Another year, another Tampa Bay Buccaneers mid-season slump, except unlike previous years, this one is slipping into the end-of-the-season stretch run.
Like most years, the NFC South is still on the line, and as the Bucs try and break themselves out of this annual lull they find themselves in, they’ll gear up to take on the Carolina Panthers with the division on the line.
For whatever reason, it has not been as simple as in previous years. Head coach Todd Bowles has been preaching about cleaning up the little things and mental errors, which have been a huge issue; however, quarterback Baker Mayfield thinks it goes beyond that.
"I don't know if I can really put my finger on one thing,” Mayfield said. “In years past, I've said that we got the little things corrected and just played simple ball, bread-and-butter plays and executed really well. I think maybe in the last few years we did that and now it's just a matter of making the plays in critical moments that we need to. Like I said after the game, I [have] to make those throws, I [have] to make those plays, can't turn the ball over, so that comes down to me."
Outside of the interceptions, there have been two critical moments that come to mind that have cost the Buccaneers the game in the past two weeks. Ironically, both plays included the same set of players: Mayfield and rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. Both were badly thrown passes that were above or behind Egbuka, who, to his credit, got his hands on both balls but couldn’t bring them down.
However, Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans believes the biggest difference is just getting healthy at the right time. The offense has dealt with its fair share of injuries in previous years during its lulls, but not like this season.
"We're all finally coming together,” Evans said. “The whole team is trying to get back healthy. Like you said, we've been here before, so we know what it takes. [We have] to win. Don't change anything, don't do [anything] special, just do what we've been doing and try to win these ball games."
If Evans is to be believed, the offense is ready to turn around now with their playmakers back, but if they can't make the critical plays in those crucial moments, as Mayfield suggests, it may be all for nothing as the Bucs try to make a final push for the playoffs.