Kurt Warner Thinks Bucs Offense Fits Baker Mayfield
August 16th, 2023
Talkin’ Baker Mayfield.
Regular listeners to the “Ira Kaufman Podcast” have heard one of the Joes refer to the Bucs offense with Baker Mayfield holding the joystick.
Despite it being a passing league, Bucs coach Todd Bowles wants a running offense. That’s fine, but teams must be able to pass effectively, maybe more than they desire.
Joe said all summer that it may not be smart to have Mayfield put the ball in the air 30+ times a game. So if Bowles wants a running offense, he may have found his quarterback, for now.
The typical NFL team averages about 33 throws per game. (The number actually was higher 10 years ago.) Mayfield’s record as a starter in games in which he throws the ball 35 or more times? He’s 6-19. Mayfield is 1-8 when the pass-attempt tally hits 40 or more in a game.
Another guy who thinks Mayfield shouldn’t be throwing much is Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.
You may have heard that Warner’s son, Kade, is a Bucs rookie undrafted receiver. Joe thinks he has a shot to stick around. He’s certainly had plenty of reps with the first team in camp.
Kurt Warner told Joe that what Bowles wants to do on offense might be just right for Mayfield.
“Obviously, I’ve seen more of Baker watching him through the years,” Warner said of the competition between Kyle Trask and Mayfield. “Baker is one of those quarterbacks that if you keep him in his wheelhouse, he can be a good quarterback.
“He has good instincts. He has that big arm that can push the ball down the field. And just watching the preseason game [on Friday], it looks like [the Bucs] are trying to establish the run. They want to be that kind of a team.
“So I think Baker can really thrive in that system.”
The Bucs must find a way to uncork their running game. It was the worst in the NFL last year and, Joe’s sorry, but Bucs running backs without pads and in touch-football camp practices haven’t blown Joe away.
Watching the Bucs’ ground game run to nowhere Friday night didn’t ease Joe’s mind.
Last SB I played in vs @steelers in @Buccaneers stadium… today my son plays his 1st game for the Bucs Vs Steelers in that same stadium!!! You can’t make this stuff up… & I never thought I’d cheer for TB, how quickly things change! #ProudPapa pic.twitter.com/Ogh2iFVCQL
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) August 11, 2023
August 16th, 2023 at 2:09 am
I don’t mind running the ball more as long as it eventually works and we don’t fall way behind.
I’ve always liked battering the defence with a big power back and then slip in a smaller really quick back. Thats probably old fashioned now.
August 16th, 2023 at 2:29 am
We must increase from half a yard per carry.
August 16th, 2023 at 2:32 am
Screw that turd. More like ST LOUIS SCAMS. I can’t believe any real Bucs fan would like this cheating bastard. The Bucs did not lose that NFC Championship game, it was rigged.
August 16th, 2023 at 3:13 am
The running back stable concerns me as im sure most and Baker had nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in Cleveland we don’t have a back nearly that talented here that’s a huge whiff when there were cheap serviceable backs and I don’t mean Zeke or dalvin there were better options 🤷
August 16th, 2023 at 3:31 am
Hate to break it to you Joe but if we are counting on coming from behind in any game we are gonna have to put the ball in the air more than we want to with Mayfield.
We simply can not get caught down by more than a TD in the second half. The defense is going to have to get those elusive three and outs and all those turnovers Bowles has been talking about.
Counting on a running game without an offensive line that can get the RB to more than 3 yards per carry is an iffy proposition for us this year. They showed some improvement but on short yardage Friday they failed.
Go Bucs!
August 16th, 2023 at 4:26 am
Bowles is ‘just right’ for Mayfield. ROFL. Bowles offense. Poor Canalas.
August 16th, 2023 at 5:34 am
HC Grover Says:
August 16th, 2023 at 4:26 am
Bowles is ‘just right’ for Mayfield. ROFL. Bowles offense. Poor Canalas.
^^^^^^^^
Another day, another whiny post from Habitual Complainer. Have you seen this offense in an actual NFL game? Can you shut you man pleaser until you see it in an actual game?
August 16th, 2023 at 5:57 am
‘Another guy who thinks Mayfield shouldn’t be throwing much is Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.’
Last year tells me that Warner is on to something. Mayfield won 3 games last season, 1 with the Panthers & 2 with the Rams.
His victory with the Panthers came against the Saints (22-14). Obviously the Panthers defense did well (including forcing 3 takeaways). The Panthers’ offense ran the ball 31 times (for 145 yards) & Mayfield threw it 25 times (for 170 yards) plus he took 3 sacks (minus 22 yards). Carolina had 0 giveaways. thus a PLUS 3 Turnover Differential. Despite that, the TOP was even at 30 minutes apiece. IOW, Carolina controlled the game on both sides of the ball.
His 1st victory with the Rams came against Raiders (17-16). Again, obviously the Rams defense did well (including forcing 2 takeaways). The Rams offense ran the ball 22 times (for 71 yards) & Mayfield threw it 35 times (for 230 yards) plus he took 4 sacks (for minus 19 yards). Rams had 1 giveaway, for a PLUS 1 Turnover Differential. Again the TOP was even at 30 minutes apiece. Close game, reflected in the score.
His 2nd victory with the Rams came against the Bronocs (51-14). Again, the Rams defense played very well (including forcing 4 takeaways). The Rams offense ran the ball 36 times (for 158 yards) & Mayfield threw it 28 times (for 230 yards) and he wasn’t sacked. Rams had no giveaways, for a PLUS 4 Turnover Differential. Rams dominated the TOP, 37-23 minutes. Needless to say, a runaway.
All 3 victories have a common theme, starting with the his defenses playing very well & forcing 9 turnovers in just 3 games, and his offense only committed 1 giveaway. Great start right there. Baker played effectively in each game, pretty much as a game manager supported by an effective running game. Wow, surprise, surprise. Exactly what Todd Bowles & Dave Canales are HOPING to get the Bucs to do this season.
August 16th, 2023 at 6:07 am
Or maybe he is saying this because his kid is on the team.
August 16th, 2023 at 6:39 am
So when a team can’t get 1 yard on 4tf or 4th down joes think it was a mistake to not draft a running back as if a new rookie would have somehow found a hole in that first preseason game. Sure looked to me like that o line was getting whooped.
August 16th, 2023 at 7:08 am
if they keep 7 does his son make the team?
evans
godwin
gage
palmer
thompkins
geiger
does he replace geiger as the 6th ?
August 16th, 2023 at 7:11 am
not much love in tpa for kurt warner after the bert emmanuel championship game…
so does the son get cut and get picked up where his father is more revered
August 16th, 2023 at 7:11 am
The problem with the run first approach is this team hasn’t been good at that in years. How many times on first down did they run up the gut for 1 yard and keep doing it. Second this team has two of the best WR in football yet instead of playing to there strengths they continue to beat a dead horse trying to do something they suck at and don’t have the offensive line for. They will have no choice to throw cause they will probably be so far behind by halftime.
August 16th, 2023 at 7:33 am
Another ex—NFL jock with an uninformed opinion. Their ubiquity is maddening!
Below is a list of all the first round QB’s selected since 2013. I omitted this year because none have played in a regular season NFL game.
Doesn’t take a genius to surmise that, despite the sprinkling of a few stars, most have been average to outright failures.
Some of you here wish the Bucs would tank to grab a first round “star” in the 2024 draft. And some, in both the media and here, have proclaimed Kyle Trask to be a failure.
But there’s one thing you’re overlooking, the failures below were given one thing Trask has yet to get—a chance to prove what they can or cannot do.
As a late second round pick, none of us knows how Trask will play in real game situations. To say he “sucks,” especially after a stellar college career (far superior to Anthony Richardson), is your prerogative, but without empirical evidence to back your claim, you come off as less than a fool.
None of us knows what we have in Trask until he plays in multiple real game conditions, including the coaches and GM. Example: see Brock Purdy
As the old saying goes; be careful what you wish for. Lots of broken dreams are still wafting around NFL cities from the failures below …
2013
Round 1: EJ Manuel (No. 16)
2014
Round 1: Blake Bortles (No. 3), Johnny Manziel (No. 22), Teddy Bridgewater* (No. 32)
2015
Round 1: Jameis Winston* (No. 1), Marcus Mariota (No. 2)
2016
Round 1: Jared Goff* (No. 1), Carson Wentz* (No. 2), Paxton Lynch (No. 26)R
2017
Round 1: Mitchell Trubisky* (No. 2), Patrick Mahomes* (No. 10), Deshaun Watson* (No. 12)
2018
Round 1: Baker Mayfield (No. 1), Sam Darnold (No. 3), Josh Allen* (No. 7), Josh Rosen (No. 10), Lamar Jackson* (No. 32)
2019
Round 1: Kyler Murray* (No. 1), Daniel Jones (No. 6), Dwayne Haskins (No. 15)
2020
Round 1: Joe Burrow* (No. 1), Tua Tagovailoa (No. 5), Justin Herbert* (No. 6), Jordan Love (No. 26)
2021
Round 1: Trevor Lawrence* (No. 1), Zach Wilson (No. 2), Trey Lance (No. 3), Justin Fields (No. 11), Mac Jones* (No. 15)
2022
Round 1: Kenny Pickett (No. 20)
August 16th, 2023 at 8:11 am
Bucs running backs without pads and in touch-football camp practices haven’t blown Joe away.-
The RB’s need to bust through the hole when it’s there, not dance around or slip-
this has been a problem.
August 16th, 2023 at 8:27 am
I was hoping our inability to run the ball in camp had to do with Vita. Sadly, doesn’t seem to be the case
August 16th, 2023 at 8:50 am
Expectations #1: Is to watch the Bucs to play some entertaining football.
Expectation #2. : Let the chips fall where they may.
Come on guys it football season….Let’s just enjoy the game.
August 16th, 2023 at 8:55 am
At the moment I think Baker can do more for the team as the starter.
I am a fan of Trask, but I think the Bucs will need more deception in their offense to start. Baker can get those happy feet rolling and make some mis-direction happen. It is more instinctive for him.
The team might be ready for a more staid QB later this season. That should be when Trask takes over. If it is ever ready it will be because of the O-line. If it is still a revolving door by the bye, this season is lost.
That does not mean it is time to tank for a high drafted QB. That is usually a wasted effort. unless the team either gets lucky or can develop a QB. Neither of those things are common to the Bucs.
August 16th, 2023 at 8:58 am
I don’t see where tipping your hand that you want to run the ball is going to do anything for this offense other than losing the time of possession. Teams that can run the ball effectively have strong offensive lineman.
Because of the pass oriented offense that Arians installed they have never had the kind of line that creates holes. They also have had backs that weren’t able to break tackles and get yards after contact.
They will need to scout practice squad players and veteran salary cap casualties for offensive lineman that can run block better than pass block.
Mayfield is mobile, he won’t just stand there like Trask did and let the rush crash in around him. Get some more offensive linemen now that can push defensive tackles around instead of waiting on the Goedke’s, Hainsey’s and Mauch’s to develop.
August 16th, 2023 at 9:00 am
Trying to fit Mayfield into this offense is a mistake , right now we do not have the running attack and limiting Mayfield’s throws to under 25 per game , and then only five yard dinks, combined with runs that average less than three yards per carry is a recipe for disaster, You could see it in the first preseason game , after the first couple of runs which gained acceptable yardage ,the Steelers discovered Mayfield was not going to throw much past the line of scrimmage so they tightened up , shutting down our running game, then Kyle came in and they loosened back up, we made some more good runs and Kyle made some very good passes and was racking up decent yardage but two penalties and three dropped passes ,(an offensive pass interference and a holding penalty, negated forty yards of offense right there), and with the half winding down ,On a third and long , trailing by a touchdown , they knew Kyle would have to try to throw for the first down and they played for it , and the linebacker dropping back in coverage made an excellent play . The point is Kyle was able to open up the running game with his passing and being able to hit short , medium and long passes made it difficult to cover the whole field , it was dropped passes and penalties that did him in, but both of those are easily correctable and will be once everyone is on the same sheet of music, especially when our first team offense is added, but not being able to stretch the field with our passing in order to open up our running attack is not going to cut it.
August 16th, 2023 at 9:03 am
I’ll listen to his opinion-family biased as much as the DOJ on Trump-political bias
August 16th, 2023 at 10:05 am
Baker may be running for his life with the Bucs mix of rookies and banged up vets o line. As a pocket passer I don’t see Trask playing much unless Baker gets injured or completes more of his passes to the other team. So unless or until the O line jells into a solid pass blocking unit, Baker will start be cause he is mobile. As long as he avoids injury will determine how long he plays. If Baker sits because of injury, Trask will be dead meat as a pocket passer. Bucs season depends on a decent run game. If they can’t establish the run they and their qbs will be dead meat. Are there any free agent qbs out there who are built like a fullback and can run over dbs and take on linebackers head on? Just joking. Kinda.
August 16th, 2023 at 10:13 am
I agree. I’m afraid if Bowles leaves next season he’s going to take Willie Beaman with him.
August 16th, 2023 at 10:19 am
Doesn’t matter who is running the ball if the o-line can’t open a single hole.
3/5 of our o-line is suspect at best.
August 16th, 2023 at 11:33 am
Why do teams that run the ball well actually never have to proclaim how much they want to be a running team, they just do it.
And vice-versa, any teams that talk about how much they intend to run the ball, almost always stink at it.
August 16th, 2023 at 12:49 pm
warner was a dog.. f, ricky proehl….
August 16th, 2023 at 2:38 pm
Prepare for a record setting number of three and outs with Bowles as head coach. Stubborn defensive minded Coach trying to force a belief without the roster to support it. We don’t have a dynamic back outside of maybe Sean Tucker and have a weak offense line. On the bright side we have a punter who can kick it a country mile. With Bowles game plan it will be a struggle to just cross midfield much less score.
August 17th, 2023 at 9:21 am
did u r mother tell you if u don’t have something good to say then just shut up.if I had my way with u big mouths know it alls I wud have BAKER zip a targeted throw in u r big mouths
August 17th, 2023 at 5:18 pm
Recommend you watch Warner analyze Mayfield on YouTube study ball session. Basically Kurt says you play to his strengths (bootlegs, play action, cut the field in half or do progression reads like McVay wanted) old boy is just fine. “He has a big arm and can make any throw”. The dropback game and full field reads, needs some work. And BTW Trask fanboys, Bowles lost one HC job playing a rookie that was forced on him. Trask chance of being QB1 is similar to that of a snowball in the infernal regions.