A familiar issue surfaced for Baker Mayfield in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' season-opening loss. Tampa Bay fell 33-27 to the Cincinnati Bengals after Mayfield, who signed a three-year extension earlier in the week, lost three fumbles. The quarterback has relinquished an NFL-leading 126 turnovers since entering the NFL in 2018.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles discussed Mayfield's Week 1 miscues. "He knows he's got to take care of the football," Bowles said on Monday, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. "We don't want the turnovers; he doesn't want them either.
We got to get better and understand there are times you just have to get down and understand the play call. Knowing when you got the first down, knowing when the game is on the line, and knowing when it's not. "So, obviously, we don't like the turnovers.
He'll be better this week." The Bengals scooped up Mayfield's first fumble for a touchdown during the first quarter. Mayfield lost the ball again in the second quarter while scrambling for a first down near the goal line. Down 30-20 in the fourth quarter, Mayfield's final fumble allowed Cincinnati to shave five minutes off the clock and kick a field goal to bolster its lead.
The Buccaneers are now 0-1 despite Mayfield completing 23 of 28 pass attempts on the road. Mayfield took full accountability during his post-game press conference. "This one falls on me,” Mayfield said.
"I mean, they had, I think, 17 points alone off my turnovers. Turns out to be a one-score game — six points." Mayfield can bounce back when facing his former team, the Cleveland Browns, this Sunday at 1 p.m.
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