The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are making moves ahead of their Week 13 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals. They recorded their third straight loss last week and slipped to 6-5. The worst part? Star quarterback Baker Mayfield hurt his shoulder and couldn’t even finish the game. With the season intensifying, head coach Todd Bowles isn’t taking any chances. He has already decided who could fill in for his injured QB.

“Obviously, Baker (Mayfield) is sore so Teddy is going to take most of the reps this week,” Bowles said.

Reporter Rick Stroud dropped the first big hint on X by sharing Bowles’ update about the quarterback situation. And it looks like QB Teddy Bridgewater could start in the next game if Mayfield doesn’t recover fully on time. Bridgewater has done it before in the Buccaneers’ painful 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the very game when Mayfield sustained his injury. 

On Sunday, the quarterback led the franchise on a touchdown drive in the second quarter. He looked alright until a few moments later, when he faced a shoulder problem and headed to the medical tent. The player still returned for the next drive but fell to the ground after attempting a long throw on the last play of the first half. 

Ultimately, Todd Bowles ruled Mayfield out in the third quarter, replacing him with Bridgewater. He finished the game by completing 8 passes out of 15 for 62 yards. Later, Mayfield’s MRI revealed he sustained a low-grade AC joint sprain but avoided any major damage, reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Now, Greg Auman of Fox Sports shared the latest injury update on X.

“Mayfield says this shoulder injury is “very different” from what he went through in Cleveland in 2021, said this is more pain tolerance and not nearly as much damage to his shoulder.”

While things look slightly more positive for Mayfield, it’s dicey to predict if he’ll return in the next game. Until then, Bridgewater is expected to lead the offense. Bowles may have fixed his QB situation, but his troubles are far from over.

Todd Bowles comments on the struggling defense

The Buccaneers’ defense has lost its rhythm since coming out of the bye week. In the last three losses, the unit has surrendered over 1,100 yards and allowed 99 points. These numbers seem concerning, but they sting even more because Todd Bowles also serves as the defensive play-caller.

During Sunday’s game, the defense failed to contain quarterback Matthew Stafford and his powerful offense. Bowles recently addressed the issue that has been holding the unit back, per Yardbarker.

“Just for them to continually hold each other accountable on the field,” Bowles said. “The coaches can say it, and our leaders can say it, but you’ve got to do it consistently – play in and play out. It’s getting done for the most part, but we talk about it all the time – we’ve got to coach it better, and they’ve got to play it better. At the same time, the accountability on the field and the trust.”

Moreover, the head coach also emphasized the importance of communicating. Bowles thinks it takes just one player who’s out of position to jeopardize a defensive play. He admitted that things have improved slightly in recent weeks, but the team still struggles with the occasional breakdown. Heading into the showdown with the Cardinals, the group must stay disciplined and trust the man next to them if they want to win.