Mayfield Reflects on Bucs Turnaround

Baker Mayfield , quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , recently shared how the team managed to turn around their 2023 season after a rough stretch that left them with a 4-7 record.

During an appearance on Joe Bucs Fan, Mayfield highlighted the key factors behind the Buccaneers' resurgence, which ultimately secured them the NFC South title with a 9-8 record.

The Buccaneers began the season with a promising 3-1 record, but a 25-11 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3 marked the start of a challenging period for the team.

"We played Philly pretty early and they beat us pretty good, but we felt like we just weren’t doing the little things right," Mayfield recalled , emphasizing the importance of attention to detail.

He added that despite the setbacks, the team believed they were "right there around the corner" from turning things around.

As the team’s record dropped to 3-5, there were calls for head coach Todd Bowles to bench Mayfield in favor of backup Kyle Trask . However, Bowles remained confident in Mayfield, a decision that paid off as Mayfield led the Buccaneers to five wins between Week 13 and Week 18.

The team’s turnaround culminated in a commanding 32-9 victory over the Eagles in the wild-card playoff round.

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Mayfield credited the leadership in the Buccaneers' locker room for their resilience.

"Everybody was just intentional about the details of each scheme — offense, defense, special teams — that once we figured that out and we got the first win under our belt later in the year, everybody was like, 'Ok. We have the recipe of how we’re going to have success. Let’s keep doing that,'" he said.

Looking ahead to the 2024 season, the Buccaneers are determined to build on their success under Mayfield’s leadership, despite predictions favoring the Atlanta Falcons to win the NFC South.