Baker Mayfield On Opening Days
September 2nd, 2024
So last season busted a trend.
The Buccaneers marched up to Minnesota and beat the Vikings and Kirk Cousins in their loud crib. Baker Mayfield played well and fired up his team as a contact-seeking scrambler.
That victory upped Mayfield’s opening day record to 1-4.
Now, as a Week 1 starter, Mayfield has a total of 5 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions. And the rotton cherry on top is him eating 14 sacks while coughing up 4 fumbles in those games. Ouch!
Did Mayfield figure out opening days last season? The answer will come Sunday against Washington, and Joe is optimistic.
Todd Bowles is perfect as a Bucs head coach on opening days and seems to know exactly how to have his players ready for Week 1, even with a soft training camp.
September 2nd, 2024 at 11:58 am
That was weak, Joe.
September 2nd, 2024 at 12:00 pm
WASHINGTON = W
WAS gave up a league leading 65 sacks last season!
They upgraded 1 OL position, drafted a running QB, and hired a new HC. Is that enough to fix a leaky OL? Is that enough to fix it game 1 vs Vea, CK, and Yaya?
I don’t think so.
Bucs 1-0
September 2nd, 2024 at 12:09 pm
I will take the bait.
Not sure why anyone would be surprised by this Baker stat. It’s on par with his career stats. He’s a poor man’s Saun King.
This team should go further than last year’s team.
Baker just needs avoid doing what Winston did and not turn the ball over at the worst possible time with the game on the line.
September 2nd, 2024 at 12:29 pm
Ouch. Not good.
September 2nd, 2024 at 12:33 pm
Hey now let’s be fair. You could put a BradyMahommes hybrid in their prime on those teams that Baker was working with and get similar results. We’ve got an above average NFL QB and a really really good team. If we go ahead and win it all this year I won’t mind one bit about how we played in game one. It’s how you finish!
September 2nd, 2024 at 12:38 pm
Having 6 OC’s and playing in a Browns organization that really sucked had nothing to do with it
September 2nd, 2024 at 12:54 pm
Joe his 1st game in Cleveland he didn’t start. He came in late in the first half down 14-0 to the Jets. First pass a 14 yard rope to Landry. Browns 21-17 win for that sorry groups first win in 635 days. Come on Joe! That should make him 2-4 in his openers. I was in Carolina when he drove them to the go ahead touchdown with under a minute left and defense did worse than ours did late against the Texans last year. I suspect if you look at the other couple of openers you can be sure that Baker was right there as well. And I’m positive he didn’t have any quit in him. If there are any weaknesses in this team it won’t be in our No. 1 QB.
September 2nd, 2024 at 1:13 pm
The reason why they won the opener last season and most of their games was because Canales forced a simple conservative game plan on Baker to limit mistakes.
Here are Baker’s progressions – primary receiver, check down, scramble/slide.
Canales went to Baker’s tape and saw he’s a captain checkdown and designed the offense around that. Lets make that work for the Bucs.
That’s why from day 1 when I heard Canales talk about the Bucs’ offensive philosophy I knew the directive was given – Baker was the starter from the moment he signed. The QB competition was put out there just to shut up Gator fans and give the illusion of fairness. That’s also why after the Jets preseason game when Trask started to come on the fake competition was shut down.
Well with the $100M contract the baby has fully been delivered. This is Baker’s team.
Coen needs to do exactly the same thing as Canales did – keep the game plan simple and let Bowles’ defense keep it close.
If not the result will be like what we saw in the playoff game against Detroit – turnovers.
You saw the throw Baker made to J-Mac against Miami. The arm talent is there, but if you pressure him and make him look for open recievers you expose weakness. That’s most NFL QBs and separates good from great.
If teams take the primary out and spy White – they hold the Bucs in check. We saw a lot of that last year. Canales made an adjustment prior to the GB game (after Godwin’s wife squawked) and started calling Godwin’s number and the offense took off somewhat.
Pick your poison – Evans or Godwin. Either can kill you. If you have a QB like Tom Brady throwing to those guys you get 5000 yards and 40 TDs. With Mayfield 4000 and 28.
But really the time for speculation is growing short. The season starts on Thursday.
It’s time to put up or shut up.
Now we see if the Bowes and Baker formula is a winning one.
September 2nd, 2024 at 1:46 pm
Wisecrack wrote: “Baker just needs avoid doing what Winston did and not turn the ball over at the worst possible time with the game on the line.”
I’m not remembering that Winston needed the game to be on the line in order to commit turnovers.
September 2nd, 2024 at 5:17 pm
Just win the damn game. Don’t really care how.
September 2nd, 2024 at 6:30 pm
Why r all the new name posters on this site negitive
September 2nd, 2024 at 6:41 pm
Baker is 1-0 with the Bucs. That’s all I care about.
September 2nd, 2024 at 10:13 pm
So..I don’t know who this joebucsfan is..but if he was supposed to be writing for my team. And always putting me and my teammates down..I think I would be looking for him. And punching him right in the mouth.. and then.. get him fired..Baker has been dealing with noth8ng but critisism and just nothing good to say about him. How about you try and get on his side..just once..or are you people stupid like the clown fans in Cleveland were ??? Wake up…
September 2nd, 2024 at 10:25 pm
Ooh poor Baker! Was handed the keys to the Browns kingdom but nothing was his fault only everybody else’s. You fanbois are ridunculous. He’s barely an average qb with a losing record. He is what he is and the Bucs will go exactly how he goes. I’m glad he finally let his emogee style beard grow into a regular one. He finally looks like an adult.
September 2nd, 2024 at 10:28 pm
Andy go back to your Baker fan site so you’ll feel love and affection. Take your Baker lice with you
September 2nd, 2024 at 10:39 pm
Agree with Pear and Kenton
September 2nd, 2024 at 11:34 pm
Not going to repeat defenses of Baker.
Some Tampa Bay fans seem, based mainly on comments here, to hate the guy no matter what.
Tampa Bay doesn’t do squat last year without Baker. Safe bet they wouldn’t have even made the playoffs.
He came in ready to follow Brady. Didn’t blink. I’ve watched him in plenty of high stakes moments and while his play has not been perfect it’s been damn good. He’s the dude you want leading your team when you get to the big games. I believe he’s getting ready hit his prime to move into top 5 QB conversations this season…. some of yall will still pull some kind of stats out of your butt to nitpick the guys performance
His motivation is nothing short of a superbowl win !!!
September 3rd, 2024 at 8:46 am
Those opening day stats mostly from Cleveland where Baker had to carry that team with limited supporting cast.
Baker is a different quarterback now,knowing all he has to do is stay within himself and enhance the talent around him.Hes a good leader who has passion for the game.Goooo Bucs !!!!!