The Influence Of Baker Mayfield
July 3rd, 2024
Team guy.
As many of Joe’s readers know by now, many in the national #NFLMedia are not sold on Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Some go as far as to scratch their heads as to why Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht didn’t jump into the quarterback sweepstakes in April’s draft.
Folks only need to watch highlights of the opening game of the season last year when the Bucs played Kirk Cousins and the Vikings in Minnesota. Late in the game, the Bucs needed a critical first down. Mayfield ran around the right side, put his shoulder down and muscled his way past the first-down marker, breaking a tackle.
The play happened right in front of the Bucs sideline. In the background, you could see Bucs defenders erupt in glee. “Hey, are quarterback is putting his body on the line to get us a win!”
That’s how Mayfield’s magnetism wore off on the Bucs and won over his teammates. He’s right in the middle of the mosh pit just like the linemen and linebackers.
Yesterday, Bucs defensive tackle Calijah Kancey hopped on “The Jim Rome Show” and spoke with Rome about Mayfield as a team leader.
“Baker is a guy you want to run through a wall for,” Kancey said. “He’s a guy that’s going to leave it out on the line. He’s very competitive.
“He’s a great guy overall. Helps out in the community. He’s willing to give his last to anyone on the team or anyone in general.
“And, he’s just a baller. He’s a dog.”
Of course, winning helps. A lot. But the way Mayfield played at times, balled out in the wild card win over the Eagles and had the Bucs in the thick of things against the Lions on the road, it’s easy to see how Mayfield’s teammates are drawn to him.
This bond could strengthen if Mayfield improves a little and the Bucs get past the divisional round of the playoffs this winter.
“Baker is a guy you would wanna run through a wall for.” @Ckancey8 on Bucs QB Baker Mayfield. pic.twitter.com/tEcTY5DvgX
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) July 2, 2024
July 3rd, 2024 at 5:43 am
Kancey … “Baker is a guy you want to run through a wall for.”
Generates a great visual of a bunch of 300 pounders running through a brick wall … with Baker leading the charge. Kind of an inverted Tush Push.
But there-in lies the risk to his approach to playing QB. We saw it once last year when he injured his shoulder, yet was able to play through the pain. Back in 2021 he missed 3 games with another shoulder injury, but still gutted out the rest of the season. He was 6-8 that year, but Baker struggled, largely because of injuries I’m sure. There are a lot of head-hunters out there, and scrambling QBs are like dangling a piece of meat in front of a pack of hungry junkyard dogs.
Interestingly, the Browns had an excellent run game that year to support him … 485 rushing attempts for 2471 yards and 5.1 YPC average, generating 20 TDs. Yet despite that, the Browns went 8-9 on the season, scoring 349 points (same as us last season) and ranking #20 (again, same as us last season). Their biggest problem seems to have been 3rd down conversions: 39.2% on the season. Not horrendous, but rather middle-of-the-pack at best.
Baker’s gotta stay healthy to be effective. If he doesn’t, obviously either Trask or Wolford will get a chance to ‘strut their stuff’ at some point this year.
July 3rd, 2024 at 5:51 am
Training camp can’t start soon enough.
July 3rd, 2024 at 6:19 am
Love this from Kancey – “Baker is a guy you want to run through a wall for.” And, “He’s a great guy overall.” Yes, Baker has so much respect from the team and that says so much.
Good point DR – “Kind of an inverted Tush Push.” Unsure about Trask or Wolford stepping up yet. However, Coen has worked with Wolford at the Rams.
The Bucs should make up their own reinvented play and name it! Go Bucs!
July 3rd, 2024 at 7:07 am
Joe, yes, many in the national media are not sold on Baker Mayfield, but do you need to sell him 24/7?
July 3rd, 2024 at 7:36 am
Just let Baker be Baker. A lot of Bucs fans are new Baker fans but to those of us who have watched him his whole career, we can honestly tell you that the more he becomes comfortable with the game plan, when he has confidence and his team has confidence in him you will see him play at a level most have not seen.
July 3rd, 2024 at 7:52 am
Pfffft. 54 QBR.
Now I don’t know exactly what that MEANS, but I’m reliably told it’s bad, very very bad
July 3rd, 2024 at 8:17 am
Agree with Dldub87. Baker has become more comfortable with the game plan and still has the veteran players like Evans, Godwin… This year will be even better for Baker. I only wish he would get some commercial offers now. I loved his commercials even though he was on another team.
July 3rd, 2024 at 8:37 am
He is the Bucs starting quarterback. Who else should Joe “sell,” Jose Ramirez?
July 3rd, 2024 at 8:41 am
So he’s coming for Capt. Fears’ job? Maybe a fixture in the Crows nest so he can finally see the whole field?
July 3rd, 2024 at 9:50 am
I didn’t know Jim Rome show was still a thing.
July 3rd, 2024 at 9:54 am
HeyJude, I really liked those commercials, too. 🙂
July 3rd, 2024 at 12:52 pm
Jose Ramirez might just surprise you in a good way this year Joe….
Would be cool to see the “At Home with Baker Mayfield” series be resumed at RayJay. With Pirate and Florida related themes.
July 3rd, 2024 at 1:16 pm
>>>Pickgrin Says:
Would be cool to see the “At Home with Baker Mayfield” series be resumed at RayJay<<<
How about "On the Open Seas with Baker Mayfield" with him at the helm of the ship….sponsored by a cruise line
July 3rd, 2024 at 1:55 pm
JOE
Posting political stuff, like the CNN article regarding their lying, then throwing a tantrum and shutting down comments because “it’s not a political site” is getting ridiculous.
Deal with the comments or don’t post those articles.
July 3rd, 2024 at 1:58 pm
Baker’s commercials were the best and funny. Agree with all about the Baker commercials at RayJay or on the open seas. Maybe a couple of other players could join him. Good idea about the cruise ship sponsor.
July 3rd, 2024 at 2:39 pm
The commercial where he forgot the straw for Emily’s soda and has to go back to the concession stand twice was always funny. Being married, I have had plenty of those type of moments.
July 3rd, 2024 at 3:08 pm
Joe’s tossing-out a version of a straw man argument, but can be forgiven as it’s accurately positive.
The thing is, though:
Chris Simms, Mike Florio, Colin Cowherd, Rich Eisen, Peter King and Dan Patrick off the top of my head, all changed their minds.
So, who’, that counts, still isn’t convinced that Baker is the real deal with potential even beyond his impressive come-back year of 2023? The winning steak at the end of the year, and then the strong playoffs did it; so, the commentators have had a 180° change of opinion for a while now.
All are saying nice things and have supportive narratives about Baker, now.
July 3rd, 2024 at 3:56 pm
Why would any Bucs Fan not be a Baker fan too?
The players seem to love him. The coach’s love him. The front office loves him.
They have all seen fit to anoint him our on the field leader.
Like what @Dldub87 said.
July 3rd, 2024 at 4:00 pm
You’d be surprised. 🙁
#Trask
July 3rd, 2024 at 4:41 pm
“Why would any Bucs Fan not be a Baker fan too?“
Because he’s a mid-tier QB being forced on us out of necessity lol it’s like settling for McDonalds when you really wanted to goto the Brazilian steakhouse
July 3rd, 2024 at 6:34 pm
I’m guessing some of these “fans” will be hoping Baker stinks it up this year and drags the team down to prove they’re right. Smh
July 3rd, 2024 at 6:53 pm
walk on to Heisman Trophy winner #1 overall pick, fought his way through all the bs, bet on himself and won, that’s why he’s the guy you’d run through a wall for. He knows he is never going to be the best athlete in the field, but he expects himself to be the toughest.
July 3rd, 2024 at 8:39 pm
Yup. 🙁
July 3rd, 2024 at 9:54 pm
I think Baker Mayfield was the perfect quarterback to follow Tom Brady here on the buccaneers
July 4th, 2024 at 6:30 am
Me thinks Kancey runs through walls for fun during his lunch break…Just saying
🙂
Go Bucs!
July 4th, 2024 at 9:41 am
Tim….
Truth. That sums it up really well. Gunslingers make me crazy but he’s more than just that. I KNOW this is the season for perpetual infinite hope… but I don’t think it’s that ridiculous to say this team has has the decent possibility to win 10 games. Plenty has to go right of course… like ANY team every year. All I know is this team is interesting to me and I honestly can’t wait for them to put the toe to the leather.
July 4th, 2024 at 1:03 pm
I’ll support Mayfield when he learns how to play well in the first half not because his fanbois say he’s great. I saw enough to support him but also enough bad not to. It’s hard to like him because of his fanbois. He’s been handed everything since coming into the league and hasn’t done enough to earn it. I’m a Bucs fan first.
Oh yeah David, you should know by that what type of hypocrites are up here. Be the first to cry about censorship of the media but censor anybody who doesn’t embody their political ideology or says anything bad about their beloved qb but allow “woke” comments by certain prayers
July 4th, 2024 at 1:05 pm
Like I said in my post @ 1:03 went into m o d e r a t i o n
July 5th, 2024 at 12:35 pm
Baker earned every bit of the respect he’s getting, now.
Remember, the O-line, although much better at pass-protection than run-blocking (which is only a relative value in this case), still barely gave him minimal time to get a pass away without scrambling (thank Rachaad for check-down reliability; and Otton); he was highly pressured for the entire season; got the job done even with injured ribs to the extent that the injury prevented down-field-pass-plays (If the coaching staff thought Trask was any good, this was the time. They didn’t, argue with them).
This tends to draw earned respect for Baker.
He didn’t give up, but got better: this tends to