Picks Anger Baker Mayfield
November 1st, 2024
Interceptions make Baker Mayfield holler in rage.
If you happen to bump into Baker Mayfield bouncing around town and he grunts or growls at you, there’s a reason.
Mayfield is throwing picks. And today, he admitted that grinds his gears something frightful.
In his last three games, Mayfield has tossed seven picks. “This Joe” isn’t sweating those. Production is the key. And Mayfield and the Bucs offense is producing.
It’s the olé defense of the Bucs that is costing them games.
Still, Mayfield said yesterday he’s peeved at the picks.
“Yeah, it pisses me off,” Mayfield confessed. “I don’t want to turn the ball over. To me, that’s shooting our whole team in the foot.
“That’s not what I want to do, so yeah, it makes me angry. Obviously, that’s something I can directly fix and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Joe wants to see Mayfield cut down on the picks, but for a guy producing like he is, Joe is going to give Mayfield a lot of slack.
Hey defense, start pretending you’re in the NFL. Get off the field. Defense the pass. Quit letting dudes get so open they’re like Tom Hanks on a deserted island.
If the Bucs had just an average defense, no one would be whining about Mayfield’s picks.
November 1st, 2024 at 1:41 am
publix aisle 9…
sweaty man with perfect 5 o’clock shadow spotted growling and muttering at the stock boy
November 1st, 2024 at 2:51 am
Our defense is what it is. A pile of slackers that periodically go on extended slack attacks with several very good players sandwiched in for the optics. Hey, it could be worse. ‘Smitty’ could be the head cheerleader.
November 1st, 2024 at 4:14 am
Joe … ‘In his last three games, Mayfield has tossed seven picks. “This Joe” isn’t sweating those. Production is the key. And Mayfield and the Bucs offense is producing. It’s the olé defense of the Bucs that is costing them games’.
And there it is: Offense turnovers are meaningless as long as you produce points. And that couldn’t be farther from the truth Joe.
Giveaways hurt the defense MUCH MORE in the stats column than they do the offense. IOW … the defense ultimately pays the penalty for offense & S/Ts turnovers. Giveaways very often initiate a change in momentum that lead to opponents scoring either a TD or a FG. If we’re ahead at the time, that closes the gap; if we’re behind that puts us even further behind. Giveaways also kill our scoring opportunities, especially when they occur deep in enemy territory.
BA’s 1st year (2019) is the classic example of how detrimental turnovers can be. Jameis did great in throwing 33 TDs, but he also threw 30 INTs & fumbled the ball 12 times. Overall the Bucs committed 41 turnovers that year, but scored 48 TDs. The Bucs offense produced … but the turnovers killed us & we finished 7-9.
The cost to the defense? For starters, Jameis threw 7 pick-6 that resulted in 49 points … for our opponents. And of his other 23 INTs & fumbles, quite a few resulted in short fields that our opponents scored on. Yes the Bucs’ offense was very productive that year in scoring 458 points (28.6 PPG), and the Bucs’ defense allowed 449 points that year (28.1 PPG), but Jameis’ INTs & fumbles very likely cost the defense 100 points or more (6-7 PPG). Makes the defense look far worse than it actually was … and resulted in a 7-9 season record.
November 1st, 2024 at 6:47 am
The red zone INT’s are the killers – no one is perfect and Baker has been good way more than bad this year
Todd better get them playing on D or his retirement starts sooner than he planned
November 1st, 2024 at 7:39 am
Defense Rules is absolutely right about turnovers. I think part of it is Mayfield trying to force these young players to play like veterans. He sure won’t continue to throw picks like these past three games. But positively turnover margin is the key factor to winning football games. And that is something only Mayfield can correct. He has to be better for us to have a chance.
November 1st, 2024 at 8:13 am
Mayfield’s interceptions have given new life to RodMunch who revels in every single one.
November 1st, 2024 at 8:55 am
A better defense will equal a more conservative approach on offense with way less chances taken. If the D is flat Mayfield is looking to put 40 and is throwing I’ll advised passes. With that being said he needs to put the gun-slinging to rest a little. Some fans are not happy with the dink and dunk, but that is the more conservative approach to scoring points.
November 1st, 2024 at 9:49 am
Joe says, “This Joe” isn’t sweating those (picks).”
When you have a crappy defense, you need lots of points to win. When you throw INTs in the Red Zone, you’re giving away points. The point differential margin is too thin to do that and expect to win.
November 1st, 2024 at 10:16 am
If you want to win, Mayfield needs to play even better – nearly mistake free – to give us a chance given how awful the defense is.
November 1st, 2024 at 10:19 am
Just think without those 3 interceptions against New Orleans, instead of Bucs winning 51-27 Bucs might win 72-27? It’s Mayfield’s fault. RodMunch is right. Mayfield stinks.
November 1st, 2024 at 10:21 am
BucnJim has a good point, if the Bucs D was just average and could be counted on to hold its opponent to 20 or so points on average then the offense would not be operating in such a state of emergency with Baker trying to score a TD on every throw and thus has made mistakes. Plus, if the Bucs were to play with a lead, then Baker would not have to throw 50 times a game like he did last Sunday and the “three headed monster” could pound the rock and eat up the clock like Tucker did in New Orleans. However, this is all contingent on the defense finding a way out of its funk and unless Bowles figures this out pronto, Baker will be trying to play from behind and the O becomes one dimensional….. BTW, dink and dunk can chew up the clock as well though the receivers Baker is throwing to have to make their catches, not sure if this crew can accomplish that though Cade Otton is currently balling and is Baker’s new #1 target, Unfortunately the Chiefs know this too and will cover and smother the guy.
November 1st, 2024 at 10:56 am
The Bucs Offense has been producing turnovers the last 4 games – and they are 1-3 the last 4 games- now That’s Production!
November 1st, 2024 at 11:10 am
DefenseRules: I’ll buy that turnovers +can+ cost the defense, but not that they necessarily do. Where, when, and how matter. You mention that Jameis threw 7 pick-6’s…yeah, that hits the defensive stats. But I don’t think Mayfield has thrown a single pick-6 in his pro career. Things that could happen, but never do, don’t show up on anyone’s stat sheet.
November 1st, 2024 at 11:18 am
I think Joe has a backdoor comment in this article not being heard that “it’s easier to win with a great defense and average offense than the other way around.” Of the interceptions Mayfield has thrown past few games, some are great plays by a professional DB. Specifically, the one in the end zone, I thought the Bucs receivers got too close together and allowed 1 DB to essentially cover both. Some are poor routes by receiver and one the receiver let the DB take the ball away from him. NEVER should that happen. All correctable problems. I still think 10-11 wins is possible and that should make the playoffs.
November 1st, 2024 at 11:19 am
And yes, some interceptions have been bad throws
November 1st, 2024 at 12:07 pm
@DR. I had almost forgotten how awful those flurries of TOs were. I don’t think Joe is advocating for that. Baker has been much more judicious. An occasional 3 TO game is not a season killer. The 2 1/2 per game average from Winston certainly was. The pick sixes were just additional devastation.
Conversely, turnover differentials are one of the leading factors in win rate. We’re not good enough to ignore that without paying the price. Baker has to be a little more careful. Some of those lately weren’t really on him completely. It would help if we were getting a few more from our defense to balance it out.
November 1st, 2024 at 1:16 pm
Watching the defense routinely get shredded like taco cheese probably angers him too. It sure looks like the ship has sailed and the 2011 collapse ensues.
November 1st, 2024 at 4:03 pm
Nothing ventured; nothing gained. Mayfield critics on these pages don’t like the Drew Brees comparisons. Maybe they will ignore this one as well.
Drew Brees in his first 7 full years in the NFL, threw for 15 or more INT’s 5 times. Baker Mayfield in his first 6.5 years in the NFL threw 15INT’s or more ONCE. It remains to be seen how many total picks Mayfield will throw in 2024. The point is QB’s will throw for TD’s and INT’s. Both happen. Lebron James and Michael Jordan also miss foul shots. Brees INT’s will not prevent him from getting into the HOF.
November 1st, 2024 at 6:41 pm
Int’s are not so bad, as long as you win.. But if you lose, the Int’s are magnified.
And every QB throws Int’s.. Just saying.
November 1st, 2024 at 10:23 pm
Yet, picks keeps putting the defense on the field. It doesn’t matter how the pick happens. Can’t have it both ways. Can’t blame one and not the other with integrity.
The Bucs need to do a slow play clock killing offense that scores and protects the ball. This keeps our defense off the field as long as possible. But, we’re chasing stats and espn top 10s by trying to blowout team and not what win the game. I’m ok with a 17- 7 win if they wasted most of the time off the clock to protect the defense. Killing the clock can force our opponents to make a mistake due to lack of time.
November 2nd, 2024 at 11:40 am
More specifically, yell at the fraud who thinks he’s a defensive genius.