Baker Mayfield May Need to Change Coin Flip Strategy

After Mayfield incorrectly called heads in the Bucs overtime loss to the Falcons in their first matchup of the year, he decided to switch things up against the Chiefs.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a heartbreaking 30-24 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9, and quarterback Baker Mayfield's coin flip decision ultimately played a crucial role in the outcome.

With the Bucs visiting Arrowhead Stadium, they had the option to choose heads or tails at the start of overtime. Mayfield opted for tails, which turned out to be the wrong call as the Chiefs received the ball and swiftly marched down the field to score the game-winning touchdown.

Reflecting on his decision, Mayfield revealed his strategy during an interview with Buccaneers.com. He explained that he chose tails because he had called heads in their previous overtime contest against the Atlanta Falcons.

"I did heads in Atlanta. I thought I'd switch it up. I think if I go back and talk to somebody, the odds to go for heads again [were] better," Mayfield said. "Also, the rain, the coin stuck in the mud, I think it might've had an extra bounce if it was dry, so conditions – there's a lot that factors into it. It just sucks not being able to have a chance to go win the game at that point – not knowing that, but not getting the first shot at it is really the disappointing part which is why the coin toss kind of decided what the game was going to do and the outcome of it. It is what it is."

After calling heads in the Bucs' overtime loss to the Falcons in their first encounter this season, Mayfield opted to switch things up against the Chiefs. However, the outcome remained the same, with Mayfield making the incorrect call both times. As a result, Tampa Bay allowed a game-winning touchdown on the opening drive of overtime in both instances.

At 4-5, the Buccaneers are facing an uphill battle, and one can't help but wonder how drastically different things could have been if they had managed to secure an overtime victory over either the Chiefs or Falcons. Unfortunately, Mayfield will have to leave those thoughts behind as he prepares for another challenging clash in Week 10 when Tampa Bay takes on the San Francisco 49ers.