Baker Mayfield Returns to Save a Bucs Season That Might Already Be Over

Baker Mayfield is officially returning to save the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which is a lot like bringing a fire extinguisher to a house that burned down three weeks ago.

Head coach Todd Bowles told reporters that his starting quarterback "looks like he's ready to go" and is expected to take the field Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Mayfield has been sidelined for the last three games with a right thumb injury, forcing the Bucs to endure the Jalon Daniels experience while their season quietly slipped down the drain.

"Todd Bowles told reporters that Baker Mayfield 'looks like he’s ready to go'."

During Mayfield's absence, Tampa Bay completely flatlined. They are sitting at a miserable 1-5 after last week's 26-19 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Meanwhile, the Panthers are somehow running the NFC South at 3-2, fresh off a 25-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles that gave them a 1.5-game cushion in the division.

The betting markets are treating Mayfield's return with the exact amount of disrespect it probably deserves. Carolina is laying three points at home, and the total is sitting at a sleepy 44.5. If you are looking for a reason to trust Tampa Bay in this spot, you will have to ignore the fact that they are a catastrophic 1-9 against the spread in their last 10 games.

Mayfield was a full participant in practice all week, so there are no excuses about rust or physical limitations. Sunday is a pure desperation spot for Tampa Bay. If they drop to 1-6 against a division rival, the front office might need to start looking at the trade deadline instead of the playoff picture.