Quarterback Situation
Bucs' quarterback Baker Mayfield, who dislocated his right thumb in the Week Three matchup against the Vikings, practiced in full both Wednesday and Thursday of this week for the first time since suffering the dislocation. Mayfield wore a white glove on his throwing hand, with added support for the injured ligament to prevent it from being bent back. Mayfield disclosed on Thursday that he has changed release points due to a different grip with the glove and repetition has been beneficial. Head Coach Todd Bowles hopes to have enough information to make a final decision on the starter by Friday afternoon. Mayfield was effective throwing the ball on Wednesday and Thursday, but his main concern was impact and taking the ball from under center. The process went smoothly and how his hand responds to increased activity in practice this week will determine his status for Sunday. In the meantime, the Bucs are preparing for two scenarios with Mayfield and Jalon Daniels at the helm.
"We will be ready for anything," said Zac Robinson on the quarterback situation in Week Seven. "JD has done such a great job and he has shown that he can handle a high volume of the gameplan, so we put it together kind of accordingly ready for both guys. Coach Bowles will make that decision when the time is right, so it has been kind of a little bit of gymnastics figuring it out this week but the good thing is, once we get the finale of it, we will have hopefully a couple of days to figure it all out and put it together. Feel great with both guys."
Offensive Meeting
After a 1-5 start, the Buccaneers' offense held a meeting to reflect and take accountability. In the session, the group recapped miscues and emphasized attention to detail to right the ship. Tampa Bay's passing offense currently ranks 30th in the NFL, averaging 164.8 yards per game. The unit has primarily operated on a short passing attack to try and mitigate the opposition's pass rush and inconsistency and a lack of synergy has become the narrative plaguing the team. Missed opportunities in the red zone and a lack of efficiency on third down have hampered the team's success down the stretch and as a result, the offense went back to the drawing board to foster growth.
"Everybody has a hand in it," said Mayfield on the team's struggles. "It was not just about the last game, it [the meeting] was more so everything that we have done wrong. When the O-line is playing better and better now, we need to be detailed in the right spots. Quarterbacks have to go through the right reads and have their feet on time, and so just harping on the fact that we are good when we do the little things right…It's ball security for me in that first game. It is making sure we pass off the stunts, it's pass game execution and details and backs hitting the right track, so everybody has a hand in it. It comes down to trusting your guys next to you and doing your job to the best of your ability."
Challenge of Tetairoa McMillan
Tetairoa McMillan, Bryce Young's primary target, won the prestigious Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2025 with 1,014 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He became the clutch player on third down and is off to another stellar start to 2026, with 471 receiving yards on 32 receptions. The Panthers line him up all across the formation to try and create advantageous matchups and the big-bodied receiver is adept at high-pointing the football and creates late, subtle separation with long strides. McMillan is effective at executing back-shoulder catches on fades and has an outstanding catch radius. He is a mismatch playmaker and has been the catalyst in the Panthers' top-ranked passing onslaught in the NFL.
"Brad [Idzik] has done a great job, whether it is the quick game or it is moving him [McMillan] around from different positions, whether he is inside or outside, whatever that may look like, he has done a good job of finding ways to make him the primary target and being able to deliver the ball to him," said Pass Game Coordinator George Edwards. "Quarterback is scrambling, somebody loses leverage and there is all kinds of ways they are getting him the ball."
