The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were always likely to secure a playoff spot. The question was how far would they proceed once they got there. Well, not that far. Undone by a series of costly mistakes and a critical error by Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay lost 20-23 to the Washington Commanders in the Wild Card round today. Jon Gruden had some harsh words while weighing in on the Bucs and their star quarterback’s performance.
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“I’m just disgusted. As you said, failing to hand the ball off on your own 12-yard line, you deserve to lose. And it’s 3rd-and-1 and you tried to get tricky with some kind of hard count, you lose four yards and it cost you another four points. Horrible,” said Gruden on the latest episode of Barstool Sports – The Shred Line.
After the Buccaneers’ stout defense held firm in the red zone during the fourth quarter, stopping the Commanders on a crucial 4th-and-goal, Tampa Bay regained possession at their own five-yard line. The Bucs were looking to extend their lead at that time, with the scoreline at 17-13. Mayfield orchestrated a few positive plays, including a first down connection with Mike Evans, giving the offense some breathing room.
But disaster soon struck. A botched snap count led to miscommunication on a handoff attempt to Jalen McMillan, with about 12 minutes left on the clock. Instead of securing the ball and taking a hit or scrambling, Mayfield fumbled it, allowing Bobby Wagner to recover for Washington.
The turnover gave the Commanders’ offense a prime field position, which they capitalized on. Jayden Daniels found the end zone, swinging the momentum back in their favor.
Dave Portnoy didn’t hold back either while talking about Mayfield’s fumble. He took the opportunity to rub it in the face of his co-host, Steve Cheah, a devoted Bucs fan. While Cheah attempted to shift blame onto officiating errors, Portnoy dismissed the excuses, calling Tampa “the architects of their own downfall”.
Portnoy emphasized that the blame lay squarely with the team’s self-inflicted mistakes rather than external factors. He pointed out that the loss ultimately came down to the botched snap count and Mayfield’s inability to secure a routine handoff.
“You sound like a baby, Cheah. You fumbled the ball at your own 12-yard line. Every play that cost you the game was your own fault and had nothing to do with the other team,” said Portnoy.
Tampa Bay could at least manage to win a Wild Card game last season. This time around they couldn’t get past that stage thanks to Mayfield and late offensive struggles. His fumble cost them big time. Then again, that shouldn’t surprise anyone since he had fumbled the ball 13 times during the regular season and had thrown 16 interceptions too.
The Commanders, with rookie QB, Jayden Daniels, go to the divisional round and will take on the mighty Detroit Lions.
