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ENGLEWOOD, Calif. – Everything could go wrong for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first half of their 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night, including an injury to quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Coach Todd Bowles said Mayfield sprained his left shoulder after not playing the second half and will have an MRI on Monday. Mayfield was replaced by backup Teddy Bridgewater on the first possession of the third quarter with the Buccaneers up 31-7.
“Well, Teddy will play if he’s out for a while,” Bowles said. “Very confident in what Teddy can do with a full week of practice, taking every snap and every play. We think he’ll be fine.”
Mayfield went to the medical tent after throwing a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tez Johnson in the second quarter, spraining his non-throwing shoulder. Mayfield returned but appeared to be aggravating the injury, clutching his shoulder in obvious discomfort after tossing in a Hail Mary attempt that was intercepted by Emmanuel Forbes Jr. to end the half.
Mayfield returned to the side with his arms folded and wearing street clothes. He completed 9 of 19 passes for 41 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, was sacked twice, and ran four times for 19 yards before exiting, showing the fearlessness that has revived his career in Tampa Bay by scrambling for two three-down conversions to kickstart a touchdown drive.
“That’s what makes Baker special,” Bridgewater said. “You know, it’s a relentless effort every game, and every single game trying to grow.”
After his talismanic play and touchdowns helped the Buccaneers (6-5) win the NFC South in each of the past two seasons, Mayfield got off to another strong start helping his team win five of its first six games before injuries on both sides of the ball struck. Tampa Bay has lost three straight and four of the last five.
The Buccaneers have been particularly hamstrung on offense in recent weeks. Wide receiver Mike Evans broke his collarbone on Oct. 20 against the Detroit Lions, potentially sidelining one of the NFL’s most consistent offensive weapons for the rest of the season. Running back Becky Irving has been unavailable since Sept. 28 due to foot and shoulder injuries. Wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. played for the third time this season Sunday, finishing with two receptions for nine yards as he worked a limited snap count.
Tampa is in first place in the BNFC South, pending the outcome of Monday night’s game between the Carolina Panthers and the San Francisco 49ers. The Panthers, who are 6-5, are heading into the Week 13 finale in Santa Clara, Calif., and the Buccaneers will play twice in the final three weeks of the regular season.
It could be Bridgewater starting those important games, having joined the Buccaneers in August after being suspended from coaching at his alma mater, Miami Northwestern High School. He was 8 of 15 for 62 yards in tough situations against a potent Rams pass rush, free to get after the quarterback with his big lead.
Bridgewater arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday morning after attending a funeral in Miami.
“My mentor actually passed away and I went back home for his funeral, so I got here about 10:30 this morning, and I had to play in the game,” Bridgewater said. “I think it’s great. My lifestyle is like a rock star, I guess. But it’s unfortunate that, you know, it came through an injury.”
Bridgewater did not want to speculate on whether Mayfield will be available next Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals to begin a three-game homestand.
“You never want to see people hurt, especially your leader. But Baker is a tough guy, man. He tried to get back out there and make it tough for guys. That says a lot about him, says a lot about this team.”
