The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a heart-breaking defeat to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football as quarterback Baker Mayfield’s pre-game ritual of watching Mike Tyson left him unable to deliver a knockout blow to Kirk Cousins.

Mayfield was spotted entering the Mercedes-Benz Stadium whilst watching highlights of the ex-undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and whilst he gave a good fight, he didn’t quite do enough in his eyes.

The 29-year-old threw for 180 yards and three touchdowns with a 79.2% completion rate from 24 attempts as the Buccaneers scored 30 points before losing in overtime, leaving the QB annoyed at himself.

“All I care about is wins,” Mayfield said after the contest on October 4. “I’ve got to find a way to finish that game out on offense.”

The overall first pick of the 2018 NFL Draft was also spotted wearing a Kobe Bryant shirt as he arrived for the game in Georgia, combining both of his idols in his quest for motivation and determination ahead of the all-NFC South clash.

“It’s the type of sick, twisted mindset that I’ve idolized,” Mayfield said of his heroes in 2021. “Guys like Kobe and Mike Tyson.

“People that when they have their back against the wall, the best comes out and you see what somebody’s made of.”

Buccaneers slip to cruel loss

The game began incredibly strongly for the Buccaneers, as they overcame an early deficit to take a 24-17 lead into the break. They then backed up their credibility by locking the Falcons into a low-scoring third quarter.

But things all fell apart in the fourth as they saw their lead wiped out, before the Falcons scored a game-winning touchdown in overtime to take the lead of the NFC South.

The Buccaneers now find themselves in second-place in the division with a .600 record ahead of a Week 6 clash with the New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday, October 18.