The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally got their first win, beating the Cowboys 24-16 at AT&T Stadium last Thursday, and the extra days off gave fans plenty of time to wonder when Baker Mayfield will be back. Bucky Irving’s 165 rushing yards let Bucs fans finally exhale after four close losses.
Now the 1-4 Bucs host the 3-2 Pittsburgh Steelers at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday. “It’s a long way to climb out,” Todd Bowles told FOX Sports. “At the same time, we’re upbeat, and if we play this hard and play this effective, we’ll be OK.” Here are five questions Bucs fans are asking.
Will Baker Mayfield play against the Steelers?
Probably not. Mayfield dislocated his right thumb late in the Week 3 loss to Minnesota, and Bowles said at the time it would be a minimum of three weeks. An MRI showed no fracture or ligament damage, and he isn’t on injured reserve.
The thumb is improving. Mayfield moved into a smaller splint last week, and Bowles said the team would see whether he can progress to gripping a football this week, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The plan for now is for Jalon Daniels to start Sunday.
The Oct. 25 game at Carolina looks like the more realistic target. Mayfield has missed two games, snapping a run of 57 straight starts. He’s thrown for 615 yards, two touchdown passes and two interceptions in three games this season, and Tampa Bay signed him to an extension through 2029 in September. We’ve tracked when Mayfield will return since the injury.
Can Jalon Daniels keep the job?
Not long term, but he’s earned some respect. The undrafted rookie completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown in Dallas without an interception. He went 8 for 8 on a 15-play, 73-yard touchdown drive that took 10:58 off the clock.
Bowles liked what he saw. “Coming into this game, he was determined to play better. He played within himself. He played smart. He was decisive with his throws. He knew when to run,” Bowles told The Associated Press.
Daniels hasn’t forgotten how he got here. “I look at myself as if I’m an (undrafted free agent) rookie going out there and just trying to be able to make plays. I know where I came from and I think that’s key, being able to remember where you came from,” Daniels told the AP. He’s thrown for 337 yards, two touchdown passes and three interceptions this season. Mayfield gets his job back once he’s healthy, but Daniels could make the next week or two interesting.
Is Bucky Irving’s breakout for real?
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
It was a big step. Irving ran 21 times for a career-high 165 yards and a touchdown, including a 72-yard run, and caught a touchdown pass. The Bucs ran for 241 yards as a team and finished with a season-high 416 total yards, according to Buccaneers.com.
Before Dallas, it had been a slower start. Irving had 241 yards on 56 carries through four games, 4.3 yards per carry. He’s now up to 406 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 77 carries, and he graded 79.9 overall against the Cowboys, according to PFF.
“The offensive line did a heck of a job blocking for him. Bucky brought a different energy. He was bound and determined to make some plays and he gave us a huge spark,” Bowles said of Irving. Tristan Wirfs posted a 90.6 pass-blocking grade despite tweaking his knee, according to PFF. Pittsburgh is a much tougher test, but a running game that works takes pressure off Daniels.
Is Todd Bowles getting fired?
Not right now. FOX’s Greg Auman called it the hottest seat in the NFL before the Dallas win, but he also noted the Glazers have never fired a coach in-season.
The next stretch will decide it. Tampa Bay plays Pittsburgh, Carolina, Atlanta and Chicago before the Week 10 bye. We wrote that Bowles needs wins in the next five games, and the first win didn’t change the prediction that he could be fired before the bye.
The defense is helping his case. Zyon McCollum didn’t allow a catch in Dallas, and Bowles called him an All-Pro-level corner. “He is recognizing formations and is understanding what guys are trying to do to him and looking at splits more and seeing down and distance,” Bowles told Buccaneers.com. The pass rush is still missing, with just six sacks all season and none against Dallas.
Can the Bucs turn it around from 1-4?
The division gives them a chance. Carolina leads the NFC South at 2-2, Atlanta is 2-3 and the Bucs and Saints are both 1-4, so Tampa Bay is just a game and a half back. All four of its losses came by one score, with a combined margin of 20 points.
History is less friendly. Only one team that started 0-4 has made the playoffs, a stat Auman pointed out after the win.
Sunday’s matchup is winnable. Pittsburgh is favored by 3 points, and the Steelers are thin at receiver with Michael Pittman Jr. on injured reserve and two more wideouts ruled out. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr.’s status is worth watching, too, after a slight rib fracture that Bowles said would cost him two to four weeks. Yaya Diaby summed up the mood after Dallas. “It feels good, but this is not it. We have to keep building,” he told FOX Sports.
More on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Buccaneers’ Top-Ranked Defensive Lineman Could Be Perfect Trade Target for Packers Ahead of Deadline
- Where Do the 1-4 Buccaneers Pick in the 2027 NFL Draft After Finally Beating the Cowboys?
- Chris Godwin Headlines List of Buccaneers Who Could Be Traded After Slow Start
- Josiah Trotter Played 59 of 60 Snaps in Dallas, and the Bucs Have Lavonte David’s Successor
