Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is preparing for a crucial Week 18 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. And ahead of this must-win game, NFL insider Mina Kimes has urged Mayfield to avoid one key mistake that could cost the Buccaneers their playoff hopes.
Mina Kimes Suggests What Baker Mayfield Should Do Against the Panthers
The Buccaneers started the season on a positive note but lost momentum midway through. In Week 17 against the Miami Dolphins, things once again didn’t go according to plan for Mayfield, resulting in another defeat. It marked the team’s seventh loss in its last eight games.
Still, the Buccaneers’ playoff hopes haven’t vanished. Sitting second in the NFC South with a 7–9 record, the Buccaneers still has a 21.4% chance to win the division and secure a postseason berth, according to PFSN’s NFL Playoff Predictor.
To punch their playoff ticket, the Buccaneers must defeat their divisional rival, Carolina, on Saturday. But ahead of the matchup, the team and Mayfield also need to assess the mistakes they’ve been making in recent weeks. One of those issues was recently highlighted by Kimes during her appearance on The Mina Kimes Show.
The Buccaneers suffered a 20–17 loss to the Dolphins last week, and Kimes highlighted that Mayfield is being asked to do too much, unlike last season, when he played in a much more favorable environment, which is one of the reasons they lost against Miami.
“I think what was kind of underestimated last year was he was in such a great quarterbacking environment,” Kimes said. “The screens were so good, the run game was so efficient. He wasn’t asked to carry this offense, and we’ve seen this year that asking him to carry the offense is actually not a great idea.”
Against Carolina Baker Mayfield doesn’t need to be a hero…he needs to be a distributor. pic.twitter.com/LQ5a0YQR89
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) January 2, 2026
With Mayfield struggling when forced to do too much, Kimes suggested a different approach against the Panthers. Carolina’s defense has been strong against deep passes but struggles badly against short throws. So, she suggests that Mayfield should not try to be a hero by throwing deep shots. Instead, he should focus on quick, short throws and distribute the ball to his teammates.
“Don’t throw it deep on Carolina,” Kimes added. “The Carolina defense has a fascinating split, they’re amazing against deep passes. They’re sixth in EPA per play. Mike Jackson and Jaycee Horn are both ball-hawking corners, but they’re 30th in EPA per play versus short passes. Baker doesn’t need to be a hero; he just needs to be a distributor.”
With playoff stakes on the line in this divisional showdown, it will be interesting to see which team comes out on top and whether Mayfield follows the approach Kimes believes gives the Buccaneers the best chance to keep their campaign alive.
