It may not have been pretty, but Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to get the job done on Saturday, defeating the Carolina Panthers 16-14. Despite the victory, the Buccaneers don’t control their own destiny as the fate of the NFC South will be decided on Sunday between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons.
Baker Mayfield Drops Iconic Quote When Asked About Cheering for the Saints
Mayfield is aware of the importance of the game, but sometimes divisional rivalries cannot be ignored, even if you need one of them to win. In one of the most entertaining and bizarre endings to the NFL season, the NFC South division will be decided by the Falcons and Saints, even though neither team can actually reach the playoffs.
Despite the victory over the Panthers, the Buccaneers can still miss the postseason if the Falcons were to win. That being said, if Tyler Shough and the Saints happen to walk away with victory on Sunday, then Tampa Bay would clinch the NFC South. It’s not an ideal situation for Mayfield and the Bucs; however, even though they need a New Orleans victory, the superstar quarterback dropped a hilarious quote when asked about how it would feel to be cheering for the Saints.
“So, I mean, a tie still gets us in, so they could tie,” Baker told reporters on Saturday night.
While Mayfield made a joke out of the question, he will most certainly be low-key cheering on the Bucs’ heated rivals on Sunday. Although he did not reveal his plans for where he would be watching the game, the Buccaneers will all be locked in on NFC South action.
“It might be at home. I’m sure there will be a group text sent out for a little watch party, but we’ll see,” Mayfield added.
There will undoubtedly be fans of both the Buccaneers and Panthers glued to the television on Sunday as their playoff hopes will be decided by their rivals. Another factor of this game that makes it even more interesting (if that’s possible) is the fact that both New Orleans and Atlanta have been playing better than the other two teams in their division. The Falcons are riding a three-game winning streak, whereas the Saints’ winning streak sits at four.
Despite a disastrous 2-7 run in their last 9 games, if the Buccaneers can clinch a postseason berth, they could be frisky. The team continues to get healthier in recent weeks and could be a difficult out in a playoff, even though there are plenty of question marks surrounding their execution on the field. As is proof every season, you just have to make the dance, and anything could happen.
