The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fallen into a rut after their hot start to the 2024 season. Standing 4-2 following a win in New Orleans just two weeks ago, these Bucs now fall to 4-4 on the season and have officially lost the tiebreaker to division-leading Atlanta following their week eight loss, already losing both of this season’s games to the Falcons.
It’s a tough pill to swallow, as Tampa Bay played in two close, winnable matchups against Atlanta and now are fighting from behind after dropping both games. With the Falcons only having one more win than the Bucs, it’s not impossible that this team can overcome the hole they’ve put themselves in. But it will take an extreme amount of focus and execution, as the Bucs push over the halfway point in this season.
“The guys that were here, we know how we did it.” Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield alluded to last season’s fantastic ending, as they won five of their last six games to end 2023. “It’s doing the little things right, not beating yourselves. Everybody else though- we have the mental make-up to overcome anything and I truly believe that. I believe that’s the group that we have. I believe that we can overcome a lot and take it one day at a time, one game at a time.”
“I’ll be damned if I give up on this group, and I won’t.”
The Disconnect Between Fans and Reality
Many fans will be quick to point out that Mayfield leads the league in interceptions after eight weeks, he’s tied with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes with nine. Although Mayfield leads the league in passing touchdowns with 21, and Lamar Jackson trails with the second most passing scores with seventeen, there is still a rumbling of spectators who believe the Bucs’ QB is a recipe for disaster, and that he doesn’t have what it takes to push Tampa Bay to a championship level.
Yes, losses are a direct result of turnovers and Mayfield has to be better moving forward- but we have to understand the situation this Tampa Bay offense currently finds themselves in.
Prior to the Monday Night game where the Bucs lost their two top receivers, Baker Mayfield was directly in the MVP conversation and his numbers still show that he has a chance. But following a game where a team’s offense loses their top two receiving options, not even mentioning the greatness of Tampa Bay’s duo, any NFL squad would face issues moving forward without those top guys.
Bucs’ fans just need to understand the situation this team finds themselves in. A 4-4 record isn’t ideal with the aspirations this team had after seeing some of the team’s they’re capable of beating, without stars like Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, it’ll be even more of a challenge to make the playoff push or potentially overtake the division, if Atlanta can fall into a losing streak.
He Is Who He Is
Having a high-motor, stat-stuffing signal caller like Baker Mayfield is a blessing for a Buccaneers organization who has had their fair share of nightmares from the quarterback position. After signing his three-year, $90-million deal with Tampa Bay this past offseason, the Bucs told the entirety of the league that the organization isn’t asking the world of Mayfield. They believe he’s a serviceable guy and so far in 2024, he has shown that he is one of the league’s greatest leaders and is one of the most fearless quarterbacks there is.
Moving forward throughout 2024, Mayfield will continue to have a chance to show that he doesn’t need two of the league’s best receivers in order to have success. With 21 touchdown passes through eight weeks, the Bucs’ gunslinger is on pace to break Tom Brady’s single-season franchise record of passing touchdowns of 43. If Mayfield keeps up his current pace, he’ll end with 45 and forever etch himself into the record books.
But all of these stats can be lost if this Tampa Bay team isn’t winning games. With Kansas City and San Francisco being the next two opponents on the schedule, not only will Mayfield have to play similarly to how he has so far this season, but the defense will have to turn things around and make stops against two of the highest powered offenses in football.
These next two games will be huge. A 4-6 record going into the bye week is unacceptable after where this team saw themselves early in the season, with wins over Detroit and Philadelphia. It will truly be a “one game at a time” approach from the Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield, as their season has taken a drastic turn for the worst.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fallen into a rut after their hot start to the 2024 season. Standing 4-2 following a win in New Orleans just two weeks ago, these Bucs now fall to 4-4 on the season and have officially lost the tiebreaker to division-leading Atlanta following their week eight loss, already losing both of this season’s games to the Falcons.
It’s a tough pill to swallow, as Tampa Bay played in two close, winnable matchups against Atlanta and now are fighting from behind after dropping both games. With the Falcons only having one more win than the Bucs, it’s not impossible that this team can overcome the hole they’ve put themselves in. But it will take an extreme amount of focus and execution, as the Bucs push over the halfway point in this season.
“The guys that were here, we know how we did it.” Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield alluded to last season’s fantastic ending, as they won five of their last six games to end 2023. “It’s doing the little things right, not beating yourselves. Everybody else though- we have the mental make-up to overcome anything and I truly believe that. I believe that’s the group that we have. I believe that we can overcome a lot and take it one day at a time, one game at a time.”
“I’ll be damned if I give up on this group, and I won’t.”
The Disconnect Between Fans and Reality
Many fans will be quick to point out that Mayfield leads the league in interceptions after eight weeks, he’s tied with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes with nine. Although Mayfield leads the league in passing touchdowns with 21, and Lamar Jackson trails with the second most passing scores with seventeen, there is still a rumbling of spectators who believe the Bucs’ QB is a recipe for disaster, and that he doesn’t have what it takes to push Tampa Bay to a championship level.
Yes, losses are a direct result of turnovers and Mayfield has to be better moving forward- but we have to understand the situation this Tampa Bay offense currently finds themselves in.
Prior to the Monday Night game where the Bucs lost their two top receivers, Baker Mayfield was directly in the MVP conversation and his numbers still show that he has a chance. But following a game where a team’s offense loses their top two receiving options, not even mentioning the greatness of Tampa Bay’s duo, any NFL squad would face issues moving forward without those top guys.
Bucs’ fans just need to understand the situation this team finds themselves in. A 4-4 record isn’t ideal with the aspirations this team had after seeing some of the team’s they’re capable of beating, without stars like Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, it’ll be even more of a challenge to make the playoff push or potentially overtake the division, if Atlanta can fall into a losing streak.
He Is Who He Is
Having a high-motor, stat-stuffing signal caller like Baker Mayfield is a blessing for a Buccaneers organization who has had their fair share of nightmares from the quarterback position. After signing his three-year, $90-million deal with Tampa Bay this past offseason, the Bucs told the entirety of the league that the organization isn’t asking the world of Mayfield. They believe he’s a serviceable guy and so far in 2024, he has shown that he is one of the league’s greatest leaders and is one of the most fearless quarterbacks there is.
Moving forward throughout 2024, Mayfield will continue to have a chance to show that he doesn’t need two of the league’s best receivers in order to have success. With 21 touchdown passes through eight weeks, the Bucs’ gunslinger is on pace to break Tom Brady’s single-season franchise record of passing touchdowns of 43. If Mayfield keeps up his current pace, he’ll end with 45 and forever etch himself into the record books.
But all of these stats can be lost if this Tampa Bay team isn’t winning games. With Kansas City and San Francisco being the next two opponents on the schedule, not only will Mayfield have to play similarly to how he has so far this season, but the defense will have to turn things around and make stops against two of the highest powered offenses in football.
These next two games will be huge. A 4-6 record going into the bye week is unacceptable after where this team saw themselves early in the season, with wins over Detroit and Philadelphia. It will truly be a “one game at a time” approach from the Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield, as their season has taken a drastic turn for the worst.
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