Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield said the team can be proud of how it grew together and fought over the course of the 2024 season, but those feelings took a backseat to less positive ones Sunday night.

The Bucs entered the fourth quarter of their home game against the Commanders with a 17-13 lead, but were unable to maintain that lead. A botched handoff with wide receiver Jalen McMillan resulted in a fumble that set up a Commanders touchdown, and the Bucs had to settle for a field goal after a rushed snap helped derail a promising drive later in the fourth quarter.

That field goal tied the game, but the Bucs didn’t see the ball in the final 4:41 of the game as Washington went for a game-winning field goal. As Mayfield summarized what transpired at his postgame press conference, the defense’s inability to stop the attack took a backseat to the offensive mistakes.

“Just a few stupid things today that cost the team,” Mayfield said. “It’s going to bother me for a while.”

The Commanders never turned the ball over and never punted during Sunday night’s win. That made the Bucs’ mistakes stand out even more on a night that marked an earlier start to the offseason than anyone in Tampa had hoped.