The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ season came to a sudden halt in the Wild Card round, falling 23-20 to the Washington Commanders at Raymond James Stadium.
Baker Mayfield believed his team was destined for greater success, especially after winning six of their last seven games. However, the Commanders’ error-free performance contrasted sharply with the Buccaneers’ mistakes, ultimately proving decisive.
The Buccaneers’ season came to a disappointing close, despite their tireless efforts to regain momentum and make a deep playoff push, with Todd Bowles‘ team ultimately falling just short.
“You start the season off with setting your goals as a team, and it’s you start with the division, and we did that, and we had to battle to do it, so that’s one thing to be proud of,” Mayfield stated. “It’s disappointing because I really believed in this team, I still do, but obviously every year is different, the roster is going to look different, so that’s the sad part about it is this group had the makeup to go all the way. Unfortunately we didn’t bring our best stuff, and Washington did.”
Todd Bowles’ pregame warning proved prophetic, as two crucial mistakes in the fourth quarter led to the Buccaneers’ heartbreaking loss to Washington. Now, the team must regroup and rebuild during the offseason, with sights set on a stronger 2025 campaign under Baker Mayfield’s leadership.
Bowles’ job security may be uncertain, potentially leading to a coaching change, which could be accompanied by roster adjustments as the team retools for the 2025 season.
The Buccaneers will have a long offseason to grapple with a difficult reality: when it mattered most, they failed to deliver their best performance, a fact that will be hard to shake regardless of how much time passes.
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