Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hoping to make a push for their fourth straight NFC South title.
But former offensive coordinator Dave Canales is standing in their way.
The Buccaneers (5-6) are one game behind the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL’s weakest division, heading into Sunday’s matchup against the Carolina Panthers (3-8). The Panthers hired Canales as their head coach after he helped revive Mayfield’s career last season.
“Dave, being the optimist bully that he is, just always ‘the sun is going to shine again’ and has that belief in the next play,” Mayfield said. “It was weird. It was rare that you see a coach that actually embodied that ‘next play is the most important one’ we’re-never-out-of-the-fight type mentality. He took that literal, day to day, so it was a different kind of energy than I think anybody had been around but it was good for everybody.”
The Buccaneers are coming off a 30-7 win over the New York Giants and now have star wide receiver Mike Evans back, which will boost their passing game. The Bucs lost their other top wide receiver, Chris Godwin, earlier this year to a season-ending dislocated left ankle.
Mayfield, who played for the Panthers in 2022 before being released midseason, led the Buccaneers to a sweep of Carolina last year.
The Panthers hired Canales to help develop young quarterback Bryce Young.
Canales benched Young two weeks into the season, but the 2023 No. 1 NFL pick regained the starting job after veteran Andy Dalton went down with a thumb injury and has played better since. The Panthers won two straight games and last Sunday nearly defeated the two-time Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, losing 30-27.
Canales still hasn’t committed to Young as the team’s long-term quarterback but has been encouraged by his recent progress.
“Just the progress that we’re looking for as he continues to earn these moments, then, yeah, he’ll be in there,” Canales said. “And that’s what I’ve been most excited about is, is that there’s weekly growth that’s happening. And so, we’re just taking it a week at a time. I know that’s been my language, but he’s really taking responsibility for it and pushing us that way.
“And so, the bottom line is, he’s giving us a chance to win.”
