Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lived just about every version of a season. A steady training camp. A solid start. Then a brutal stretch: Seven losses in their last eight. Now, it all comes down to four quarters. Sunday’s 20–17 loss to the Miami Dolphins dropped Tampa Bay to 7–9, but somehow, they’re still alive. And that’s why Mayfield isn’t lingering on the setback. His focus is already on the regular-season finale against the Carolina Panthers.

“Got to come back. And here’s the thing, we still have a chance next week. We’re blessed with a chance next week, and guys need to handle it the right way,” Mayfield said in the post-game press conference.

That belief is still there. But it doesn’t erase how flat the Buccaneers looked for long stretches against Miami. The issues were familiar and piled up quickly. Penalties, multiple turnovers, and a blocked field goal. Pick your poison. Statistically, the offense didn’t collapse. Tampa Bay finished with 380 total yards, including 346 through the air. The problem was balance. The run game never showed up, managing just 53 yards.

Mayfield finished 33-of-44 for 346 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Second-year receiver Jalen McMillan emerged as his top option, posting his first career 100-yard game with seven catches for 114 yards. Still, it wasn’t the kind of offensive performance that puts a game away. Context matters here.

The Bucs marched 68 yards on their opening drive to grab a 7-0 lead. But then, they didn’t find the end zone again until the final moments. Down 20-10 in the fourth quarter, two promising drives into Dolphins territory ended the same way they had all afternoon: a Mayfield interception and a lost fumble, both killing any momentum.

A frantic 91-yard touchdown drive that took just 60 seconds pulled Tampa Bay within three with 50 seconds left. But the onside kick failed, and so did the comeback bid. Defensively, it wasn’t much cleaner. The Bucs allowed rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers to go 14-of-22 for 172 yards and two touchdowns. His pair of first-half scoring throws gave Miami a 17-7 halftime cushion that they never really surrendered.

Still, even the longest night gives way to dawn. And for the Bucs, the season hasn’t reached its final chapter just yet. The Buccaneers remain in the race thanks to the Panthers’ 27-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. With the finale set at home against Carolina, Mayfield sees opportunity, not pressure.

“There’s definitely an advantage, having it being a home game,” the quarterback said. “But it’s about executing and the fact that we’re still in it, that should give us the positivity we need to rebound from this, hit the reset button, like Todd [Bowles] said, erase it. We have a chance at home to get into the playoffs and win the division. Wouldn’t have it any other way. The things leading up to it, yeah, we’d love to change them, but still have a chance playing for the division at home. I’ll get this group ready.”

The path, though, isn’t clean. For Tampa Bay to get in, they need to win the NFC South. And that part isn’t entirely in their control. The Atlanta Falcons need to drop either their Monday night game or their Week 18 matchup. The margin is thin. The road is difficult. Mayfield knows that. He’s confident. But he’s also not ducking responsibility for how Sunday unfolded.

Interceptions crushed Baker Mayfield and the Bucs

In the 20–17 loss to the Dolphins, Baker Mayfield finished with three turnovers: Two interceptions and a lost fumble. And when questions came up about why the offense stalled after its opening-drive touchdown, the quarterback didn’t deflect. He owned it.

“First interception was really just got to give Jalen McMillan the ball more towards the sideline,” Mayfield started, addressing the first of his two picks. “He was open. That wasn’t a decision-making thing by any means. Should have given him a better ball.”

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That first pick came midway through the second quarter. On 2nd-and-11 from Tampa Bay’s 38, Mayfield lined up in shotgun and took a deep shot to McMillan. The read wasn’t bad, but the placement was. Rookie corner Jason Marshall Jr. intercepted the pass at the Miami 15 and returned it near the 40. In Mayfield’s view, the issue wasn’t the choice. It was the execution.

The second interception was a different story, and Mayfield was quick to explain why.

“In the second-interception, 21 (Ashtyn Davis) did a good job,” Mayfield added. “He’s rolling back to the middle of the field. It’s cover three, but he went off my eyes and reacted and stopped and went back for it. So, for me, it’s don’t just assumed that he’s going to be where he’s supposed to be. You know, football players make plays, and he made a good play right there and read my eyes.”

That play came in the fourth quarter with just over seven minutes left. Tampa Bay was driving in a no-huddle look, facing 1st-and-10 at Miami’s 32. Mayfield tried to push the ball deep left to Emeka Egbuka. But Ashtyn Davis read his eyes, undercut the throw, and intercepted it at the Miami 5 before returning it to the 26. Instead of cutting the deficit to one score, the Buccaneers handed Miami a huge momentum swing.

“We obviously gave ourselves a fighting chance right there, didn’t do enough, and those turnovers obviously crushed us,” Mayfield added.

That summed up the afternoon. The Buccaneers moved the ball at times and flashed potential, but the mistakes, especially in scoring territory, were too costly to overcome. Still, the bigger picture hasn’t changed. Mayfield and the Bucs are still alive. The path is narrow, but it’s there. With the regular-season finale lining up as a division showdown against the Panthers, the quarterback knows what’s at stake. Win the division, and the season continues. Lose, and the margin for error finally runs out.