Dan Orlovsky Respects Baker Mayfield’s Cannon
August 13th, 2024
Ex-Bucs QB on current Bucs QB.
Joe gets it. Not every Bucs fan appreciates Baker Mayfield’s arm when it comes to long passes.
Maybe folks have concluded this because Mayfield isn’t a prototypical dropback quarterback who stands tall in the pocket and launches passes way downfield.
In going through all NFL quarterback’s best traits, Orlovsky cited Mayfield’s long ball as one of the best in the NFL. In fact Orlovsky believes Mayfield’s arm is right up there with Matt Stafford and Aaron Rodgers.
And Orlovsky was armed with evidence on BSPN to back up his stance.
Not too far behind Stafford and Rodgers is another veteran in Mayfield, who makes the list based mostly on his deep-ball skill. In 2021, he had the second-farthest completion (in air yards) of the NFL Next Gen Stats era (since 2016), airing it out 66.4 yards to Donovan Peoples-Jones. He also found Mike Evans on a go route last season on a pass that traveled 60.1 yards in the air.
Earlier this year, Joe did some research in the Bucs’ season-in-review statistical outlook. A couple of things about Mayfield’s deep throwing jumped out.
Mayfield finished with 7.1 passing yards per attempt. That’s third-best in Bucs history.
In the playoffs, Mayfield had — in two games — 8.9 passing yards per attempt, That’s a Bucs postseason record.
So, where does this notion come from, this urban legend, that Mayfield cannot complete deep passes? Is it just people assuming Mayfield doesn’t have the body stature of Tom Brady or Peyton Manning so he sucks as a deep thrower?
August 13th, 2024 at 7:34 am
Bake’s got a strong arm, too strong on deep throws, too many over throws, maybe he needs to get it up in the air more?
August 13th, 2024 at 7:36 am
I recall that Mayfield threw the ball about 75 yards in the air while he was with the Browns. it was an incomplete hail Mary thrown from his own 40 out of the endzone. Yea – he’s got a gun.
August 13th, 2024 at 7:41 am
Hoping he and Trey have figured out their deep ball timing in the off season
August 13th, 2024 at 8:02 am
Reading this site for over a year now and I’ve seen those comments about his shortcomings as a deep passer. That he’s a dink check down thrower. Any real football fan who has ever watched a lick of his tape knows that he’s the opposite of that. So I haven’t commented yet because why?Because why respond to a bunch of idiots who obviously don’t have a clue. Please don’t send comments all day loaded with nonsense statistics. Baker Mayfield has an elite arm and accuracy. End of story. Full stop.
August 13th, 2024 at 8:03 am
A big reason he was drafted number one overalll back in the day was because he’s got a cannon in that arm of his. Still does.
August 13th, 2024 at 8:19 am
He had 7.1 yards per attempt last season. League average was 7.0.
August 13th, 2024 at 8:25 am
Yes this is the same ranked I use as a reference yesterday when Joe was referring to Mayfield as probably one of the Top 10 trash talking QB’s.
What Joe fails to mention are the areas where he does not show up at all.
Ball Placement. when one deep ball goes 66 and one goes 60 there is a lot of real estate between the two. Helps to explain the times when he sails it 4 feet over the receiver’s head.
Mechanics. don’t need a whole lot of footwork when the majority of the throws are high percentage and not very deep, air couple long balls out each game and that will keep the yards per throw up with the best of them. Completion or not.
Decision Making with the Football
Pocket Presence
Rushing Ability
Second Reaction Ability
Players Joe wants to compare Mayfield to made the lists in Multiple areas. Rodgers a few years earlier would have made just about all of them.
Gardner Minshew made it on to one list also and that is probably a closer person to compare Mayfield to. Raiders got him at around 25 million over two years.
Bucs are stuck at 50 over two years minimum.
Can’t wait to see who happens when Coen cuts him loose to make is own decisions with the Football.
August 13th, 2024 at 8:27 am
Passing Yards PER ATTEMPT doesn’t tell me all that much (except that he can throw it far). Passing Yards PER COMPLETION is kinda what really counts IMO. Last year he got 7.1 PY/A as you said Joe, but he had 11.1 Pass Yards per Completion which is what really counts (and yes, that includes YAC). Baker actually beat that 4 times (in his first 4 years in Cleveland), so yes, he’s got a strong enough arm. That 11.1 will be even higher if his accuracy on intermediate & deep throws improves this year.
August 13th, 2024 at 8:37 am
D Cone: Your conclusion is that Baker is another Gardner Menshew? You’re comments are laughable. Talk during the season.
August 13th, 2024 at 8:39 am
Kenton, are you Bakers mom, full question
August 13th, 2024 at 8:43 am
As someone else said, a little further research would be nice.
While Bakers 7.1 yards per attempt were apparently 3rd best in Bucs history.
When comparing to league average last year, he was essentially league average.
August 13th, 2024 at 8:49 am
Yards PER COMPLETION is hardly a harbinger of arm strength as the #1 leader in 2023 was Brock Purdy who has average arm strength, with Two-Yard-Tua at #6 who is rated at bottom-third in arm strength, with both well ahead of Baker who came in at #14 in yards per completion.
August 13th, 2024 at 9:03 am
Kenton Smith Says: “Baker Mayfield has an elite arm.”
How do you define “elite”?
A. A third-round-pick with a weak arm who won 4 Super Bowls and is in the Hall of Fame?
OR
B. A first-round-first-pick with a strong arm who is under .500 on his career and has never sniffed a Super Bowl?
August 13th, 2024 at 9:08 am
Don’t send comments all day with nonsense statistics. Okay then. 2023 season. Joe Burrow 30th-6.3. Justin Herbert 23rd-6.9. Patrick Mahommes-21st7.0. Trevor Lawrence-17th 7.1. J Hurts-16th 7.2. Josh Allen-15th 7.2. Jordan Love 13th-7.3. Baker Mayfield-11th 7.4. What I’m saying is D Cone! Baker is on par with Gardner Minshew?Are some of you seeing what I mean? Most statistics are skewed in a variety of ways. If there is a stat saying Mayfield and Minshew are comparable QB’s then I rest my case about statistics. D Cone you oughta take a good look in the mirror and figure out why you’re so anti Baker. And it has nothing to do with statistics!
August 13th, 2024 at 9:10 am
BTW, I have Mayfield lower than 3rd on the Bucs all-time list.
Top 10 below.
1. Winston 7.7
2. Rattay 7.4
3. Garcia 7.3
4. McCown 7.2
5. Mayfield 7.14
6. Brady 7.10
7. Griese 7.0
8. Erickson 6.9
9. Thompson 6.8
10. Deberg 6.7
But in any case, this list pretty much assures everyone that yards per attempt needs to be way down a list when evaluating whether a QB is good or not.
August 13th, 2024 at 9:15 am
Baker’s got some great arm strength but his accuracy wasn’t always good last season.
Now that he’s had a full year and off-season to build chemistry with the WRs and TEs I’m looking forward to an improvement.
Our rushing attack has been horrid the past two seasons. But what was a weakness could be a strength now and will help Baker tremendously. We can have a Top 10 Offense this season and go deep into the playoffs.
If we can generate a strong pass rush and make QBs uncomfortable then the sky is the limit. We’d be able to compete with anyone. I believe we might be a year away from that, but I hope I’m wrong.
August 13th, 2024 at 9:31 am
He’ll be much better this year on deep balls now that he’s much much more familiar with his guys AND the run game presents a true threat
August 13th, 2024 at 9:42 am
Read the above thread if you want to feel dumber.
August 13th, 2024 at 9:44 am
D cone…the only thing Gardner Minshew does like Baker is grow a beard. Baker is one of the most accurate passers in the NFL. Baker threw into tight windows all yr with the defenses playing the pass all yr AND THE PASSING GAME CARRIED THE OFFENSE. Your obviously mad because you dead wrong about trask and he’s probably getting cut.Now your gona double down and be wrong about Mayfield 2 years in row 😆 🤣
August 13th, 2024 at 9:56 am
Who the hell cares what Dan-O thinks?
That dude is a joke.
August 13th, 2024 at 10:04 am
Having one of the league’s top receiving running backs along with a conservative OC might affect the yards per attempt stat.
Baker seems to throw as hard and far as anyone, but he puts his whole body into it. Guys like Mahomes and Roger’s and Anthony Richardson can throw long more easily and without setting their feet, and thus have better arms, imo.
August 13th, 2024 at 10:30 am
Baker has 1 of the strongest arms in the NFL..in a game against Baltimoe. On a hail mary attempt at the end of the half..he threw the ball from their own 40..to out of the endzone..70 yards..this BS ..that Baker can’t throw it deep…smh…you Tampa fans are as dumb as the Cleveland fans…smh
August 13th, 2024 at 10:45 am
“Baker is one of the most accurate passers in the NFL“
😂😂😂 no he’s not
August 13th, 2024 at 11:32 am
Kenton Smith Says:
August 13th, 2024 at 8:02
…..Any real football fan who has ever watched a lick of his tape knows that he’s the opposite of that….
————————————————-
Before he came to Tampa who but Browns fans and his family would want to watch Baker Mayfield tape?
August 13th, 2024 at 11:46 am
^^^^ Heisman voters???
🤡
August 13th, 2024 at 11:53 am
Mayfield holds the current record for longest attempted pass in an NFL game with a 70.5yrd hail mary attempt vs the Ravens in 2020, sadly it was thrown too far and went out the back of the endzone but Baker has an absolute cannon for an arm. The idea that he doesn’t have a strong arm comes entirely from his size because it surely isn’t from watching him play.
I remember earlier this year Josh Allen doing an interview during Superbowl week i think it was, he was on one of those awful talking head “take” shows and he was asked who he thought had the biggest arm in the NFL, Allen said “You know whos got a sneaky big arm? Baker” and the desk of utter clowns started laughing at his comment, laughing in his face. It just goes to show you how little the media know about 99% of the players they talk about and how many peoples perceptions of players is entirely wrong when they get their information from these people.
August 13th, 2024 at 12:02 pm
I know ATLBUC you’re right. But you’d think that after a year of watching him our fans would know what kind of arm he has. This article was titled “Dan Orlovskyrespects Baker Mayfields cannon”. 2 of the first 3 comments were about how he could throw deep better. I replied and used the word idiots. I didn’t mean that. Sorry.
August 13th, 2024 at 12:10 pm
Gerald Says:
August 13th, 2024 at 9:44 am
D cone…the only thing Gardner Minshew does like Baker is grow a beard. Baker is one of the most accurate passers in the NFL.
Yes that pass Mayfield threw to Derrick Barnes in the Divisional Round was a Dime.
Besides Colt’s Pittman all Minshew had to throw to was a Rookie and 2nd year guy. Take Godwin out of the line up in 2023 Bucs go 7-10 at best and Mayfield couldn’t even land a job plugging Car Batteries on Radio Row of the Super Bowl and would be backing up Trevor Lawrence in Jax. If he could beat out Mac Jones for the #2 spot.
August 13th, 2024 at 12:15 pm
Perhaps if you just looked at his completion rate for pass attempts over 20ish yards, you’d have your answer.
Arm strength isn’t the issue. It’s the accuracy.
August 13th, 2024 at 12:47 pm
Fan of the South Says:
August 13th, 2024 at 12:10 pm
Take Godwin out of the line up in 2023 Bucs go 7-10 at best and Mayfield couldn’t even land a job plugging Car Batteries on Radio Row of the Super Bowl and would be backing up Trevor Lawrence in Jax. If he could beat out Mac Jones for the #2 spot.
^^^^^^^^^
Since none of this actually happened, it kind of makes you seem like a clown.
August 13th, 2024 at 1:53 pm
So, where does this notion come from, this urban legend, that Mayfield cannot complete deep passes?
————–
Uh… from watching games, and seeing him consistently scatter shot the ball over all the place, missing wide open guys running deep routes time and time again.
That is different, however, than he has a weak arm.
But I’ve literally never heard anyone say he has a weak arm, the only thing I’ve ever heard anyone say is that he has a cannon – and the morons who claim he’s got the biggest arm in the league because he allegedly threw some deep ball with a 40mph tail wind that went really far.
He’s clearly got a very good arm, he’s just inaccurate.
August 13th, 2024 at 2:00 pm
@Farmer. Baker also has a 66 yard in air completion in 2021.
August 13th, 2024 at 4:12 pm
Farmer Says:
August 13th, 2024 at 11:53 am
Mayfield holds the current record for longest attempted pass in an NFL game with a 70.5yrd hail mary attempt vs the Ravens in 2020
===================================
Agree with all your comments. The “experts” and others on this blog have no idea what a strong arm Baker has. To go along with that strength he historically when given time to throw, has been incredibly accurate. This year with improved pass blocking and better down and distance play calling Mayfield will get accuracy up around 70%. Last year even ME dropped perfectly thrown deep balls from Baker. The national media just repeats whatever the flavor of the day is. Goff was a wash out until he wasn’t playing behind a great Detroit O Line. There never would have been a Tom Brady if he was forced to play a couple of years behind the eternal Cleve Browns mess.
August 13th, 2024 at 4:18 pm
RodMunch,
Keep it up. You are digging a big hole for you to hide in. Not going to let you and that other football scholar, Oneilbuc, hide this year. Oh and yes, pretty sure Baker will throw an interception and more than one incomplete pass this year.
August 13th, 2024 at 4:49 pm
I want to see how he does after a season with a good, healthy O-line. I reserve judgement and give some of his issues a pass until then. In the Bucs superbowl, Mahomes looked mediocre against a stout defense while being protectrd by two backup tackles. Do you think he’s better then Gardner?
August 13th, 2024 at 6:58 pm
With all the stats given & baker this or that he did have more than 4000 yds passing last year so either way he must be doing something rite because that’s above average last yr in the nfl
August 13th, 2024 at 9:28 pm
What would really be a test would be to count how many balls bounced off the receivers hands last year. Yes, you can argue that balls may have been thrown too hard, but you could also argue an NFL receiver should be able to catch just about anything thrown into his hands. And Rod Munch, I was at that game, the only 40 mph tail wind was the smoke you are blowing.
August 13th, 2024 at 10:06 pm
“So, where does this notion come from, this urban legend, that Mayfield cannot complete deep passes? ”
The stat sheet….
29% completion % on throws 20 yards or more last year….
and it was no small sample….
That # needs to be at least in the high 30s approaching 40% before we can honestly say that Mayfield has a “good” long ball.
Throwing long and throwing long accurately are different things….
August 13th, 2024 at 11:31 pm
Grasping for straws with these stats that aren’t really relevant to deep ball accuracy. Sure, Baker can sling it way down field, but there was too many overthrows and some underthrows with the deep ball that say otherwise. Maybe he’s better than average, but it’s not impressive. Hopefully we can attribute it to unfamiliarity with his new receivers when he connects more often this year. Go Bucs!
August 13th, 2024 at 11:40 pm
Time for football. I’ve got an itch. And the only scratch is
MORE FOOTBALL
August 14th, 2024 at 10:19 am
Come on guys! … all All ALL of this is directly related to the offensive line.
August 14th, 2024 at 5:15 pm
Again he did this with a vanilla first time wet behind the ears offensive coordinator giving his first shot as offensive coordinator. The team the bucs have built up it’s way better than what Cleveland had maybe minus Nick Chubb at running back. And for everybody who really wants to critique, stat pic and everything else why don’t you go out and try out for the bucs see how far how accurate how well your deep ball is. A real lucky to actually have a vet with playoff experience full season experience playing while heard experience front office trouble experience to step up and be our guy if not we most likely be going with Trask and he is not ready yet