The Super Bowl dream is over for Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2023 NFL season after they got eliminated from the playoffs by the Detroit Lions on Sunday. It's a tough loss to swallow for sure for Bucs fans, who held on to the hope that the team would score an upset on the road and advance to the NFC championship game.

What is making Tampa Bay's 31-23 defeat at the hands of Jared Goff a much more bitter one (and more confusing) for many Bucs supporters and NFL fans is the fact that the Buccaneers did not use a timeout they had late in the game. The Buccaneers could have at least mounted an attempt for a miracle comeback but apparently just decided to call it a night when the Lions intercepted a Mayfield pass late in regulation.

“Buccaneers had a timeout left, which would’ve forced the Lions to kick a 47 yard field goal. If the Lions miss, Bucs have 34 seconds to drive 69 yards. (nice). The Buccaneers just accepted defeat? That’s insane,” posted @CFBRep on X.

“Tampa had one timeout after the third down kneel and didnt use it. Make em make the field goal @Buccaneers,” said @GingersGotSwag.

From @NickBrownCO: “Why not use your final timeout? You still had a chance to win. Crazy!”

“May I ask why the Bucs didn’t call their final timeout with 35 plus seconds left in the game on 4th down and 12??????” a seemingly disgruntled MrJoeWebster wondered on X.

The Buccaneers decision not to call a timeout also had @TruSilentSlayer utterly confused: “Someone’s got to explain to me why the @Buccaneers didn’t call a timeout at 23 secs. They could have forced the @Lions to attempt a long FG bc it was 4th down. Possibility of block or miss with some time and chance to score. They just gave up! @NFL”

Despite the ugly ending to their season, the Buccaneers can still feel proud about what they achieved and reached in the 2023 NFL playoffs, as they even dethroned the then-reigning NFC champs Philadelphia Eagles during the wild-card round. Now, Tampa Bay focuses its attention on what improvements it can make in the offseason to come back stronger in the 2024 campaign.