Slumping Buccaneers grateful for chance to right the ship against Falcons

Rick Stroud, Tampa Bay Times on Dec 8, 2025

Published in Football

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

TAMPA, Fla. — If Todd Bowles sounded irritated Monday, it’s because it was intentional.

The Bucs’ 24–20 loss to the Saints on Sunday wasn’t one you shrug off, file and forget about. It was the kind you sit with, at least for a moment, because Bowles believes his players should be bothered by it.

Fortunately, he said the team has no choice but to move on quickly and focus on their Thursday night game against the Falcons. How do they move on from their fourth loss in their past five games and fifth in seven?

“Professionally,” Bowles said. “We lost (Sunday), and we’ve got to get over it. We’ve got to be big boys, we’ve got to get over it and own what we did, and we’ve got to get better at things we need to get better at. We’ve got to look in the mirror. We understand that as a group we’ve been through this before, but it’s different every single year and every time we do it.

“Nobody likes to lose, and you’re coming on a short week. We have a chance to get the bad taste out of your mouth, but they should be upset. They should own what they do, we as coaches own what we do, and as a team own what we do, and we’ve got to come out Thursday, and we’ve got to correct them.”

Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield agreed and put it another way.

“We should be frustrated about this loss,” Mayfield said Sunday night. “We should take it out on Thursday night.”

The Bucs’ 5-1 start and the four comeback wins in the final minute engineered by Mayfield are a thing of the past.

But this still is familiar territory for Bowles and the Bucs. The past two seasons, they began with 3-1 starts only to lose six of their next seven games in 2023 and five of six in 2024.

Despite the midseason carnival rides, the Bucs have been remarkably consistent and successful relative to the rest of the division. Even with Sunday’s loss, they have owned at least a share of the NFC South lead in 72 of 86 weeks.

“It sucks. It felt like we just gave it away or didn’t make the plays to win it,” Mayfield said of Sunday’s loss to the Saints, who entered the game 2-10.

“There (were) too many mistakes, and (wet) conditions aren’t an excuse, because they had to play in them, too. So, none of that matters. It’s just a matter of making the plays, plays that guys have made a bunch of times. Yeah, we’ve just got to execute.”

Mayfield had one of the worst games of his career. He completed his first eight passes for 84 yards but then went 6 for 22 for 38 yards the rest of the way.

He has been battling an array of injuries, including an AC joint sprain in his left, non-throwing shoulder. When he couldn’t find receivers, he used his legs, rushing six times for 42 yards.

Now, Mayfield and the Bucs have to make corrections and prepare without the benefit of a normal practice.

“Short weeks are about executing the little things, the fundamentals,” Mayfield said. ”It’s not like you have a full week to game plan, to scheme a lot of things up, so it’s about who does their job the best on your bread-and-butter stuff, and you’ve just got to execute.

“All the little details really, really matter on a Thursday. Some of the smallest game plans, when they’re executed really well on Thursday night, you have the biggest production. So, that’s what we’re going to look for.”

The Bucs may get a few breaks. Wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan are on track to play Thursday, Bowles said.

Evans has been out since fracturing his collarbone Oct. 20 in Detroit. McMillan hasn’t played all season, having sustained three neck fractures and ligament damage during a preseason game at Pittsburgh in August.

Left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who missed Sunday’s game against the Saints with an oblique injury, also is expected to play against Atlanta.

Despite their midseason slump the past two years, the Bucs rallied to win the division. But Bowles said it’s the belief they share in one another that is keeping them focused this time around.

“We take solace in that we trust each other in the room,” Bowles said. “We trust each other and we understand each other, and we know what it takes to get out of it, but you still have to execute and prepare to get out of it.”

Up next

vs. Falcons, 8:15 p.m. ET Thursday, Raymond James Stadium.

____