No single member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization is under more pressure this season than head coach Todd Bowles, and it's honestly a miracle he managed to keep his job after last season's historic collapse which not only had him written all over it, but contributed to three of the team's main non quarterback pillars leaving in the offseason in Lavonte David (retired), Jamel Dean (Pittsburgh Steelers), and Mike Evans (San Francisco 49ers).
While the Buccaneers played out a familiar scene in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL regular season by losing 33-27 to the Cincinnati Bengals in a game marked by turnovers, sloppy tackling, and questionable play calling on both sides of the ball, Bowles bought himself a ticket out of being a scapegoat for a Buccaneers defeat for at least one game.
And while he won't be giving Baker Mayfield the Game Ball for his performance against fellow top quarterback Joe Burrow this Sunday, Bowles can "thank" the Bake for playing so poorly that even his biggest supporters can't throw Bowles under the bus for this one.
Baker Mayfield was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' biggest problem in Week 1
The Buccaneers defense actually did a reasonably good job of keeping the Cincinnati Bengals offense tamed, shutting down Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. But facing so many short fields after turnover after turnover from Baker Mayfield doing his worst Hero Ball impression proved insurmountable in the end for this defense.
Mayfield was the worst player on the field for the Buccaneers, particularly when you account for the team he was facing and the magnitude of an impact a quarterback playing like this can have on everyone. He did not lead by example, he did not put his teammates in positions to succeed, he held the ball too long, he showed the same ball security issues he has always shown throughout his career without any interest in getting better, and his decision making on crucial downs was appalling.
Bowles honestly did the Tampa Bay Buccaneers no favors again and was as poor as he has ever been as a head coach and a leader, but on opening day in Cincinnati, Ohio, Baker outdid his head coach in the incompetence department.
The Buccaneers need to see a more cautious, measured, and consistently accurate Baker Mayfield under center. After throwing the kitchen sink at him financially, the Bucs need to see real results in the winning column, and he clearly undermined the entire team in Week 1.
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