Baker Mayfield reveals frustrating issue that plagued Buccaneers in loss to Bengals

Baker Mayfield with a Buccaneers headband on

Sep 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers experienced technical difficulties at the worst possible time Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Buccaneers got off to a slow start in their season opener at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. A promising first drive into the end zone yielded just a field goal. Tampa Bay then proceeded to cough up three consecutive fumbles that each resulted in Cincinnati touchdowns.

Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield explained after the game that his team was dealing with headset issues that muddled their offense early.

“We had some headset issues for quite a while, in and out,” Mayfield said during his postgame press conference.

“It’s not an excuse, but when they’re testing them on the sidelines and they work fine, then you get out in between the hashes and it’s not working, it’s unfortunate.”

While the broken headsets made communication difficult for the Buccaneers, the issue didn’t explain Mayfield’s three costly fumbles that ruined his team’s chances at a comeback.

Tampa Bay’s offense, armed with working headsets in the second half, recovered and made the game interesting late. But Mayfield’s final fumble at the 11-minute mark of the fourth quarter all but sealed the Cincinnati win.