Mayfield and Lavonte David, in a span of three weeks, unload on teammates for half-assing it, you’ve got deeper problems than just not having Mike Evans, Bucky Irving, Calijah Kancey and Jalen McMillan.
And then you have a newly-paid starting corner who is bored.
Yes, the Bucs are still in first place. Barely. They’ve kept their heads above water (over .500 at 6-5) despite all the injuries.
But NFL insider Dan Graziano of ESPN thinks Mayfield losing starts — plural — due to his injured left shoulder may just push the Bucs’ under the surface.
I think an injury absence for Baker Mayfield would be a significant problem. The Bucs haven’t had their entire offensive line or wide receiver group at all and have been without starting running back Bucky Irving longer than expected. They’re still in first place in a division that doesn’t have a particularly strong challenger, and the schedule eases up a bit in December.
But if Mayfield sits out because of that left shoulder injury (we don’t know for sure whether he will), winning games will be tough in the short term. The Bucs expect Irving and receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan to return at some point, which would help, but Mayfield makes that offense go. His late-game toughness has been a big part of why they’re 6-5 despite the injuries.
The way the Bucs are playing, even with Mayfield playing at 60 percent, is not great. Mayfield adds juice to the offense when he is healthy enough to scramble for first downs. When he plays hurt, he doesn’t scramble.
So even if Mayfield starts, he’s going to be neutered.
As a result, no matter if it is Teddy Bridgewater or Mayfield, Joe suspects the Bucs will be a run-heavy offense Sunday against the Cardinals.
Recently, the best games the Bucs have played, they’ve been effective running the ball.
For “this Joe,” and this Joe only, this team (and season) just feels like it is on the brink of collapse.
November 27th, 2025 at 8:16 am
Wow. ESPN really cracked breaking news with this headline. No kidding.
In other breaking news, water is wet.
November 27th, 2025 at 8:24 am
The fact that we can’t put our finger on one specific problem, tells me maybe the sky is falling.
This team has more holes than Swiss cheese. There’s no “Dog” in this team. Maybe thermometer than one player that gets bored? Time will tell but time is running out.
November 27th, 2025 at 8:28 am
Teddy Bridgewater is a disaster. At least with Trask, no one would have known what to expect.
Teddy signing was a Bowles request, I bet.
November 27th, 2025 at 8:29 am
“Every game, in my eyes, is a must-win playoff scenario, but understanding that, you know, if I sit one game out … that provides me to be healthier for down the stretch,” Mayfield said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
“And that’s, that’s how I’m gonna look at it. And I have to, I have to be smart with that understanding that, you know, our sights are still set on the playoffs, but to get there, we have to win these games, especially the NFC matchups, and so gotta, gotta look at it that way. And it’s kind of a double-edged sword, but we’ll see how it goes.”
November 27th, 2025 at 8:44 am
Lol on the above coment. Well on a Thanksgiving morning, I think we have already witnessed the collapse. The Bucs main leaders, David and Mayfield telling the team to wake up, only to play worse. Yes, a bored corner, that is the best creative statement I have ever heard to explain bad play. I am still wondering where Winfield went, has he been seen latlely.
With that said, I don’t know if the Bucs are bouncing back after the Rams loss. The Cardinal game will tell for sure. With or without Baker the way this team is playing their is a solid chance that they lose this week. Yes losing this week would clearly put the fork in them.
Baker, I think they should rest him this week and not play. I would rather see a healthy Baker for the remainder of the season than one struggling the rest of the season nursing a bad shoulder. At least we may see the offense recover as they get people back. The defense on the other hand well, I think that horse has left the barn.
November 27th, 2025 at 8:46 am
Dump Teddy and bring back Trask. Bridgewater is a waste. I just have more confidence in Trask at this point.
November 27th, 2025 at 8:53 am
This is not exactly breaking news. It is entirely possible that an 8 or 9 win team wins the NFC South because the truth is that Carolina, New Orleans and the ATL are all capable of losing every game they play just like the Bucs, it is a bad division. I know the ATL and Cousins will beat the Bucs on TNF simply because it it a night game and Bowles’ D will allow Cousins to go ape on the Bucs’. That is a given. However, the ATL might not win any other games. Carolina has Bryce Young and he has had 2 good outings this year, both against the ATL, every other game he has failed to throw for 200 yards. Now he could light up the Bucs, we shall see. Like everyone else, I see that if the Bucs continue to implode and finish under 0.500 and miss the playoffs, it may be a blessing in disguise if it gets Bowles launched but there is a possibility that Bowles throws everyone else under the bus (his players and coached) to save his own skin and then we will have the same problem next year. If so, we as fans are cornholed. Happy Thanksgiving.
November 27th, 2025 at 8:53 am
Has there ever been a bigger “must win” situation for the Bucs?
Can you imagine what will happen if they lose to the Arizona Cardinals at home on Sunday?
The Bucs better find their “dues ex machina” ASAP…
Oh boy – things could get really ugly around here.
November 27th, 2025 at 8:54 am
Bucs are doomed either way. Baker, when “healthy”, has played like absolute crap since the bye week.
This team is rudderless right now. The offense is playing with way too many JV players on the field and the defense…well, the defense is still run by Toad Bowles, so the ceiling is very low.
The best chance this team has to finish this season strong is for this coaching staff to outcoach the opposing coaching staff, so don’t hold your breath.
The offensive and defensive tendencies so far this year are in neon signs. Every big play that the Bucs have faced in any game has been sniffed out by a mile by the opposing coordinator. That’s not good. When is the last time that the Bucs have faced a big 3rd or 4th down play on either side of the ball where they other team didn’t appear to already know the play call?
November 27th, 2025 at 8:56 am
deus not dues… lol.
November 27th, 2025 at 9:03 am
GM FAILED THIS TEAM. POOR FA AND LACK OF VISION TO SEE NEEDS. THIS TEAM HAS BEEN COMPROMISED BIG TIME DUE TO JL DECISION MAKING. UNACCEPTABLE. BOWLES AND GRIZZ DIDNT HELP.
November 27th, 2025 at 9:17 am
Buc fan since day one, this is a team in turmoil. Reminds me of perkins era vibes
With few exceptions ( vea, baker, smith, david) this is a team going thru the motions now, they are playing without Passion, discipline and intensity. They were completely exposed in the Detroit game and every opponent since has repeated the formula. The stubborn inability to adjust is its downfall. Bowles has lost the confidence of his locker room, too much wasted talent to be here. Sad times for the buccaneer faithful
November 27th, 2025 at 9:21 am
Well, well, did we fall off the wagon? Look, it’s no surprise the Bucs lost these last three games. Yes, they looked bad doing it, but sometimes you need a good beating down to recognize who you are and what you want to be, and I don’t believe any one of those players wants to be losers. They will fight back at some point, maybe even in this game!
November 27th, 2025 at 9:31 am
Joe … ‘ No matter if it is Teddy Bridgewater or Mayfield, Joe suspects the Bucs will be a run-heavy offense Sunday against the Cardinals.’
Yeah verily Joe. All this team can do is focus on ONE GAME AT A TIME. Offensively this team can win Sunday if it just runs the ball effectively, controlling the clock in the process. Our Oline CAN run-block, and with Bucky/Rachaad/Tuck available to tote the rock, there’s no reason this team can’t put 30 points or more on the board. And if Grizz can’t make that happen, then find someone who can.
Defensively we’ve got some major problems obviously, but we are getting Reddick back, and the rest of the defense except for Dean is relatively healthy. Guys who have played crappy over these past 3 games need to sit on the bench & give someone else an opportunity. I just hope that Todd will light a fire under a few arses & let underperformers know that they need to re-earn the right to start. No more coddling the candy-asses.
November 27th, 2025 at 9:38 am
Mayfield plays, Bucs win this game and get back on track. No real dangerous weapons on Arizona’s offense.
November 27th, 2025 at 9:49 am
I’m with StPeteMatt!! Baker plays and Bucs win!! 7-5 !!
Let’s Go !!