Did we overreact to what transpired between Florida rivals when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on the last Sunday of 2025? The events that transpired since indicate that we did not. The tale of what happened to the Buccaneers that Sunday could be summed up just like this: one opportunity missed, another opportunity forthcoming.
That opportunity would come against the Carolina Panthers – the winner would get a chance to represent the NFC South and host a playoff game. Florida football fans had ample reason to look forward to an inspired and intentional outing from the Buccaneers.
The word was that the possibility of a win for the Buccaneers meant clinching a playoff berth, while a win for the Dolphins would mean practically nothing for Mike McDaniel’s squad.
Miami was the team that played the kind of football you’d expect to see when it matters most, while the Buccaneers struggled in all phases of the game. We would be remiss to dwell on any particular phase of the game to critique, as both offense and defense were subpar. Tampa Bay managed to gain only 53 yards running the football. The Buccaneers’ defense had the chance to play against a rookie quarterback, in only his second career start.
What made the game-changing difference?
The Bucs gave up a long touchdown pass (63 yards) by an unproven rookie quarterback (Quinn Ewers) to an undrafted rookie wide receiver (Theo Wease). From that point on, the Dolphins’ scoring prowess continued, as they scored an additional touchdown and added two Riley Patterson field goals so that the ending of this south Florida showdown was never in doubt. The 20-17 final score does not accurately depict a game that essentially was never that close and never in question (the last Buccaneers’ touchdown was tacked on in the waning moments, when it was purely cosmetic).
Are these the same Bucs that started the season 6-2? We all hoped that regaining some of their key pieces and playing with a full roster again would make the Buccaneers one of, if not the best teams in the NFC. Fast forward to what seems like just a few short weeks later, the descriptors we heard from Coach Todd Bowles are “frustrating, disappointing, too many mistakes.” Yet in spite of the surprisingly meager outpouring by the Buccaneers, Todd Bowles’ team still had a chance to clinch a spot in the playoffs by beating the Panthers at home on January 3rd.
The Buccaneers surrendered three turnovers, while the Dolphins did not turn the ball over even one time. Baker Mayfield continued to rely on his legs to prolong plays. This has often been a self-inflicted trap for him, as it has led to an escalated number of sacks. On this Sunday, it didn’t just lead to a sack and loss of yards, but eventually to a strip sack. Mayfield had a hand in all three turnovers, including the fumble and two interceptions. “I gotta do a better job of moving him with my eyes,” he would say postgame about his interception.
He would have a more effective game against the Panthers, posting just over 200 yards with one touchdown and one interception – an improvement in the turnover column as opposed to the game against Miami. The Bucs faced the same franchise that demoted Mayfield in the game to decide if the team from Tampa Bay has a place in the 2026 NFL playoffs. Both he and Bowles showed the kind of character and resolve that you would want from your leaders when they take ownership and responsibility over their mistakes.
After the disappointing encounter against the Dolphins, Bowles encapsulated the present state of his team with his simple and effective takeaway, “We need to work on ourselves.” To the Buccaneers’ credit, in just a short week, we witnessed a much more efficient performance. In the season finale against the Panthers, the Buccaneers stayed more competitive throughout the game. The team has leaders on the squad that have NFC Championship experience. Baker Mayfield, Vita Vea, Mike Evans, Lavonte David and Tristan Wirfs have been in that position in multiple season. The Panthers don’t have any similarly experienced players of championship pedigree.
The Bucs responded to the question, would they feel a sense of urgency and play with pride in front of their home fans? For fans this has been a roller coaster ride of a season that included a 6-2 start and a 7/8 game losing skid. It was fascinating to watch the team respond.
The Buccaneers would play with the kind of fight that makes veteran linebacker Lavonte David very proud, as he commended the team’s “dog-eat-dog mentality.” Yet, the game against the Panthers also exposed lots of their weaknesses – special teams problems this year caused lots of anxiety in the waning moments of a game that was separated by less than a field goal.
Bucs fans were treated to some unforeseen improvements in play. Mayfield entered the game with a 20.3 quarterback rating in rainy conditions. This is the second worst among active quarterbacks. Yet on the rain-drenched field of Raymond James Stadium, he garnered a 97.3 quarterback rating in the Buccaneers’ two point win to their familiar rival, the Panthers.
The conditions were not nearly the factor in the second half that they had been in the first half. Like in the game against the Dolphins, the defense on the long pass that set up a passing touchdown late in the game was porous. This would be the go-ahead touchdown that would decide the fate of the game. It was as if they had pressed repeat from the game against the Dolphins as the defense surrendered a deep pass late that resulted in a touchdown.
The aftermath of the game yielded some positive aspects – the team’s willingness to fight until the end and to show resilience were foremost on the mind of David. The comments of David, Mayfield and Bowles show that they are willing to take ownership and assume responsibility.
Unfortunately their destiny did not rest in their hands as they also needed help from the New Orleans Saints. The Saints proved unable to stymie the Atlanta Falcons. With some positive lessons and encouraging signs from the team’s leaders, the Buccaneers will still miss the 2026 postseason.