“We Go Back To The Tom Brady Debate Or Controversy”
January 2nd, 2025
Ryan Fitzpatrick talks Baker Mayfield.
So Harvard-man Amazon analyst and 17-year NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was diving into the Bucs this week.
Two seasons with Tampa Bay (2017-2018) and multiple years living in Tampa afterwards make Fitzpatrick an extra-interesting listen for Joe. And this week on his podcast Fitzpatrick carved out time to talk about Baker Mayfield.
All of Mayfield’s A-list intagibles, per Fitzpatrick, are now matched by elite statistics. And Fitzpatrick is so impressed, he thinks the Bucs can make a postseason run.
Most interesting to Joe was Fitzpatrick buying into the Mayfield comment months ago when he claimed the Bucs asked him to “bring the joy back to football” for teammates that had lost it under the stress of Tom Brady.
“We go back to the Tom Brady debate or controversy earlier in the year,” Fitzpatrick said. “They asked him to come in, to bring joy back to football for the guys that weren’t having any fun, and you want to talk about the perfect quarterback to do that. And yes, he’s doing that but he’s doing it now at an elite level to where he’s going to get [the Bucs] in the playoffs. Like we talked about, they’re going to make some noise.”
“I love the Bucs in the playoffs. Let’s just hope that they take care of business [Sunday] and get in, which they should.”
Lost in the Bucs’ run, winning five of six games, is the improvement of Mayfield through a career year, and him becoming cemented as the Bucs’ franchise quarterback.
Mayfield has become a beloved figure across the Bay area and Joe knows he’s beloved in all corners of One Buc Palace.
He has brought a lot of joy back to Bucs football that went missing in 2022. But Joe can’t hang all that lost joy on Brady, though.
Todd Bowles was still adjusting as a surprise head coach and Byron Leftwich had no answers for his impotent offense.
January 2nd, 2025 at 10:45 am
Baker was asked to bring joy after 3 years TB12.
I’d counter that with …
TB12 was asked to bring winning after 18 years of losing to Joe’s “Den of Depression.”
January 2nd, 2025 at 10:55 am
A has been hating on Brady
Could care less what he says
January 2nd, 2025 at 10:55 am
His best quality is his leadership. That’s not a knock against his playing abilities. It was clear TB12 lost the team in train camp his last season with the baby mama drama.
January 2nd, 2025 at 10:57 am
This from Joe today—->Mayfield has become a beloved figure across the Bay area and Joe knows he’s beloved in all corners of One Buc Palace.
Got it DavidBigBucsFan99? You would call Joe a Baker Boie. The rest of us just call Joe, smart. Going to invite you and Muncher to get aboard the Baker/Bucs train. All you need do is say that you were wrong and the war is over.
January 2nd, 2025 at 11:01 am
I’d wager the vast majority of the no fun thing was centered around Brady’s last season
January 2nd, 2025 at 11:34 am
Brady wasn’t focused on football with the Bucs in his last season. He wanted to play in Miami so he could be closer with his family. The divorce was a distraction for him. He was thinking about his options.
Mayfield is focused on football. He loves playing, and his enthusiasm is contagious. He has a passion for the game that Brady lost. The offense has been great, but Godwin could take it to a whole new level. Hopefully he can play in the playoffs. Go Bucs
January 2nd, 2025 at 11:40 am
Mentioning Fitzpatrick in the same sentence as Brady is a disgrace to all Buc fans everywhere. There is a reason why Fitzpatrick and (Mayfield) were shopped around so much. I am excited that Mayfield is starting to live up to his Heisman credentials after being kicked around for so many years. Brady did what he was suppose to do with our Bucs, WIN. Joe, you and Fitzpatrick belong together. Brady haters to the end. Keeping it real in Ireland.
January 2nd, 2025 at 11:42 am
Fitz loves taking low key shots at Brady. Nothing to see here.
January 2nd, 2025 at 11:52 am
Say what you want about Brady but he was the big reason why the culture changed in Tampa. We would probably be stuck in another lost decade if it wasn’t for Brady coming in. We should have had back to back championships but Bowles blew it in the Rams game during the playoffs in Brady second year with the Bucs.
January 2nd, 2025 at 11:52 am
Bucs lucky to have Baker!
January 2nd, 2025 at 11:57 am
Brady brought a LOT of joy to Tampa Bay, especially during the boat parade. 🙂
January 2nd, 2025 at 12:01 pm
Super Bowl victory boat parades are fun.
January 2nd, 2025 at 12:07 pm
Fitz is just mad that Brady doesnt respect him. Lol
January 2nd, 2025 at 12:16 pm
@SlyPirate…correct. Who cares if you bring “joy” back to playing football if you’re not winning games and/or championships. Brady brought the level of intensity/focus from New England that won him 6-Superbowles over a 15-year period, which eventually got another one here in Tampa. You look at our first Super Bowl, and there are a lot of similarities when it came to the seriousness of our defensive star players and Brady.
This team post-Brady has been notorious for starting off a season strong, winning games we’re not supposed to win, and then dropping an egg the week after to what is deemed as an inferior team to us. I’m not at their practice, so I don’t know if intensity drops or how laissez-faire their demeanor appears after big wins, but JBF has reported on multiple occasions that the players comment that it “may” have gone a little bit to their heads. 4-game losing streaks don’t happen under Tom.
I was hoping Brady would change the culture for a bit at OneBuc, but not having the right Alphas to carry that torch, eventually it falls to guys like Baker, who wants to win, has Moxy and swag but has yet to show he’s “a killer” when this team needs him the most… Not every game will be a blow out win in the 4Q for Baker, most NFL games are won/loss by one score or less, and it’s in those moments with the game is on the line that a QB leads their team down the field for the game winning score, those that do it consistently are killers.
Case in point, Baker’s classic reaction when Mahomes won the coin toss in OT… he knew the killer was getting the ball first.
January 2nd, 2025 at 12:16 pm
Fitz is just still upset Brady wouldn’t shake his hand
January 2nd, 2025 at 12:19 pm
Honestly, Baker should be #2 in MVP discussion behind Lamar. He has been incredible this season.
Probably the 9-7 record works against him, but two of those losses are on boneheaded fumbles by RBs and the D has let him down over and over. Baker gives us a chance in every game but Denver.
January 2nd, 2025 at 12:28 pm
Love Brady,, love Baker ,, there is room to love both
January 2nd, 2025 at 12:38 pm
Read a long story on Leftowich yesterday. He hasn’t received a job offer since his last year as an OC here. The writer felt he was made a scapegoat for the teams poor offensive performance that year. Hey dude, when you are the head of the unit who else should you blame, the left guard.
January 2nd, 2025 at 12:42 pm
Timbucs2 – The 9-7 season also includes, if I recall correctly, two overtime losses which were decided by the coin toss. Bucs never got a single play in either OT game. (Bowles haters will say it’s because he cannot coach a coin toss?)
January 2nd, 2025 at 12:48 pm
I love how sensitive everyone gets about “their” QB’s. We are extremely lucky to have gotten both of them. It is forgotten that this team never had a QB as good as either one in the history of the franchise.
January 2nd, 2025 at 12:58 pm
Lightningvinny Says:
January 2nd, 2025 at 12:28 pm
Love Brady,, love Baker ,, there is room to love both
————————————————————–
Of course.
January 2nd, 2025 at 1:06 pm
Brady is an unlikeable guy that was very good at playing NFL quarterback. Fitz is a likable guy that was never elite for a full season but had elite months.
January 2nd, 2025 at 1:08 pm
I really find this subject one of the stupidest things.
Winning is fun.
Brady brought a lot of fun to us the fans after decade of losing.
I dont understand why they try to make this a controversy.
Brady is Brady. Baker is Baker.
Personally if i was a player i would prefer to win SBs and a lot of games. I would be having fan after the games and practices.
Move on.
January 2nd, 2025 at 1:15 pm
The last year soured the team on Brady because he didn’t want to play for the Bucs and he missed a week of camp to go to costa rica to handle his divorce. He was the leader and he was unfocused and lost in a period of transition during his life. Consequently, he lost the lockerroom. Doesn’t mean they don’t have good relationships.
January 2nd, 2025 at 1:19 pm
Love that guy
Talk about a man who played hard and aggressively for this team
January 2nd, 2025 at 1:30 pm
And what did Fitz actually win? Did he even win a playoff game? As I recalled, his team got destroyed whenever he faced Brady.
S o Brady had a lousy 3rd year. No one is perfect and no one is Superman. He thought he had a magical marriage and got a knife in the back instead. Is it too hard to have empathy.
January 2nd, 2025 at 1:37 pm
Brady brought more then just fun to the Bucs, he brought a champion attitude. Look at you guys, many want to fire a better than .500 coach because being mediocre is not good enough. Making the playoffs aren’t good enough. You think you should be going deep in the playoff and competing for a SB. You have a top 3 offense but upset because you only have an ok defense. Many of you were lukewarm to Mayfield when he was playing good and only now all in for him that he is playing elite.
Dang you guys don’t sound like the Bucs but the Patriots back when they were winning championships.
January 2nd, 2025 at 1:49 pm
BradyGronk: during Fitz’s time at Miami he oversaw their transition from perpetual losers to a respectable team. He had a masterful game against Brady and the Pats in 2018 or 19, won it at the end. I really wanted to see where he could take that team the next season, but they switched to Tua
January 2nd, 2025 at 1:50 pm
Winning a Super Bowl and making MILLIONS is very stressful. Stress is your friend. Allow me to play a sad violin.
January 2nd, 2025 at 2:03 pm
The Bucs looked very joyful at RJS in January 2021…….Just Sayin. All these cupcakes complaining about not finding joy making a minimum six figures and most times 7 figures to work hard and play a game for a living. Brady loved the grind, the preparation, the work and everything it took year after year to play at a high level in the NFL and not very many players are built like him. I am sure the Jets, Giants, Saints, Bears, Jags, Patriots, Titans and whoever else lost 10 or more games this year would love to have some that lack of “JOY” in their locker rooms if it meant that they would stop sucking at Football.
January 2nd, 2025 at 2:09 pm
ohn Sinclear Says:
January 2nd, 2025 at 12:42 pm
Timbucs2 – The 9-7 season also includes, if I recall correctly, two overtime losses which were decided by the coin toss. Bucs never got a single play in either OT game. (Bowles haters will say it’s because he cannot coach a coin toss?)
They lost because Bowles is a DC by trade and is having trouble getting any offense with a pulse off the field and keeping them from scoring on every possession. Bowles needs to hire a competent DC in 2025 and be the “CEO” Head Coach and lets see what happens.
January 2nd, 2025 at 2:11 pm
Whineng millionairs do not float my boat. Dust off.
January 2nd, 2025 at 2:19 pm
Go away Fitz….I have lost all respect for u. What a punk. Disgusting. Maybe he can play in the Woman’s Football team or something.
January 2nd, 2025 at 2:26 pm
This is another soap opera sports story.
Conflict for clicks.
Brady and TB was always about Tom Brady and not the bucs.
And most importantly, Brady is history., Baker is now.
I love Fitz. He may not have been as successful as Brady in his playing days (who is?) but he’s a better broadcaster 🤣
Now where are all the Brady boys idolizing over their man crush….. Ohhh Tom – lol
January 2nd, 2025 at 2:46 pm
The whole Brady vs Baker beef was so stupidly overblown.
Brady’s way of leadership is that winning is all that matters which is absolutely fantastic for a team when you have the GOAT at QB, when you have a guy thats won more than anyone else in history then making football solely about winning works and works well. But then they lost Brady and they were expecting down years, all of a sudden you had a locker room full of people who only cared about winning who were likely to do a whole lot of losing which would not have gone well.
They brought Baker in because they saw what he did in LA, he revitalized the lifeless corpse of the 2022 Rams who had given up on the season due to injury and they wanted Baker to do that for the Bucs and he did exactly that and far more than anyone could have imagined. Licht is a great judge of talent but im sure even in his wildest fantasies he didn’t have Baker breaking the franchise single season passer rating & completion percentage in his 2nd year along with having a top 5 franchise season in every other important QB metric such as passing TD’s & Passing yards.
January 2nd, 2025 at 3:18 pm
This always gets to Baker’s head
January 2nd, 2025 at 3:27 pm
Okay Joe, can we can the Methusaleh12 posts? I could care less. I just want the Bucs to win Sunday. If Beker is worrying about past history, he shouldn’t be playing. Go Bucs!!
January 2nd, 2025 at 7:11 pm
The drama around the having fun stuff is just nonsense.
2 different QBs, 2 different styles of play.
And I love Baker. But the fact is if you could take either one of them in their primes, you’re still going to take Brady 10 times out of 10. He was an absolute assassin outside of his very last season in the NFL at age 45.
January 2nd, 2025 at 8:24 pm
unbelievable Says:
January 2nd, 2025 at 7:11 pm
The drama around the having fun stuff is just nonsense.
2 different QBs, 2 different styles of play.
And I love Baker. But the fact is if you could take either one of them in their primes, you’re still going to take Brady 10 times out of 10. He was an absolute assassin outside of his very last season in the NFL at age 45.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Still haven’t seen Baker in his prime. He is just getting started. And, no, I didn’t think or say Baker is better than Brady; but, I think the next ten years will be fun and interesting. The best we can do is compare any QB, including Brady, first 7 years against Baker first 7 years. Baker holds up really well statistically against most all competition. And finally, no QB wins SuperBowls by themselves. Pretty sure Brady would agree.
January 2nd, 2025 at 11:27 pm
Brady was fun–we were winning and relevant. Baker is fun too–he is the ultimate Buc. Baker is making the Bucs relevant too. The key to keeping this going is Liam Coen.
January 3rd, 2025 at 1:09 am
“bring the joy back to football”
Hey Baker!!! But, But But I wanted some milk and cookies too!
Man! I never get to have any fun! 🙂
Go Bucs!
January 3rd, 2025 at 9:40 am
No doubt Brady is the GOAT. The positive impact he had on this team was phenomenal. However, any sort of mythical after effects is questionable. In New England his final three season they avg. 12 wins the following three seasons it was 8 wins. His final season here he had a down year which seems, as their leader, to have lingered throughout the team. So the talk about bringing “joy” back was no doubt referring to that. Likewise, the positive effect Baker has had on the players has been phenomenal as well. Sometimes the simplest answer is the one that’s most likely.
Secure Coen 2025
January 3rd, 2025 at 2:16 pm
The Bucs NEED to keep Liam and Baker together. What that means for Bowles, does not matter to me.
As for Fitzpatrick, is it just me, or does he just annoy the heck out others as well?
January 4th, 2025 at 10:31 pm
Not just you David.
He is taking some pretty cheap shots at Brady and sadly, is getting help from some to do it.
Go Bucs!