The Tampa Bay Buccaneers came into the season thinking they had a huge advantage over the other teams in the NFC South at the quarterback position, and whlie they don't have to stop believing in Baker Mayfield despite his dreadful start prior to the injury, they clearly can't take for granted being the superior team in the division at the NFL's marquee position.
That's not just because Mayfield had a TQBR of 37.1 that was even lower than undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels's 45.0 mark, but it's also because Carolina Panthers signal caller Bryce Young has been piling on the yardage. After showing signs of a breakout in the 2025 NFL season, Young is literally leading the league in yards per game with 309.8 and has one of the top TQBRs in the league at 69.9.
Mayfield is a gunslinger at heart, and even though this will be his first game back from another multi week absence, he can't fall into the trap of slinging it away inaccurately in the hopes of trying to match a young quarterback who is tops in the NFL at pouring on the yards on defenses.
Baker Mayfield needs to play smart and protect the football vs. Panthers
What the Tampa Bay Buccaneers do not need is for Mayfield to try and do too much and fumble or throw another game way - or maybe even worse yet, get himself bounced out with a significant injury. The Buccaneers, instead, need Mayfield to play smart, take care of the football, and letting his wide receivers like Tez Johnson, Ted Hurst, and, of course, Chris Godwin Jr. make those plays for him.
Bryce Young is playing lights out right now with 11 touchdowns and 2 interceptions despite challenging defenses down the field with nearly 13 yards per completion. The Carolina Panthers passer is operating at a high level, while Mayfield is an injured quarterback still trying to get his mojo back with the same number of interceptions this season and only two touchdowns to his credit.
What is going to help Baker Mayfield bounce back is taking what the defense gives him, distributing the ball, and not losing the game. The Buccaneers are falling far off the playoff pace already and were already second best to their rivals in North Carolina last season after an infamous collapse. Mayfield has to take it slower, because the more relaxed he is, the better the Buccaneers play. He needs to chill and just focus on moving the sticks.
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