Myth That Baker Mayfield Only Has Eyes For Mike Evans
January 10th, 2024
Not a one-man offense.
Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales is getting a lot of chatter about being a head coach someday. The Stinking Panthers have already reached.
There could be more invites.
While the Bucs’ offense has been sort of a work in progress, and still needs more work, Joe believes Canales as an offensive coordinator has had hits and misses.
What can’t be denied is how he has resurrected Baker Mayfield, lifted up Mike Evans, turned Rachaad White into a dangerous man in the passing game and behind the scenes did wonders for Kyle Trask in just a handful of weeks.
Working with individual talents, Canales has been dynamite. Building an offense, well, Joe isn’t feeling it (yet).
(From an image/frontman angle, Canales is made to be a head coach.)
That doesn’t mean the passing offense hasn’t been effective.
Joe brings all of this up because — and this is news to Joe — the Bucs offense can be summed up in one sentence.
“Mayfield to Evans.”
Dan Graziano of BSPN says the stats show that is just nonsense. Chris Godwin has been a very important cog.
Why it’s a myth: Mayfield has not targeted Evans at a significantly higher rate than he has targeted Godwin. Evans had 136 targets and 79 catches this season, while Godwin had 130 targets and 83 catches. Evans averaged 16.2 yards per catch to Godwin’s 12.6, which explains the difference in yardage. And Evans’ 19 end zone targets ranked third in the league, which could help explain the touchdown numbers. Godwin had 11 end zone targets, which was tied for 15th.
That 13-2 touchdown difference doesn’t accurately reflect the extent to which Mayfield has tried to make big throws to Godwin. So don’t overlook Godwin as a factor in the postseason.
What the Bucs have to figure out, or at least get on the same page about, is what to do when Evans and Godwin are both covered (or look like they are covered) such as what happened in the slimy Saints loss two weeks ago.
White is a damn weapon coming out of the backfield catching passes. If Evans and Godwin are double-covered, you can’t tell Joe that White is too. White one-on-one with a linebacker, hell, Joe’s taking his chances on White every dang time.
Get the ball to White enough and he starts doing real damage — and pretty soon Evans and/or Godwin won’t be double-teamed much longer.
January 10th, 2024 at 7:48 am
So he’s getting roughly 60% complete. It’s the 40% that hit the defenders in the numbers that worry me.
January 10th, 2024 at 7:59 am
The time has come, it’s playoff time,
Many post Baker is in his prime
Be it his ribs or his ankle, he claims he’s beat up,
He’s a NFL quarterback back, time to put on your cup
Bucs have been lucky, playing bad teams all season,
How Bowles got in the playoffs, that must be the reason
All season Mike Evans had no pain at all,
It’s too bad shorty can’t get him the ball
Come Monday night we’ll see what they got,
Can Winfield bail them out again? Sorry I think not
Bowles will just stand on the sidelines, like he always does,
He’s here four more years, why? Just because
So Bucs Fans, enjoy your playoff game,
If they lose and Bowles stays, that would be a shame
The man has been marked with the loaer label,
Consider this Fans, there’s always Mike Vrabel
January 10th, 2024 at 8:02 am
Boss… C’mon man you know that 40% also has to includes bad passes and drops
January 10th, 2024 at 8:03 am
^^^include
January 10th, 2024 at 8:04 am
Geez, Canales simply isn’t that good. He has taken the Seattle style offense and tried to force it on the Bucs. It’s not working very well. The Bucs are a passing team and that strength has not been exploited. Sorry but I think Canales stinks as an OC. Panthers can have him. Watching the Fins the other night it’s pretty clear guys like Frank Smith and Mike McDaniel are on a whole different level.
January 10th, 2024 at 8:08 am
Go find a monster tight end in FA or the draft. That would really help when ME13 and CG14 are covered.
January 10th, 2024 at 8:13 am
I think Canales is doing what he can with Mayfield. Mayfield is having one of his best seasons. Yet a majority of his games are Like the last two. Mayfield can’t get it done. He is limited and streaky. The thing is his streaks are usually bad ones.
January 10th, 2024 at 8:20 am
It’s not a myth that baker mayfield only has eyes for Mike Evans, it’s an observable reality. Hell even Chris Godwins wife could see that. Joe even wrote an article about her complaining about it. And building an offensive scheme around Evans, Godwin, white, and otton is what I’ve been saying for weeks. Designing plays to throw to white or ottom when Evans and Godwin are covered should be a no brainer. Too bad casual fans are better at stating the obvious than our clueless offensive coordinator.
January 10th, 2024 at 8:21 am
If Licht gives a bag to Mayfield, Evans is likely gone. If he somehow signs both of them, Winfield is likely gone. If he manages to sign all of them, it will require cap magic that keeps our dead cap headaches going for a couple more years. Not advised. Also, if you’re happy with Mayfield’s production this season (I’m not), good luck even getting that much if Evans walks. His huge catch radius has saved the QB so many times.
January 10th, 2024 at 8:44 am
There’s no way you read the actual article before you made your comment.
Is this what we’ve come to on this site too, where people react to headlines without reading the article?
January 10th, 2024 at 8:47 am
I think Dave Canales would be a better head coach than an Offensive Coordinator. Imagine his positive attitude supervising a very experienced offensive coordinator and a very experienced defensive coordinator. I think the interest in Canales is not due to his success or failure as an offensive coordinator but rather his overall approach to organization, development and the willingness to delegate duties.
He will be an excellent head coach but he would never succeed in Carolina. Nobody will until there is a change in ownership. However there are openings where he may find success such as in Tennessee or Atlanta.
Many here have been critical of his play calling/philosophy but as a 1st time Coordinator I think he has done a remarkable job getting the best from his players. He will be a serious candidate for a head coachong job somewhere.
January 10th, 2024 at 8:51 am
“What can’t be denied is how he has resurrected Baker Mayfield,”
Actually EASILY deniable with real facts to back up that denial
Tampa would have NEVER signed Baker without His stints at the Rams
It was McVey NOT Canales that took Baker at this lowest off waivers and put him in the starting lineup. From there it was Baker that ressurected his own career beginning that thursday night against the raiders because Mcvey altered the offense to him
and what a whale of a game it was for him. After that all his numbers ratings shot up and some even doubled.
Mcvey ressurected his career. It isn’t even a question mark for thos who actually are in the know about his career. SO much so if Stafford announced he was retiring the odds woudl be pretty good Baker woud be gone. Even The prospect of playing the browns as a steeler twice a season might do the trick.
Everything you see Baker doing now are all thngs we saw with him in a Ram’s uniform
January 10th, 2024 at 8:57 am
Everybody is either sleeping on or down on Palmer due to his drops/fumbles
He’s jsut a rookie doing rookie things. I still see GREAT promise in him. He’s due for a break out game either in these playoffs or at the start of the next season.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:00 am
White may be as good or better than Fournette as a pass catcher, but Palmer and Otton are NOT A Brown and Gronk.
Palmer has great speed but he stinks as a pass receiver.
Otton is a decent blocker but average at best as a receiver.
And Hainsey plays hard but is a downgrade from Jensen.
Mauch is a rookie and plays inconsistently and #65 of Bengals sure would look good at the other Guard spot.
Maybe Trask could’ve had a better year than Mayfield or maybe not – we’ll never know- but Mayfield showed enough to get this team in playoffs.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:05 am
Ricky gets it.
You mean his career-high in yards and touchdowns is simply a mirage? You know, those “facts?”
You are not wrong about McVay, but Mayfield was never going to be the starter over Matt Stafford. The Rams wanted Mayfield back but only as a backup.
As far as his stint with the Rams, as the stat geeks say, too small of a sample size. Canales had Mayfield for a full season and turned his career around (and will make him a wad of cash).
January 10th, 2024 at 9:09 am
Great comments Tony Marks.
And lets not forget that Baker has had very good seasons before this year. Once again, look at 2018 and 2021. And that’s despite playing for a dysfunctional organization like the Browns. (Prime example: signing Deshaun Watson, lol).
Unfortunately, the Baker Haters on this site, who will soon be rising from the sewers, will never recognize his talents no matter what he accomplishes.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:23 am
It always baffles me that a coordinator can be FANTASTIC in the COORDINATOR role and so often flame out and fail as HC, yet it happens all the time… if you could thrive at your job withouth the added pressure of being HC I would choose that 10/10 times.. so as long as ownership pays accordingly of course.. anyway, this feels like Raheem HC 2.0 if it is indeed true.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:26 am
Jameis threw to Evans too much….Brady didn’t like the 50-50 odds with Evans….Baker, just about right.
We need to use the TEs & RBs more in the passing game.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:57 am
Actually, having Evans, Goodwin, and to a lesser degree White has resurrected Mayfield’s career. Evans has helped many a second tier QB in his career. His catch radius is second to none. Without him Mayfield doesn’t get a second look. Many of his passes are INT’s. It’s why I believe we need to do better at QB ( and head coach) going forward. Canales has been creative with the tools he has. Sure beats Lefwich play calling.
January 10th, 2024 at 10:01 am
Baker stays on his primary receiver too long, regardless of who it is. This is why he holds the ball too long at times. It is also why Evans and Godwin sometimes disappear at times, especially the first half of games. Some defenders on other teams have called him out on staring down receivers.
January 10th, 2024 at 10:12 am
Can’t wait for Monday!!
January 10th, 2024 at 10:27 am
rickym Says:
January 10th, 2024 at 8:47 am
I think Dave Canales would be a better head coach than an Offensive Coordinator. Imagine his positive attitude supervising a very experienced offensive coordinator and a very experienced defensive coordinator.
^^^
LMAO that’s a terrible idea. If all you want is a head coach with a positive attitude then we could hire a cheerleader to do that
January 10th, 2024 at 10:41 am
@ buc 4ever ……….. there isn’t a T Hill on this roster but I hear ya and don’t totally disagree btw both of Miamis RB s are way better runners than White ……. However all that fancy crap goes out the window if you can’t run clock and control the ball against tough teams and neither the Bucs nor the Phins can do that ……… Phins record and production against tough physical good D s is horrific . Although they ( Phins) run it and pass it they truly are not very good at either against good teams .
January 10th, 2024 at 1:22 pm
I preach heavy you still gotta give the threat of the run to open up the passing game, and that Bucs have 3 solid revievers one just so happens to be a back.
January 10th, 2024 at 1:29 pm
Boss is an idiot….take a look at the leaders clown, Mayfield is right below them and on a very average team.
January 10th, 2024 at 1:51 pm
Red: what sample size did mcvay consult when he picked up baker? Talent recognizes talent. Baker was a number 1 pick for a reason ( Bowles said jets were going to take baker, but browns beat them to it).
January 10th, 2024 at 2:34 pm
I don’t believe we are going to make it past the Eagles, if we play like we have the last two games. Mayfield is to beat up, also, I am very disappointed that the league didn’t fine the Honey Badger for that hit he intentionally put on Mayfield. Now we are in a situation to lose because he can’t make the throws.
January 10th, 2024 at 2:52 pm
Baker would be much better off if he targeted Evans a lot more — well, assuming he could get the ball within 20 yards of him anyways.
January 10th, 2024 at 3:36 pm
Simple answer: Rachaad White or David Moore (or Cade Otton).
But that requires Baker to actually go through his progressions, and for the o-line to be able to pass block for more than 2 seconds without getting a holding penalty.
January 10th, 2024 at 5:49 pm
…lol…there are 5-6 individuals on here who have hated on Mayfield since “day 1.”. We all know their names; I usually skip over their “names” to the next message pretty much everytime now. Their views on anything are never taken serious. Their messages are just “fake news” that are so common online now; you learn to decipher through them…….. Mayfield is in the “top ten” in most QB categories. My advice is just ignore these idiotic messages from ignorant followers…..
January 10th, 2024 at 7:16 pm
Otten should get more looks.