Getty Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield (right) was bested by rookie C.J. Stroud on Sunday
He was stunned, disappointed and frustrated. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield went through the gamut of emotions during the jaw-dropping 39-37 win by the Texans on Sunday, which saw Houston rookie C.J. Stroud lead a six-play, 70-yard drive in just 40 seconds to score the game-winning touchdown.
That followed a gritty drive from Mayfield and the Buccaneers offense, which went 61 yards in 10 plays and overcame a third-and-28 situation to score a go-ahead touchdown with just 46 seconds to go in the game.
Baker doing Baker Mayfield things 🎯
That was too much time for Stroud, though, who put forth a statement game. Stroud threw for 470 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions, averaging an incredible 11.2 yards per attempt.
Tampa Bay has now lost four straight games, and sits at 3-5.
But Mayfield said there is still, “a lot of ball left,” and had a message for teammates who might feel their confidence slipping.
“You’re here for a reason. You’re here for a purpose,” Mayfield said. “Whatever you’re going through, there’s a purpose in it. There’s meaning in that. So, hold your head high, trust God’s plan and continue to work, you know? There’s ups and downs for a reason. You have got to handle adversity right, move on to the next thing and support your brothers.”
Positives for Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers in Loss
There were, certainly, some positives for Baker Mayfield in the Buccaneers loss. Playing against a defense that entered the game having given up 128 points, sixth-fewest in the NFL, Mayfield and the Bucs had a big day, with 332 yards and 37 points, by far a season high.
The final drive was an uplifter, one that looked like it had the potential to change the course of the season in Tampa. And then, Stroud happened. Mayfield was impressed.
“I’ve been on both sides of this,” he said. “You never expect when a team has that little time to come back and win but it comes back to the critical things, just not celebrating too early on the sideline. We did everything we could in that time period, just trying to support our guys and, yeah … Just takes the breath out of you. That hurt for our guys on defense, too.
“I’ll tell you what, C.J. Stroud didn’t look like a rookie to me, that guy is so impressive. Looks like a polished NFL quarterback.”
Upcoming Schedule Stays Easy for the Bucs
Despite the record and the losing streak, Baker Mayfield is right about the Buccaneers’ prognosis. The schedule remains favorable. They do play San Francisco, which is 5-3, in Week 11, but they face Tennessee, Indianapolis and Carolina teams that have a combined record of 8-17 this year. It’s not hard to imagine this group sitting at 6-6 entering its rematch against Atlanta in Week 14.
Mayfield said his message to the Buccaneers offense is simple: “We just gotta find a way to win. Scratch and claw. I’ll say this for the offense, we’ve got to continue to improve on what we did today, running the ball and coming back in the last minute there. But we have to be better.”
And, of course, not to lose confidence.
“Like I said earlier, this is the greatest team sport. So if anybody has trouble on our team, we have a lot of good support guys, support pieces including staff, players, everybody. So it would be a shame if somebody got down on themselves,” he said.
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Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield Sends Strong Message to Team After Stunning Loss