Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (11) catches a 17-yard touchdown pass to Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Zion McCollum (27) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Green Bay, Wisconsin ( AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Playing on a new team eager to reach the postseason, Baker Mayfield reversed its fortunes in December at Lambeau Field.
Mayfield threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their third straight, 34-20, over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The Bucs (7-7) maintain their lead in the NFC South standings with the New Orleans Saints, who beat the visiting New York Giants.
“Just like we talked about, the playoff mentality, is to come here with one job in mind and find a way to win.” Mayfield said. “We did it.”
This was the third straight season that Mayfield faced the Packers at Lambeau Field in December — each time to a different team. He threw four interceptions in Cleveland’s 24-22 loss on Christmas Day to the Packers in 2021 and was a starter for Los Angeles when the Rams fell 24-12 last December 19.
Mayfield was sacked five times Sunday, just as he had in those other appearances at Lambeau Field. But he was otherwise much more successful, going 22 of 28 and posting a perfect passer rating of 158.3.
“Third time’s a charm, that’s for sure.” said Mayfield, who grew up rooting for former Packers quarterback Brett Favre.
Mayfield threw touchdown passes of 19 yards to Mike Evans, 26 yards to Rashad White, 2 yards to Ko Kieft and 52 yards to David Moore.
Chris Godwin had 10 catches for 155 yards. White rushed for 89 yards and had two catches for 50 yards.
Green Bay (6-8) lost its second straight game, dealing a severe blow to its playoff hopes. Jordan Love was 29 of 39 for 284 yards with touchdown passes to Tucker Kraft and Jayden Reed.
But the Packers’ defense had no answers for Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018 who revamped his career while playing for his fourth team.
“They came and cheered us on at every stage – they outdid us, they outdid us.” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “It’s disappointing.”
Mayfield picked off the Green Bay defense one week after the Packers’ 24-22 loss to the New York Giants by allowing a late drive that led to Randy Bullock’s game-winning field goal as time expired.
LaFleur was asked after Sunday’s loss if he would consider replacing defensive coordinator Joe Barry during the season.
“Now’s not the time for that, to be honest with you.” LaFleur said.
LaFleur later added, “I’m trying to find solutions. I have to go back and look at the film.”
After going 14 of 29 in each of the past two weeks, Mayfield opened the game with seven straight completions and then threw two touchdown passes on Tampa Bay’s first three possessions of the second half. The Bucs concluded their fourth and final drive of the second half by kneeling on the Green Bay 11-yard line.
Mayfield lost a fumble on his own fourth down to set up a first-quarter touchdown for Green Bay, but that was the only mistake he made. A week ago, Mayfield threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Cade Otton with 31 seconds left in a 29-25 win over Atlanta.
“He meant it all, from a mental standpoint to a quarterback standpoint, from a strength standpoint, from a leadership standpoint.” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said. “He’s done it all. He’s checked all the boxes. He’s doing all the right things now. I can’t say enough about him.”
Mayfield drove the Bucs into position for Chase McLaughlin’s 46-yard field goal just before halftime that put Tampa Bay ahead at intermission. After forcing Tampa Bay to make a triple on the opening drive of the second half, the Bucs extended their lead to 20-10 on Mayfield’s touchdown pass to White.
Green Bay answered on its next series when Love rushed in and found Reed in the right corner of the end zone for a 17-yard gain on third-and-15. Tampa Bay answered when Kieft scored on his first catch of the season.
After the Packers cut the lead to 27-20 on Anders Karlsson’s 33-yard field goal with 10:04 left, Mayfield threw a short pass that Moore converted into a 52-yard touchdown. It was Moore’s first TD since 2020, when he played for Seattle.
Moore’s touchdowns came on third-and-4. Tampa Bay was 7-of-11 on third-down conversions and 1-of-1 on fourth down.
“We saw things on film and we implemented them.” Evans said. “If we can continue to do well with these financial declines and in the red, we will be tough to beat.”
Injuries
Bucs: CB Carlton Davis (groin) and DL William Gholston (knee/ankle) did not play.
Packers: Reed hurt his toe in the second half. … Playmaker Jaire Alexander (shoulder) missed the sixth straight game and WR Christian Watson (hamstring) sat out the second straight game. S Darnell Savage (shoulder) did not play either.
the next
Buccaneers: Host Jacksonville next Sunday.
Packers: Visit Carolina next Sunday.
In a surprising turn of events, the Green Bay Packers suffered a tough loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a highly anticipated matchup. The Packers, known for their strong offensive play and solid defense, were unable to secure a victory against the resilient Buccaneers. This defeat has left fans and analysts questioning the team’s strategies and performance, and has surely shaken up the NFL standings. With this unexpected outcome, the sports world is buzzing with reactions and analysis on what this means for the Packers as they move forward in the season.