Baker Mayfield, Bucs look to keep momentum alive against Panthers, former coordinator Dave Canales

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to make a run at their fourth straight NFC South championship.

Former offensive coordinator Dave Canales stands in the way.

The Buccaneers (5-6) trail the Atlanta Falcons by one game in the NFL’s weakest division entering Sunday’s showdown with the Carolina Panthers (3-8), who hired Canales away from Tampa Bay as head coach after he helped resurrect Mayfield’s career last season.

“Dave, being the optimist bully that he is, just always ‘the sun is going to shine again’ and has that belief in the next play,” Mayfield said. “It was weird. It was rare that you see a coach that actually embodied that ‘next play is the most important one’ we’re-never-out-of-the-fight type mentality. He took that literal, day to day, so it was a different kind of energy than I think anybody had been around but it was good for everybody.”

The Buccaneers are coming off a 30-7 rout of the New York Giants and now have star wide receiver Mike Evans back on the field, which will help the passing game. The Bucs lost ...
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