{"id":259441,"date":"2025-12-18T15:30:50","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T20:30:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=259441"},"modified":"2025-12-18T13:05:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T18:05:22","slug":"baker-mayfield-reaffirms-blame-for-loss-against-falcons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/12\/18\/baker-mayfield-reaffirms-blame-for-loss-against-falcons\/","title":{"rendered":"Baker Mayfield Reaffirms Blame for Loss Against Falcons"},"content":{"rendered":"

December gets you a very different kind of cold-weather football. The temperature drops. The stakes rise much higher. One error can lead to a complete collapse. Last Thursday night at Raymond James Stadium, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a> were faced with the exact type of situation. They had a 14-point lead over the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter. Then they lost control of the game. Like a puddle on a hot summer day in Florida, their lead vanished.<\/p>\n

Thursday Night Football in Week 15 became a stage for something else entirely. A masterclass in taking responsibility. Or maybe a public self-flagellation session. Baker Mayfield accepted that role. “It falls on my shoulders,”<\/em> Mayfield said during his post-game media availability. “Listen, you can say what you want about being up two scores and the defense right there, but we have to be better on offense, and it comes down to how I play. And this one\u2019s gonna haunt me.” <\/em>But Baker Mayfield<\/a> did not end there.<\/p>\n

\"Buccaneers
Dec 11, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) greets Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) on the field after the game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Quarterback’s Mea Culpa<\/h2>\n

On Wednesday, he doubled down even harder: “We’re up two scores, and we have a chance to go put it away. So, it is on us. It’s on me.”<\/em> He met with the Buccaneers’ offense on Monday. “I told them it’s on me,”<\/em> Mayfield stated. According to Mayfield, finger-pointing only occurs with poor culture. The Buccaneers appear to have a good culture.<\/p>\n

The quarterback also defended his coach on Wednesday: “You’re up two scores, you have a chance to put the game away, and you don’t. The easy thing to do is point at the defense… blame me, don’t blame Todd.”<\/em> He then referred to Todd Bowles as the man who “hit the nail on the head”<\/em> when he unleashed an expletive-filled rant in the post-game media availability. Mayfield agreed with each of Bowles’ four-letter words. “Does this hurt enough for you to actually make changes?”<\/em> Mayfield added.<\/p>\n

Over the first nine games of the season, Mayfield had a 16-2 TD-to-INT ratio. The Buccaneers<\/a> were 6-3 at that point in the season. Since then, Mayfield has thrown six touchdowns and five interceptions. And the team has struggled with a record of 1-4. As for the bread-and-butter plays that Mayfield used to excel in, they seem to be losing steam. However, Mayfield does not worry about who takes the fall.<\/p>\n