Titans were never troubled, putting Buccaneers away 42-18. Baker Mayfield threw for Buccaneers — 14/30, 303 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT — in a losing effort. Jermaine Johnson II lived in the backfield for Titans — 2 sacks. A season best for Baker Mayfield. Through the air: Buccaneers 303, Titans 172.

Buccaneers kept it respectable. Saints still won by 15. Tyler Shough threw for Saints — 13/20, 237 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT. Travis Etienne Jr did the work on the ground for Saints — 13 carries, 187 yards, 2 TD. Total yards: Saints 423, Buccaneers 315.

Riley Parker: "Baker Mayfield threw for 336 yards on 46 attempts—that's 7.3 yards per try in a game where the Bucs out-gained LA by 48 total yards and still lost by 6. The Rams' ground game (87 yards) did more to decide this than either passing attack, which tells you everything about how Tampa Bay wasted the better performance."

Baker Mayfield threw for 336 yards and a touchdown on 30 of 46 attempts, outgaining Matthew Stafford's 252 yards by 84, yet the Rams won 27-21 in week 17. Tampa Bay's 387 total yards to Los Angeles's 339 tells the same story: the Buccaneers generated more offense and still lost. The difference was on the ground, where the Rams gained 87 yards to Tampa Bay's 51, enough to swing a 6-point game. For a 2-14 team playing meaningful football, the Bucs showed they could move the ball; for a 9-8 team fighting for position, the Rams showed they could finish.

Buccaneers had no answer. Saints took it 31-10. Tyler Shough threw for Saints — 24/38, 273 yards, 2 TD. Baker Mayfield was steady for Buccaneers — 23/43, 257 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT — in a losing effort. That is 4 straight games over 250 for Tyler Shough. On the ground: Buccaneers 101, Saints 83.

21-14 to Chargers, and it went about how it looked. Omarion Hampton carried the load for Chargers — 17 carries, 116 yards, 3 TD. Justin Herbert did the damage for Chargers — 26/40, 278 yards. Rueben Bain Jr.'s high-water mark for the year. Total yards: Chargers 443, Buccaneers 227.

Panthers took the ball away and took the game with it, 31-23. Baker Mayfield threw for Buccaneers — 27/40, 309 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT — in a losing effort. Bryce Young was steady for Panthers — 21/34, 225 yards, 2 TD. Make it 4 consecutive games past 250 for Baker Mayfield. Through the air: Buccaneers 309, Panthers 225.

Andy Dalton threw for 417 yards and 6 touchdowns while Zachariah Branch caught 6 passes for 188 yards and 2 scores as Atlanta won 49-31, a game where both teams abandoned the run entirely—the Falcons managed just 17 yards on the ground and passed on 83 percent of plays, well above the league average of 63 percent. The Buccaneers kept pace through the air with Baker Mayfield's 383 yards and 3 touchdowns, but Tampa Bay's single turnover and Atlanta's none made the difference in a shootout that nearly reached 80 combined points. Atlanta's point total masks an underlying weakness: they were outgained by 2 yards overall and dominated on the ground by 36, proof that this win came entirely from quarterback and receiver brilliance, not balance.