Todd Bowles did not hide from the problems that doomed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
After another frustrating offensive showing defined by stalled drives and self-inflicted wounds, the head coach pointed a finger at more than just the offensive line.
He made it clear that Baker Mayfield’s tendency to extend plays played a direct role in the holding penalties that repeatedly set the unit back.
The Buccaneers could not stay on schedule. Three holding calls wiped out promising sequences and turned potential scoring opportunities into punts or empty possessions.
Bowles acknowledged that two of those flags came on third down, situations in which Mayfield left the pocket and forced his blockers into difficult decisions.
“Two of them for sure on third down; there is a lot of scrambling going on,” Bowles said. “Then after that it is kind of a crap shoot, and you have to have kind of a feel for when to let go and when that guy is tugging back going back the other way, so that made it kind of tough.”
That extra time in the pocket created the exact conditions that make holding calls more likely. Linemen who have already engaged a defender suddenly have to adjust as their quarterback slides or spins away from pressure.
Bowles noted that the group has grown accustomed to Mayfield’s style after years of seeing it, yet the results on Sunday were still unacceptable. “He’s been scrambling for a while, and the guys have gotten used to it,” he admitted. “But we just can’t have the penalties.”
The specific sequences told the story. Early in the second quarter, Mayfield escaped and found Chris Godwin for what looked like a first down, only for a hold to push the Bucs backward.
They converted the ensuing long-yardage situation but still had to punt three plays later. Later in the half, Graham Barton was flagged as Mayfield stepped up and completed a pass to Bucky Irving. The next snap produced a sack.
On the final drive, another hold after Mayfield tried to extend a play and find Tez Johnson (listed as Ted Hurst in some reports) moved Tampa Bay from the 13-yard line back to the 23. The Bucs never recovered.
The underlying numbers reinforce Bowles’ point. Mayfield ranks near the bottom of the league in getting the ball out under 2.5 seconds. When he does release it quickly, his completion rate sits at 88 percent.
When he holds it longer, that figure drops to 59.5 percent and the turnover-worthy throws increase. The extra yards he sometimes creates are not currently worth the missed opportunities and penalties that follow.
Tampa Bay’s offense has the talent to move the ball, but it cannot keep giving yards back. Mayfield’s creativity is part of what makes him effective, yet Sunday showed the cost when that creativity collides with an offensive line still trying to stay clean.
Bowles’ message was straightforward: the scrambling is familiar, the penalties are not acceptable, and the quarterback has to get the ball out faster if the Buccaneers want to avoid more of the same.
