“Frustrated Because The Offense Is Close”

September 20th, 2026

So Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell combined for 7 catches today for a total of 6 yards — SIX!

And Baker Mayfield largely struggled throwing the deep ball while the Bucs offense had at least 8 plays for negative yardage.

The red zone offense was poor, too. However, Mayfield can feel the offense is “this close” to doing great things.

Perhaps he’s vibing off the run game, which was very solid in today’s loss to the bungling and bumbling Browns.

“Frustrated because [the offense] is close,” Mayfield said. “You know, you can feel it, you can see it. We’re moving the ball at times and then just shooting ourselves in the foot.

“So that makes it more frustrating when you know you’re right there. Our group is more than capable of handling stuff like this. But we got to really be self-critical. Look at the tape. Get stuff fixed and just can’t keep making the same mistakes over and over.”

The Bucs are out of time for their rhythm-challenged offense. The team is 0-2 and here comes a suffocating Vikings defense to Tampa next Sunday.

Joe hopes Mayfield isn’t delusional. Because it sure looked to Joe like the Bucs offense took a step backwards this week in a 23-19 loss to — all together now — the Browns.

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58 Responses to ““Frustrated Because The Offense Is Close””

  1. TheScourge Says:

    Offensive line is, dare I say, soft?

  2. White Dogg Says:

    Man am I glad I’m not wasting my time and energy on this team, while on my vacation!!!

  3. Jmarkbuc Says:

    The offense isn’t any closer than his downfield throws.

    Excuses, excuses.

  4. Davenport Says:

    Its not close. Its a mess.
    Stop bs-ing the fans, we’re not buying it.

  5. Guzzie55 Says:

    15 more losses to go for Arch Manning to be a Buccaneer, Mayfield the highest paid backup in league history

  6. Bud Franklin Bundy Says:

    So close but yet so fat….

  7. Buc’dInThaHead Says:

    Everybody involved should be embarrassed. This reeks at Lovie and Schiano levels. if #3 keeps staying invisible, and all these people we paid don’t man the hell up, Jason should be feeling uncomfortable as well.

  8. BowlesWillBeFired26 Says:

    Mayfield’s job is to spin the positive. That’s to be expected.

    He’s totally talking out of his behind, but that’s his job.

  9. Lakeland Says:

    So close????

    They scored 19 points on a defense that recently traded the NFL best defensive player
    This offense is horrible, they’re terrible, they stinks

  10. Chant Says:

    It sucks to lose to the browns but look at it this way, only a game behind in the nfc south!

  11. Dubcity6 Says:

    Shooting yourselves in the foot?? How sway? How about.. “man I played like crap”.. thats much more true

  12. Bucs East Coast Says:

    They were very close to almost beating the leagues punching bag the browns.

    So close.

    Do we get a 0.25 point for close in the win lose columns? No? Dang.

    We got Minn on deck, followed by GB, Dallas Pittsburgh…

    But will likely be close to elimated from the playoffs before Oct 25 when we get close to having a chance for the first win against the Panthers.

    The bucs will be close to 0 – 6 by then.

  13. Ash Says:

    I think you can stop saying top 5 oline now joe this team is bad.

  14. Bucnbeers Says:

    Bad OC, Bad HC, Bad QB. You were so close on those deep balls Baker.🤣

  15. Warren Brooks Lynch Says:

    “So Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell combined for 7 catches today for a total of 6 yards — SIX!

    And Baker Mayfield largely struggled throwing the deep ball while the Bucs offense had at least 8 plays for negative yardage.“

    The whole point is to go forward, we didn’t even bother to try to heavy dose the run game, we used those screen in place of it and it’s trash. Even good calls look bad with bad play.

    And why, why why are we using Tez Johnson as a punter returner? Why?

  16. Buc Up Buttercup Says:

    It’s a continuation from last year. I fully expect we will be talking draft and potential HC candidates by Halloween.

  17. Rod Munch Says:

    “But we got to really be self-critical. Look at the tape. ”

    ————–

    If you did that Baker, you’d stop saying WE, and say I, since you’re 100% of the problem. You’re the one comically missing open WRs deep, you’re the one who missed a wide open e2 to win the game.

    The issue for you Baker isn’t WE, it’s I.

  18. Lakeland Says:

    We’re 2-9 since we starting stinking the field

    And in every loss, Baker Mayfield was outplayed by the other team QB
    In some cases a rookie, a backup, a has been,
    But they all outplayed Baker Mayfield

    And the Bucs reward him with the a franchise record extension

    Unbelievable

  19. Josh Says:

    But can blame Bowles for being retained as head coach and Baker for not having Coen??? Because that’s where I’m at. The NFL’s DEI policies would have caused an uproar if you did that. That’s why making him a co-head coach, then not renewing Bowles’ contract, or forcing him to retire made sense. You literally couldn’t just FIRE BOWLES and hire Coen you would have had to play the system. AKA CO-Head Coach for a season and then just not retain Bowles. Then say we didn’t fire him he told us he was going to retire….

    But yeah today was on Baker… But and it’s a HUGE BUT would Baker be putting up 4,500 yards and 40 TDs with Coen again???

  20. Bucs Fan Since ‘76 Says:

    It’s not rocket science. Bowles is a not a good HC and he’s not produced good a good defense in many years now. How many OC’s have we had since he took over as HC? His last one was not very good and Robinson was fired by another bad team and organization. We are 2-9. Why is anyone surprised by this?

  21. Ghost of McKay Says:

    Huh?

  22. Flush Bowles Says:

    The time for excuses is over.

  23. Ghost of McKay Says:

    Lakeland. The other QB’s did not have Bowles and the Licht roster hanging around their necks.

  24. Lakeland Says:

    Corn sucks as bad as Bowles
    Jacksonville only scored 13 points in their loss to Denver
    Corn was a failed OC with the Bucs
    One and done in the playoffs with the Bucs
    One and done in the playoffs with the Jaguars

    No one cares about Liam Coen, he sucks

  25. gotbbucs Says:

    By the time the offense gets squared away the season will be over.

    This is what it looks like when you have to install a new offense every offseason.

  26. Lakeland Says:

    We need winners in Tampa
    We don’t need anymore trash here

  27. Curse of Gruden Says:

    O-line is soft. Going to be a long season.

  28. Popcornmike67 Says:

    Josh I don’t think DEI had nothing to do with Bowles being retained. DEI has been basically cancel around the US anyway. I think Bowles was kept because he’s well liked around One Bucs Place and he’s a smart coach, However, he’s not a good head coach and I really think today was it I think Bowles have to make it to the Super Bowl Bowl or at least the championship game to stay in Tampa

  29. Pewter Power Says:

    Got the record I didn’t want to give baker the money yet and not that it wasn’t fair market but come on Todd Bowles has been a mediocre coach since he was hired, did they think they were Super Bowl bound? He’d be playing better if he had to work for that contract

  30. FireBowles58! Says:

    Close to what??? Tool

  31. 76dug Says:

    Close to what? Throwing the ball pass the line of scrimmage?

  32. Day1-76 Says:

    Close to what? Losing to the worst team in the NFL? At least the ridiculous losing streak has started early this year. Where are all of the injury excuses now? What a JOKE!!!

  33. Coburn Says:

    I missed the mess today, but just looking at stats… It looks like our running game was dominant. Why didn’t we just keep pounding it until they forced us to switch it up?

  34. Obvious Says:

    He’s in shock. He actually believe he is a franchise qb and that Bowles is a good head coach.

    Once the next guy comes in and shifts all of this, this will feel easy

  35. BucsFan81 Says:

    Next week will be brutal. Baker thinks his bum shoulder hurts now just wait.

  36. McBay Says:

    This one was the telltale expose.’ The season is over. At least we still have Bowles.

  37. Stevek Says:

    Baker isn’t playing well. Bummer that he got paid and is not elevating the team. Coaching isn’t complimentary, but we have a highly paid QB who’s sucking.

  38. Alvin Scissors Harper Says:

    Lakeland, don’t be a dope. I like a lot of your takes. Coen turned Jacksonville into a 13-4 team last year. They’re gonna be good again this year. We let him walk out the door in 2024, so we could hold onto the cheap Cigar Store Indian.

  39. Hopes on 2027 Says:

    horseshoes and handgrenades

  40. BucaneroJim Says:

    Purdy had a 149.1 rating today. Godwin should have bolted to SF with Mike.

  41. Bucfan1988 Says:

    Played 2 games and our $165 million QB has:

    ONE FUK’N TOUCHDOWN PASS!!!

    That’s it!! ONE !!!!

    And that one sole pass, Ebuka had to stop and go to the ground in some crazy way to make the catch…..

    BAKER PLAINLY SUCKS NOW!!!
    Let’s review:
    1) Locks onto primary read now most of the time and doesn’t go thru reads
    2) Holds ball foreverrrrrrrrr
    3) Reckless with ball now while in pocket
    4) Highly inaccurate deep ball

    Anything else I’m missing here????

  42. CosmoKramer Says:

    “Bowles is a great coach who a great defense” – Floormatt

    🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

  43. JustVisiting Says:

    It looked to me like Clevland was breaking into the pocket awfully quickly; we’ll see if nextgen stats bears that out in a day or two. In the first half, the O only scored 6 and the D only allowed 6…props to the D. In the second, the O scored 13 and the D allowed 17…and that wasn’t about turnovers, etc. As for the histrionics about the final play, all the points count the same. You don’t win or lose based on the last play; if you did, they would only play one…and it wouldn’t be after a two hour delay. You lose because your offense scored fewer points over the +whole game+ than your defense allowed. That’s what happened today, and there was lots of blame to go around.

  44. Fred McNeil Says:

    This offense is close alright. Close to being a Leeman Bennet style disaster.

  45. Oneilbuc Says:

    Gipper. KENTON, BAKER fan, Mike C , and others. This is why Baker is on his 4th team and why a lot of us believe they should have waited and draft a quarterback next year. But we have 15 more games so it’s not over. But this is why I believe Baker is a bridge quarterback at this point of his career!!

  46. JustVisiting Says:

    Oneilbuc: I hope not, but we’ll see over the coming weeks. If that’s what it is, that’s what it is.

  47. Itzok Says:

    Take the whole team out behind the barn and shoot it.

  48. Rayjay1122 Says:

    I predicted exactly this would happen. I was dubbed a negative fan. Lol. Realistic observations is all it was based on. Bowles should have been gone already. Why should I care though? The team doesn’t.

  49. Nicholas Carlson Says:

    They stink

  50. Larrd Says:

    Hurst sure got a lot of targets for a rookie. That doesn’t seem like a good sign for the receiver group. They don’t seem to be getting open or to the right spots, except Godwin, who should be the primary guy heading forward. Bad routes can lead to hesitant quarterbacks, which makes the OL look bad, too.

    Ebuka is becoming a disappointment. So is the OC.

  51. Simeon4HOF Says:

    Every deep ball he throws feels like it should be a million per less

  52. McBay Says:

    Instead of frustrated, maybe he should feel compelled to not suck so much every game.

  53. FortMyersDave Says:

    Lakeland has a point about Coen, dude gets the yips when the pressure is on. We saw it in the playoff game vs Washington and then he lost a home playoff games in which they were favored over the Jags. The difference between Coen and Bowles is that Bowles gets the yips vs bottom feeding teams, on Thursday night and on any given Sunday. Coen saves it for special occasions. I’d take Coen as HC hands down over Bowles but that only would get you one and done in the playoffs which I guess is better than 4-13 which the Bucs will probably finsih under Bowels, winning just enough games to miss out on the top draft picks of 2027, not that that mattersas the Bucs are handcuffed to Baker now for the next 2 or 3 seasons, barf.

  54. FortMyersDave Says:

    he lost a home playoff games in which they were favored over the Jags

    Um that should be agianst the Bills.

    Still, my point stands. Coen gets the yips but Coen >>>> Bowles. Change is needed. The rot starts at the top.

  55. #1bucsfan Says:

    Y’all can keep crying that it’s Bowles fault. Baker lost this game just like in cincy.

  56. LakelandSteve Says:

    This entire team is SOFT!

  57. View from Outer Space Says:

    Look at that photo. A lot of empty seats. Fans are tired of this team. I know I am.

    Doesn’t matter anyway. Mahomes is back so the refs already picked a champ.

  58. Mike C Says:

    Oneilbuc, is the Giants backup winning superbowls yet?, like you predicted? Or is he a @$#%ing backup?

 

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