Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield said the team can be proud of how they grew together and fought through the 2024 season, but those feelings took a backseat to less positive sentiments Sunday evening.
The Bucs entered the fourth quarter of their home game against the Commanders with a 17-13 lead, but they couldn’t maintain the advantage. A botched handoff to wide receiver Jalen McMillan led to a fumble that set up a Commanders touchdown and the Bucs had to settle for a field goal after a rushed snap helped thwart a promising drive later in the fourth quarter .
That basket tied the game, but the Bucs didn’t see the ball for the final 4:41 of the game as Washington scored a game-winning field goal. The defense’s inability to get stops took a backseat to the offensive miscues when Mayfield recapped what happened in his postgame press conference.
“Just a few stupid things today that cost the team,” Mayfield said. “It’s going to weigh on me for a while.”
The Commanders never turned the ball over or punted during Sunday night’s victory. It made the Bucs’ mistakes stand out even more on a night that marked an earlier start to the offseason than anyone in Tampa hoped to see.
