3 Buccaneers who deserve the most blame after frustrating loss to Dolphins in Week 17

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost yet again in Week 17, falling to 1-7 since the bye week. The 6-2 start in the first half of the season is now a distant memory, and the Buccaneers season is hanging on by a thread. 

Losing to a reeling Dolphins team led by a seventh-round rookie quarterback with so much at stake and their playoff hopes on the line says a lot about just how far this Bucs team has fallen in the second half of the season. 

The team as a whole failed to rise to the occasion, but there are a few Buccaneers players and units in particular that would really love to have this game back.

Buccaneers who deserve the most blame after 20-17 loss to Dolphins

Baker Mayfield

In a game the Bucs ultimately lost by just three points, Mayfield’s three turnovers proved too costly to overcome.

He threw two interceptions and also lost a fumble on a strip-sack.

The Buccaneers are now 7–1 on the season when Mayfield doesn’t throw an interception, and 0–8 when he does. It’s a telling stat that demonstrates just how razor-thin the margin for error is for this team. They simply can’t afford to have their quarterback turning the ball over, but Mayfield has now thrown an interception in four consecutive games which is a major cause for concern.

The Bucs need Mayfield to do a better job protecting the football, because this roster frankly isn’t good enough to overcome his self-inflicted mistakes. It may be a tad unfair for Mayfield, but it’s the reality of the situation. When he isn’t perfect, or close to it, this team struggles to win games.

Tykee Smith

Smith has had an incredible season and has often looked like the Bucs’ best player on defense. But against Miami, Smith struggled mightily.

For Miami’s first touchdown of the game, Smith took a terrible angle that allowed Theo Wease Jr. to get behind the defense for a 63-yard Dolphins touchdown. 

The touchdown was a major momentum swing in favor of Miami after Tampa Bay started the game hot by forcing a three-and-out and scored on their first offensive possession. 

Overall, it was a forgettable day for Smith, and the defensive unit as a whole.

Bucs' Special Teams 

The special teams unit deserves a significant share of the blame for Sunday’s loss to Miami. Chase McLaughlin had a 55-yard field goal attempt blocked, which looms large in a game the Bucs ultimately lost by just three points. Entering the game, McLaughlin had nailed an NFL-record 11 consecutive field goals from 50 yards or longer.

After Tampa Bay kicked a field goal to cut the deficit to a one-possession game at 17–10 at the end of the third quarter, the Bucs immediately gave momentum back. They allowed a 47-yard kick return that set Miami up in Tampa Bay territory, leading to a Dolphins field goal that offset Tampa Bay’s score and pushed the lead to 20–10 early in the fourth quarter.

Riley Dixon, punting from his own 42-yard line, somehow launched a punt that tackled only 27 yards. The botched punt allowed Miami to set up the offense at their own 31-yard line, instead of being pinned back deep in their own territory. 

The special teams unit outside of Chase McLaughlin has been a major weakness throughout the entirety of the season, and it’s hard to fathom how Thomas McGaughey still has a job as the team’s special teams coordinator with how disappointing the unit has been all season long.