The Buccaneers looked like a Super Bowl contender heading into their Week 9 bye. Since a 6-2 start, Tampa Bay’s championship dreams have been dashed.
So what went wrong for the Bucs, who are 1-6 after a week off?
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“I have no idea“, running back Rachad White told JoeBucsFan.com after Miami’s latest loss. “For me, it comes down to how I look at it, and honestly, we all have to take a look in the mirror. We all have to have a certain level of pride, a certain level of care. Now, you know, we’re all drifting in the wind. So I think we need to stand up and see what happens. “
The phrase “look in the mirror” first appeared during coach Todd Bowles’ postgame profanity following a fourth-quarter prime-time loss against the Falcons, which he punctuated with this message: “Look in the fucking mirror.“.
Looking in the mirror has no effect. Nothing works.
Injuries are a factor. We believe that, especially quarterback Baker Mayfield. He has a habit of getting everything done and never complains. But some injuries can affect performance. His recent turnovers (six total in the past four games) may be due to him playing through an injury.
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Mayfield is currently on the report with injuries to his right shoulder and knee. Practice was limited on Tuesday and he was a full participant in the game on Wednesday. There’s no doubt he’ll be on the field Saturday against the Panthers and either win or go home (win, maybe go home a day later).
To his credit, Mayfield refused to sit. His determination should be contagious. Whatever the reason, Mayfield’s approach didn’t inspire enough for his teammates.
It all comes down to Saturday. The end result will likely require the entire team to reflect (starting with ownership) and make some important decisions on any and all changes that may need to be made in order to get more out of the roster in 2026.
