Make no mistake about it.

The Bucs’ roster features numerous players who must improve heading into Week 3’s game against the Vikings. No player is more critical to Tampa Bay’s success than quarterback Baker Mayfield.

A day after a crushing 23-19 loss to the Browns, Mayfield appeared on the Bucs Players’ Table with team reporter Casey Phillips and former offensive tackle Donovan Smith.

Even after such a demoralizing defeat, the veteran signal-caller opened up about the state of the offense and whether his approach leading the team is different after receiving his big contract extension.

Baker Mayfield Doubles Down On Bucs’ Offense Being “So Close”

Baker Mayfield stood at the podium after an over two-hour rain delay on Sunday evening, again taking blame for not playing well enough for the Bucs to beat the Browns. Unique circumstances allowed Mayfield and Tampa Bay’s offense to devise a plan of attack for the game’s final two minutes, but all the unit did was stall out in the red zone.

Bucs OC Zac Robinson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

That embodies the theme of this group through two games.

They are close to turning the corner, but they are not doing nearly enough given the talent, expectations, and level of competition they have played so far.

“Everything we want is there; it’s just a matter of execution,” Mayfield said. “No negative plays – we keep shooting ourselves in the foot.”

For all the discussion about what the Bucs’ offense could be this season, they haven’t been explosive.

Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s offense already feels predictable with a heavy emphasis of going horizontal, and the few chances Mayfield has taken downfield have been overthrown. This point was driven home in a recent column by ESPN’s Ben Solak. As Solak noted, it has felt like his passes have either been near the line of scrimmage in front of all the defenders or thrown deep behind all the defenders.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

That is spot on, as there really hasn’t been anything in between. Mayfield knows this offense needs to find more ways to generate big plays and attack the entire field.

“Trying to sustain drives consistently for that long without having enough explosive plays is really, really hard in this league,” Mayfield added. “We got to be able to not have those penalties but have a few more explosive plays. Really close on some of the stuff in the passing game. Some of the run game stuff was coming together on [Sunday], but the pass game is frustrating.

“Getting landmarks down with receivers, making sure we’re on the same page when it comes down to it. It’s never going to be exactly how you draw it up when you install it in meetings and whatnot. Trying to make sure if it is the perfect coverage for it that I’m on time, those guys are on time, and they’re in the right spots. Just giving them enough air to adjust to it. We’re so close, and that’s the frustrating part about it. It really comes down to negative plays and being more efficient in the red zone.”

Baker Mayfield Claims He Is The Same, But Bucs Are Counting On Him To Prove It

Right now, there are only stats and results to analyze. The 120 minutes of Bucs football played in 2026 has made for a difficult watch – offensively and defensively. Mayfield has not played anywhere near his shiny new price tag, as evidenced by his 398 passing yards and one touchdown to one interception and three fumbles.

While acknowledging how the largest contract in franchise history will be portrayed from the outside based on what he has done, his mindset and leadership remains the same.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Matt Matera/PR

“For me I’m not going to approach it any differently,” Mayfield said. “I’ve always been really, really hard on myself when it comes to accountability in front of everybody. ‘Hey guys, this one’s on me.’ Owning it, because I feel like if you do that from the quarterback position, it puts guys in the mindset of, ‘Am I doing enough? Am I owning my mistakes? Am I making excuses for what’s going on or am I actually going to get it fixed or am I just going to look at everybody else and wait for them to do something?’

“Just continuing that; you get a new extension, and people might expect more but it’s the business side of it for me. As corny as that is… it doesn’t matter what you’re doing, your job is your job and you got to own that, you got to live up to it each and every day. You’re in this game because you love football but how hard are you going to fight for your guys and how hard are you going to work for them?”

Much of that sentiment has been Baker Mayfield’s mission statement in the NFL.

The concerning part is that the wheels already feel loose on a wagon taking the Oregon Trail. It is a long road ahead, with 15 games left this season and another couple of years with Mayfield under center. No matter what he says, it means nothing if the status quo doesn’t change.

General manager Jason Licht, the front office, and the Glazers have doubled down on who their quarterback is.

Much of the core around him is locked into place.

At this point, they are what they are.

They have spent the past eight months attempting to build a Bucs team that can make the playoffs and go on a run. They have failed to look any different than where they were ending last year, and you better believe every player is feeling the heat. I mean, a 2-9 record over the past 11 games speaks for itself at this point. Baker Mayfield has to do something to prove a turnaround is imminent, or things will quickly go from bad to worse for the trajectory of this season and the near future.

“Owning it, taking it personal, and making sure that you make everybody else around you feel – it’s not pressure, but a sense of urgency to get it fixed, to do the right things, and do it consistently,” Mayfield said.