The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be sitting on a 3-0 start for the first time in two decades, but they have sure made a habit of cutting it close.

In yet another last-minute thriller, they let the Jets erase a 17-point lead in the final quarter and take the lead, but they managed to claw their way back, thanks to a Chase McLaughlin field goal set up by Baker Mayfield. Yet, it was not the defense that the QB had notes for at the end of the game.

“I thought first of all, defensively, lights out for us,” the QB said. “We just got to capitalize on being in the red zone and score touchdowns more. I thought the skill group, we as a whole, I missed some throws. We didn’t complete and connect on some of them.” 

“We got to be better at that. I have nightmares about the scrambles we were able to [unclear] in the end zone, where it triggered a little early into the third. But we just got to be able to get six instead of field goals, put ourselves in a better position. But obviously we had. A little mix-up on the O-line, and those guys played great,” he said. He wasn’t wrong.

The Bucs’ offensive line had a tough outing as it struggled with the run game and failed to give Mayfield a clean pocket. The team was flagged 14 times for 124 yards against the Jets, with the offensive line largely to blame. Every lineman except Tackle Charlie Heck was penalized.

As for not being productive enough in the red zone, here, too, the numbers support what Mayfield said.

The Bucs went 4 for 12 on third down conversions and could only capitalize on one of their five trips to the red zone. Despite the problems and the injury to WR Mike Evans, however, Mayfield had a productive outing.

Mayfield completed 19 of his 29 attempts for 233 yards and a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, he made passes to wide receivers Emeka Egbuka (28 yards) and Sterling Shepard (20 yards), which helped set up the 36-yard McLaughlin field goal that sealed the win.

And as Mayfield pointed out, the defense did have a good game. They gave up only one play over 20 yards and forced multiple turnovers that swung the game. Cornerback Jamel Dean had a 55-yard pick-six, while safety Antoine Winfield Jr. grabbed another interception. Cornerback Zyon McCollum led with nine tackles, with safety Tykee Smith having seven.

All in all, it turned out to be good for the Bucs and even more for the QB. After some advice for his teammates, he also took a shot at Jets’ D-coordinator and former Carolina Panthers’ coach, Steve Wilks.

Baker Mayfield used the Jets win to send a message to his former coach

Recalling his past stint with the Panthers, Baker Mayfield took a shot at the coach and said, “I loved it, also their D-coordinator (Steve Wilks) was the one who cut me in Carolina.” “A lot of stuff was personal today. Haason Reddick. Former Jet… lot of people, “Mayfield told the reporters during the press conference.

Mayfield’s underwhelming stint with the Panthers is a familiar tale. During his six starts for the Panthers in 2022, he threw only six touchdowns with six interceptions, and the Panthers had seemingly begun to lose hope. He lost the starting job in November, and Wilks reportedly made the call to release the QB in December after Mayfield’s request (as per Justin Fried of the Jet Press).

Following his exit, he went on to join the Los Angeles Rams and quickly made long strides. Now, with the Bucs, he is playing his best football. And more importantly, he is winning—both the team’s battles and his own.