The Tampa Bay Buccaneers thoroughly dominated the Carolina Panthers in all three phases of the game on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, leading with a 43-13 win that included scoring on offense, defense and special teams. Was it a "statement game," with that statement being to the rest of the NFC South that they are not to be forgotten despite a 1-5 start to the season? Quarterback Baker Mayfield saw it a little differently, seeing the win as an affirmation of what the Buccaneers believed they were capable of heading into the season.
"I think it's a statement internally for us, not to anybody else, but for us," said Mayfield. "This is what it's supposed to look like. No, it's not always going to look like that, it's the NFL, but operation-wise and when it comes to complementary football, this is what the potential for this team can have so it's a statement within ourselves."
The Buccaneers had played 12 straight games decided by one score leading into Sunday's lopsided affair, and unfortunately had gone 3-9 in those contests. The team's surprisingly rough start to the season included two games against Cleveland and Pittsburgh in which it surrendered 10-point leads in the second half. The Buccaneers had trouble finishing games, and the offense, led by new coordinator Zac Robinson, was struggling to find a rhythm. Mayfield said the Bucs stayed the course and trusted the process in getting the offense on track and now have something to build on.
"I think it's just taken time," he said. "We talked about earlier in the week, talked with you guys back in Tampa about the pass game not having the details and clicking on the same page where we want to be. Then, I think it's just taken time for the guys up front and Z-Rob to get on the same page with what schemes are working. Sometimes, that happens. It takes time but when you're able to lean on it like that and the confidence just keeps building, we just got to feed off that and keep going. It was the most important one because it was the next one. So, check that off the list and now we're on to another division opponent."
Mayfield returned on Sunday from a three-game absence caused by a dislocated right thumb suffered against Minnesota in Week Three. Because the rushing attack was so dominant, producing 258 yards and helping the Buccaneers control the ball for almost 36 minutes, he only had to throw 11 passes. He completed seven of them for 64 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He says he came out of the game no worse for the wear, though it wasn't really the 11 passes that tested his injured joint as much as giving it to the backs 49 times.
"These handoffs, I don't know," said Mayfield with a smile. "My thumb might be pretty sore. It's good form, though."
