Baker Mayfield Passing Chart Week 5
October 8th, 2024
Short and sweet (throws).
Joe doesn’t know whether to be worried or not.
One of the many stat geeks trafficking on Twitter came across Joe’s timeline and the guy remarked how entering the Bucs’ Week 5 game at the Dixie Chicks, no team threw fewer long passes than Tampa Bay.
Joe has noted on a handful of occasions that Baker Mayfield rarely throws farther than 20 yards downfield. Maybe three times a game, roughly.
That continued last week in Atlanta. Per NextGen Stats, Mayfield threw only three passes that were 20 yards or more. Mayfield connected on two.
One such completion was a 23-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans.
Mayfield did finish with three touchdowns.
Hey, you can’t argue with how the Bucs are using Mayfield. He’s putting up excellent numbers. But man, always throwing so short, it just doesn’t seem like the proverbial every blade of grass is being used.
Look, as long as Mayfield continues to succeed, and the Bucs continue to win, great. If the Bucs start to lose and the offense suddenly looks like it did against Denver or goes into Code Turtle like what happened in the second half in Atlanta, then there are problems.
October 8th, 2024 at 4:20 am
Two high safety Is in vogue this year.
October 8th, 2024 at 4:34 am
Pretty much this. I think we started it in the superbowl and the league slowly adapted to it to the point where every team has a two high safety shell. This also explains why the running back position is seeing a resurgence. I’m not worried as long as it keeps working for Baker.
October 8th, 2024 at 4:39 am
Throw deep early and often. Make those DBs worry that every play something might be going over their head.
October 8th, 2024 at 4:58 am
All this safety talk has me to be thinking, should Dean move to safety?
October 8th, 2024 at 5:05 am
I just remember Evan’s running wide a$$ open against the Dixie Chicks, priceless.
October 8th, 2024 at 5:11 am
Remember, Baker DOesnt have eno time 2 throw deep, no true protection yet! Maybe Some of our oline(guards) will b nack this week n sme defense 4 our other side
Baker WILL throw his long passes/TD”s n soon yall, Dont oanic Joe! Take sme ginseng 4 the memory lololol
LUV YA JOE, really!!!
Go BAKE go BUCS
October 8th, 2024 at 5:24 am
Leopold Stotch Says:
October 8th, 2024 at 4:58 am
All this safety talk has me to be thinking, should Dean move to safety?
^^^^^^^^^
Would you want a $13 million a year backup Safety? I do agree with you though, Dean hasn’t been/isn’t a starting caliber Corner since he got that contract.
October 8th, 2024 at 6:14 am
his name is gus swayze
his name is robert paulson
his name is gus swayze
run bucky run!
October 8th, 2024 at 6:55 am
Dean is the first one to admit (second, being CD3) that zone isn’t his best thing
October 8th, 2024 at 7:36 am
The counter to the two high safety formation is a good run game that forces one of the safeties to come down into the box to support run defense
October 8th, 2024 at 7:37 am
For those wondering what Adam is chanting about Eli Manning had Mayfield put on a Gardner Minshew disguise and a Bucs windbreaker then sent him on the season ticket holders’ tour of One Buc Palace as “Gus Swayze.” It’s worth a search on YouTube. You can’t spell elite without Eli. I love QBs who haven’t let their fame and acclaim destroy their sense of humor.
October 8th, 2024 at 7:42 am
Folks, the Bucs are done and Tampa Bay is literally about to be done.
October 8th, 2024 at 7:51 am
Took a look back at Baker’s career stats after reading this, and found something quite interesting I think. Baker’s best career year (win-loss) was 2020 with Cleveland when he went 11-5. His passing stats this year (per game average) closely parallel his passing stats from 2020. For example …
o Passing attempts (per game) … 2020: 30.4 … 2024: 30.6
o Completions (per game) … 2020: 19.1 … 2024: 22.0
o Passing yardage (per game) … 2020: 223 … 2024: 233
o Touchdowns (per game) … 2020: 1.6 … 2024: 2.2
o First downs (per game) … 2020: 11.8 … 2024: 13.0
o Interceptions (per game) … 2020: 0.5 … 2024: 0.4
Looks like a number of similarities to what Baker is being asked to do in those respective offenses. His completion percentage is much better this year (71.9%) than it was in 2020 (62.8%) and yet his average passing yards per game is just about the same. The quality of the team surrounding him was quite good in both years (Nick Chubb & Kareem Hunt as his RBs and Odell Beckham & Jarvis Landry as his WRs in 2020).
Maybe Yogi Berra was right and 2024 is deja vu all over again.
October 8th, 2024 at 8:17 am
Baker has a very strong arm, the Bucs have some speed and ME who can stretch fields. What the Bucs do NOT have is an OL capable of protecting Baker for that long.
IF Goeddeke comes back, and IF Barton continues to grow his rookie year and the OL finally gels perhaps we’ll see some more long passing. Although I think several guys have made good points about the two high safeties and teams adjusting to the deep ball.
October 8th, 2024 at 8:38 am
Sorry about my grandson his mom drank while pregnant and he’s a hateful little obese troll
October 8th, 2024 at 9:06 am
Thanks, Grandpa. It begs the question, why does your grandson even post? What is the purpose of posting something so inane that adds nothing to the conversation? And of course, as usual totally ignores the story itself.
October 8th, 2024 at 9:10 am
I think Jeff and his Grandpa probably need a padded room.
October 8th, 2024 at 9:24 am
Seems like this past week, Baker spread it around left-right-center a lot better than in weeks past.
October 8th, 2024 at 9:50 am
They have him on a short leash
The Falcons wasn’t playing a deep safety
Both of their Safeties were playing up
They knew coming in the Bucs wasn’t going deep
October 8th, 2024 at 10:18 am
My focus this week is not on Britt, Dean, or the weak links, but on the positives—like Baker Mayfield and his ability to avoid the rush and make plays. If we don’t go “code turtle,” this offense could score 50 points! Whoo hoo!
Go Gus Swayze!!! Beat them Aints. Ride a Hurricane to victory.
As Hurricane Baker surged toward New Orleans, the city braced for impact, but this storm had a secret weapon: Baker Mayfield himself. With determination in his eyes and a football clutched tightly in his hands, he rode the swirling winds, harnessing the tempest’s raw power. The Saints, confident in their home turf, were caught off guard when Baker, emerging from the eye of the storm, unleashed a series of perfect spirals that spiraled through the gusts, confusing defenders and igniting a whirlwind of touchdowns. With each throw, the hurricane intensified, and soon the Saints found themselves swept away, not just by the fierce winds, but by Mayfield’s unstoppable energy, as he led his team to a legendary victory amidst the chaos.
Pure Fun and Satire please take it that way lol…
Stay Safe down there… Praying for you all!!
October 8th, 2024 at 11:00 am
Deep to Sterling against the Birds just a little long.
Go Bucs !!
October 8th, 2024 at 12:05 pm
Three primary factors are contributing to Mayfield not throwing deep.
1) TB lacks a deep-threat WR with speed. Palmer has shown he cannot run reliable routes that allow for the split-second timing to connect 40 yards down the field. Timing and trust are vital in wasting a down on a deep-shot to a WR who bananas their routes.
2) The offensive line struggles are not buying enough time for long developing routes and in response Coen has favored fast TTT. So even if Mayfield were to take a chance on Palmer running deep, he is likely getting sacked or scrambling anyway.
3) The lack of a running threat means defenses are still able to drop 7 in coverage and take away the deep shots.
October 8th, 2024 at 12:21 pm
Getting into the details, studying is quite revealing . Thx to DR and All22 for the deep-dive analysis. The coaches and coordinators call schemes and certain plays for a reason. When McMillan returns, we may see more deep routes.
October 8th, 2024 at 1:33 pm
I wonder if Jeff is the embodiment of the song “I Am My Own Grandpa”….
October 8th, 2024 at 1:35 pm
A thousand small cuts will surely bleed and kill as surely as the quick deep strike….
October 8th, 2024 at 2:21 pm
Yep, kinda takes time for deep routes, if you don’t have adequate pass blocking, even in MaxPro (which is kind of a giveaway when you have two TE’s in there), you don’t get a deep enough drop for our receivers to get deep down the field.
When there are ILB’s, DE’s & DT’s climbing into Baker’s face, we don’t have a receiver fast enough to get the ball out.
It’s a good thing that Baker has been getting the ball out in less than 2.5 seconds – but the downside of that is you give up the deep routes.
As the pass blocking gets better with Goedeke coming back & get Tristan healthy (and Barton adjusts to the stunts & twists he’s been losing), it will be interesting to see if the “trend” continues.
October 8th, 2024 at 2:41 pm
Mayfield is near top of the league for touchdowns, and near bottom for interceptions, so it seems more likely that forcing more long passes would increase interceptions than touchdowns. Personally, I don’t like interceptions, so I’d stick with what’s already working really well.
October 8th, 2024 at 2:53 pm
“But man, always throwing so short, it just doesn’t seem like the proverbial every blade of grass is being used.” – Joe
I wonder if they are doing it that way to preserve his arm for later in the season during a playoff push and appearance? Thoughts?
October 8th, 2024 at 2:54 pm
White Tiger Says
“…kinda takes time for deep routes, if you don’t have adequate pass blocking…”
That’s a good point too. As the OL begins to gel, he may take more deep shots too.
October 8th, 2024 at 3:33 pm
Defensive schemes with 2 safeties over the top is designed specifically to counter deep balls (over the top) if I understand it correctly. Seems like 80% of defenses running it.
Getting Jmac and Palmer involved will help. I’m a little encouraged but not convinced that Palmer is going to have dependable hands 🤞🏼. If he could consistently catch the ball he’s the logical choice for bombs – similar to Shaheed for New Orleans
Mike, and to a lesser degree Chris will get some big chunks (20-40 yards) but they won’t just outrun most secondaries.
I’m not worried… As the O-line continues to get better, and they will, Coen and Baker will take more shots and grab more big chunk plays!
October 9th, 2024 at 4:11 am
can big jim be right 2 years in a row about baker the faker? I think so, baker will do it, …big jim has spoken, so now let it be written….go bucs!
October 9th, 2024 at 1:08 pm
Ever hear the saying “we are taking what the defense gives us”? It’s that. Nothing more, unless you want to go down the injury list on the o-line and how long QB1 has to throw rabbit hole. It’s mostly working. I personally think the clock should have expired in regulation in Atlanta. How convenient the clock showed 1 second and no one was flagged for not being set….when they clearly weren’t.