Baker Mayfield Master Of Third Down
November 4th, 2024
Dominating in this stat.
Any other quarterback and all the hollering shows on national TV and national sports radio shows wouldn’t shut up about the guy. (Instead, we are beat in the mouth about Aaron Rodgers and the GD Jets.)
But no, this is Baker Mayfield. He plays for the Bucs. Eff them!
Mayfield is having a helluva season with offensive coordinator Liam Coen. So much so Joe is pretty damn convinced Coen will be a head coach somewhere next year, NFL or college.
But here is a stat that freaked Joe out. And it comes from the research of Rich Hribar of Sharp Football Analysis.
The Buccaneers have converted 52.5% of their third downs, the highest rate in the league. The league average is 38.6%.
That’s just mind-blowing to Joe who still has visions of Trent Dilfer puking all over the field not just on third downs, but all downs. So for a Bucs quarterback to dominate on third down conversions who is not named “Tom Brady” is jarring to Joe.
Ah, but these numbers are bound to sink without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, right? Wwweeellllll…
Last week in their first game of the season without Evans and Godwin, Mayfield and the Bucs converted 64 percent of the third downs.
If Mayfield can keep this up, maybe the Bucs can tread water until Evans returns?
November 4th, 2024 at 12:57 am
Nope. He’s middling. Must be a typo.
November 4th, 2024 at 1:23 am
Too bad LovieII gives up third down conversions at a much higher rate than Baker converts.
Maybe some natural event will cause the Chiefs game to be postponed or canceled. It’s the Bucs only chance of avoiding a humiliating loss.
November 4th, 2024 at 1:59 am
Nope, middling is what we have all been told so it must be true. Can’t believe my lyin eyes
November 4th, 2024 at 5:46 am
MiddlingMunch says it’s just another Mayfield myth.
November 4th, 2024 at 6:59 am
Gunna have to keep it up and put 30 plus pts a game up and maybe that’s not even enough with how trash our defense is.
November 4th, 2024 at 7:07 am
“Joe who still has visions of Trent Dilfer puking all over the field”. This comment brought back a pretty cool memory. I was wearing a red Trent Dilfer jersey at the pro bowl in Hawaii back in the 90’s. This guy walks up to me and says, “Why?”.
He introduced himself. “Hi. I’m Pat Yasinskas from the Tampa Tribune” Super cool dude. We stayed in touch for a few years.
November 4th, 2024 at 7:27 am
Who cares what New York and LA think. Have to say Arthur and the Dirty Birds finally got something right with Captain Kirk Cousins. Most people said the Byrds were overpaying for an old torn achilles guy. After yesterdays beat down of Dak passnot it looks like Capn’ is underpaid compared to Jerry,s worst investment ever. The minimum salary bakup did better than best agent ever Prescot. Reminds me of fully guaranteed Watson after all that money he got. After you find some sucker to give you everything you always wanted there is no reason to try anymore.
November 4th, 2024 at 7:35 am
That comes out to a success rate of 1 more in every 10 over last year which was 42%. Bucs are 45% on the road and might be at an advantage tonight because the Chiefs are only 35% at Home.
Here are some statistics on NFL third down completion percentages in 2023:
Overall
60.4% of throws on third down were completed, and 65% of those completions were converted
Top quarterbacks
Justin Herbert, Jordan Love, and Brock Purdy all converted on more than 75% of their third down completions
Half way thru the season the media was bragging up Mayfield having a high success rate / completion rate. By the end of the season he had fallen back in the pack.
Tampa’s increased success over last year has more to do with their ability to run the ball and is more of a Hoorah to the O Line than Coen.
Mayfield is like a fast horse out of the gate, is 4 lengths ahead at the second turn and by the stretch the real race begins and he will end up Showing more times than Winning or Placing. NFC Conference in 2023 for instance. Purdy Won. Goff Placed. Love and Mayfield were a Photo Finish for 3rd where Packers Jockey/ Defense fell off the horse, giving up the game, Bucs threw a Shoe / Interception and ended all Hope.
Put him down 2-3 scores and he will move the ball but getting that last score will end up in failure more times than not.
Pretty sure bets are:
If Bucs end up closer to last years 3rd down success there will be some pretty ugly games going forward.
Mayfield won’t lead the league in Interceptions for long with Jameis Winston in the Race.
November 4th, 2024 at 9:29 am
D Cone. Mayfield and Goff are very good NFL QBs. Purdue and Love are average NFL QBs.
November 4th, 2024 at 9:52 am
I will take a no interception game and lets try to go long a few times.3rd down with 8 to go on the Chiefs 45, throw it deep. If it does get pick, it is just like a punt. So what
November 4th, 2024 at 11:12 am
Yep all Rodgers or how Lawrence is an ascending talent still (guy sucks), or how Love and GB are contenders now and every year for the next 10 cause they are young and have upside. Guy has thrown 2 of the worst pick sixes of the year already and they can’t defend the turf at home.
Come on Bucs, shock the league and get an upset tonight. Gotta try to keep pace with those loser Falcons, man am I rattled they got over us twice.