Brad Johnson: Bucs Believe In Baker Mayfield
September 18th, 2024
The first Bucs Super Bowl-winning quarterback talks about the current Bucs QB.
Could Baker Mayfield match Brad Johnson’s success with the Bucs?
That’s a tall order. But the former Bucs quarterback seems to think his old team has found their man not just to replace Tom Brady, but to keep the franchise on track winning.
Johnson, the first Bucs QB to lead the team to a Super Bowl win, spoke with former Giants and Eagles beat guy Matt Lombardo, who now has his own substack, “Between the Hashmarks.”
Johnson chatted up Lombardo about Mayfield and how he has won over suits, coaches and his teammates.
… “Right now, Baker’s playing with true confidence, very similar to when he was at Oklahoma.” Johnson says. “He’s making decisive decisions and throwing the ball with authority.
“Baker had the big-time scramble for a touchdown against the Lions that was the difference in winning the game, and you could just see the true jubilation in the celebration what it meant to him.”
Mayfield is an emotional guy and that passion for the game has rubbed off on teammates.
As Lombardo noted, Mayfield is on a roll.
The past 19 games have been the most consistently prolific of Mayfield’s career, and represent a second act that many quarterbacks would be envious of.
Beginning with a 21-18 win in December over the Stinking Panthers, including two playoff games, Mayfield has more touchdown passes (22) than any NFL quarterback.
The Bucs need a lot more to go right for Mayfield to come close to matching the team success that Johnson had with the Bucs. But find better health, better offensive line play (which Joe suspects will come down the road) and a running back that knows how to get positive yardage, and this Bucs team could be quite dangerous.
The way the Bucs defense punched the Lions in the mouth despite being short-handed still has Joe so pumped and unable to sleep.
September 18th, 2024 at 4:25 am
Anyone who wasn’t pumped up by that Defensive performance Sunday would be a stick in the mud. I agree with you Joe that the o-line play will only get better. And soon we’ll see Otten romping downhill with the ball and Palmer showing how speed kills. We’ve barely shown what this offense can be. McMillan is going to be special and Godwin may have a career year. And Evans will be the leader of this group and make the plays we’ll all talk about for years to come. But our team needed that Detroit game – so we could see that Defense and how physical and well coached they are. I knew what this defense was – Damn Good! But I was wrong. We’re really,really, really Damn Good. I understand Joe and that is why I’m writing this. That defense has me too pumped up to sleep worth a damn also.
September 18th, 2024 at 4:34 am
Heart-wise, you can’t question Brad Johnson’s drive. He was consistent everywhere he went. Unfortunately, consistent isn’t good enough until you land in the right spot. Destiny and hard work go hand in hand.
Hope that is Baker right now
September 18th, 2024 at 5:02 am
This team is similar to the 2002 team in that we have a great defense a steady QB, better receivers but the 2002 running game was better, but I expect that to change. Besides Atlanta we won’t face many D lines as good as Washington and Detroit
September 18th, 2024 at 5:43 am
Tough matchup this weekend.
September 18th, 2024 at 6:20 am
Did anyone see the FanDuel posted a comparison between Baker Mayfield and Drew Brees at this point in their career? They are extremely similar.
September 18th, 2024 at 6:46 am
brad johnson also can really hoop…
trick shots galore
September 18th, 2024 at 7:08 am
Surreal? No, probably not that dramatic. Still, I’ve been watching the 2002 Bucs on YouTube and up pops Brad Johnson. Went to sleep watching the week 3 Rams game last night. I’ve bounced around the season. A user named Mike p or something similar has a lot of the games. Many with the original broadcast, including commercials.
I’m more nostalgic over the commercials than the football in many ways. Despite it being post-9/11, the world hadn’t really changed a great deal. There were seismic changes, certainly, but they weren’t yet rooted into culture. Sorry to wax poetic. Seems it’s the folly of man to look back upon simpler times.
September 18th, 2024 at 7:20 am
Bucs are getting Mayfield on the cheap. Licht is a savvy negotiator.
September 18th, 2024 at 7:34 am
I think it’s fair to say that not only has Baker won over his teammates, he’s won over the fan base. If people weren’t rooting for him before, that touchdown run should have changed their minds.
September 18th, 2024 at 7:35 am
This version of Mayfield is pretty great.
Always hate when comparisons are done to past generation quarterbacks.
You compare the 1st few years of Winston and Baker is fine.
Looking at stats and saying that Winston stats are the same as Peyton Manning or Baker Mayfield’s are similar to Drew Brees is just silly.
By the way, Mike Glennon stats are better than Troy Aikman or Johnny Unitas.
Just compare year to year, is your QB better than most of the other guys in the years that he is playing. So far solidly good for Baker since he has been with the Bucs.
September 18th, 2024 at 7:42 am
Go Bucs
September 18th, 2024 at 7:43 am
@Geno the first 95 starts for Brees and Baker who both had a similar shoulder injury and were dumped unceremoniously by the team who drafted them:
Mayfield/Brees comparison
GS 95
Passing Yards 21,959/22,249
Touchdowns 145/142
Interceptions 78/85
Passer Rating 89.4/88.5
Record: 46-49/49-46
Stats Aggregated by FanDuel.
September 18th, 2024 at 8:21 am
Thanks to fans drivel…. Baker has had the toughest road. Yes I said fans because not one of the haters ever considered that maybe(obviously) it was the destinations and not the QB. Just look at the Browns, Panthers and Rams….all of wh.wish they had Baker mow. I guarantee that 99% of qb’s if they would have walked in Bakers shoes would have quit….but that’s just who the guy is….doubted his entire career and believed in himself….his career stats are pretty effin impressive
September 18th, 2024 at 8:29 am
Bucs would have won their second SB with Johnson or a competent QB like him.That’s how good the entire team was. Glad he’s doing well. I’m one Bucs fan who loves Mayfield’s feisty spirit and enthusiasm. Now, if he can stay upright and not get injured. Go Bucs!!
September 18th, 2024 at 8:49 am
I’d suggest Mayfield has won fans over, except a few holdouts with Trask tattoos…
I love his never-say-die grit and, dare I say, “moxie.”
I’m just concerned he’s gonna get hurt lowering his shoulder while trying to squeeze out an extra yard.
September 18th, 2024 at 8:54 am
@geno: I’m not sure the Baker/Drew comparison is inaccurate.
The main difference is Brees didn’t want to use his legs that much, and was not as escapable from pressure as Mayfield.
Same physical dimensions, same difficult path to find “his team,” very similar stats at the same age.
They are not the same person or man, but if Mayfield keeps the Buce relevant for years like Bres did the Aint’s, he’ll be a shoe-in to the RoH…and if he takes the team to a Lombardi or two, the HoF.
I see many parallels between Mayfield and Brees.
September 18th, 2024 at 8:57 am
You can bet money that Jason Licht will draft a guard with the first pick. Maybe another guard or tackle with pick 3 or 4..
September 18th, 2024 at 9:11 am
Cobraboy , did you just see what our team did with backups at 5 or 6 positions? I’d expect that Trask would be balling out. That next man up mentality means something to these guys. But if something happens to Mayfield I would hope that Big Luke would be back by then. Just keeping it real!! Go Bucs. Shoot low boys they’re riding Shetlands pretending to be Broncos.
September 18th, 2024 at 9:27 am
You can’t compare the 1999-2002 defense to now. That was an all-time great with how many Hall of Famers? Yes Baker could match Brad’s play, but he’ll have to do more because the game has changed.
September 18th, 2024 at 10:10 am
Not enough Brad Johnson.
We have 2 Super Bowl winning QBs. Why haven’t we heard more from BJ over the years? That guy should be a regular at One Buc.
September 18th, 2024 at 10:38 am
Fair to say Baker has been promoted from the “middling” level of qb, eh Rod?😊
September 18th, 2024 at 11:05 am
Let’s process this.
“ Beginning with a 21-18 win in December over the Stinking Panthers, including two playoff games, Mayfield has more touchdown passes (22) than any NFL quarterback.”
But but but let’s see what we have in Trashk. (:rolleyes:)
September 18th, 2024 at 1:32 pm
A Bucs Fan Says:
September 18th, 2024 at 7:43 am
@Geno the first 95 starts for Brees and Baker who both had a similar shoulder injury and were dumped unceremoniously by the team who drafted them:
Mayfield/Brees comparison
GS 95
Passing Yards 21,959/22,249
Touchdowns 145/142
Interceptions 78/85
Passer Rating 89.4/88.5
Record: 46-49/49-46
======================
That’s incredibly interesting data. Thank you for the info. I believe Baker’s next ten years will exceed HOF to be Drew Brees. Baker has the stronger arm and we will see that he is more accurate than Drew. Baker=Drew 2.0
September 18th, 2024 at 1:47 pm
I see him as more of a cross between Brees and Farve.
He has things to accomplish before he can be considered in the same “league” as the 2 above but I think he’s got the talent and drive to get there…. if we can keep building and improving the TEAM and I see multiple trips to the SB in the next 5 years.
September 18th, 2024 at 3:17 pm
It is ok to disagree.
I will stick with my premise. You do not compare quarterbacks from different generations. The average passer rating of a quarterback in 2020 thru 2024 is much higher than the average quarterback rating of a quarterback from 2000 thru 2004. That 20 years makes a difference.
The game has changed quite a bit, and the average quarterback play has much better stats than the average quarterback from 20 years ago.
It does not seem to be a hard concept for me to understand. I think it is lazy when sports columnists and sports blog sites do those comparisons with no context of how much easier it is for a QB to accumulate statistics.
September 19th, 2024 at 12:49 am
geno — spot on. Looking at the relative performance of QBs within their time frame is much more valid, hence why guys like Unitas, or Namath, or Bradshaw, are in the HOF. Their stats would be eclipsed by Glennon’s rookie year, but old Trask Senior won’t be getting a gold jacket.
September 19th, 2024 at 4:45 am
when is joe bucs going to write a original story instead of replying to other media posts? go bucs
September 19th, 2024 at 8:22 am
Where is onielbuc and Rod Munchenstein? First sign of trouble and they will be back with an i told you so vengeance.
September 19th, 2024 at 8:57 am
Try harder dude. smh
September 20th, 2024 at 1:40 am
I hope Baker does not have to leave the pocket once this week.
It’s not gonna happen but we can’t expect him to remain healthy if he keeps having to pull it down and run! Eventually he is gonna get planted and injured.
Go Bucs!