Winless Buccaneers have to turn things around without Baker Mayfield

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers couldn't win with Baker Mayfield.

Now, they have to try to win without him.

Mayfield is expected to miss at least three weeks after dislocating his right thumb on Sunday in Tampa Bay’s loss to Minnesota.

Undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels will start next week against the Green Bay Packers. Daniels played six seasons at Kansas and beat out veteran Jake Browning for the backup job in training camp.

It can't get much worse for the Buccaneers, who are 0-3 for the first time since 2014 and have lost 10 of their past 12 games since a 6-2 start last season.

The good news: Mayfield avoided a more serious injury and the Bucs play in the weak NFC South. The Saints, Falcons and Panthers each are 1-2.

“We’re 0-3 and we’re a game out of first place, so we have to get our stuff together," coach Todd Bowles said. We gotta reach down and do more, to a coach, to a person, to a player. We gotta do more and figure out what (more) we can do. How can we be better and come back tomorrow and get ready to go?”

The Buccaneers have been spiraling since the middle of last season. They're struggling in all three phases, offense, defense and special teams, which allowed an 86-yard punt return for a score.

Bowles has been on the hot seat since the 2-7 collapse to end 2025. He's under contract through 2028 but that won't help his job security if the team doesn't find a way to turn things around.

“We’re not executing at a high enough level to turn those into victories and that’s on us," veteran wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. said. "We have to find a way to make those wins happen. We have to go back to work. It’s not going to fix itself, so we have to figure it out.”

Mayfield hasn't played well this season after signing the richest contract in franchise history, a three-year, $165 million extension. But it's not all his fault. The offensive line hasn't protected him and keeps making mistakes. The run game is inconsistent.

“I’ve never started 0-3. I’m just going to do what I can to keep guys going,” two-time All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs said. "There’s nobody coming to save us — the calvary’s not coming. The guys in this locker room are going to get us out of this. I know everyone’s frustrated. I’m extremely frustrated.”

The schedule isn't going to be easy. After the Packers, the Buccaneers play the Cowboys on the road on a Thursday night and host the Steelers on Oct. 18.

Chase McLaughlin is 9 for 9 on field goals, including a 59-yarder. Not much else is working for the Buccaneers, who have had to settle for too many field goals.

The offensive line was supposed to be a strength with the starting five healthy and playing together. Instead, the unit has been a weakness. They committed crucial holding penalties that negated big plays, including an 85-yard TD pass, and allowed six sacks.

“It was a little bit of everything,” Bowles said. “I’ve said it again and again. I gotta see what the penalty situation looks like. We gotta see whether it’s play-calling, quarterback, offensive line. It’s everybody included in that. We gotta do better on third down.”

OLB David Walker had a sack in his second game. After missing his rookie season because of a knee injury, Walker has two sacks in 28 defensive snaps.

Before the injury, Mayfield missed open receivers, wasn’t in sync with Emeka Egbuka and seems anxious in the pocket probably because the offensive line has struggled.

WR Jalen McMillan (knee) is having an MRI to determine the extent of his injury. Edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. (groin) and LB Josiah Trotter (shoulder) didn’t play.

12%: The Bucs were 2 for 17 on third downs.

The Buccaneers host the Packers (1-2) to complete a stretch of three straight home games.

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