Buccaneers' Todd Bowles Addresses Baker Mayfield Turnovers in Week 1 Loss
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield lost three fumbles in Sunday's 33-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a 33-27 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals in their season-opening Week 1 game, with star quarterback Baker Mayfield at the heart of their struggles. Mayfield, who recently signed a three-year contract extension, turned the ball over three times, leading the NFL with 126 turnovers since his NFL debut in 2018.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles addressed Mayfield's performance in a Monday press conference, emphasizing the need for the quarterback to take better care of the football. "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," Bowles explained.
The Bengals capitalized on Mayfield's mistakes early in the game, scooping up his first fumble for a touchdown in the first quarter. He lost the ball again in the second quarter while trying to gain a first down near the goal line. With the Bengals leading 30-20 in the fourth quarter, Mayfield's final fumble allowed Cincinnati to seal their victory by kicking a field goal and stalling the clock.
Despite the loss, Mayfield took full responsibility for the turnovers during his post-game press conference. He acknowledged the impact of his mistakes, stating, "This one falls on me. They had, I think, 17 points alone off my turnovers. Turns out to be a one-score game — six points."
Looking ahead, Mayfield will have the opportunity to bounce back against his former team, the Cleveland Browns, in a Sunday matchup at 1 p.m. ET.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
