Baker Mayfield had a career year and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers improved their win total, won a fourth straight division title and made an NFC-best fifth consecutive playoff appearance.

Still, they started an early vacation.

A disappointing 23-20 loss to the Washington Commanders in a wild-card game Sunday night left a bitter taste.

“Obviously, I’m proud of the work they’ve done this year. It wasn’t good enough,” coach Todd Bowles said Monday. “The only team that’s going to be happy is the team that’s going to win the Super Bowl.”

The Buccaneers (10-8) fell short of that goal for the fourth straight season after Tom Brady arrived in 2020, led them to a Super Bowl title and raised the bar for the franchise.

But there’s reason for optimism.

Mayfield is under contract and playing like a top-tier quarterback. He’ll be 30 in April and he became just the fourth player in NFL history to have 4,000 yards passing, 40 touchdowns and a completion percentage over 70.

His teammates love him and he has turned into the franchise QB the Cleveland Browns expected when they drafted him No. 1 overall in 2018 only to give up on him after four seasons.

The Buccaneers are happy to have Mayfield and a solid nucleus around him that includes All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs, future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans, running back Bucky Irving and tight end Cade Otton.

“A lot of people stepped up throughout the year, a ton of guys that stepped up into huge roles,” Mayfield said. “There is a lot to be proud of. In this moment, that’s hard to see, but there’s a lot of young guys that are going to be on this roster next year that had to step up and did in a big way. That should build confidence for those guys, knowing that who they are as players and as men in adversity situations, to be able to step up like they did.”

The main priority for general manager Jason Licht in the offseason will be to address the defense. The biggest needs are an edge rusher, cornerback and linebacker.

M1K3’s consistency

Despite missing three games and most of another with a hamstring injury, Evans had his 11th straight 1,000-yard season, tying Jerry Rice for the most in NFL history.

Evans was excellent against Washington and old nemesis Marshon Lattimore, catching seven passes for 92 yards and one touchdown and drawing a pass interference penalty in the end zone. Still, the Buccaneers couldn’t make enough plays to advance.

Evans will turn 32 before the start of next season, but he’s showing no signs of slowing down.

Bright future

An impressive 2024 draft class gives the Buccaneers more reason for optimism. Center Graham Barton (first round), Irving (fourth round) and wide receiver Jalen McMillan (third round) made immediate impacts.

Barton solidified an offensive line that led a major turnaround on the ground. With Irving leading the way as Tampa Bay’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2015, the offense went from last in rushing two straight years to fourth overall.

McMillan caught seven touchdown passes over the past five games, though he had a key drop early against Washington.

Safety Tykee Smith (third round) and reserve linebacker Chris Braswell (second round) helped a depleted defense survive several injuries. The Buccaneers were missing three starters — safeties Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead and cornerback Jamel Dean — for extended stretches.

Next steps

The Buccaneers will have several key free agents, including linebacker Lavonte David, wide receiver Chris Godwin, left guard Ben Bredeson, edge rushers Anthony Nelson and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, defensive tackle Greg Gaines and special teams ace Tavierre Thomas.

Godwin, who turns 29 in February, was having an outstanding season before he dislocated his ankle in Week 7. He had 50 catches for 576 and five TDs in just seven games.

The 34-year-old David has been the leader on defense for more than a decade. He has spent his entire 13-year career with the Buccaneers. David was somber after the game, uncertain about his future with the team.

“He’s a coach on the field, he’s a captain, he’s a leader, he’s a heck of a person off the field. He’s our bell cow,” Bowles said of David. “When things go wrong, he’ll fix it from a mental standpoint in the locker room. He gets everybody lined up in the right plays, he understands the game — as well as making a ton of plays himself. He’s meant everything to me, as well as our coaching staff and the players in this building.”