Baker Mayfield Talks Controlling Destiny
November 20th, 2023
Yes, the Buccaneers are poised to make a postseason run.
With seven games remaining, the Bucs are one game back of the division crown and Tampa Bay only has one team with a winning record (Jacksonville) still on their schedule. It also helps that the Falcons and the slimy Saints have two games remaining against each other, starting on Sunday in Atlanta.
Sure, the Bucs sports a 4-6 record, but that’s nothing to cry about when the team has the talent and fire to turn things around in a hurry.
Baker Mayfield went there yesterday after the 27-14 loss to the Niners, one that would have been a lot closer had Cade Otton or Deven Thompkins not dropped touchdown passes.
“With a group that fights this hard, it’s too damn hard not to think that we can control our destiny,” Mayfield said. “We have to be able to do that.”
Joe agrees. Head coach Todd Bowles has the tools he needs to win the NFC South.
Go do it!
November 20th, 2023 at 12:41 pm
More talk. Zzz.
November 20th, 2023 at 12:48 pm
Destiny, by definition, cannot be controlled. It’s preordained. 😂😂
But yes, he’s correct in the sentiment that the Bucs can earn their way into the playoff field without help from anyone else. Just start taking care of business (which they’ve largely failed to do so far).
November 20th, 2023 at 12:49 pm
Can we please hold off on the playoff BS?
If this team loses against Indy next week there should NOT be any playoffs.
This team has proved over and over again – they can’t beat mediocre or good teams.
Nothing will change until major changes are made and I doubt the Glazers will fire Bowles after this season because the Bucs will still be in a covert rebuild and our salary cap will still be a mess in 2024.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:01 pm
Without a running game and a good coaching staff this team is not going to make the playoffs sorry joe #!!
November 20th, 2023 at 1:01 pm
Buc Fan in CO Says:
November 20th, 2023 at 12:48 pm
Destiny, by definition, cannot be controlled. It’s preordained
—-
Not true . Nothing in the word forbids the idea of being preordained to be in control.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:02 pm
Marine Buc Says: “I doubt the Glazers will fire Bowles after this season.”
If they do, after only two seasons, bad optics.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:03 pm
Baker Mayfield needs to control putting up more than 20 points a game before he talks about controlling destiny 😂
November 20th, 2023 at 1:04 pm
The team plays hard, there is obvious talent, but the Bucs are so criminally mis-coached, I don’t know how anyone could have confidence that they could beat an objectively bad team, much less the mediocrities that are on the rest of the schedule.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:07 pm
So the Bucs will likely draft high in the draft…
I’m guessing around 15 to 20…
Question is, how seriously will they address their huge need at RB?
November 20th, 2023 at 1:08 pm
Jack Clark, you’re just a hater. Two dropped touchdown passes aren’t Bakers fault. Classic uneducated statement.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:10 pm
New coach PLEASE! Currently it is impossible to get excited about the team.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:12 pm
The great window of opportunity lies in the reality that neither Atlanta or the saints show themselves to be that much better than the other. Its a good possibility they split their two games.
However seeing the now in built pattern of the bucs defense to allow Qbs to slice and dice them down the field takes away any great confidence.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:14 pm
From watching the hilights and lowlights from the 49rs game: Baker moves around too much and holds the ball a bit too long. Sometimes he just needs to plant his foot and throw. His strength is supposedly his deep ball but it’s so inaccurate this year cause of all his running around.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:17 pm
@ Seattle
I agree.
Another reason they won’t fire TB…
Let’s all prepare for another lackluster season in Tampa.
Honestly – what head coach that is worth a spit would want to take this situation over?
Salary cap mess, no QB (Baker is a FA in 2024) and a slew of toxic contracts thanks to the GM’s short sighted failures.
– Davis
– Dean
– Jenson
– Barrett
– Gage
Millions wasted on these guys…
November 20th, 2023 at 1:20 pm
What terrifies me the most is Mayfield is going to end up with close to 4000 yards, 25 TDs, and 10 INTs, and this team will be no closer to figuring out how to win than they were before this season.
Those will be the best numbers of his career and they’ll try to sign him to some team friendly five year, $150 million dollar deal, and here we’ll sit for the next half decade again wallowing in mediocrity.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:22 pm
Baker has always talked a good game. He knows all the words.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:29 pm
They hired him to do a short to intermediate passing game/game manager thing, and that’s pretty much what he’s doing
November 20th, 2023 at 1:31 pm
I’m not sure what winning the division does for us. Certainly not going far in the playoffs. But many/most of the players are playing for their jobs so I would applaud the efforts if they should win the division and sneak into the playoffs.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:32 pm
Bucs are playing the best they can with what they have. Overall, we have C to B- talent, And thats how we play. And every now and then, we rise to the B level and win a game.We are who we thought we were. A below 500 team. We still got 3..maybe 4 more wins. But we will not reach 500. I know it, you know it, and they know it.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:33 pm
Bucs are winning the final 7 games of the season. Hopefully they get an easy first round playoff game. But the NFC goes through 49ers, Lion, Cowboys and Eagles. But I would rather go to the playoffs than doing mock drafts.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:38 pm
I needed a good laugh.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:39 pm
Sounds like more propaganda from the Bucs marketing team to keep folks coming to games. This season is over! This team is still riding on the coat tails of their super bowl win. The egos need to go, because its obvious this team as a collective whole is stuck in the past, especially Bowles. Glazers need to tell Licht to dump this coaching staff and all of the veteran players living off that super bowl win fame, getting paid hefty sums and not producing results now. There are only a few “franchise” players I would keep around, the rest can go. This is a what have you done now league and these dudes are living in the past. Time for immediate change.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:43 pm
Perhaps if the Bucs didn’t give up a 3 play 98 yard TD drive the Bucs would’ve had a chance?
Giving that up in the NFL is absolutely embarrassing PAC 12 defenses don’t even make it look that easy against Caleb Williams.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:46 pm
Rick Medina Says:
November 20th, 2023 at 1:08 pm
Jack Clark, you’re just a hater. Two dropped touchdown passes aren’t Bakers fault. Classic uneducated statement.
^^^^
Neither are the two dropped interceptions Baker threw 😂
Classic uneducated statement.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:46 pm
Everyone was complaining about how the Bucs shouldn’t play soft zone….well apparently we cat play press man either cause Aiyuk burns Jamel Dean for an easy 6…..
Maybe it’s not the coaching and it’s the cruddy roster provided by Jason Licht?
November 20th, 2023 at 1:50 pm
I’m sure the reason Licht has not stepped in as of yet, he is Honoring Arians for the Super Bowl… Bowles without a doubt is gone!! Division title or not. Give me a break ROTATION get Ya Ya ,Watts in there please… Go Bucs..
November 20th, 2023 at 1:50 pm
For all of Baker’s “fire and competitiveness” he couldn’t have looked happier after the game yesterday. Big ol smile as he slapped high fives and exchanged jerseys with CMC. I’m not saying losing players should be crying after games, but Baker looked like he couldn’t have cared less.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:52 pm
Fight hard play dumb. This team doesn’t control didly with qb like Shorty McFly who can’t will a team to win and a coaching staff that doesn’t know how to game plan for opponents with their one size fits all mentality, no hurry up offense even when we’re down 2,3 tds non use of timeouts to try score more points which or head coach is allergic to. We’ll be lucky to go 2-5 down the stretch with 4 games against division opponents. Indy is a maybe and Jags gonna claw us hard and put us away wet! Why do people keep saying we have talent on this team? Our best players might as well be on other teams because this team shows no improvement no matter who they play
November 20th, 2023 at 1:56 pm
Mike Johnson, I’d have to respectfully disagree. The team is not all that bad and certainly better than a C grade in talent. It is step down from the 2020 team which had A+ talent but not that far. The 2021 team was A talent but didn’t make the SB with the help of Todd Bowles. The 2022 was B on talent but underperformed because of Bowles. The 2023 team is pretty much the same talent wise, a B or B-, but again is underperforming because on you know who.
Honestly don’t feel sorry for you Bucs fans based on the talent level. Bottom level talent are the Patriots, now that is a D- roster. Consider since 2014, the Patriots haven’t had a draft pick that was an impact probowl caliber player,.. while the Bucs has had Evans, Godwin, Vea, wirfs, Winfield, White, and probably a few more that I missed.
November 20th, 2023 at 1:56 pm
So 10 games in we are 2 games under 500 and need to run off about a 5-2 record against a pillow soft schedule to make the playoffs only to get beat 44-6 at home in front of god and everyone
Sounds like a possible script for Friday Night Lights 2 to set up the new fall lineup of actors –
I think we will go more like 2-5, but that’s just me
November 20th, 2023 at 2:20 pm
Fights this hard? I get he has to say that but come on, man.
You looked like egg yolks yesterday.
November 20th, 2023 at 2:23 pm
TonySoprano Says:
November 20th, 2023 at 1:50 pm
. Big ol smile as he slapped high fives and exchanged jerseys with CMC. I’m not saying losing players should be crying after games, but Baker looked like he couldn’t have cared less.
—–
Horse Nonsense. You go to work and the Company had a bad day so you are not supposed to be happy to see a friend and a past Team mate?
You just fishin for something.
November 20th, 2023 at 2:30 pm
A QB controls his destiny by scoring TDs. Two per game is not a destiny defining number.
Quit talking and play a more productive game. Start by getting off the blocks when the game starts, don’t wait until the second half.
November 20th, 2023 at 2:31 pm
gotbbucs Says:
Those will be the best numbers of his career and they’ll try to sign him to some team friendly five year, $150 million dollar deal
—–
Shake and bake Baby!! and the beautiful thing is a few more wins and the team makes their belovef leader – Bake – more a sure thing with a pick out of the top ten. Bo Bake!!
November 20th, 2023 at 2:31 pm
The Bucs have one chance to make a run but they haven’t taken that chance by now and they won’t.
Todd Bowels seems like a great guy. It would be cool to have beers with him, seems like a great dad and family man, a great human and probably has great life lessons for his players.
But the so-called defensive genius can’t seem to teach his defensive players what their assignments are, and it’s not going to change. No other team leaves guys running 15 yards wide open so often, especially on 3rd and long. His insistence on sticking with a corpse like JTS, or not addressing the putrid play of Devin White, is borderline criminal. The Glazers should have already demanded that Licht fire Bowles effective immediately if not sooner.
But they haven’t, they aren’t and they won’t.
The Joes have published all of the evidence of Todd’s coaching ineptitudes. It’s obvious he can’t win. Even Ray Charles can see that.
November 20th, 2023 at 2:35 pm
Craig Says:
November 20th, 2023 at 2:30 pm
A QB controls his destiny by scoring TDs. Two per game is not a destiny defining number.
——–
Great point. He scored 3 (maybe 4 without being hit) Yesterday without Dropped passes
By your own standards
Great Job Bake!!!
November 20th, 2023 at 2:38 pm
Yeah. We gotta get a new head Coach.
We kept him this year, for optics.
Which is too bad. I really like the guy, as a DC.
He brings the pain, and I love aggressive defenses.
But like Tony Dungy, Coach Bowles is too conservative in the big chair.
And anyone about to run to Dungy’s defense- wasnt here to see how bad he choked us down in the Playoffs.
Love coach Dungy too- just not in charge of the offense.
I like Canales. I think he could build a good offense.
But I dont think Jason Licht can.
Our Running game has been horrible, his entire tenure.
We dont have to be a great running team- but we need a middle of the road running attack.
Mayfield can do the rest. Once we get TEs and Wrs that can catch.
November 20th, 2023 at 2:42 pm
When the Bucs win Sunday and Atlanta beats New Orleans, we’ll all be tied at 5-6. Sounds like a new season from there. If we beat who we’re supposed to, it’s playoff time!
Come on!! Get behind the team. Go Bucs!!
November 20th, 2023 at 2:45 pm
Until the Bucks get running game and improve on D….7-10 or 8-9…no Baker Mayfield fault…
November 20th, 2023 at 2:50 pm
I know Patriots stink now but the fans don’t beg for an easy schedule, opposing player injuries or penalties as a prelude to winning. I guess it’s from all the years of losing that any variable for a possible win is promoted and acceptable by all. Would the SB win meant as much if Mahomes didn’t play? It was bad enough the guy had turf toe, no offesive line and Reids son/assistant coach was arrested SB week for vehicular manslaughter. You’re a sad group in Tampa which makes sense due to the bad hand of cards you were dealt with Bowles AS YOUR HC.
November 20th, 2023 at 2:50 pm
Tim, the thing about Dungy is, he learned his lesson. He went to the Colts and kept his ultra conservative hands off of the offense but fixed the defense. He learned from his first failure. Won a Super Bowl.
Todd hasn’t learned anything after being horrible with the Jets. His defense is regressing while the offense is stuck in the mud, and he does nothing to change it. And who knows what he looks at or measures for improvement when at practice. For someone as smart as he is, it’s insane how poorly he operates the team.
November 20th, 2023 at 3:49 pm
Tony Marks: Thanks for pointing out the fact that Mayfield might have had 4 TDs yesterday. There should have been a pass interference call on that one to Evans in the end zone. Baker’s playing well but he’s really due for some breakout games. I’ve seen him beat Top 5 QBs/teams in the past, so now would be a great time to go on a run.
NE Fan: Please go back to the Patriots.
November 20th, 2023 at 3:55 pm
We have won one of our last six games. What in God’s green earth are you guys watching? You act like we’re right there one and five in our last six games say that a few times. We have the worst head coach in the NFL. I hate when we start speculating like oh if they caught those two touchdown passes we were right there well if the 49ers caught all those interceptions they dropped we’d have lost by 30.
November 20th, 2023 at 4:37 pm
All mute points when we get swept by Atlanta, lose at home to the Saints. Not to mention getting frozen at Green Bay, loss, and getting whipped by J Ville. Let’s hope we can split with Carolina, and beat Indy. That would get us to 5-12, a game, and a half worse then Vegas had us. Prove me wrong Bucs.
November 20th, 2023 at 4:42 pm
On the topic of dropped passes. Game would have been a Blow Out had the 3 49er Defenders not dropped Picks that hit them in the hands. Good thing Mayfield puts 50 yard heat on 5 to 10 yard routes. Hmm. Maybe it’s touch and not receivers that are the reason for dropped passes.
November 20th, 2023 at 4:49 pm
“oh if they caught those two touchdown passes we were right there well if the 49ers caught all those interceptions they dropped we’d have lost by 30”
Thats just a drop down silly analysis for the simple reason Ints do NOT automatically result in points if they are caught UNLESS its a pick 6 and that’s the minority of NFL picks. Ints end drives and then the opposing offense has to drive the field
Drop passes in the end zone if they had been caught DO automatically result in points. Only on this blog has the alleged number of ints dropped
reached 4. at most reasonable people are saying maybe two dropped ints.
Unlikely they score TDs on both ints so I’ll take the two dropped ints being caught in exchange for the two TDs ANY DAY
so would any sane individual and that puts us right in the game.
November 20th, 2023 at 7:14 pm
If they keep TB and re=sign baker…
the new sombrero will be half empty all year
November 20th, 2023 at 7:32 pm
beFORE the season began, we KNEW we were gonna lose to Philly, SF, Buffalo, prolly Detroit. That in fact happened. The other 2 losses were in the last 45 seconds, defensive breakdowns. I’m not sure what you peeps are b$tching about
November 20th, 2023 at 7:42 pm
EERY. Bakers stats nearly same as Mahomes
Mahomes:
9 games
229 completes
334 attempts
68.6%
2,442 yards
7.3 avg
271.3 avg
17 TD’s
8 INT’s
Baker:
10 games
226 completes
350 attempts
64.6%
2,389 yards
6.8 avg
238.9 avg
15TD’s
6 INT’s
November 20th, 2023 at 7:44 pm
Joe seems to be allergic to the truth. This team isn’t going anywhere with Maker Bayfield. 😂
November 20th, 2023 at 7:50 pm
We would apparently suck with Mahomes too
November 20th, 2023 at 9:27 pm
Can we please start being realistic and stop with all the delusional thinking! This team is in no way a playoff caliber team that can compete in the post season. No energy, no spark, and no excitement exudes from this team. They deserve nothing except for what they’ve earned. A bad team with terrible coaching!
While we’re at it, can we please move on from the Mayfield debate. I’m so tired of hearing people say ” he has heart”. Guess what, Rudy had heart! Heart doesn’t always equal talent. I think he’s played admirably for most of the season. Hasn’t lost us any games but hasn’t won us any games either. Mayfield is what he is, an average NFL quarterback. For every good throw he makes, there’s three bad throws behind it. For every dropped pass, there’s been a dropped interception or batted down ball at the line of scrimmage. At some point, I think you have to see what Trask has to offer (no, I’m not a Gator fan). It would be irresponsible to not find out what Trask has to offer. We have to start looking to the future so we know what we need in the draft. All I know for certain, is this team is in for a lot of changes in the offseason!
November 20th, 2023 at 10:08 pm
Beeej the difference between Mahomes and Mayfield is Mahomes has a defense that is actually playing defense.
November 21st, 2023 at 2:45 am
Dave Pear
Spot on, although I dont know if Dungy” learned”, or Ursay told him to keephis hands of The offense.
Peyton and co. Had that handled. And that OC didnt need any oversight from the HC.
November 21st, 2023 at 6:12 am
The game wouldn’t have been as close if the 49ers didn’t dropped the 3 sure picks. The Bucs have a good team with a 🗑 QB which is why we have a losing record and a bunch of Oklahome Loosers fans.
November 21st, 2023 at 8:49 pm
Interesting comparison of Mahomes and Mayfield. Clearly, the QB is NOT the only part of a winning equation. Now, compare the rest of the Chiefs and Bucs, and we will see why they are 4-6. It’s NOT because of the QB, sorry.
November 22nd, 2023 at 10:44 am
K bassuka, at least us Oklahoma fans know football. Did you not read what Beeej exposed or lanshark? Maybe comprehension is the issue. Go get on the Phily bandwagon, oh wait, they have an Oklahoma/Alabama QB too. The defense was supposed to be the strength of this team. Not so much as of late…injuries? What the game dude. You might learn something.
November 22nd, 2023 at 10:45 am
should have been “watch” not What.