Are The Bucs Still Super Bowl contenders??
Why Buccaneers aren’t real Super Bowl contenders after destruction of Jaguars.
The Tampa Bay Bucs are currently ranked fourth in the NFC postseason standings with a 7-7 record. At the moment, they would play home to the Dallas Cowboys, who have already secured a postseason berth and, at 10-5, actually own a better record than them. But that’s the benefit of being in charge of their division.
The Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons were tied for first place in the NFC South division three weeks ago. Tampa Bay had led the division by the end of the game, when Baker Mayfield led the Buccaneers down the field and, with only 31 seconds left, found Cade Otton for an 11-yard touchdown pass to seal a comeback victory.
The Bucs then defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars and Green Bay Packers, two more teams vying for a postseason spot, by a combined margin of two touchdowns or more, and they returned to winning records for the first time since Week 6. The majority of that can be attributed to Mayfield’s outstanding performance, as he has completed 76% of his throws for 664 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Can Baker Mayfield be good enough to lead the Buccaneers in the playoffs?
Without a question, Mayfield had a season akin to a comeback, winning over many of his doubters who had followed him throughout his career. However, the majority of those criticisms were valid, which is why many have questioned the Buccaneers’ seriousness about making the playoffs with Mayfield at quarterback.
Mayfield is 39-45 as a starter in the regular season, but he is 1-1 in the playoffs. His only two games were in the Wild Card round of 2021, when he assisted the Cleveland Browns in defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers for their first postseason victory since 1994. But the following week, the eventual AFC Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, would defeat the Browns. But throughout those two games, Mayfield’s stats are impressive: he completed 62% of his throws for 467 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
The question with Mayfield has always been his maturity and if he can handle the criticism and overcome adversity and make good decisions. This season, he has so far matched his lowest interception total at eight, while he should also match or exceed his single-season touchdown total (27) and passing yards (3,827), but is currently at his best completion percentage (64.3).
Being in Tampa Bay, the pressure hasn’t been nearly as great as in years past for the former Oklahoma Sooner. However, 15 games of going just one game over .500 playing in a poor division hardly merits calling labeling Mayfield or the Buccaneers Super Bowl contenders. There’s still a lot to prove for both.
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