Mayfield and Bucs are confident they can turn season around after beating division-leading Panthers
TAMPA, Fla. — There’s nothing like a dominant performance to bolster a struggling team’s confidence. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-5) overwhelmed the NFC South-leading Carolina Panthers in Baker Mayfield’s return from injury, tightening the division standings with a relentless ground game, opportunistic defense and sparkling specials teams play in a 43-13 rout on Sunday. “That’s what it’s supposed to look like,” coach Todd Bowles told players during a spirited postgame speech in the locker room. “I think it’s a statement internally for us, not to anybody else. But for us,” Mayfield said of the team’s best performance of the season, ending a stretch of 12 consecutive games decided by one score. “No, it’s not always going to look like that. It’s the NFL,” Mayfield, back in the lineup after missing three games with a dislocated thumb, said. “But operation-wise and when it comes to…



























