Bucs’ comeback falls short after Baker Mayfield’s late fumble vs. Colts

INDIANAPOLIS — Dropped passes, a dropped interception and a significant drop in the feeble NFC South standings were all in store for the Bucs on Sunday afternoon.

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor rushed for a pair of touchdowns, including the 1-yard score after the Bucs had cut the lead to a field goal, in a 27-20 win over Tampa Bay.

It was the sixth loss in the past seven games for the Bucs (4-7), who remarkably aren’t entirely eliminated in the division race with the Falcons’ win over the first-place Saints.

Trailing 20-10 in the fourth quarter, Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield brought the Bucs back. First, he completed a 19-yard pass to Chris Godwin on fourth and 10. One play later, he threw his second TD pass of the game to Mike Evans, a 23-yard strike rolling left into the corner of the end zone.

That cut the Colts’ lead to 20-17 with 12:50 remaining.

But the Colts gambled on fourth and inches from the Tampa Bay 49-yard line and tight end Mo Alie-Cox appeared to beat rookie linebacker SirVocea Dennis for a 30-yard gain. Three plays later, Taylor scored on a 1-yard run, capping a 75-yard drive with 7:30 to play.

Mayfield drove the Bucs back downfield and they had first and goal at the Colts’ 6-yard line. But he was sacked twice in three plays, and Tampa Bay settled for Chase McLaughlin’s 24-yard field goal.

The Bucs got the ball back needing a TD to tie with 2:21 remaining at their own 35. But Mayfield was sacked by Samson Ebukam and lost a fumble.

The Bucs played a frenetic first half that saw Mayfield leave midway through the first quarter with an ankle injury (and return on the next offensive series), the Bucs fail to score a touchdown on first and goal from the 1-yard line, fall behind 17-3 and Antoine Winfield Jr. drop an interception deep in Colts territory.

Mayfield connected with Mike Evans on a 1-yard TD with 5:08 to play in the second quarter, capping a short drive that started after cornerback Carlton Davis recorded his first interception of the season.

Mayfield didn’t have great protection to start the game Sunday and his numbers showed it: 10-of-16 for 85 yards with one TD and one interception.

After injuring his ankle on first and goal from the Colts’ 1-yard line, he was replaced for the remainder of the series by former Gators quarterback Kyle Trask. But guard Aaron Stinnie committed a false start, a run netted only 2 yards and Trask completed a pass to Godwin, who was only able to get one foot down in the end zone.

Playing without linebacker Lavonte David and cornerback Jamel Dean, the Bucs defense allowed 191 yards in the first half alone. Fortunately, the Colts were only 1-of-7 on third down.

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