Today Is Another Step In The Remake Of Baker Mayfield
October 1st, 2023
Non-believer raises subject of benching.
Damn near every NFL analyst, talking head, journalist and fan outside the Tampa Bay area predicted doom for Baker Mayfield this year. It’s also why so many believed the Bucs were in the running for Caleb Williams (#CollaspseForCaleb).
That doesn’t look like it will happen. And follicly-challenged Billy Barnwell of BSPN doesn’t think Mayfield is getting benched.
Barnwell came up with a list of starting quarterbacks most likely to get pulled and replaced Mayfield is on Barnwell’s list at No. 3 (no, Barnwell is no fan of Mayfield).
He has been much better on third down by QBR (seventh in the league) than he has been on first and second down (24th). His 78.1% completion rate is the league’s best on third down. In all, 40% of his third-down dropbacks have produced first downs, well ahead of the league average of 29.6%.
So why does Barnwell think there is a shot Mayfield gets benched for Kyle Trask? Barnwell has a hunch Mayfield will come down to earth. And that journey began against the Eagles.
Barnwell thinks as much as anything, Mayfield benefitted from playing two lousy teams to start the season, Minnesota and Chicago.
Joe never understood this mentality. Don’t you want your quarterback to mop up a bad team? That’s not a fault, that’s a goal. Of course, Mayfield needs to show up today against the slimy Saints, in part because they have a good defense.
Also interesting in this BSPN article, Barnwell claims the Bucs’ front office probably wanted Trask to start over Mayfield, if for no other reason than to see if he’s capable of winning games. If that is the case, then why did the Bucs sign Mayfield?
If Mayfield is benched this season for Trask, Joe is willing to lay cash that your 2024 Bucs starting quarterback is currently playing on Saturdays.
October 1st, 2023 at 12:59 am
Billy Barnwell is so bad it’s hilarious. He defines maroonity in football journalism. Joe you’re correct – it’s either Mayfield, or a college guy for 2024.
October 1st, 2023 at 2:15 am
I’m pulling for Mayfield because he’s our starting QB. But if Trask plays, he ill be our starter next year. I’m not being critical of Mayfield but Trask would lead a more explosive offense.
October 1st, 2023 at 2:24 am
Baker has not played badly. THere’s really no reason to replace him except to make the offense more explosive.
October 1st, 2023 at 3:32 am
Ok…Has anybody got any factual info that says anyone at One Buc is thinking about benching anyone? Lord knows I got a couple of candidates.
None named Baker.
Go Bucs!
October 1st, 2023 at 4:45 am
In a QB rich draft the Bucs will be taking a QB, where is the question. We won’t be bad enough to have a legit shot at Celeb, so why even talk about him. What if the Bears get the first pick? That would make Fields available, should the Bucs make a trade for him? The system he plays in doesn’t play to his talents. He might be a great fit in Canales’s QB friendly system. Might be better than going the draft route.
October 1st, 2023 at 4:50 am
A loss today would be a big step to get Caleb. Chicago is going to prolly get him though.
October 1st, 2023 at 6:38 am
if Canales runs every first down today with no success is it Mayfields fault? Mondays game the play calling was horrible to a point I thought it was last year under Leftwich.
October 1st, 2023 at 7:16 am
Joe the Bucs are taking a QB regardless next year do you really believe Baker is the long term answer? By not playing Trask this year you have told everyone we are taking a QB next year this year we will take whatever we get!
October 1st, 2023 at 7:19 am
I didn’t pay attention to Baker before he came to Tampa outside of his commercials maybe. The one thing that really jumps out at me is his arm strength. I had no idea – dude slings it.
October 1st, 2023 at 7:20 am
Hey Joe, do you know how Baker looks when he play divisional games?
I was kind of wondering and maybe you’d know.
Thanks advance
Go Bucs
October 1st, 2023 at 7:43 am
1. Trask outplayed Mayfield in training camp – Joe said so several times himself.
2. Trask also outplayed Mayfield in preseason (to the chagrin of Bowles and Joe) as Mayfield hardly played.
3. But now if Trask plays our 2024 QB is in college right now? WTF kind of warped reasoning is that?
October 1st, 2023 at 7:46 am
“Today Is Another Step In The Remake Of Baker Mayfield”
Baker needs to remake our 19-point-per-game-average with 2 of our 3 games against the 2 worst teams in the NFL.
October 1st, 2023 at 8:12 am
Caleb Williams (#CollaspseForCaleb).
Joe just likes to type that!!!
October 1st, 2023 at 8:16 am
Regardless of what happens college QB,s are a crapshoot. The best ones sit for a while like Brady and Mahomes did. I would ride with Baker till he slumps or gets hurt. Then give Trask a shot. Even if the Bucs do decent i would draft a kid late round like Pickens was. Bring in an Andy Dalton type and let the kid sit.
October 1st, 2023 at 9:08 am
Whoever thinks that Trask is better than Mayfield is delusional. Trask played against third-stringers in pre-season and still didn’t show much. Baker will ball out this year and have a Top 10 rating because BAKER IS BETTER. So get over it…
October 1st, 2023 at 10:01 am
Mayfield looked ok against the Eagles considering how often he got pressured, drops by receivers, AND that they didn’t have to respect our feeble attempts to run the ball. I don’t think THAT game could be considered the start of “coming down to earth”
October 1st, 2023 at 10:13 am
Wyoming….All we can go on is the peseason Games as fans. I’m not a coach but trask looked better to me. Quite a bit better. I was hoping Mayfield would blow up. But he has looked less than average to me. This offense with really good receivers is not producing. I hope Baker steps up. I think trask is ready to step in though. I give props to Canales for that. Trask was given some actuall coaching this year.. Big failure on the previous staffs.
October 1st, 2023 at 10:23 am
Way too early to form any judgments on the Bucs and any individual players.
That’s why they play the games.
But as to next year, I would not expect the Bucs to draft a quarterback in the first round, even if the team falls flat on its face. The Bucs have proven over and over again that they are far more successful signing free agent veteran quarterbacks than they have been drafting first rounders. Whether Baker Mayfield extends that streak or not is TBD. But even if he fails, it only shows that a bargain basement free agent qb is not representative of what a team can get when it’s not forced by the Tom Brady hangover on the salary cap.
October 1st, 2023 at 10:54 am
Got tromped on Monday. Let’s see if we can bounce back. Then we’ll know better.
October 1st, 2023 at 11:12 am
Yes! Let’s #CollaspseForCaleb! Surely he’ll be as good as Jusitn Fields, Trey Lance, and Zach Wilson! Oh … wait …
October 1st, 2023 at 11:20 am
WyomingJoe conveniently ignores that the few plays Baker played in preseason were with the best players playing that day, whereas Trask played with mostly backups. And, Trask still smoked Mayfield in yards-per-pass-attempt AND yards-per-completion. Bottom line: Trask aired it out while Mayfield dinked-and-dunked.
October 1st, 2023 at 11:36 am
Mayfield seems crippled by Canales, who seems crippled by Bowles’ insistence on running even when the offense is bad at it!? Is it any coincidence that the best offensive drives this year have come when they “open it up”? We don’t want Baker (or anyone, really) to throw 40 times per game but, an offense with Baker “slinging it” will win some games. This running game will defeat no one and it will cost coaches their jobs. Coaches arrogance is REAL!
October 1st, 2023 at 11:39 am
Baker was O.K. his first 2 games. Funny how Joe suggests that Baker can be mediocre but if Trask comes in were looking to draft a QB? Baker did not put up a lot of points even in the first 2 weeks against the crappy turnover machine of the Vikings, or the dumpster fire Bears. Why is there so much bias for Mayfield on this site? If Mayfield looks like crap again against the Saints the front office should make a change. Not saying Mayfield is the problem, he’s just not the answer.
October 1st, 2023 at 11:43 am
The Bucs are likely drafting a QB in the draft regardless the only way we don’t spend an early pick on a QB is if Trask comes in and really looks like the future. Bakers gone no matter what so why are we giving him reps? Trask will either be our starter next year or a backup. Wouldn’t it be beneficial to give him starts now? Baker is a waste of time. He was only signed because he came here cheap. NOBODY is giving him a long-term deal!!!
October 1st, 2023 at 11:51 am
Just a reminder……. Brady sucked the first few games because the plan was to throw bombs all day. It wasn’t until he started throwing short, quick passes that the Bucs started winning. Highlight catches are awesome but don’t always mean victories. Leave Baker alone and let him hit whoever is open. Move the ball. Get first downs. We’ll win!
October 1st, 2023 at 11:57 am
Joe, how did Baker “Mop up” the other team? Our defense maybe yes. Baker was ok but hes not a high scoring QB even against crap. Even when our Defense gives him multiple turnovers and opportunity. Hes ok at best. Pretty sure Trask, or hell any QB can get the ball to Mike Evans. Ask yourself this, where’s Godwin been? Or any other receiver other than Evans?
October 1st, 2023 at 12:11 pm
Evans stats are generally terrible vs the saint. Lattimore gets in his head. If you take him away I’m afraid baker gets exposed. Evans is tearing it up this year and baker needs him bad.
October 1st, 2023 at 12:37 pm
Greg The Truth Says ~ “Why is there so much bias for Mayfield on this site?”
NFUF (Not From UF)
October 1st, 2023 at 5:34 pm
Mayfield is a great QB. He had to be to take over a Browns team that was 1-31 when we arrived. Baker took the Browns to the playoffs in 2020 a few years after setting the rookie record for TD’s in 2018. Baker’s only mistake with the Browns was trying to play the whole season with a shoulder injury. THe Browns rewarded him for this by signing predator, Deshaun Watson.
October 1st, 2023 at 6:09 pm
I was a Baker doubter prior to the regular season. But to be fair we didn’t see him much before the regular season. Well he is definitely a baller. And fearless. He runs better than our rbs! And he is pretty dam accurate on the move. Will he survive a 17 game schedule? I hope so, but he may not. But for now he making the offense work! Go Baker!!
October 1st, 2023 at 6:55 pm
You guys don’t know B.M. this dude is a player. Last week the eagles where just damn better that us period. The O.L. needs to learn how to run block. Baring Injury Baker Mayfield will be the bucs quarterback for the next 5 or 6 years. He has that intangible of not giving up. Joe open your eyes this guy is a player.