Baker Mayfield Opens Up About Costly Interception That Sealed Bucs' Loss to Panthers

The quarterback explained what he believed happened in that crucial moment.

The Bucs have now lost three in a row. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Buccaneers fell to 7–8 on the season on Sunday after a loss to the Panthers, who have now taken over at the top of the NFC South. And though a defeat is bad enough on its own, the L was made even worse in how it happened—off a game-sealing interception late in the fourth quarter.

The Bucs were trailing by three at Carolina's 40-yard line with 48 seconds left in the game. Quarterback Baker Mayfield was up against a second-and-9, and tried to get the ball into the hands of stud wide receiver Mike Evans. But the pass was quickly and easily intercepted, thus handing the ball back to Carolina and sealing the game, 23–20.

PANTHERS INTERCEPT BAKER TO TAKE THE LEAD IN THE DIVISIONpic.twitter.com/pwuTwiRmsz

— Deadspin (@Deadspin) December 21, 2025

Mayfield opened up about the miscue after the game and weighed in on what happened in that moment—that he was attempting to step up in the pocket, but Evans thought he would scramble.

"It was going to be a bang-bang play, but I trust Mike in those situations to make that, and that really would've put us in field goal range at that point," Mayfield said. "At that point, you're really evaluating time on the clock. Let's go score to win the game, no negative plays to knock us out of field goal position, so that was what was going through my head. Give one to our best player. I'm never going to question his instincts. And that's the thing, you can look and say, 'Should have done this. Should have done that.' But it's just the timing of the play, and it happens in a millisecond, and, unfortunately, today, it wasn't on the right side for us."

In his own presser, coach Todd Bowles characterized the mistake as a comms issue between the QB and the receiver.

"It looked like a miscommunication. I'll wait until I go back inside and talk to them and see. Mike turned in and the ball went out. It's unfortunate for us," the coach said.

Whatever the scenario, it was an unfortunate note on which to end, especially considering the playoff-hungry squad has now lost three in a row.

They'll look to rebound in Week 17 vs. Miami, then go up against the Panthers again in Week 18.

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