The Tampa Bay Buccaneers face a must-win scenario in Saturday’s showdown with the Carolina Panthers, then root for the New Orleans Saints to defeat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in order to extend their NFC South win streak to five seasons.
Before Todd Bowles' team can put on their rooting pants, they must take care of business on Saturday. For that to happen, the Bucs must clean up the mistakes that plagued them during their four-game losing streak.
Asked about the slew of turnovers, Bowles pointed to needing better play from Baker Mayfield.
"[They are] mistakes," Bowles said Monday, via the team's official transcript. "We've got to be better at the quarterback position and we've got to be better at the signal-calling position and we've got to be better blocking it."
In Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins, Mayfield turned the ball over three times, including two interceptions. It marked his fourth consecutive game with at least one INT, tied for the longest active streak with rookies Shedeur Sanders and Brady Cook.
The Bucs fell to 0-8 this season when Mayfield throws at least one interception (7-1 when he does not).
In the Week 16 loss to Carolina, the Bucs QB tossed a game-sealing interception when Tampa had a shot to tie or win the game late.
Losers of seven of their past eight games, the Bucs' postseason hopes, which felt secure early this season, are hanging by a thread. Bowles, however, insisted his club hasn't splintered.
"Winning in this league is hard. There's no negativity inside the locker room, inside the building, as far as we're concerned," he said. "There's mistakes and things we've got to clean up…There's trust, there's belief. We've got to play harder, we've got to play a lot better, we've got to coach a lot better."
A loss on Saturday will make it all irrelevant. A win and the Bucs will be rooting hard for Tyler Shough and the Saints to finish their hot streak with a win over the rival Falcons.
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