The last five weeks of Tampa Bay Buccaneers football have been difficult to stomach, and big changes are necessary. The first difficult stretch of the season, Tampa Bay finished 2-2 against the Seahawks, 49ers, Eagles, and Lions. Unfortunately, the second half of 2025 hasn't been as kind, and the Bucs have lost three straight against Super Bowl contenders.
Whether it's Baker Mayfield's injury, an inept defense, or subpar pass rush, there's plenty of blame to go around.
The good news is there’s still plenty of time to fix things, and that starts on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Whether or not Baker plays is almost irrelevant, there are a handful of guys who need to step up and some scheme changes that must happen if the Bucs want to start turning things around and save the season before it’s too late.
Pass game inefficiency
Yes, Baker Mayfield may not play in Week 13, but that doesn't mean the Bucs can't focus on the pass game. Tampa Bay has more than 175 passing yards in the last five games, and threw for 103 yards in Week 12.
Part of the blame falls on Mayfield, while part of the blame lies with injuries. The Bucs have been without Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, and Bucky Irving for much of the season, all key contributors in the pass game. With Godwin back in action on Sunday, the veteran caught two passes for nine yards.
Hopefully, Todd Bowles gives Baker the week off against the Cardinals, but even with backup Teddy Bridgewater filling in, this terrible trend must stop. Whether it's more short yardage plays, more dump-offs to RBs, or more playaction, the Bucs' offensive coordinator, Josh Grizzard, has to figure something out to fix the stalled pass game.
Pass defense needs to improve
The Tampa Bay defense has been putrid over the three-game slide, and allowed 27+ points in every contest. The rush defense has mostly stayed strong throughout the season, only allowing three teams to break the 100+ yard mark all year. The key problem has been, and continues to be, the pass defense.
No thanks to Zyon McCollum's performance in Week 12, the Bucs have allowed the 7th most passing yards per game, and second most over the last three. The linebackers have mainly been the problem, but McCollum was terrible against the Rams and may continue to be a liability.
Sack the quaterback
The Bucs have two sacks over the last three games. So far, Tampa Bay has just two players with three or more sacks, while the NFC South foe Falcons are tearing up the sack column. Something must change in Tampa Bay defensively, and it starts with pressuring the quarterback.