Things did not go the Buccaneers’ way on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. According to the Bucs QB Baker Mayfield, the reason for the loss had nothing to do with how either team performed on the field.

While speaking during the post-game press conference, Baker Mayfield claimed that the reason behind the more aggressive Dolphins offense was nothing but incentives.

“They don’t seem to have an answer for what we were doing schematically and then after that, you know, it’s the momentum shift and when you’re playing a team that they got nothing to play for besides incentives that when you give them a little juice and momentum, that’s how they’re going to respond.”

Mayfield’s words echoed when Bradley Chubb, who signed with the Dolphins in 2022, stepped up big. The Dolphins linebacker got two critical sacks on Tampa Bay, including a strip-sack late in the fourth quarter that Quinton Bell recovered for Miami. That second sack pushed Chubb’s season total to 8.5 sacks, hitting his $900,000 contract incentive.

His bonus needed Miami in the top 20 for points allowed; they ranked 22nd entering Sunday. This game was huge for Chubb’s payday. Miami’s defense forced three turnovers total, holding Tampa Bay to just 17 points and keeping Chubb’s bonus alive. Chubb’s big plays showed exactly the incentive motivation Mayfield called out.

The Bucs WR Mike Evans, on the other hand, completely owned up to the loss. He claimed that the Dolphins played like they were fighting for a spot in the playoffs, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ performance felt like the team already called it quits.

A rough day for Baker Mayfield and the Bucs

The QB went 33-of-44 for 346 yards with two touchdowns, but two bad picks killed Tampa Bay. First mistake was an underthrow to Jalen McMillan that Dolphins rookie Jason Marshall Jr. grabbed easily. Then, down 20-10 in the fourth quarter, he threw another red-zone pick straight to safety Ashtyn Davis.
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The Bucs turned the ball over three times total and got outrun 145-53 on the ground. Miami’s defense forced those turnovers while ranking 22nd in scoring defense entering the game. Tampa Bay opened strong with a 16-play, 75-yard drive capped by Chris Godwin’s 5-yard touchdown catch from Mayfield. But the Dolphins flipped the script after that.
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Still, the Bucs made one last push, a wild 91-yard drive in just three plays. Godwin’s 59-yard catch on busted coverage set up Mayfield’s 4-yard TD toss to Mike Evans with 54 seconds left. Miami grabbed the onside kick to seal the 20-17 win. Those turnovers proved too much to overcome in the fourth straight loss. After the loss, Mayfield had a strong message for his team.

The Buccaneers head to Week 18 needing to beat Carolina to win the NFC South. For Chubb and Miami, that incentive cash keeps motivation alive even without playoffs.

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