Legendary Oklahoma Quarterback Eliminated from NFL Playoffs Despite Week 18 Win

Baker Mayfield and the Bucs did what they needed to do — but the New Orleans Saints didn't hold up their end of the bargain.

Jan 3, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) and tight end Cade Otton (88) leave the field after defeating the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ goal for Week 18 was simple: control what they could control.

They achieved that. Tampa Bay defeated Carolina 16-14 on Saturday to move into a tie with the Panthers for first place in the NFC South standings.

The Bucs, though, didn’t get the help that they needed.

The Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints 19-17 on Sunday to improve to 8-9. The Falcons, Buccaneers and Panthers all finished with an 8-9 record, setting up a three-way tie on top of the NFC South leaderboard. Carolina won the tiebreaker over Tampa Bay and Atlanta, due to its superior record in division games.

Mayfield, a three-year starter at Oklahoma, finished Saturday’s game with 202 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 16-of-22 passing. The quarterback helped power the Bucs to victory on a rainy day in Tampa Bay in which the teams combined for four turnovers.

For the first time with Mayfield behind center, the Buccaneers will not compete in the postseason. He led Tampa Bay to back-to-back NFC South titles in his first two seasons with the franchise.

Mayfield is playing his eighth NFL season. He spent the first four years of his professional career with the Cleveland Browns and split the 2022 season between the Panthers and the Los Angeles Rams before signing with Tampa Bay in 2023.

At Oklahoma, Mayfield led the Sooners to a 33-6 record as the starting quarterback. He was a three-time First Team All-Big 12 pick and won the Heisman Trophy in 2017.

Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots

Jan 4, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) acknowledges the crowd after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the fourth quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson made the most of his touches on Sunday.

Stevenson, who spent two seasons in Norman, rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries as the Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins 38-10.

Sunday marked Stevenson’s third in a row scoring a touchdown. His 131 yards against the Dolphins were also a season-high.

While Stevenson’s role has decreased as a result of rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson’s fast start, he’s still been impactful for the Patriots. He has rushed for 603 yards and seven touchdowns on 130 carries this year.

The Patriots will be the No. 2 seed in the AFC for the playoffs after they finished the regular season 14-3.

Stevenson is playing his fifth season with the Patriots after the franchise selected him in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He has rushed for 68 touchdowns since entering the league.

The running back came to Oklahoma after beginning his college career at the junior college level. Stevenson finished his two-year stint in Norman 1,180 yards and 13 touchdowns, and he won Cotton Bowl MVP honors in 2020.

Ethan Downs, DE, Kansas City Chiefs

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oklahoma defensive lineman Ethan Downs (DL46) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While the 2025 season has largely been disappointing for the Kansas City Chiefs, first-year defensive end and former Sooner Ethan Downs made an impact in the team’s season finale.

Downs forced a fumble on kickoff coverage in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders. One of his Kansas City teammates recovered and set up for a scoring drive, though the Raiders went on to win 14-12.

Thats how you make your @NFL debut @ethan_downs 💪

📺 NFL+ | #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/3LfwXiYChk

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) January 5, 2026

Sunday’s loss marked just the second game for Downs, who went undrafted after OU’s 2024 season. In addition to his forced fumble, Downs registered five tackles, one of which was a solo tackle.

The Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention a few weeks ago, and they will finish the year 6-11 after Sunday’s loss.

After going undrafted, Downs signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent, but he was cut before the regular season. The Chiefs signed Downs to their practice squad in August and promoted him to their active roster on Dec. 24.

Downs played in 51 games for the Sooners from 2021 to 2024. He ended his college career with 110 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.