Baker Mayfield On First Drive: “Efficient”
August 24th, 2024
Opening drive thoughts.
Joe can’t remember the last time the Bucs scored a touchdown on their opening drive in the regular season.
For a team that has Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Rachaad White in the passing game, not scoring a touchdown in 17 regular season games and two playoff games is mind-boggling. It’s almost like the Bucs tried not to score a touchdown last year.
So that’s why Joe has made such a big deal about last night when the Bucs very smoothly, almost easily, scored a touchdown with the offensive starters on the very first drive.
It seems like the Bucs downplayed the significance of scoring a touchdown on the first drive — with a new offense and a new offensive coordinator. Bucs coach Todd Bowles brushed away any hype saying he witnessed all he needed to see. Baker Mayfield took the company line about the only drive the offensive starters played.
“Yeah, extremely efficient,” Mayfield said. “Obviously, the movement at the line of scrimmage was why. We didn’t even get to a third down – that’s crucial. Our guys were locked in – [it was] exactly what the coaches asked of them. I think we’re ready to go. It was attention to detail, focus on the little things.
“[Coaches] asked for us to be really physical and I think everybody was.”
Joe doesn’t know what was more impressive, the blocking on the second level or Rachaad White hitting the hole quickly, something he was allergic to last year.
On his four-yard touchdown run, White sure seemed like he wanted to dance. After a split-second hesitation, it was as if all the coaches in his ear for months to hit the hole hijacked his instincts and he blew through the line for a score.
Even before Tom Brady came to town, the Bucs talked about wanting to start fast. Too often, that was just talk.
Hopefully, last night’s opening drive was a taste of what Bucs fans will see this fall.
August 24th, 2024 at 10:10 am
I think all of us long-time Bucs fans are conditioned to be a bit (or a lot) pessimistic. I was impressed with the opening drive, but then again it was against the Dolphins’ second string. So, I was not as enthusiastic as I would have been if it were a regular season game. However, when I spoke to some of my Dolphin friends this morning, there impression was that the Bucs kicked the Dolphins’ rear end. They were very impressed with the Bucs. Hopefully, what we saw last night will carry into Week 1 against the Commanders.
August 24th, 2024 at 10:25 am
It was a nice drive… against backups.
Let’s not crown ourselves champions just yet.
August 24th, 2024 at 10:53 am
Doesn’t count. It was a “worthless pre-season game”.
August 24th, 2024 at 11:11 am
That opening drive was awesome! We all needed it too. Optimist that we will see much more to come. We have a great team! Ronde was cracking me up. The beginning of the game, Ronde said he was so excited to see Baker without his hat and clipboard! Heck, we were too!
August 24th, 2024 at 11:27 am
Funny, I thought some first teamers for Miami were in there on that drive. Well yes, one would expect to run down the field playing against a second team!. That is todays NFL world of difference between first and second strring teams. However, let’s get excited that they did it!! period!!, So yes if Miami’s second string was in, they did what they should do, move the ball down the field. If they had not that would be cause for alarm.
So last night first possession was a very good and unusual thing, lol
August 24th, 2024 at 11:51 am
Just about every man who makes any NFL roster is a high level athlete. Most of us tend to forget that. “Second string” guy are excellent players to go up against. Talent plus coaching tells the story for each team. We are good with both.
Go Bucs!
August 24th, 2024 at 12:18 pm
Bring on Washington! 😎
August 24th, 2024 at 1:33 pm
SenileS, that’s a great reminder! We seem to have some pretty darn good 2nd stringers as well. 🙂
August 24th, 2024 at 2:19 pm
Raheem didn’t play his starters against Jacksonville and got whooped 31-0. What that tells me is that our depth is better than theirs. 17 games is a long season with multiple injuries. We’re gonna need that depth. Hopefully that is a nice “tell” for what we might see out of Atlanta, which is our biggest divisional foe by consensus, I would imagine. We’ll see. I like our chances 1’s vs 1’s, and now I believe our 2’s are better than their 2’s, which, without a crystal ball, is one way of trying to figure out if we can beat those dirty birds. Twice.
August 24th, 2024 at 2:45 pm
The issue is that we are talking starters against a 3-4th string offense. Walking down the field like that should be easy.
August 24th, 2024 at 2:57 pm
I’m glad the Bucs starters looked good for the 3 minutes and 5 seconds they played this preseason, but it was vs backups, so it’s hard to take much from it. But it’s better to look good than not look good.
August 24th, 2024 at 3:13 pm
Hopefully, last night’s opening drive was a taste of what Bucs fans will see this fall.
That’s what I thought just about a year ago when they did the same thing against the Ravens second string.
That was followed up by 0 for 19 opening drive TD’s during the regular season and playoffs.
Would have been even Happy with TD’s in the 1st quarter. Nope. 3-17 there. Not much better.
Oh here’s a bright spot. They had a 78% success rate at scoring a TD before halftime.
August 24th, 2024 at 4:01 pm
Gonna be a long, hard season for the Mayfield haters
Bwahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahah
August 24th, 2024 at 5:06 pm
Uh… maybe White didn’t hit the hole quickly because there was no hole to hit?
August 24th, 2024 at 5:27 pm
That’s all I wanted to see as well. A TD on Bucs opening drive, a punt on Phish’s opening drive. Well done.
Bring on the WFT.
August 25th, 2024 at 9:25 am
Off to Bermuda to golf with the o line over the long weekend.
August 25th, 2024 at 10:45 am
Hopefully the starters don’t drink their own kool-aid like some fans do and realize against starters it’s not going to be that easy. That first drive was a thing of beauty and hopefully a sign of good things to come this season. The throw from Mayfield to McMillan was beautiful, from throw to catch. Hopefully the learning curve for the offense will be a lot shorter than last year. We need a fast start this year.
August 25th, 2024 at 10:59 am
JK hang it up with your fanboi PTSD ramblings! There are few real Baker haters up here but mostly Baker fanboi haters. You clowns are irritating like a group of sissy boys with your incessant love for a dude who hasn’t done enough to deserve our fandom before coming here and your personal attacks on Bucs fans who don’t drink the same kool-aid. Baker is a big reason why we never scored an opening drive td, scarce 1st half tds and few come from behind wins for which you Baker lovers refuse blame him always blaming someone else. He’s part of the reason his good stats weren’t great
August 25th, 2024 at 11:23 am
Davidbigbucsfan99 you don’t sound like much of a fan. You can’t be a fan of the team and hate the QB. You sound like a whiner who thought Baker was a joke, he proved you wrong, and you can’t admit you don’t know what the hell you are talking about. Learn the whole story about what happened in Cleveland before you run your mouth about a guy who has proven himself to be tough as any player on the field, a true leader, as good as any other quarterback in the league and better than a bunch of them. Shut up your bitching and whining until you have a reason to bitch, hater. That won’t be this year, so hopefully nobody has to hear from you again.
August 25th, 2024 at 11:29 am
For all you Baker Mayfield haters out there, understand this, the man he played for in Cleveland, who stuck a knife in his back repeatedly, and did nothing to enable him to succeed, is currently under criminal investigation. Does that help you get it?
August 25th, 2024 at 2:29 pm
David……………Clown often?????
Wtf
Gonna be a longggggggg season for the Mayfield haters, Mommas Boy David chief among them
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
August 25th, 2024 at 2:48 pm
And…….Mommas Boy David……from now on to be referred to as MBD……
If we were standing next to each other, you referring to me as a “sissy” and a “boi”………….would be as hilarious as your hate of the Heisman trophy winning, 1st overall pick, playoff winning, Pro Bowl QB
But I’m sure YOU have REAL accomplishment that ARE worthy of having fans
You. Are. A. Clown.