Fumbling Baker Mayfield
May 18th, 2023
Nasty habit.
Bucs fans know all about fumbles from their quarterback. Jameis Winston led the NFL in quarterback fumbles back in 2017.
Somehow, Jameis fumbled 15 times in 13 games that season. Yeah, yeah, blame Donovan Smith.
Joe realized this week that new Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield picked up the fumble bug last season during his stops with the Panthers and Rams. In 10 starts, Mayfield coughed up the rock nine times. That was the Mayfield had ever fumbled in a season.
Former Jets personnel chief and linebackers coach Pat Kirwan was barking on SiriusXM NFL Radio about how that’s a red flag on Mayfield that cannot be ignored.
So Joe wonders whether new Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales was trying to send Mayfield a message when he spoke recently about what it would take to win the Bucs’ starting quarterback job.
” ,,. That’s going to be the determining factor, really, is who takes care of the ball. And then the bonus is who pushes it down the field,” Canales said of the Mayfied/Kyle Strask quarterback competition.
For those curious, Tom Brady fumbled just 17 times in 57 total Bucs games, despite dropping back to pass a truly historic amount of times in Tampa Bay’s pass-happy offense.
Kirwan also grumbled about Mayfield taking too many sacks, averaging about 1 sack for every 10 dropbacks, which is a brutally high number.
The good news for Joe is that Mayfield had strong seasons as a rookie in 2018, and again in 2020. He didn’t give the ball away too much and didn’t eat a lot of sacks. So he is capable.
Man, if Mayfield could just duplicate his 2020 season this year, aka clean up his act, Bucs fans will be moaning about playoff tickets in January rather than upcoming draft picks.
May 18th, 2023 at 11:07 pm
I have a rotor cuff problem in my right shoulder for years and I have problems even lifting a mug of beer, I cant even imagine playing in the NFL with a broken shoulder swinging around my arm and being pounded by 350lb linemen, I expect The Faker will return to form this season and surpass his 2020 campaign statistics, dont forget Baker right now is about the only player thats the best faker in the NFL, Buc’s easily win 10 plus reg season games,
May 18th, 2023 at 11:33 pm
He had the league’s best running attack those years that’s why Maybefield played average. Everytime the team on his shoulder he plays like what he is, hot garbage!
May 18th, 2023 at 11:48 pm
If he puts the ball on the ground, takes too may sacks, or throws picks, Trask will win the job. It’s just that simple. For whatever Trask may or may not have to offer, I don’t see him as a QB who will turn the ball over. That may be enough.
May 18th, 2023 at 11:58 pm
Man, if Mayfield could just duplicate his 2020 season this year, aka clean up his act, Bucs fans will be moaning about playoff tickets in January rather than upcoming draft picks.”
With less than a 40% winning record? Which is the best Mayfield has done? I highly doubt it.
I’me just hoping he lasts until the bye week. Then put in Trask and stay with him. He’s either thrive or dive. Both would be good things.
May 19th, 2023 at 12:02 am
Bassuka Brownshave never had the best running game in the NFL. Which says all anyone needs to know about you. Do roll on your back and pre on your stomach when thinking about Mayfield.
May 19th, 2023 at 12:22 am
Mayfield is a fierce competitor, and if his game improves due to his maturation process we could very well be in great shape. We shall see.
May 19th, 2023 at 12:25 am
Why does everyone act like this dude got paid big money and is going to live up to Brady? He’s in a break or make year. The bucs aren’t exactly going to be a super bowl contender especially with todd bowles at head coach and no cap. If baker plays great then we outdid ourselves, if not, we get a top 5 pick and get our guy. He literally cannot be any worse than Jameis.
May 19th, 2023 at 12:40 am
KNOW YOUR HISTORY
In 2020 Mayfield led the Browns to the AFC Championship. The Browns got hosed by the refs. They should have played the Bucs in the SB. Baker was even in the MVP discussion.
If Baker plays like 2020, the Bucs will be too 3 in the NFC.
May 19th, 2023 at 2:29 am
LOL Baker is a bum. So many delusional people.
May 19th, 2023 at 6:27 am
The bums here are the silly ignorant fans and media types who claim to predict the future, that player X or team Y is destined to do this or that, long before a single day of training camp.
Everybody who claims to know what the future is is lying. Period.
That’s why they play the games.
May 19th, 2023 at 6:35 am
Might want to check that again sly
May 19th, 2023 at 6:39 am
The laws of physics. Its hard to hang on to the ball when you’re a midget getting hit by a monster.
May 19th, 2023 at 7:01 am
@Artificial Turf, so which RB duo was better than Chubb and Hunt? I’ll wait…
May 19th, 2023 at 7:26 am
Sacks AND fumbles? oh my!
As usual Kirwan is right!
He really doesn’t miss much.
Go Bucs!
May 19th, 2023 at 8:33 am
Mayfield stepped in to 0-19 Cleveland and set a rookie record for passing touchdowns in a season. He led them to the playoffs.
He didn’t just lose all that overnight. Something happened. Maybe he was too young for that success, and got irritated, because what he was suggesting wasn’t being followed. Who knows. The Browns were a train wreck. Bad management, bad owner. Carolina was also a train wreck.
Give the man some decent WRs, some good coaches, stable owners and management and a decent OL, and you’re going to see what the kid can do (again).
This team is boring. Uninteresting. Has no personalities, right now. This is exactly where a guy like Mayfield needs to be to revive his career. What he can do was demonstrated in that Rams game that he played in after two practices last year.
May 19th, 2023 at 9:15 am
Mayfield
— first pick in the draft. (By Cleveland, but still).
— led winless team to success.
— performed well (and won) playoff games.
Buc fans can dis him all they want. Mayfield was the best option available, and certainly the best choice for a team in salary cap hell. Scouting tells us he had talent coming out of college; history tells us he has performed at the pro level. There are some negatives, too — lost faith from management, shoulder injuries, personality — that could take him either way. See Drew Brees.
Let’s take a chill pill, have some hope, and have some fun.
May 19th, 2023 at 9:47 am
Lou Says: “Mayfield won playoff games.”
False. He won one (1) playoff game. He career playof record is 1-1 . . . same as Tim Tebow!
May 19th, 2023 at 10:26 am
I like Baker, but besides fumbles, he also can throw interceptions. And I mean spectacular game changing interceptions. I sure hope that changes with him here in Tampa.
May 19th, 2023 at 10:29 am
Running around to extend plays makes for more risks than anything else.
The O-line loses track of that QB, they trip and lose the ball, or try to force the ball downfiled without getting their feet set. That means interceptions.
Mayfly would be better as a pocket passer, but his brain keeps telling him to run, then it all goes to hell.
May 19th, 2023 at 12:39 pm
If Baker can get some protection, then he can make some plays. He is not a Tom Brady and he doesn’t fit the prototypical QB profile, being that he is smaller in stature. However, he can deliver solid drives when he plays well. I would say that we should wait and see how he does this fall. We have him on the cheap, so it’s a win-win situation.
May 20th, 2023 at 11:31 am
Not a baker fan. I wasn’t a Brady fan either but since they are n we’re Bucs I will root for them and root for them to do well. A lot of fans keep talking about his 2020 season. What I know is he had a better than average running game. That’s really what we need for either trask or baker. Our running game has to be light years better than last year. We don’t have Brady to help us get Ws in close games. I believe most games will be close this year n prob more than last year the X factor will be WHO will step up in the close games to get us the dubs. I think our defense will be as good or better than last year which they weren’t terrible. They did have their bad days but we did get better in the draft. I’m excited to see what this season brings. That’s the beauty of it none of us know
May 20th, 2023 at 11:47 am
I have been a Browns fan for 60 years, I am now a Baker Fan, thus, a Bucks fan. Baker was dealt a raw deal. Stefanski used Freddie’s old team in 2020. Baker could have beaten The Cheifs had the Browns had a DB under 40 years old. In the Pittsbug playoff game, a coach who played fair with Baker called the plays while Stefanski had covid. In 2021, both backs were hurt, off and on. O linemen were hurt. Baker was beaten up from the lack of support. In the Christmas game in GB, the Browns could still make the playoffs. Stefanski continued his horrible way of benching Chubb during a final series’ push to win. More Linebackers & DBz out there in Baker’s way. He was hung out to dry. You guys got a very good player. Enjoy him. I sure will. Danny Husak
May 20th, 2023 at 11:49 am
I have been a Browns fan for 60 years, I am now a Baker Fan, thus, a Bucks fan. Baker was dealt a raw deal. Stefanski used Freddie’s old team in 2020. Baker could have beaten The Cheifs had the Browns had a DB under 40 years old. In the Pittsbug playoff game, a coach who played fair with Baker called the plays while Stefanski had covid. In 2021, both backs were hurt, off and on. O linemen were hurt. Baker was beaten up from the lack of support. In the Christmas game in GB, the Browns could still make the playoffs. Stefanski continued his horrible way of benching Chubb during a final series’ push to win. More Linebackers & DBz out there in Baker’s way. He was hung out to dry. You guys got a very good player. Enjoy him. I sure will.
May 21st, 2023 at 5:15 pm
Joe or Danny? It’s Bucs not Bucks