After a strong start to the 2025 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wrapped the season with an 8-9 record and finished second in the NFC East.

Bucs fans saw their season slip away in a 23-20 loss in a week 16 tie-breaker game against the Carolina Panthers, which put their playoff hopes in jeopardy. It was a win-or-go-home situation and the Bucs cracked under pressure.

As a Bucs fan, this was deeply upsetting as I had very high hopes and expectations for this season. I was extremely crushed when we did not make it to the playoffs compared to the past five seasons (although we end up losing in the wild card anyways).

Here’s where I think the Bucs went wrong: the coaching was subpar, players suffered multiple injuries, and quarterback Baker Mayfield just wasn’t up to the job.

Although Mayfield had a very promising start, he disappointed.

Numerous injuries across the team made the season much harder for the Bucs. They were without key players like wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans and running back Bucky Irving. Evans’ injuries put a halt to his 1,000-yard consecutive season streak and he finished with 30 receptions for 368 yards and three touchdowns. These injuries made the Bucs a weaker team than they had been in previous years.

As for coaching staff, the play calls were terrible, and they didn’t position the star players in the right circumstances. As a result, I think head coach Todd Bowles should have been fired along with the other coaches. Head coaches are responsible for the decisions of their staff and he wasn’t held accountable.

I’m looking forward to a fresh start next season. That will require a good draft, a better coaching staff, and a positive mindset from players, who also need to be healthy enough to play.