Once again last Sunday, Buccaneers quarterback had a potential Baker Mayfield game-winning drive waiting for him at the end of another close matchup. The opportunity was more of an indictment of the team they were playing against than a reflection of how well Tampa Bay played.
Mayfield & co. were down 24-20 against the bottom feeder New Orleans Saints—who came to Raymond James Stadium with just two wins—with under two minutes left and no timeouts.
Instead of continuing the heroics that have saved this team from embarrassment all season, the Bucs offense went away with a thud as it turned it over on downs for the fifth time last Sunday afternoon to end their miserable effort against one of the worst teams in football.
It was an ugly game with the weather matching the mood, as both teams committed silly turnovers, with both quarterbacks throwing an interception, and both defenses looked out of their depth at times.
Bucs linebacker SirVocea Dennis had several plays where he looked absolutely lost including a key third down conversion where Saints receiver Chris Olave managed to pick up a first down in the fourth quarter to continue a key Saints drive that led to a field goal.
Tampa Bay’s pass rush managed to get after Saints rookie QB, Tyler Shough, with three sacks, yet they failed to prevent disaster at the end of the game with New Orleans managing to score an ultimately game-winning touchdown on a play where Bucs defenders missed at least two chances at bringing down the first-year player.
There is still a road to Tampa Bay winning this horrendous division, as there always is when the opposing teams are as bad as they are in the NFC south.
Yet Sunday’s game was as deflated as it gets, and it calls into question why it even matters if the Buccaneers make the playoffs or not, as the chances of them winning a game against a playoff caliber team are slim-to-none.
Head coach Todd Bowles has preached the need for the defense to improve their tackling yet no changes have come to fruition. The offense looked as lifeless as it’s ever been even without starting left tackle Tristan Wirfs (a two-touchdown performance is not going to cut it against one of the league’s worst defenses).
Now, it’s just a battle of who can suck the least between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers, as Carolina was on a bye week and now the teams are tied for the top of the division.
If the Buccaneers want to take home yet another NFC South crown they will have to be Carolina at least once which at this point seems like an unlikely proposition.
Tampa Bay’s next game takes place Thursday night at Raymond James versus the Atlanta Falcons.
It is indeed a Bucs Life, and things look bleak for the Buccaneers.
This article appears in Dec. 04 – 10, 2025.