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Jenna Laine, ESPN writer
TAMPA, Fla. — Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield took the blame for a lost fumble in the fourth quarter of Tampa Bay’s 23-20 loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday night and said That while “it will wear me down for a long time,” he is proud of the way his team competed this season.
The fumble came on a botched play by rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan. Mayfield lost control of the ball when McMillan passed him and tried to lunge at him. Instead, it was recovered by Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner at the Tampa Bay 13-yard line.
“That comes to mind, just timing it right,” Mayfield said. “The first all year that happened. So obviously the timing wasn’t the best, being backed up. The defense had done a great job getting us the ball, another fourth-down stop and yeah, unfortunate, but that falls on me.”
The play occurred on first-and-10 from the Tampa Bay 15-yard line with 11:58 left in regulation. Washington had driven to the Tampa Bay 1-yard line on the previous drive, but Bucs defensive lineman Calijah Kancey tackled running back Brian Robinson for a 2-yard loss and the defense forced three incomplete passes for a turnover. .
On the Commanders’ next drive after Mayfield’s fumble, quarterback Jayden Daniels connected with second-team All-Pro wide receiver Terry McLaurin on a 5-yard touchdown that, with the extra point, set the game. score 20-17. The Bucs would tie the score with a 32-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin with 4:45 left, but the defense couldn’t hold on. Commanders kicker Zane Gonzalez’s 37-yard field goal bounced off the right upright and went in.
“[It was] Baker and I are not on the same page,” said McMillan, who caught 2 of 4 targets for 41 yards receiving. “Things like that happen. I mean, shoot, mistakes happen.”
It was Mayfield’s third fumble loss this season, all of them after Week 12. It was also the Bucs’ fourth loss.
“It’s heartbreaking,” McMillan said. “Just losing like that… I don’t like losing like that.”
When asked what he would say to Mayfield, coach Todd Bowles said there was nothing to say and praised Mayfield for the season he had, one that often included risky plays outside the pocket where the 6-foot-1 Mayfield , he got in. path of damage.
“He’s your bell cow. Your bell cow takes a chance and if something goes wrong, you have to live with it,” Bowles said. “They’re human. We’re going to make mistakes and he brought us here; we wouldn’t even be here without Baker.”
Mayfield surpassed last season’s career-high 28 touchdowns with 41 this regular season, tied with MVP candidate Lamar Jackson for second in the NFL. He also increased his completion percentage from 64% to 71%, and he did it without receiver Chris Godwin, who was lost to a season-ending injury after seven games and was then the NFL’s leader in receptions and touchdown receptions, and without the support of the franchise. All-time leading scorer Mike Evans for four games.
But those personal milestones meant little to Mayfield, even after resurrecting his career and finding a permanent home in Tampa after stints with three different teams.
“It’s never just about one person, and that’s what this team embodies,” Mayfield said. “That’s the most important part. That’s what you can be proud of, is that we grew up together, the guys helped each other and stepped up. It’s never about one person. And unfortunately, today we made some mistakes that hurt the team.”
Mayfield said he was proud of the way his team fought. After a four-game losing streak, the Bucs won six of their last seven games to finish 10-7 in the regular season and win the NFC South once again (it was Mayfield’s second consecutive NFC South title and fourth of the Bucs). But they fell short of last season’s 32-19 wild-card victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, hoping to advance beyond the divisional round, where they lost to the Detroit Lions a year ago.
The Bucs opened this season with a 37-20 victory over the Commanders in Week 1, then avenged their playoff loss in Detroit with a 20-16 victory. Then came a 33-16 win over the Eagles in Week 4. But the effort wasn’t enough Sunday night and there will be no trip to Philadelphia.
“It’s disappointing overall because I believe in this team,” Mayfield said. “I think we have the talent, the coaching staff and everyone around us to be able to go far, but looking back, trying to take a step back, the big picture: this group fought, there were a lot of people who took a step forward. “Throughout the year, a lot of guys took on big roles, so there’s a lot to be proud of.”
McMillan was one of them. One of the Bucs’ two third-round picks, he and Mayfield connected for seven receiving touchdowns in the final five games of the regular season, tied with Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase for the most in that span.
“It’s hard to see right now, but there are a lot of young guys that will be on this roster next year that had to step up and they did it in a big way. That should build confidence in those guys, knowing who they are. “As players and as men in adversity situations, to be able to step up like they did, that’s something to be proud of,” Mayfield said. “It just comes back to being disappointing and not making the plays when we needed them the most.” .
When asked if he would show the same level of kindness and encouragement to himself, Mayfield said, “Probably not. Just some nonsense today that cost the team. That’s going to wear me down for a while.”
