Matt Ryan: Baker Mayfield Is Third-Best QB In NFC Playoffs
January 7th, 2025
How good is Baker Mayfield?
Well, today offensive coordinator Liam Coen called Mayfield “the modern day Brett Favre.”
Sorry, Coach. Joe can’t go that far. At Mayfield’s age, Favre was a three-time league MVP and a Super Bowl champ. But Joe gets it. Favre and Mayfield had similar styles and played the position with a similar mentality and love of the game. And Mayfield has posted extraordinary numbers the past two seasons.
A less biased view of Mayfield’s play came this week from Matt Ryan, the former Falcons star QB.
After 15 seasons with the Falcons and Colts, Ryan now works for CBS and was asked to rank the NFC playoff quarterbacks. He put Mayfield at No. 3 after Jared Goff and Matt Stafford.
Ryan lauded Mayfield for his overall performance this season, as well as for intangibles like being “gutsy” and “competitive.”
After Mayfield, Ryan had (in order) Sam Darnold, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels and Jordan Love.
Joe likes the ranking of Mayfield at No. 3. It’s still a quarterback-driven league and the Bucs with Mayfield are in excellent position again to win a playoff game or two (or three?).
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January 7th, 2025 at 6:30 pm
At this point in Bake’s career, I think he’s better than Stafford is this year.
January 7th, 2025 at 6:31 pm
Sounds good. Means we beat the Commoders.
January 7th, 2025 at 6:32 pm
No. 3 is accurate. As for the Farve comparison, if he doesn’t take money from poor people, he’s better in my book.
January 7th, 2025 at 6:38 pm
If you go by importance to team he’s by far number one
January 7th, 2025 at 6:39 pm
Farve was in a better spot with Green Bay than Baker with Cleveland but stat wise very similar after 7 years
January 7th, 2025 at 6:41 pm
At least in some ways, Baker definitely reminds me of Favre, who’s one of my all-time favorite players.
January 7th, 2025 at 6:42 pm
And this year it’s not even close Baker had a far better season than Stafford
January 7th, 2025 at 6:56 pm
If you’re just talking metrics I don’t see how he’s in front of Stafford
January 7th, 2025 at 6:57 pm
err swap that around…mutter mutter
January 7th, 2025 at 7:13 pm
Bucs” road to NFC Championship game:
1st round
Bucs over Commanders
Rams over Vikings
Eagles over Packers
Divisional Round
Bucs over Eagles
Lions over Rams
Championship
Bucs vs Lions
January 7th, 2025 at 7:20 pm
The rankings are kinda wacky to me, I don’t see in what world Matt Stafford is a top 2 QB outside of the NFC West or teams that play in LA. Good QB all time, but he ain’t what he used to be even since 2021. Baker at 3 is understandable, I would probably put him just behind Jared Goff personally but top 3 makes sense from an unbiased perspective.
January 7th, 2025 at 7:34 pm
I don’t think we’ve seen the best of baker mayfield. You see the bucs coaches just now have figured out they have a stud horse at running back. That’s right it took them the better part of sixteen games to figure this out. Now that they realize who the man is, baker is going to have much more time to throw the rock because of the dual home run threat on every carry.
Better late than never! Go bucs
January 7th, 2025 at 7:38 pm
Alan. Nice
Rather have Rams over Lions, but I’ll take it🙂
January 7th, 2025 at 7:41 pm
Beyond awesome if Green Bay wins—Eagles appear to be starting their 3rd string qb
January 7th, 2025 at 7:44 pm
Bakers #’s would be outa of site if Godwin did not get hurt. Godwin was having a record year and Bucs would of won 2 to 3 games more, maybe even 4.
January 7th, 2025 at 7:46 pm
Better than Stafford this year and a toss up on Goff.
January 7th, 2025 at 7:52 pm
Baker really better than both Goff and Stafford. Goff plays behind the best Offensive Line since The Greatest Show on Earth. Statistically this year, Goff and Baker in a dead heat. Matthews still one of the best pure passers to ever play; but, he hasn’t been quite the same since Super Bowl year. Baker needs to be more careful on the scrambles. Nothing wrong with getting down with an early slide. Need him to be healthy for NFC Championship which is where Bucs are headed this year.
January 7th, 2025 at 8:24 pm
I’m not the biggest Baker fan, but I’d take him over Goff or Stafford at this point of his career. With that said, I’d put Daniels at #1, he’s running a much inferior offensive scheme and still looks amazing. Then, really, it’s probably Baker at #2. Pushing Hurts down the list is difficult, because you just know in an offense built around him he’d be so difficult to stop – but as an actual QB he’d be near the bottom of the list. For Darnold, I’d need to see him win in the playoff before I’d star believing, and even then it would be tough (but with that said I haven’t watched a lot of him other than his horrific game on Sunday night).
January 7th, 2025 at 8:40 pm
goff and stafford basically just swapped teams for success…
farve was fun to watch…baker is fun to watch…
but only one of them was swapping d!ck pics…! 🙂
and it wasn’t baker…
he was too busy sleeping on a cot in the cleveland stadium boiler room
January 7th, 2025 at 9:01 pm
Bake has outplayed Stanford by a decent margin IMO. He needs to cut out some turnovers and he’d be in the MVP conversation.
January 7th, 2025 at 9:03 pm
Rod Munch not bad for what is it that you call him a “middling qb”?
January 7th, 2025 at 9:40 pm
I’ll listen to his opinion when he admits he did nothing in his career to earn the moniker “Matty Ice”. Until then…. Sshhhhhhh….Matthew Ryan. Bake has more talent in his pinky finger.
January 7th, 2025 at 9:45 pm
Frankly, both Goff and Darnold looked like halftards for much of the game. Goff woke up in Q4, but DannyC had his rag tag group of waitresses and bartenders believing they were Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks. And they played like it. And the 4th string scrubs played press man on Jefferson and Addison and shut them down. They made Darnold look like he was back at Carolina.
Coaching. A novel concept.
As far as Mattress Ryan’s take, Mayfield > Stafford at this point but I agree that Jayden Daniels is now the top of class of NFC QBs.
January 7th, 2025 at 9:49 pm
BakerFan
Even better, Rod Munch before Mayfield ever played a down for the Bucs called him the “worst QB in the NFL”……
Many fans were still calling for Trask throughout much of last season….its unreal how long it took to make the Trask mob fully shut up.
January 7th, 2025 at 9:51 pm
Where did Matt Ryan rank Kyle Trask?
January 7th, 2025 at 9:56 pm
would rank Baker over Stafford
January 7th, 2025 at 10:05 pm
MVP
January 7th, 2025 at 10:08 pm
Rod Munch is right sometimes. Daniels is scary talented. I was scared to death of him on opening day. Imagine if Baker could run like him! The AFC is the loaded QB conference right now. For us to win Sunday it’s gonna take a total team effort and an excellent game plan. I’m hoping our running game and the OLine are the stars of this game. Of course me being a big fan of the Bucs I vote Baker the best overall QB on that list.
January 7th, 2025 at 10:17 pm
Now, now, now, kids it’s a small step for Munchman. Let’s be gracious about his left handed Mayfield compliment. Who knows after Baker gets Bucs to a SuperBowl victory, maybe the Munchster will replace his Tom Brady bedroom poster with a Baker poster?
Munchman, you have taken one small step for Baker before your giant Mayfield leap.
January 7th, 2025 at 10:28 pm
Is there any QB, in the NFC right now, that you would want over Baker?
January 7th, 2025 at 10:32 pm
Gipper it may take a second Super Bowl but we’ve got him trending in the right direction, don’t we!
January 7th, 2025 at 10:34 pm
Cannon. NO. HELL NO.
January 7th, 2025 at 10:45 pm
I believe we can compete and beat anyone. I say this because Baker has been tremendous, Mike has been great but Bucky Irving and Jalen McMillan have been difference makers. Their contributions have made the offense hard to stop. This is why I believe we are going to the Super Bowl
January 7th, 2025 at 10:57 pm
Bakers the best in NFC compared to Geoff bakers not stationary Geoff is a statue if the defense gets after Geoff he is not the same go back to game 2 this year Geoff was terrible against the bucs cause the D was all over him it was awesome he looks like an old lady when under pressure
January 7th, 2025 at 11:08 pm
Watch the game Sunday baker was awesome watch it close he really had 2 more TD drops 1 was Evans I forgive him for that but he hit some unbelievable dimes in crunch time he only over threw 1 bomb pass to Evans the other guestionable plays can from coen
January 7th, 2025 at 11:11 pm
If nothing else the chiefs need not want need to b dethroned,!
January 7th, 2025 at 11:35 pm
BakerBucs,
Goff can stand like a statue (Kirk Cousins style) because he has a great line and almost unlimited time to throw. Bucs pass protection is still a work in progress. Baker got way too much pressure vs NO.
Two guys on Goff line made Pro Bowl and two others are Pro Bowl alternates. Pennes Sewell many believe is the best OT in football.
Detroit built that team the right way with muscle on both O and D lines as a first priority. When hopeless last place team draft a QB first, usually little good happens to that QB. Just ask Bears Caleb Williams and before him Justin Fields.
January 7th, 2025 at 11:46 pm
S
January 7th, 2025 at 11:55 pm
Tbbucs3 Says:
January 7th, 2025 at 9:49 pm
BakerFan
Even better, Rod Munch before Mayfield ever played a down for the Bucs called him the “worst QB in the NFL”……
———
The two seasons before coming here, Baker was literally the worst rated QB in football. Literally.
Last year, he was extremely middling.
This year, in the Coen scheme, which has been a fantastic fit, Baker has mostly been great – which I’ve been saying all year.
Why you Baker Boi(s) get so upset with people praising Baker has he has improved, and pretend like he didn’t sign a $4m deal, and didn’t get a middling contract extension last year, is beyond me. Why not just be happy that people are actually praising Baker has he plays better? Oh right, I know why, because you’re all a bunch of nutjobs who watched Baker doing TV commercials and how he lived in the stadium and what a swell guy he is, and how he’s your friend, and you must protect him by going through his trash and finding anything controversial that the ‘haters’ might use against him – and because of that, now Baker owes you…
January 8th, 2025 at 12:04 am
Kenton Smith – Daniels looks amazing, but man, put him in an offense that isn’t just a bunch of predictable screen passes, give him a 2nd WR, a TE who isn’t over the hill and a good RB (I don’t think Brian Robinson Jr. is anything special) and he’s going to put up HOF numbers.
With that said, as of today, the Bucs still have the better offense. Hopefully. In week one the team had Godwin put up a line of 8-83-1 and hopefully McMillan can fill that role. On the plus side, Coen has really improved over the year and the run game is greatly improved, and the blocking is worlds better than week one.
On defense, Bowles normally will be aggressive vs running QBs, and gives guys like Hurts a really hard time, and Daniels struggled as well, but again, it was his first start in the NFL, so I wouldn’t take a lot from that game.
January 8th, 2025 at 12:22 am
Rod Munch-that’s how we win Sunday. As a team. I think we have the better team. This Daniels won 3 games this year on final play game winning throws. He’s the league’s newest star. Our OLine and running backs have to play big. Our defense has to fly around in a very foul mood. This kid Daniels likes the big stage and he has the character and the smarts to back up that ability. We better play complementary football or we’ll be one and done.
January 8th, 2025 at 12:29 am
Well, Baker is certainly a bargain for $30 mil. I hope he has a few incentives that triggered. Heck, he is Donly due $30 million next year too. I don’t remember the incentives. Heck only $20 million is guaranteed next year. Dirt cheap for what he delivers. Our cap should be good enough to sign a decent linebacker or two. My hope is beat Washington and Green Bay and LA win and we get the Rams here.
January 8th, 2025 at 12:32 am
Well, Baker is certainly a bargain for $30 mil. I hope he has a few incentives that triggered. He is only due $30 million next year too. I don’t remember the incentives. Heck only $20 million is guaranteed next year. They will be glad to pay the whole $30.
Dirt cheap for what he delivers. Our cap should be good enough to sign a decent linebacker or two. My hope is beat Washington and Green Bay and LA win and we get the Rams here.
January 8th, 2025 at 12:41 am
Really? In these playoffs, you’re going to take rookie Jayden Daniels over Baker or Hurts? You still drinking the flouride? Baker as a rookie had Hue Jackson, Todd Haley, and then Freddie Kitchens running a pathetic offensive scheme with … jarvis landry as his no. 1, donovan the people’s jones, and rashard higgins. Baker, playing 13.5 games broke the record for td passes as a rookie and led the 1-31 Browns to 7 wins. So you jock ride Daniels but don’t give Baker any credit for being a great QB?
Daniels will have a much harder time next year; anything Kingsbury touches turns to ash, and defenses will have an offseason to break down Daniel’s game.
Goff is good until you stop the run game and get pressure up the middle, because what happens when you pressure Goff up the middle? He throws picks. When the interior oline breaks down, which they are quite privy to doing, Baker escapes, stiff-arms all-pros, completes 4th down passes or runs 25 yards and put his pads on the guy trying to tackle him.
Stafford is old, a gunslinger too, and still a good qb, but I’m still taking Baker over Stafford due to this year’s production, and the fact that Matthew has to worry about his wife sleeping around with the backup QB (just kidding but not really; terrible decision-making there Matty).
As to Matt Ryan; he displayed his football acumen and unsurprisingly, it’s actually quite low. That’s the kind of acumen that blows 28-3 leads.
January 8th, 2025 at 12:42 am
3rd in the NFC?
THE NFC not the NFL?
Who’s better?
Goff (maybe), Stafford (too old), Hurts (nope), Daniels (not yet), and Darnold (nope).
Right now, this year I’m taking Baker over all of them.
January 8th, 2025 at 12:42 am
Rod, quit drinking the flouride my brother.
January 8th, 2025 at 1:00 am
Rod Munch with his panties in a tizzy because we, the Baker fans, were right, and he, the bozo, was wrong. Again. He, bozo supreme, thought the Bucs would struggle to beat 6 games at one point this off season. He thought Baker was ‘middling’ last year. Why? Because of his QBR rank. Despite being top 10 in every stat that mattered with a middling PLAYCALLER in Canales, he INSISTED, and continues to insist that Baker was simply okay.
This year? Baker’s still merely 13th in the NFL in his god-stat, the great QBR. If he were intellectually honest, he would still think Baker was middling, but the other stats clearly demonstrate QBR is bunk, with Baker top 5 in everything that actually matters, with an admittedly good playcaller in Coen.
Once again, the smart people (Baker fans) bet on the over on 7.5. The smart people (Baker fans) bet on another division title on 3-1 odds. The smart people laughed all the way to the bank, just like last year. The bozos like Munch get to whine about how everyone is being mean about how utterly wrong they were. Be smart kids. Don’t be a bozo.
January 8th, 2025 at 1:46 am
CallTheSaltTruck- I’m heading up to Pittsburgh Kansas tomorrow to cash in on my modest wager on Bucs Division Title. The smart people(Baker fans) like their steak medium rare. And their beer cold!
January 8th, 2025 at 6:22 am
Unpopular opinion… Favre wasn’t that great and never was. Threw more picks than INTs multiple times, led the league in INTs multiple times, and never won ANYTHING without good running game and GREAT defense. No. Mayfield isn’t the modern day Brett Favre but Jameis Winston is. Winston is Favre 2.0 but the game demands better execution and consistency than Favre ever played with.
January 8th, 2025 at 8:27 am
Eff Brett Favre for laying down to give his buddy Strahan the single season record.
Eff that guy hard!
January 8th, 2025 at 9:45 am
The BDS bois are FINALLY beginning to see the light the other 99% have been talking about for several years now. Some people are just slower, that’s all.
January 8th, 2025 at 11:10 am
No munch Baker hasn’t improved and wasn’t the worst qb. He had a fractured shoulder and a completely torn labrum he played through. And you like to quote that period as he was the worst qb in the league while all the time he was one of the best playing hurt to give you a way to prove your ignorance and quote stats of a tough qb playing through the pain. And boy did you prove your ignorance
January 8th, 2025 at 11:19 am
And just for your information munch, the reason fans get so annoyed with you BDS boys is due to your comments being so far removed from reality it offends the senses and we are bound to stand up to such stupidity. So in the future try and make an effort to keep your comments within the bounds of reason and you can keep from being embarrassed over and over again.
January 8th, 2025 at 12:06 pm
The closer to the playoffs we get, the better Baker plays. His last 3 game passer rating is 118.2. That ranks him second behind the teams who are going to be playing in the playoffs. This should put the Bucs in a good position to win. The best position they have been in, in a while.
January 8th, 2025 at 5:06 pm
Well this is Baker,s third playoff Rodeo. The other 2 he stomped teams in the first round. The one thing consistent about this inconsistent QB is he raises his level of play in the playoffs. I dont think Daniels is ready for playoff football. i think Todd will confuse him.
In other news the Brain Dead Browns found out Watson had a relapse and will need another surgery all but wiping out 2025. Karma gets you every time.
January 8th, 2025 at 7:27 pm
He is as good as any of them in the NFC.
If Rams and Packers win Bucs could wind up playing at home all the way throug to Super Bowl. Darnold laid an egg Sunday and Hurts might not play with his concussion. Lions defense is still beat up.
I could see it happening for Baker and the Bucs this year!
January 8th, 2025 at 9:51 pm
RodMunchman,
Ok….We get it. The reason that Baker is grudgingly acceptable to you today is he listened to you and applied your encouraging criticism. Thanks for straightening out SI’s college QB of the century.
January 8th, 2025 at 10:14 pm
How about that throw to McMillan on 4th & 8?? Then that 40 yard, all arm, on the run dime he threw to McMillan in the corner Brady called ridiculous?!?! It’s great watching this middling quarterback!!
January 9th, 2025 at 5:26 am
It’s crazy how Munch gets under the Joe’s skin. Rod Munch has been cautiously optimistic in his view of Baker Mayfield this year. Last year not so much, he made statements and assessments about B.M. the way he saw them. He was a non believer based on his track record. I appreciate Rod coming back on here an giving credit to B.M. I say Rod Munch is a huge Bucs fan and a Baker Mayfield fan. Read his comments he wants the Bucs to win more than most on here. This is my view as a 1976 Bucs fan. Keepum coming Rod I will keep reading them.