Baker Mayfield defends Todd Bowles after Buccaneers embarrassing loss to Falcons

Thursday night's loss was a backbreaker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While their season isn't over, it certainly feels that way. All the Bucs needed to do was beat a four-win Falcons team at home to get their playoff hopes back on track. After a 29-28 loss, one that saw Tampa Bay blow a 14-point lead, it's worth wondering if a playoff conversation is even worth having.

Nothing about what we saw on Thursday suggests that it is.

Todd Bowles has been a lightning rod for criticism over the last few years, and the breaking point has been reached in the loss to Atlanta. Even the biggest optimists are starting to lose hope, and another blown lead by a tremendously underperforming defense has made Bowles as easy a target as he's ever been.

Not for Baker Mayfield, though.

Baker Mayfield defends Buccaneers' defense and takes blame for loss to Falcons

Rather than pile on and use the wave of rage being pointed at Bowles by fans, Baker defended his head coach and redirected blame to himself.

It was the offense, not the defense, that cost the Bucs a win in the eyes of Mayfield.

"Yeah, we're pissed off. We expected to win that game," Baker said. "When you're up two scores and your offense has a chance to put the game away and you don't? Obviously people are going to blame the defense but it's not the defense's fault. It's out fault, it's my fault. That's how I view it and that's how I'm going to handle it."

He's not wrong, even if the defense shouldn't be absolved of blame.

There's something to be said about blowing a 14-point lead, but allowing the Falcons to convert a 3rd-and-28 on two plays to then kick a game-winning field goal is unforgivably bad. What that collpase is masking, though, is what Baker is pointing out.

The defense isn't put in the situation it is if the offense converts with just over two minutes left. Baker missed Emeka Egbuka on a route that would have iced the game and never given the ball back to Atlanta.

It's even earlier than that where things went off the rails.

Four plays after the Falcons scored to make it an eight point game, Baker threw a brutal interception. It led to a touchdown -- which is on the defense -- but the momentum swing back to the Falcons is on Baker and the offense failing to hold up its end.

That's been the story all season. It's not just the defense that has let everyone down, it's a total system failure. Going from 6-1 to missing the playoffs is the type of collapse that brings about change, which is where it seems things are going.

Tampa Bay still has three games left and can still make the playoffs by beating Carolina, but right now things feel about as bad as they have in quite some time.