The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense could not get out of its own way. Penalties and missed opportunities were the name of the game. While three holding penalties were crucial to the Bucs stalling out three different drives, head coach Todd Bowles put as much blame on quarterback Baker Mayfield for the penalties as he did on his offensive line.
Bowles noted that in those scenarios, Mayfield was extending the play and looking to scramble. This makes it tough for the offensive line to avoid the penalties.
“Two of them for sure on third down; there is a lot of scrambling going on,” said Bowles. “Then after that it is kind of a crap shoot, and you have to have kind of a feel for when to let go and when that guy is tugging back going back the other way, so that made it kind of tough.”
Bowles noted that the offensive line is used to Mayfield scrambling, and they have to be better. Still, he made it clear that the scrambling adds a layer of toughness for the group.
“He’s been scrambling for a while, and the guys have gotten used to it,” admitted Bowles. “But we just can’t have the penalties.”
The Bucs saw two drives end in a punt, and the final drive got tougher due to these penalties.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Points to Baker Mayfield For Penalty Issues
The first penalty came on third down with eight yards to go early into the second quarter. Mayfield fled the pocket and found Chris Godwin for a first down. However, it was pushed back 10 yards due to the penalty.
Mayfield did convert third-and-18, but they punted three plays later.
The Bucs faced third down with five yards to go with less than six minutes to play in the second quarter. Graham Barton was hit with a holding penalty as Mayfield stepped up and completed a pass to Bucky Irving.
Mayfield was sacked on the ensuing third down.
On the Bucs final drive of the game, Mayfield extended a play and tried to hit Ted Hurst. However, a holding penalty brought it back. They went from the 13-yard line to the 23 and could not score.
Mayfield Needs to Get the Ball Out Quicker
So far this year, Mayfield is eight worst in getting the ball out in under 2.5 seconds. However, when he does, he has an 88% completion rate. He had just one big-time throw, per PFF, but has no turnover-worthy throws. Mayfield has a 59.5% completion rate when he holds the ball for more than 2.5 seconds. He has two big-time throws and five turnover-worthy throws.
He averages 6.2 yards per attempt when getting the ball out quickly and 6.6 yards per attempt when he holds onto the ball. The big plays are not worth the big misses right now. Mayfield needs to play within the offense and get the ball out faster.
Todd Bowles Reveals Baker Mayfield’s Role in Buccaneers Loss