Mayfield was efficient and effective through the air, but the Bucs didn’t have the ball much in this game. In the fourth quarter when the Bucs had a chance to pull away, Mayfield and wide receiver Jalen McMillan were not on the same page on a reverse, which led to a fumble charged to Mayfield and essentially gave the Commanders a late lead. Despite the playoff loss, it was another solid season for Mayfield in Tampa Bay as he threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns on a 71.4 percent completion rate during the regular season. He also rushed for 378 yards and three touchdowns, but he did lead the league with 16 interceptions, so that is something that he’s going to need to work on next year since those miscues cost the Bucs in the playoffs too.

Mayfield opened the game with a six-play, 70-yard drive that ended in a Mike Evans toss from two yards out. The ease with which Tampa Bay scored foreshadowed a long down for the Carolina defense. Mayfield led five consecutive scoring drives to start the game and scored on all but one of the eight drives he was on the field for. Even after Mayfield and the starters were pulled late in the game, the Tampa Bay backups rolled over the Panthers before kneeling the clock out in the red zone. Mayfield has had no issues putting up counting stats over the past month, though plenty of interceptions have come along for the ride. He took care of the ball versus the Panthers with no picks and just two sacks. If Mayfield plays like this in Week 18 against the Saints, Tampa Bay only needs an Atlanta loss to clinch the NFC South.

Mayfield and the Buccaneers played from behind throughout as they fought to maintain their one-game lead over the Falcons in the NFC South, ultimately coming up just short in a wild fourth quarter. Down nine points with seven minutes remaining, Mayfield drove the team to midfield before Jourdan Lewis wrestled the ball away from Jalen McMillan in the end zone for an interception. The Bucs would force a three-and-out, getting the ball back with under five minutes to play. Mayfield drove the team down the field in two minutes to bring the game within two points following a touchdown pass to Ryan Miller. Another three-and-out gave the ball back to the Buccaneers with 1:40 remaining to play. On the first play of the possession, Mayfield avoided a sack and completed a shuttle pass to running back Rachaad White, who saw the football pried from his grasped on the way to the ground to effectively end the game with a narrow two-point loss. The loss now shifts the division lead back to the Falcons with two games to play after the Buccaneers dropped both games to Atlanta this season. Up next for Mayfield and the Bucs are the Panthers at home in Week 17.