Baker Mayfield giveth, and Baker Mayfield taketh away.
That was the lesson for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in Charlotte, as the bottom appears ready to fall out on a forgettable season.
One of the things that doomed the Bucs on Sunday was a bad throw by Baker Mayfield at the worst possible time. He had been willing the team back into a potential comeback victory when he threw a game-sealing interception as Tampa Bay was driving into field goal range.
Baker was looking for Mike Evans, who peeled off in the opposite direction, which allowed the pass to sail into the waiting arms of Lathan Ransom to end the comeback bid. It was an ugly way for an ugly game to end, and Baker had a blunt explanation for it all afterward.
Baker Mayfield explains what went wrong on game-sealing interceptions against Panthers
After the game Baker was asked what happened on the throw, and chalked it up to simply not being on the same page as Mike Evans.
"Unfortunately, it was [a miscommunication]. I was trying to find a lane to step through and make the throw to him. He thought I was going to scramble," Baker said. "Can't blame him for that. Honestly, just a sucky situation."
It was perhaps the worst possible way the day could have ended, one that had been full of situations where the Bucs were masters of their own demise. Whether it was Luke Goedeke turning into a pumpkin or the run-heavy to a fault approach by Josh Grizzard, the Bucs just couldn't stay out of their own way on Sunday.
That's been the story of this season. Ever since mid-October, the magic of being able to figure out how to win games late has turned into a curse.
It's not a season that's over yet, as the Bucs still have a crystal-clear path to the playoffs, even though the good vibes from the team's 6-1 start are officially gone. Sunday's loss to the Panthers drops the Bucs into second place in the NFC South, out of the playoff picture, and on the verge of handing the division crown to Carolina.
Tampa Bay can wrestle the belt back from the Panthers just as easily as they can keep tumbling down the dark pit they've fallen into, but nobody can be blamed for thinking that's more of a fantasy than a potential reality.
It might feel like the season is over, but it's not. If the Bucs win their next two games they'll claim a fifth-straight NFC South title. Thanks to the way things went on Sunday, though, that's going to be a lot more difficult -- and less fun -- than it should be.