Baker Mayfield’s reaction speaks volumes as – Sports News
Baker Mayfield was visibly tense as he watched the destiny of his Tampa Bay Buccaneers hinge on the efficiency of the New Orleans Saints.
On Saturday, the Bucs clinched a 16-14 victory over the Panthers. While this win did not guarantee their spot within the postseason, it did convey Tampa Bay degree with Carolina for the NFC South lead, each groups holding an 8-9 file.
In the pouring rain at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Mayfield stepped up to the plate, finishing 16-of-22 passes for 203 yards and a landing, although he additionally threw an interception. However, the Bucs’ work wasn’t accomplished; they needed help from a divisional rival.
The Bucs had been banking on the New Orleans Saints to do them a stable and beat the Atlanta Falcons, which might give Todd Bowles’ crew the tiebreaker over the Panthers. Consequently, Sunday’s match between the third-place Falcons and last-place Saints had one very anxious spectator.
Instead of viewing the sport on the crew facility, Mayfield selected to remain home and watch together with his spouse, Emily. She shared a picture on social media of the quarterback watching the sport, wanting notably uneasy.
Mayfield discovered it exhausting to benefit from the expertise of watching soccer as a fan with a vested curiosity within the end result of the division title sport. He was clearly in a robust spot; simply final offseason, Mayfield labeled the Saints a soiled crew.
Despite the help of Mayfield and different Bucs gamers, workers, and followers, the Saints could not pull off a win. New Orleans fell to a 19-17 loss towards Atlanta, with veteran Kirk Cousins outperforming rookie Tyler Shough, who threw a brutal interception late within the fourth quarter, securing the victory that propels Carolina into the playoffs.
The Saints’ defeat is a crushing blow for Tampa Bay, who now miss the playoffs for the primary time this decade. After the overcome the Panthers that stored the division title within attain for one more 24 hours, Mayfield expressed disappointment that the season’s end result was depending on the Saints.
“That part’s disappointing, but we’re here,” Mayfield mentioned. “You can’t go back and change anything. That was the focus this week: Control today and see where the chips fall. So we did that – team win, and we’ll all be pulling for New Orleans tomorrow.”
Bucs linebacker Lavonte David shared related frustrations, stating: “Man, it’s gonna be difficult. It’s going to be especially difficult because I’m gonna have to be rooting for the Saints tomorrow.
“That’s going to be a robust activity to do, however hey, hopefully they get the job accomplished. Our complete factor is that we took care of what we needed to take care of as we speak. That’s what we did. In a sloppy soccer sport with rain, muddy, however we was capable of get the job accomplished and I’m very proud of this crew.”
The Bucs, Falcons, and Panthers all wrapped up the 2025 NFL season with an 8-9 file. However, the Panthers clinched the tiebreaker, guaranteeing Carolina’s return to the playoffs for the primary time since 2017 and securing their first division title since Cam Newton’s MVP season in 2015.
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