Baker Mayfield isn't playing like a $55 million quarterback with Buccaneers off to 0-2 start

Mayfield forced a throw in the first half that was picked and turned into three points. He took three sacks, had several negative plays and finished 21 of 34 for 182 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

In Week 1, Mayfield lost three fumbles against the Bengals. He has 28 interceptions and 27 fumbles since 2024.

“It’s shooting ourselves in the foot, not making the plays when we need them, knowing that these are fixable things, but that also makes it more frustrating,” Mayfield said. “(We) just gotta get it corrected. We gotta be hard on ourselves, watch the tape, get those things fixed, flush it and move onto the next. (We have) another home game next week against a good opponent.”

The Minnesota Vikings (2-0) visit Raymond James Stadium this week after shutting down Chicago’s high-powered offense in a 9-3 win.

The Buccaneers are 2-9 since a 6-2 start last season. Coach Todd Bowles was on the hot seat entering the season and it's only getting hotter.

What’s working

The run game was effective at certain points. The Buccaneers rushed for 137 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Bucky Irving had 89 yards on 17 carries, including a 38-yard scamper.