Bucs aren’t dead in playoff race but show little life vs. Dolphins

MIAMI GARDENS — Let’s begin with the ending.

The Panthers and Bucs will play for the NFC South title at Raymond James Stadium in the final weekend of the regular season.

They both backed into this travesty/opportunity because neither team was able to take care of their own business Sunday.

As division champions go, first will be the worst in terms of playoff team records.

About the time the Bucs (7-9) were suffering their seventh defeat in eight games by falling 20-17 to the Dolphins, the Panthers (8-8) lost 27-10 to the Seahawks in Charlotte.

Now that that is settled, understand this: The Bucs have forgotten how to win but they followed a familiar script Sunday.

Let’s roll the tape:

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This is quarterback Baker Mayfield. He was everyone’s darling for the NFL MVP when he led the Bucs to a 6-2 start with four straight comebacks in the final minute.

But these days, Mayfield ends games in a different way — by throwing fourth-quarter interceptions.

It happened again Sunday for the third straight week. With his team trailing 20-10 and moving the ball with more than seven minutes left in the game, Mayfield was intercepted at the Miami 5-yard line by safety Ashtyn Davis.

It was his second interception of the game and his third turnover. He fumbled on the next possession when he was sacked by defensive end Bradley Chubb and Quinton Bell recovered.

“That’s tough,” coach Todd Bowles said of Mayfield’s turnovers. “It’s very unfortunate. He’s one of our leaders on the team. He’s a captain. He played good ball the first half of the season. We’ve got to take better care of the ball the second half.”

Mayfield said he made a bad throw on the first one and didn’t see Davis reading his eyes on the second.

“The first interception (in the second quarter), I was trying to give (Jalen McMillan) the ball more towards the sidelines,” Mayfield said. “He was open. That wasn’t a decision-making thing by any means. I should’ve given him a better ball but mistakes are going to happen.

“That second interception? Twenty-one (Davis) did a good job. He’s rolling back to the middle of the field. It’s Cover 3, but he went off my eyes and reacted. Stopped and went back for it. To me, don’t just assume he’s going to be where he’s supposed to be. Both players made plays and he made a good play right there. He read my eyes.”

The body language wasn’t too good on the defense, either.

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That’s Dolphins rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers, a seventh-round pick making his second NFL start. He had three turnovers in the first one while losing to the Bengals, but the Bucs made him look like Dan Marino in the first half.

Ewers passed for 172 yards and two touchdowns, with both scores and 144 of those passing yards coming in opening two quarters

It included a 63-yard bomb to Dolphins’ receiver Theo Wease Jr., who took advantage of another busted coverage by the Bucs secondary. Bowles said cornerback Jamel Dean was supposed to have safety help over the top.

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This is Bucs place-kicker Chase McLaughlin, who set an NFL record by making 11 straight field goals of 50 yards or longer this season. But when he lined up for a 55-yarder at the end of the first half, it was blocked by defensive tackle Zeek Biggers.

This hardly rates as news anymore since the Bucs have had three kicks blocked this season, including a punt.

The Bucs have given up on even covering kickoffs, so they’ve had McLaughlin kicking the ball through the end zone for touchbacks. With one exception Sunday, when Malik Washington returned one 47 yards in the third quarter after the Bucs had cut the Dolphins lead to 17-10.

“That was a mis-hit,” Bowles said of McLaughlin’s kickoff.

After the game, Bowles got loud in the locker room. You couldn’t hear what was said, but it was emphatic.

“I think we’ve got to erase that from our heads because we have to get ourselves together before we worry about anybody else,” Bowles said of the loss. “Carolina or anybody else. We’re shooting ourselves in the foot at every chance. That starts with me.

“If we play and do the things we did today next week, we won’t be going anywhere.”

For the first time, Bowles came awfully close to saying the Bucs have a confidence problem. How could they not? Their only win in the last two months came against Arizona. Put it this way, Miami has the same record as the Bucs (7-9) and they’ve already fired their general manager, may fire the head coach and benched their franchise QB.

Yet the Dolphins were the better team Sunday.

“I’m worried about we have one more game to win and we get another chance to play in the playoffs or whatever the case may be because it’s a hard feeling whenever you lose that many in a row, and the way you lose them, coming down to the end and things we’ve done to lose these ballgames,” Bowles said.

The best thing you could say after Sunday is that the Bucs are out of chances, excuses and explanations. They either win and get in or lose (again) and go home.

“The fact that we’re in this, that should give us a positive, hey we need to rebound from this,” Mayfield said. “Hit the reset button. Like Todd said, erase it. It’s about us executing. To have a chance at home to get in the playoffs and win the division, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Obviously, the things leading up to it? Yeah, we’d love to change them. But we still have a chance, playing for the division at home and I’ll get this group ready.”

But mercifully, this is it. If the Bucs beat Carolina and Atlanta loses either to the Rams on Monday night or next weekend to the Saints, Tampa Bay heads to the playoffs.

“Out of bullets,” Mayfield said. ”Out of lives, and that’s all right with me."

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