Mike Evans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took the field looking to take control of the NFC South against the Carolina Panthers. A back-and-forth affair ended when Baker Mayfield threw an interception as the Bucs attempted to mount one final drive, leading to debate over who was at fault.
Skip Bayless Absolves Baker Mayfield, Blames Mike Evans for Game-Losing Interception vs. Panthers
The story of being an NFL quarterback is pretty simple. They get all the credit when things go well, and they get all the blame when things go wrong. Baker Mayfield is no stranger to that reality. He has been an NFL quarterback for nearly eight full seasons since being drafted first overall by the Cleveland Browns.
When Mayfield’s final pass of the day fell into the arms of Lathan Ransom, blame for the loss was immediately directed at Mayfield.
PANTHERS PICK OFF MAYFIELD. pic.twitter.com/sUyhnR6F9M
— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2025
The interception by the Panthers’ safety helped Carolina move into first place and dropped the Bucs to 7-8. Tampa Bay still controls its own destiny. If it wins its remaining games against the Miami Dolphins and in a home rematch against the Panthers, the Buccaneers will claim the NFC South.
Skip Bayless, however, placed the blame on Mike Evans for the final pass of the game. Following the interception, Bayless posted on X, “Baker just threw it to where Mike Evans was heading. Evans suddenly reversed field. Interception. Over.”
Baker just threw it to where Mike Evans was heading. Evans suddenly reversed field. Interception. Over.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) December 21, 2025
Bayless has been a vocal supporter of Mayfield in the past, advocating for him to be the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft, a move the Cleveland Browns ultimately made.
He even went so far as to rank Mayfield as a top-10 quarterback in the NFL entering the 2025 season.
“Mayfield winds up in Tampa, and he finally finds a home,” Bayless began. “But he is replacing The Goat, Thomas Edward Patrick Brady, Jr. He’s stepping in to the winged cleats of Tom Brady for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” Bayless said in September.
“And what does he do in back-to-back years? He leads them to division titles and he makes Pro Bowls. Last year in Tampa, he put up his career numbers across the board. He threw 41 touchdown passes, which was second the league to Joe Burrow, 43. That’s pretty good. And he made another Pro Bowl.”
Given Bayless’s longstanding support of Mayfield, it is no surprise he defended him again, even if the play appeared to be a miscommunication between the quarterback and one of his most trusted receivers.
Tampa Bay will try to rebound next week in Miami before setting up a rematch for a playoff spot two weeks from now in Tampa Bay.
