A meaningless Hail Mary with three seconds on the clock may have cost the Tampa Bay Buccaneers more than just a lopsided score. Baker Mayfield suffered a shoulder injury that has left fans heartbroken. The coach, however, defended the decision, pointing to a specific detail of the play that he believes exonerates him from the criticism.

“I was trying to get a free shot, trying to waste the three seconds. It was either a foul ball or a Hail Mary,” Bowles said on Monday, November 24. “Either way, he was untouched when he threw the football. He just fell on his right shoulder, which his injury shoulder is his left shoulder. Obviously, he was holding the pain in for a couple plays.”

Baker Mayfield injured his non-throwing shoulder on a hit in the first half of Sunday night’s 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and he re-aggravated it on a Hail Mary attempt in the second quarter. He first felt discomfort in his shoulder when the linebacker Jared Verse sacked him on a 3rd and 21 play at the Bucs 40 for a loss of 3 yards.

But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not want to turn over the ball on the last play of the game before halftime. Todd Bowles then instructed his quarterback to throw the ball deep. On the next 4 & 24 play, he cut to his left, ran for a few yards before the Hail Mary pass.

It was a failed attempt as cornerback Emmanuel Forbes intercepted him and gained 31 yards before the Bucs pushed out of bounds. As Mayfield went down, he fell on his right shoulder, but held his left shoulder in pain. The medical team assembled around him to assess the situation. Later visuals were even scarier.

He came back to the sidelines wearing a sling, reminding fans of his 2021 season with the Cleveland Browns when he had issues with his left shoulder. On Sunday, the Bucs were already behind 31-7 and lost the game. Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater couldn’t move the score during the entire second half.

On the other hand, the fans were worried about the injury’s long-term impact. However, fortunately, the MRI brought good news and major relief to the fanbase, confirming the injury was a manageable AC joint sprain.

Todd Bowles & co. gave a key update on Baker Mayfield’s injury

Everyone eagerly awaited the MRI results. It confirmed that the injury was an AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder. Now, everyone is expecting him to recover fast. The Bucs have seen how their offense gets stuck when he’s not there. It also becomes interesting to see how they manage his injury to avoid re-aggravating it.

Todd Bowles explained his strategy. He will review the medical reports before making any decision, ensuring it has a positive long-term impact on the team. ESPN insider Adam Schefter even claimed on the November 24 episode of The Pat McAfee Show that Mayfield has suffered minor injuries throughout the season. However, the Bucs need him now more than ever.

With their 6-5 record, they are currently on top of the NFC South division. The Carolina Panthers are second with the same record. If the Panthers win their Week 12 game against the 49ers, the Bucs will move down to second place. It would also put them out of the NFC playoff picture. Todd Bowles knows this. He just doesn’t want to put extra pressure on his injured leader yet.

However, once Mayfield starts practicing again, he has to carry the expectations of The Krewe. There’s no way around it.