Dave Canales: Baker Mayfield “Is The Winner I Get To Call Plays For”
October 11th, 2023
Breaking down his QB.
One pleasant NFL surprise this season has been the play of Baker Mayfield.
Thought by many in NFL circles to be washed up as a starting quarterback, Mayfield is having a resurgence and is a big reason the Bucs are 3-1 atop the NFC South.
So what has impressed Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales about Mayfield? Speaking on “The Sick Podcast” Canales said he has been surprised by Mayfield’s innate ability to find ways to move the chains.
“Pleasantly surprised with his game management,” Canales said. “Because you don’t really know. I knew he had experience. But you don’t really know how is this guy going to get a feel for — like the good ones have a feel for what is happening on both sides of the ball. ‘What is the energy and the momentum of the offense and what we are looking at right here? We need a spark? I might have to take off right here.’
“He has an amazing feel for that stuff. It gives me the sense that he is, like, the ultimate competitor. That he’s just going to try to find a way to win this situation and win the game. By any means necessary.
“That’s been what I have been excited about. Just find a way to win on third down, however that is. With my legs, a scramble, flipping the ball, an underhand flip, throwing it away is a win in some circumstances. That’s the stuff I have been thrilled about is the winner I get to call plays for.”
The way Mayfield has rescued his career makes Canales a hot commodity to be a head coach, Joe believes, so long as Mayfield continues to play well. The more and more Joe listens to Canales, the more impressed Joe is.
Joe thinks the first-year offensive coordinator is a borderline miracle worker the way he raised Kyle Trask’s game from nothing to something in a span of about six weeks. And most of the NFL had written Mayfield off. Now look at him.
Add in Canales’ experience with Geno Smith in Seattle and that gets the attention of owners and general managers who will be cobbling together a wish-list of prospective coaches in a few weeks.
October 11th, 2023 at 12:15 pm
Has a 1st year coordinator ever become a HC that quickly?
October 11th, 2023 at 12:16 pm
As for me…I’m most surprised by Bakers arm strength. I had no idea.
October 11th, 2023 at 12:18 pm
When the Bucs first got the opportunity to sign Baker Mayfield I was all for it and went on the website here and stated how fortunate the Bucs were to even have the chance to land him. I am not surprised at all how this is playing out. He is a gritty Dude that was the number #1 pick for a reason. He can play-he took the Browns to the playoffs- and he will be our QB the next 10 years here. We are very Lucky to have him and he is very lucky to have found a perfect landing spot to launch his career 2.0 from. Great Marriage. Go BUCS!!!
October 11th, 2023 at 12:18 pm
Not leaving
October 11th, 2023 at 12:22 pm
Mayfield for the next 10 years…yikes…. calm down..Truth be Told.
The season is still young. Go Bucs!!!
October 11th, 2023 at 12:25 pm
Hope u have a great gameplan cooked up for Detroit Dave!
October 11th, 2023 at 12:34 pm
Wasn’t Raheem like DC for a day, before being made HC?
Or am I misremembering again?
October 11th, 2023 at 12:42 pm
It’s a shame Todd Bowles is head coach and Canales is the OC. If it came down to who to choose from next season the Bucs will have their hands tied to Bowles. Without Canales, a defense guy like Bowles has to hope and wish they can keep striking gold with the right OC’s to save his job on a yearly basis.
October 11th, 2023 at 12:47 pm
Yes.
October 11th, 2023 at 12:48 pm
When Monte Kiffiin announced publicly (the team knew weeks before the announcement) he was leaving, the Bucs named Raheem the DC in waiting.
October 11th, 2023 at 1:31 pm
Regarding Mayfield’s arm strength–Oct 9, 2022 — The record for longest NFL pass is currently owned by Baker Mayfield, who an astounding 70.5 yard hail mary against the Baltimore Ravens in 2020
October 11th, 2023 at 1:40 pm
PUMP THE BREAKS ON CANALES
Have you ever noticed how extreme people are on this site? The Bucs are always the greatest or the worst. A rookie is HOF worthy or a bust. There is absolutely no temperance.
REALITY CHECK TIME
The Bucs offense ranks 22nd in yards per game and 21st in points per game. That’s literally worse than 1/2 the league. We still have one of the worst running games in the league.
Bucs fans think Canales is the next Sean McVay or Kyle Shannahan ONLY BECAUSE you had the worst OC in Bucs history last year. Canales is doing a good job. That’s all.
October 11th, 2023 at 2:15 pm
^^^Yep, agree, Sly.
Show me 4-6 more games, then I’ll start to really believe in Canales. The smart/patient person would let the entirety of the season play out before anointing Dave anything.
Like other posters point out: Patience, Grasshopper!
Go Bucs ! ! !
October 11th, 2023 at 2:58 pm
Fans and patience don’t mix. You can bag that BS.
October 11th, 2023 at 6:26 pm
Everybody is living in fear that Mayfield will collapse. Recall he didn’t collapse at Cleveland until his shoulder injury which he mistakenly(with hindsight) tried to play through.
He was second in rookie of the year balloting his first year by his 3rd season he took the Brownies to the playoffs with an 11 win season. He won the first playoff game and hung tough against Mahomes in a close loss.
IE Yes there is always a reason for fear, but there’s an equal reason to believe without bad luck..injuries to him or a number of his teammates…Mayfield will be just fine.
He won’t be 3-1 over the next 4..2-2 is possible…Next 4 eases up except for the Niners so another 3-1 is possible and as much as we whine about the schedule and it is tougher than the Saints it still has a nice five game wrapup with only the Jags as favored perhps to beat the Bucs…4-1 there and you 12 Wins.
So I’m not predicting 12 Wins just stating it’s not far fetched. What is a totally reasonable goal is 10 Wins and if two are those are beating the Saints and Falcons at home the playoffs and a 4th seed are there for the taking.
Time to go all Captain Obvious…great start with a road win against N.O. is probably more important even than the 3-1. As Joe suggests the REAL game coming up is the Falcons at home. Ridder had a great game last Sunday, he’s still very inexperienced and learning so I do not take the Falcons nor the Saints for granted at RayJay. Win those two and the Bucs will have taken care of business. The Panthers will be lucky to split with the Bucs.
October 11th, 2023 at 6:28 pm
Full disclosure. I went to the University of Cincinnati and so I’m biased for Ridder just as Gator fans are biased for Trask, FSU fans were biased for JW.
But Ridder is playing on the wrong team for me to root for him.
October 11th, 2023 at 9:47 pm
I like Canales. I’m fine with him getting all the credit for “turning around Mayfield’s career” as long as the Bucs keep winning, too.
October 11th, 2023 at 10:58 pm
Great star, jimini
October 12th, 2023 at 1:06 am
“Canales a hot commodity to be a head coach, Joe believes, so long as Mayfield continues to play well. The more and more Joe listens to Canales, the more impressed Joe is.”
While I appreciate your optimism Joe, I just will not go that far…yet. With Canales or Mayfield, after 4 games and 3-1.
Go Bucs!
October 12th, 2023 at 1:53 pm
Baker is trash. My 12 year old could throw to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin with 60% completions. When Baker is the reason we lose several games, people will jump ship and beg for Trask.