TAMPA, Fla. — The Buccaneers are back to full speed after their Week 11 bye. Head coach Todd Bowles said the coaching staff and players did plenty of self-scouting and film study during the break.
"If we take care of us, and everybody has a responsibility — not trying to do too much, then we’ll be fine," Bowles said after Wednesday's practice. "Focusing on fundamentals and technique, and that’s at every level of the defense. Offensively, as well. We need to take care of us, and we need to get back to playing how we want to play. If we can do that, we’ll be okay."
Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield was brief when he was asked what he could work on to help snap Tampa Bay's four-game losing streak and lead a turnaround.
"We’re sitting at 4-6, so there’s a lot I can be doing better. Pretty much, I’ll leave it at that," he said.
Three of Tampa Bay's losses have been on the final play of the game, with another coming by just five points. The Bucs want to be on the winning side of every game, but Mayfield added that he's optimistic about working to switch the "L's" to "W's."
"You look at the film, and you look at what we can still improve on. A lot of that’s still in our control. And that’s how we're trying to handle it right now," he explained. "Continue to improve. November and December ball is when real things happen. So we just gotta take it one game at a time."
The Bucs are currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the NFC playoff picture. Their margin for error is tiny, and center Graham Barton went so far as to say that their playoffs have already started.
"We gotta win, and we gotta win now. That’s our goal every week," Barton said in the locker room. "That’s how we’re going to approach each day at practice and in the building. We’re well aware of where we’re at and what we need to do to get in the dance."
Receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) and left tackle Tristan Wirfs (knee) were both limited in Wednesday's practice. Bowles said Evans was "trending that way" when asked about his playing status for Sunday's game against the New York Giants. He said Wirfs is likely a game-time decision.
Kickoff from MetLife Stadium between the Bucs and Giants (2-8) is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
