The Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ hope of going as far as possible in the NFL Playoffs came to an abrupt end against a tough opponent in the Washington Commanders, who shattered the dreams of the entire franchise. Jayden Daniels’ team proved to be superior, and Baker Mayfield didn’t hesitate to express his frustration after the loss at Raymond James Stadium.
In a post-game interview with reporters, later shared by Greg Auman via his X (formerly Twitter) account, Mayfield appeared devastated by the final result, as he truly believed in the talent of his teammates to pull off the win: “It’s disappointing because I really believed in this team. I still do,” the QB stated.
The lament of the former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback was also evident as he mentioned the changes that will take place in the roster heading into next season. He didn’t shy away from taking responsibility for not performing better than his opponent, who ultimately came away with the victory.
“Obviously, every year is different. The roster is going to look different. That’s the sad part about it. This group had the makeup to go all the way. Unfortunately, we didn’t bring our best stuff tonight and Washington did.”
The team, led by Todd Bowles, reached this stage after securing the top spot in the NFC South, finishing the regular season with a record of 10 wins and 7 losses.
Graham Barton clarifies his lapse in focus on key play for the Bucs
One of the most curious plays of the game was a serious lapse in attention between center Graham Barton and Baker Mayfield, costing them a great opportunity to reach the end zone on the Commanders’ field.
Regarding this situation, the former Duke player was asked in the locker room about what had happened and took full responsibility for not delivering the ball properly to his teammate.
“You know, snapped on the wrong cadence. I was trying to get a callout,” Barton stated. “Got to have better discipline there. Got to be able to sit in there and get my calls out. …That one’s on me, got to be better down the stretch.”
Bucky Irving sets a record in the Buccaneers’ loss
Despite the 23-20 loss to Washington and their subsequent elimination from the NFL Playoffs, the day ended on a notable note for the Bucs, with rookie Bucky Irving emerging as the main highlight.
The RB delivered a strong performance, carrying the ball 17 times for 77 yards, while also hauling in two receptions for six yards and a touchdown. Irving averaged 4.5 yards per carry, the best of any rusher on either team.
In doing so, he broke a franchise record, surpassing none other than Warrick Dunn for the most single-game rushing yards by a rookie in Buccaneers playoff history.
Back then, the Tampa Bay star had set the record with 72 yards in a 20-10 victory against the Detroit Lions on December 28, 1997.