Tristan Wirfs dumbfounded how Bucs lost to Saints and Falcons

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' free fall continued on Thursday Night Football with a 29-28 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, putting them at 7-7 and no longer in the lead of the NFC South. The Carolina Panthers took over the division lead, and with a win over the Saints Sunday, the Panthers will be one win over the Bucs away from dispatching them altogether.

The locker room wasn't the prettiest of sights afterward, and it started with a Todd Bowles press conference where he stressed that the team's players have to "look in the mirror" (among other things). That sentiment was echoed by left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who seemed shocked that the Buccaneers had just blown their 14-point lead to the Falcons after the game.

Tristan Wirfs says Buccaneers need to 'look in the mirror'

Wirfs mentioned that how bad the Saints and Falcons were, and the fact that the Bucs were at home, made the loss all the more embarrassing.

"We lost to the 2-10 Saints and we lost to—I don't even know what the Falcons' record is," Wirfs said. "At home, up two scores... yeah, I don't know. That was f**ing insane."

“That was f***ing insane”
“That was embarrassing” #Bucs All-Pro LT Tristan Wirfs was FUMING in the locker room after tonight’s loss #GoBucs #NFL #WeAreTheKrewe pic.twitter.com/DvcuJlH5HN
— Jay Recher (@jayRecher) December 12, 2025

Wirfs also echoed Bowles' talking point of looking in the mirror, saying that the loss should sit with the players during the extra three days off the Buccaneers have before they get back in the building on Monday to prepare for a crucial Week 16 game vs. the Panthers.

"Everyone's gotta look in the mirror. Graham [Barton] said it last week, everyone's gotta look in the mirror, because that was insane... We have three days at home, we have a mini-bye. I hope everyone sits and lets this f**king stew."

The Buccaneers have struggled mightily since the bye week, winning just one game against the Arizona Cardinals and losing their remaining four. The team started at a promising 5-1 record, but have won just two games since then and face outright elimination from the NFC South and the playoffs next week if the Panthers defeat the Saints. The Buccaneers have won the South for the last four seasons, and the last time they didn't was in 2020 when they won the Super Bowl — if they don't win it this year, though, they'll almost certainly be eliminated from playoff contention outright.

The Bucs will be watching eagerly when the Panthers and Saints play at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday. After that, they'll get back in the building Monday ahead of practice Wednesday to prepare for playing the Panthers themselves.

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