The Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked good in the early part of their game in Week 12 against the Indianapolis Colts. They moved the ball down the field with relative ease, as Baker Mayfield was in a rhythm early.
He led the offense right down to the goal line on their first drive of the game, completing five passes along the way. Alas, the positive momentum was stymied as quickly as it was built up as Mayfield suffered an injury.
On first-and-goal from the one-yard line, Mayfield attempted a quarterback sneak. At some point during the play, he suffered an ankle injury that led to the training staff coming onto the field and checking him out.
He would miss the remainder of the drive, which the Buccaneers ended up kicking a field goal. Kyle Trask, the backup, oversaw a false start on his first play, a two-yard run on the next and threw an incompletion to stall the drive.
While it was encouraging that Mayfield was able to get back on the field after that, the ankle injury was clearly hampering his performance. He completed 20-of-30 attempts on the afternoon for 199 yards, throwing one touchdown with one interception and a lost fumble.
The Buccaneers eventually lost the game 27-20. It is easy for fans of the team to convince themselves that had Mayfield not gotten hurt, the result would have been different. Instead, the team suffered their second straight loss and sixth out of their last seven games.
More tough sledding could be ahead for the team, as Mayfield revealed a concerning update about his injury after the game. With the adrenaline of the game wearing off, the pain was ramping up as he shared an MRI would need to be done.
“Ankle stuff’s really not fun,” Mayfield said. “Really not sure what exactly happened, I’ll have to see the film. Didn’t feel very good, but just had (trainer) Bobby (Slater) and the team tape me up again as much as they possibly could. But it will be pretty sore tomorrow.”
Despite their record now being 4-7, Tampa Bay is right in the thick of the NFC playoff picture. That is courtesy of playing in the worst division in the NFL, as the Buccaneers are one game out of first place in the NFC South, where the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints are tied at 5-6.
Tampa Bay will look to get back into the win column in Week 13 when they host the Carolina Panthers. That matchup could afford the Buccaneers a chance to sit Mayfield and get him 100 percent healthy as Carolina will be entering the game with a revamped coaching staff following the firing of head coach Frank Reich.
A Week 14 visit to the Falcons is a massive game the Buccaneers need Mayfield 100 percent healthy for. A loss in that game would crush the team’s playoff hopes even if they defeat the Panthers in Week 13.
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