“Calmer” Todd Bowles Soothing Baker Mayfield
August 11th, 2023
So the pay-per-view site TheAthletic.com sent one of its national writers to Tampa to craft a feature on Baker Mayfield bonding with Todd Bowles.
Joe is not surprised. The Bowles union with Mayfield and the public quarterback competition may be the only thing catching the attention of national media.
Writer Mike Jones got private time with each guy, which led to these quotes.
Bowles referenced his own inner peace and Mayfield is feeding off it.
“I think as a coach, when you stop trying to learn and teach, I think that’s when you need to retire, and I don’t think I’m done learning or teaching,” Bowles said. “I’m a little bit calmer this year. … Although the outside world can’t see that, I can feel that for me.”
Mayfield has found Bowles’ poise both impressive and inspiring. A fiery personality, Mayfield has often relished the role of the villain, hesitating at nothing to clap back at opponents or critics. But as he has matured, Mayfield has sought a more measured approach to life on and off the field. The quarterback believes that Bowles just may rub off on him, particularly during game periods when poise is needed the most.
“His calm nature is definitely good for me to see,” Mayfield said. “Just situationally, how calm he is, and knowing that … he’s going to control the clock and do all the right things, it’s great for us. … It’s going to be good for me.”
Joe is glad everyone is feeling calm and content, though most fans prefer fire, passion and rage.
What’s clear to Joe from Day 1 is that Mayfield and Bowles really like each other. It’s not phony or forced.
On most good teams, that QB-head coach relationship is rock solid and genuine.
August 11th, 2023 at 9:56 am
“Just situationally, how calm he is, and knowing that … he’s going to control the clock and do all the right things, it’s great for us”
….Bowles was awful at all of these things last year. I wanted to punch my TV continuously at how mindnumbingly dumb his decisions and lack therof were.
August 11th, 2023 at 10:03 am
This is good to read, especially since Bowles never talked to Brady. Maybe not a horrible idea for the Head Coach to talk to his QB.
August 11th, 2023 at 10:13 am
No Comment…
August 11th, 2023 at 10:17 am
Bowles has been decided by the moxie of a flamed out losing QB when the potential future of the franchise sits in quiet confidence waiting his turn to prove everyone wrong… again. Hopefully he’ll get his shot with the Bucs… more than likely he’ll leave and have a successful career elsewhere.. it’s a bucs life.
August 11th, 2023 at 10:27 am
Here Todd I got this bracelet from Travis Kelce and took his phone number off it.
————B-A-K-E-R———–
August 11th, 2023 at 10:32 am
Deceived*
August 11th, 2023 at 10:32 am
El Tanko HC/DC.
August 11th, 2023 at 10:53 am
Harvard Business School study proved most promotions come from buddying up to decision makers. More so than skill and hard work.
Baker understands the game within the game. He’s making the right friends.
Good life lesson.
August 11th, 2023 at 11:14 am
If Bowles gets any calmer, might have to place a mirror under his nose to see if he’s breathing. Not the most inspirational coach in the league.
August 11th, 2023 at 11:31 am
Gonna be hard for Bowles to bench his friend. When viewed through that lens, Mayfield’s mistakes will be minimized and his successes will be magnified. So if we do start poorly, we may still NOT see Trask after the bye as Bowles wouldn’t want to upset his friend.
August 11th, 2023 at 11:34 am
If Duh Baker wants to see calm, he should be looking at Trask. The Bowles cleaner is on ly calm on the outside because he might be tarred, feathered, and ridden out of town on a rail if this experiment doesn’t work.
Hot Toddie is already working to undermine Duh Baker’s calm by wondering when he will sit him.
After watching last night’s games, it looks like Trask could find a better job tomorrow.
August 11th, 2023 at 12:02 pm
Baker is very diplomatic in assessing Bowles’ late game decision making abilities.
August 11th, 2023 at 12:05 pm
Hey, I’m new to this site, but what I’ve seen and heard so far are a bunch of whiners posing as Bucs fans. No matter what you say, Trask did not have a better camp than Baker. Add up the TDs (at least the ones we heard about) and the completions and Baker’s numbers are better. Yes, Baker had more INTs, but Trask had at least five, plus tipped passes regardless of his “great” height advantage. Someone ask the receivers who they’d rather have throwing to them! Get over it. Baker is the starter right now. Whether he stays in that position is up to him and his teammates. Go Bucs.
August 11th, 2023 at 12:20 pm
Me too, WyomingJoe, and I agree. The negative force is strong in this one.
August 11th, 2023 at 12:21 pm
Fire is good; rage is bad!
August 11th, 2023 at 12:31 pm
Lookout train wreck is coming!
August 11th, 2023 at 12:38 pm
They can like eachother when thier both outta the league coz thats what will happen if Baker is at the helm.
August 11th, 2023 at 12:54 pm
BAKER BAKER BAKER!!! u fans suck plz don’t watch the game don’t go to the game even if they r winning stay away u haters will stink up the place if u r a true bucs fans show up for u r head coach & u r new qb
August 11th, 2023 at 12:56 pm
What’s the over/under on how many quarters before the fans scream out for Trask?
August 11th, 2023 at 12:56 pm
If our team plays any calmer they will be asleep
Todd hitching his wagon to Baker…wow
They can go coach together at Middle Nowhere State next season
August 11th, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Baker had options he chose Tampa he didn’t have to do u r fortunate he did.brady sucked he is a friggin cheater I don’t support cheats ever so all u baker & bowles haters follow Brady he is a loser cause he’s a cheat same as belicheck u haters deserve those 2 losers.go baker
August 11th, 2023 at 1:08 pm
@WyomingJoe Welcome to JBF – sorry a sub 500 QB with the most interceptions since being drafted while simultaneously throwing for less TD’s every year he’s been in the league does not excite fans. One who happens to be so great of a player and “leader” that he is now on his 4th team in six years. Especially when there’s a healthy, highly drafted, in house, option that’s supposedly closely observed Tom Brady for two years doesn’t get a fair shot because he doesn’t play politics.
Baker’s a charismatic snake oil salesman. He’ll be exposed soon enough.
August 11th, 2023 at 1:14 pm
The NFL is still a business and once Mayfield starts losing and he will. The fans will scream for Trask. Bowles has show no success in running a offense turn it over to the new OC and let him pick his starters.
August 11th, 2023 at 1:20 pm
Calm Alright.. all the turnovers he has seen… Yet still people believe he is the best choice…Now that’s Funny Continue to be calm He will be fired after the season anyway Clearly because they paid Baker..they want him to Start Despite Trask Having The better Training Camp or Competition By moving the ball and not Turning it over… Yep Great Message Coach…Is Winston on the Market…oh wait I mean Winning on the Menu….
August 11th, 2023 at 1:46 pm
Bucs since 76 … ‘Bowles has show no success in running a offense turn it over to the new OC and let him pick his starters’.
I’d love to know what inside information that folks have which makes them so certain that Bowles isn’t letting Canales pick his starter. The two of them have said many times that there’s a process in-place by which BOTH QBs are being evaluated. Media & fans just need to let that play out IMO. Baker gets the start tonight against the Steelers & Kyle against the Jets next week. Got a hunch that the best option (for now at least) will be obvious by the time those 2 games are over.
August 11th, 2023 at 1:58 pm
Nice to read a rational take. Thank you.
August 11th, 2023 at 2:00 pm
I don’t want to see BM playing, I know how it turns out, and it’s 5-12.
With that said, the stupid Florida fanboi’s are so obnoxious, it’s almost worth a wasted season just so they don’t get what they want.
So moron Trask fans, if your goal is to make people hate him, keep it up, you’re doing a wonderful job.
August 11th, 2023 at 2:02 pm
Clearly, Mayfield is not familiar with Bowles’ game management capabilities…
August 11th, 2023 at 2:02 pm
Bowles feeling calmer? First of all is that possible. Secondly, If so, he must see a vast improvement in the O line therefore the offense!! Pre season game tonight!!!!! LFG!!
August 11th, 2023 at 2:03 pm
The QB/HC connection and trust is a must. Fair shots at Mayfield are his tipped passes and Interceptions, won loss record isn’t; the stinking Browns won 1 game in 2 years before he came to town. Old boy is easy to hate because he’s cocky. He’s also easy to root for because he’s normal sized and ballsy. Half of CLE hates him because he didnt get them to the big bowl, half loves him because he won them a playoff game at Pittsburgh
August 11th, 2023 at 2:13 pm
Such negativity here smfh. Go Bucs and go Baker/Trask! It’ll be a better season than any of you half empties think will!
August 11th, 2023 at 2:20 pm
So Baker is going to butt kiss his way into being named the starter?
LOL
August 11th, 2023 at 2:22 pm
Its almost amusing that so many have such strong feelings one way or the other regarding Trask vs Mayfield…
Maybe 1% of anyone reading this has actually SEEN either Trask or Mayfield throw a single pass in 2023….
At least tonight we can all SEE these QBs play and THEN make some sort of personalized preference based on their performance – when live bullets are flying – which is the only way you can truly judge the decision making capability of a Quarterback…..
August 11th, 2023 at 3:05 pm
I have little Inner calm in those two accomplishing anything together this year. I hope the BUCS do well inspite of it. We get our first glimpse tonite.
August 11th, 2023 at 3:32 pm
It appears that Bowles has learned a lot from last year and he has passed all of his knowledge on to Baker. Baker just loves Todd’s calm demeanor. This stuff is pure gold.
August 11th, 2023 at 3:45 pm
We are not going to start Trask because he has no experience. If the Bucs are going to go by that that might as well cut him because until they play him there will no chance for him to get experience.
August 11th, 2023 at 4:32 pm
Things are getting weird, at the Bucs.
August 11th, 2023 at 4:47 pm
Earth to a lot of bozos on here: it is the FIRST PRESEASON game. Brady is gone. Mayfield will start with a lot of players coaches have 3 weeks to decide on. There’s a ton of yahoos on here who think it’s a regular season game. It’s not.
August 13th, 2023 at 1:40 am
His calm nature has yet to win us any meaningful games as a head coach.
BA still in the building? I’ll take his fiery personality, a few curse words and some wins please.
Go Bucs!