Baker Mayfield’s Last Stand?
December 10th, 2023
Tampa future is on the line.
A few days ago, the mighty Sage of Tampa Bay Sports, Ira Kaufman, was very clear in his belief that a Bucs loss today in Atlanta should signal the end of the Baker Mayfield era in Tampa.
At 5-8 after a loss today, a loss Kaufman predicted on his podcast, it would be time to unleash backup quarterback Kyle Trask to see what he can deliver as a starter. Kaufman reasons that the Bucs’ postseason hopes would be stomped out and it would be a form of franchise negligence to not free Trask so the organization can see how viable he might be.
It’s hard to argue the logic, but Joe will slightly.
First, if the Bucs lose today, they would not be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, and their next game would be in Green Bay. That’s a miserable December place to give a young backup his first start. And benching Mayfield would be a crappy signal to the Tampa Bay roster and Bucs fans — yanking the starting QB while the team still has a shot at the playoffs. Heck, Mayfield might play well today.
Three starts to close the season is plenty for Trask if, hypothetically, the Bucs were to lose to Atlanta and to Green Bay.
In that scenario, turning to Trask would be a wise move as Todd Bowles surely would be fired in January after falling from a 3-1 record to 5-9 with a soft schedule. Kaufman suggested Team Glazer might actually order a Code Trask if the Bucs’ postseason hopes evaporate.
Joe would support that. And if Bowles were to refuse a QB change behind the scenes, then the front office could put Mayfield on injured reserve to shut up Bowles. Or Bowles could resign.
Mayfield loves to say he relishes an underdog role, pressure games, playing on the road, and proving people wrong.
Today he gets all four.
Joe will be cheering like heck for a Bucs win. But if it doesn’t come, everyone at One Buc Palace should expect significant changes.
Flash poll posted at 3:04 a.m.
December 10th, 2023 at 3:29 am
what if:
what if CG14 and his wife’s big hoopla this week is all part of the game plan…lol…
we are all waiting to see how many balls go to chris and how he’s used today…and so are the falcons…
they’re gonna be sitting on him…
so what if they throw to him ZERO times and ME13 has like 200 yards receiving and like 2 tds…
imagine that sh!t !!
and later we find out it was all someone’s master plan for the victory in atlanta…
you never know…on any given funday…
#ThinkingOfAyeMasterPlan
#EricBeeAndRakim
December 10th, 2023 at 3:46 am
I could see Trask starting the last few games of the season and putting up some good numbers….next year…in the XFL/USFL.
Bucs by 7.
December 10th, 2023 at 4:16 am
“It’s hard to argue the logic,”
Actually its EXTREMLY easy. Lets say you put in Trask and He balls out against the teams still on the schedule . based on that are you really going to bypass getting a QB high in this upcoming draft?”
That would be dumb. Next season you could easily find those games he played this year wasn’t predictive against other better teams. However if you are going all in on a top ish QB this draft any way then theres NO pressing need to put Trask in. You still have another camp, preseason and season to evaluate him besides the Newly drafted QB.
Besides, the most realistic fair scenario is that he looks good against a team like the panthers but also shows warts in his game. SO chances are you still are going to need the next camp and preseason anyway. Glazer’s could easily just let the season play out under Bowles to seal his fate and be in full we are drafting a QB as high as we can no matter what.
December 10th, 2023 at 4:27 am
Mayfield can play well, be benched, then Trask plays well and the Bucs still miss the playoffs.
Bucs are still drafting a QB in 2024 because Trask has only one year left on his deal.
Too much emphasis on the QB position when the problem with the team is that Bowles as a HC is failing to keep his defense accountable.
December 10th, 2023 at 5:03 am
It took Jared Goff seven years to be considered a ‘quarterback worth keeping.’ If it wasn’t for last year’s personal success, the Lions had fully intended to go quarterback hunting in the 2023 draft.
But Joe thinks we can determine Trask’s abilities in three games!
Wow!
Guess Goff is happy his career wasn’t decided in year one, where he threw 5 td’s and seven picks for the Rams.
December 10th, 2023 at 6:02 am
Maybefield doesn’t improve the Bucs chances of making the playoffs, for the most part he is the reason we have a losing record. I don’t get why Bowles continues to play that bum.
December 10th, 2023 at 6:10 am
If you need a reason to fire Bowles, and draft a new QB look no further then the TV viewing map of the game. It’s not on anywhere but Tampa, and Atlanta. The networks have deamed the Bucs not worth showing anymore. This is a business after all, and Bowles, Baker are bad for business. I’m sure season ticket sales aren’t going well right now either. Bucs need to make some big changes.
December 10th, 2023 at 6:29 am
You mean Jared Goff who came in the league at 21? Made the pro bowl his second year and threw for 4700 yards,32 TD and 12 int his THIRD year en route to leading his team to the Super Bowl? Yeah, can we NEVER put those 2 in the same sentence. Especially considering Goff is only 6 months older and has had TWICE the career. Aside from making excuses you all always bring up more talented qbs who have had more success than him..
December 10th, 2023 at 6:31 am
He is a great teammate and a proven player that would make a great backup quarterback!
December 10th, 2023 at 7:01 am
Just Win
December 10th, 2023 at 7:04 am
A close one but no cigar.
December 10th, 2023 at 7:25 am
Wow, now we have to root for the Falcons today.
Go Falcons!
December 10th, 2023 at 7:32 am
I don’t see a major market for Mayfield, I’ve got no problem with resigning him but next year it’s going to be a true competition with Trask, Mayfield and hopefully a rookie. I would like to see what Harbaugh or the OC from Detroit could do with our offense, particularly in the weak division we have.
December 10th, 2023 at 7:51 am
It’s hard to fathom a Bucs loss today and this Joe manages to bring playoffs into the conversation. Playoffs? For God’s sake, give it up Joe. Pure and simple. Today is the Bucs’ first playoff game. Each and every week they’re going to have to win to take the Division. The schedules for both Atlanta and NO are soft. We might be able to drop one of the last four games, but if we don’t win this one today, it’s OVER.
December 10th, 2023 at 8:23 am
Jose, your analysis is based on sound reasoning. I agree.
December 10th, 2023 at 8:25 am
Bowles will NOT sit Mayfield, that’s his guy. The moronic Bowles will go down with the ship ruining many careers along the way. The 2 to 7 of clown posters that constantly vote Totally confident or competent are proponents of the Rooney rule, BA’s or Bowles relatives or played on the girls field hockey team as a youth. This guy should be no where near a NFL coaches office. Fire him now so he can start his career at Walmart.( Nothing wrong with a good honest living)!
December 10th, 2023 at 8:25 am
I would wager that Trask spends a lot of money on people to post on this site about how great he is. If Trask didn’t spend so much time on here posting about how great he is then maybe he would be the starter.
December 10th, 2023 at 8:37 am
I cant wait to see another 80 yard, 0 TD performance from Mayfield going into halftime. He’s so good. No other player could ever replace those kinds of results.
December 10th, 2023 at 8:43 am
Custard finished last in his class but was a First Round Pick out of West Point. He quickly moved up through the ranks by looking good against lesser competition that was greatly out numbered. Bull Run and Gettysburg impressed leadership and put him in charge of his own unit because he gave them the best chance to win. At the time there were not many better options apparently.
Like any hierarchy a level of incompetence is eventually reached and a person is exposed.. Unfortunately Custard hit his at Little Big Horn and it was over.
What was coined as the ‘Last Stand’ was Custard Homies covering up for his inferiority and blunders that put his unit in a position where they didn’t stand a chance.
If this is Baker’s Little Big Horn I am sure there will be all kinds of pointing out this drop or that blown coverage that is to blame.
Custard yelled retreat and the Bugler made a mistake and sounded charge. It was the Rookie’s fault. Couldn’t have been Custard’s.
One thing for sure if the Bucs go into the game relying on Mayfield’s Reputation alone this Last Stand could be over in about an hour too.
December 10th, 2023 at 8:43 am
Start Mayfield you want, But if we are losing at half-time let us see Trask. If the Bucs seen enough in the Kid to draft him in the 2nd round, then they should want to see what he can do with the starters after 3 years of not playing him. Baker does have heart. But he has not impressed enough to be a starting QB. We all know Trask’s college resume. Now, after 3 years, lets see how he does at the Pro Level.
December 10th, 2023 at 8:56 am
It’s about evaluating Trask if we lose today. Otherwise it is clear malpractice. That is it. Point blank. Management must step in because Bowles will not. Simple evaluation period. Not supporting Mayfield or Trask – just solid standard business evaluation.
December 10th, 2023 at 9:02 am
Blue they see him in practice every day. You guys act like the leadership at OneBuc have no intel on the guy. They have watched him in training camp and practices for three years now and they don’t think he gives the Bucs the best chance to win. He was the last pick in the second round for a reason and majority of those guys just don’t pan out.
December 10th, 2023 at 9:14 am
lol Joe Baker is not the answer man give it a rest he has got progressively worst this season he not going to be the hero bruh
December 10th, 2023 at 9:17 am
Mayfield is a below average QB. He has Evans and Godwin and because of that he should be playing better period. It’s his fault he can’t get the ball to Godwin. Not Godwin’s fault. Having Mayfield is like having Mccown again . Just not good enough. As long as you have Mayfield we will be just good enough to be below average. It’s not good enough to every 8 or 9 games to play well. Not good enough.
December 10th, 2023 at 9:21 am
I can’t imagine Bowels resigning. Wouldn’t he lose a lot of coin if he did that? Also, if he refused to start Task against owners’/GM’s wouldn’t his contract be voided due to insubordination?
December 10th, 2023 at 9:23 am
Whether Brady, Mayfield, Trask or Wolford the sub-par performance will have one common denominator… sure, you can go back and forth blaming the QB, O-line, salary cap, rookies, Canales, etc. etc… but, the Buc stops with the Master & Commander of the ship – Coach Bowles. I disagree, there is not enough talent on our team to be successful.
December 10th, 2023 at 9:29 am
Bowles Last Stand…today could be the end of The Bowles Dynasty.
December 10th, 2023 at 9:30 am
I would argue that after another L today.. and Trask being put in.. the team would feel a new motivation to see what they can do as a unit with the kid under center. They’ve seen Baker and what he….brings….. for twelve games now. Marching out in green bay to do the same old song and dance would be just as bad if not worse if midfield is still behind center.
December 10th, 2023 at 9:32 am
The Bucs had better get their running game churning in this game. If Baker has to throw too much we lose. I’ve posted this a couple times, but it’s not talked about enough.
When Baker attempts 35+ passes: 6-24 record
When Baker attempts 40+ passes: 1-12 record
His only win with 40+ attempts was his 3rd career game — he’s currently on a 0-11 streak (0-3 with the Bucs).
December 10th, 2023 at 9:43 am
I am a fan of the Bucs, win or lose. I want to see the games, and it pisses me off when the networks suddenly forget their territorial rights agreements and replace the game with something out of market that I’m not interested in! There’s no local radio carrying the games in the Ocala area, so I’m stuck trying to follow on the internet on TV game trackers. For the NFL to allow this is an insult to the team and their fans.
Go Bucs!
December 10th, 2023 at 9:50 am
Ha,you losers. The Glazers are frugal owners. They are not going to fire Todd Bowles with 3-years on his contract. They expected to lose this year. Get ready for 3 more years of Todd ball. ha Ha
December 10th, 2023 at 9:50 am
I truly believe that there are many Traskers on this site hoping the Bucs lose today so they can see their heart-throb play.
December 10th, 2023 at 9:53 am
hopefully Baker will be with the Bucs in some capacity next year (backup preferably)
got to love how hard he plays
I am most surprised that he hasn’t missed any starts so far
December 10th, 2023 at 9:55 am
Well it’s Clear that some see Bowles as a Genius that is a top flight Offensive talent evaluator…..
MAKES SENSE!
OF COURSE THEY SEE HIM AS THE GUY WHO KNOWS WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT…
I CAN’T STOP SHAKING MY G.D. HEAD!!! I’m trying to steady that by slapping myself and trying to wake up from this Clown Show Nightmare of ANOTHER LOUSY SEASON WITH THE GENIUS BOWLES RUINING (and I DO mean RUINING and NOT Running) the show! BUT IT’S NOT WORKING. The running joke CONTINUES ……..
December 10th, 2023 at 9:56 am
I truly believe that there are many Traskers on this site hoping the Bucs lose today so they can see their heart-throb play.
——————
This makes no sense as the “Traskers”, as you say, want the team to do something different to try to you know, win. As opposed to you Baker cheerleaders who are ok with losing as long as your mancrush gets to start.
December 10th, 2023 at 9:58 am
Realistic-those stats are in line with what we are experiencing. Oregano fan we are losing with Mayfield. And we are tired of it.
December 10th, 2023 at 10:01 am
Good thing Ira is wrong more often than he’s right.
Benching a QB that’s playing well for a backup QB tells the team and next years free agents, we are in free fall and total rebuild.
Tampabay fan and uneducated media’s favorite player is always the backup QB.
Trask = Bruce Gra however you spell his name.
December 10th, 2023 at 10:04 am
It is possible that those at One Buccaneer Place, you know the ones that have seen Trask every day for the last three years, in the building, the weight room, the meetings, QB room, etc. The ones that saw Trask show up back in March, out of shape and not ready from day one. Saw every practice, meeting and the way Trask struggled to learned the new offense.
Saw every snap and minute of OTA’s and pre-season. Saw the interception, fumble, the lollipop pass from his knees, that fortunately fell incomplete, against the Steelers. Saw how ineffective Trask was against the Jets and Ravens. Same with the three plays against the Colts. They all came to the same conclusion; Trask isn’t an NFL starter and never will be.
Rather than throw Trask under the bus, by admitting he was a wasted 2nd round pick and remove the slightest chance of trading him for something of value at season’s end, they decided to leave Trask on the bench and ride out the season with Mayfield.
December 10th, 2023 at 10:04 am
Calls people uneducated while saying Baker is playing well. LMAO. You cant make up this type of stupidity.
December 10th, 2023 at 10:07 am
I went to Tom Brady’s last game…
I would not show up to another playoff game with this horrible team even if it barely squeaked in.
One of the most miserable games I’ve ever sat through and I had season tickets from 87-94
Should have fired Bowles after he destroyed an all-time great Brady playoff comeback, definitely after he punted vs. Cleveland.
Bowles sucks the life out of the team.
December 10th, 2023 at 10:07 am
Will they ‘Get their six”?
December 10th, 2023 at 10:09 am
A win today would be way better than all the drama that will follow a loss!
December 10th, 2023 at 10:16 am
CleanHouse@ have to say by far the best analogy of these last two seasons I’ve read. “BOWLES SUCKS THE LIFE OUT OF A TEAM”!
Thanks for that, finally someone who knows the game.
December 10th, 2023 at 10:18 am
There are many considerations, Mayfield did Tampa a favor by signing for a minimal salary , I have read that in order to basically double his salary , as an incentive , Mayfield needs to start and take 85 percent of the seasons snaps , that would mean he would have to start 15 games and at a minimum play half of game 15 to earn his money , now whether you think Mayfield is the answer or not , (and I do not), he would have fulfilled his contractual obligations and needs to be paid , I’m pretty sure the other players know this as well and will be watching to see if they try to screw him , that would not go well in the locker room, and the word would spread around the league like wildfire , especially after the way they screwed Trask in the first place! So that would give Kyle at least two games to show what he has , (which I Think he will do), it will satisfy the locker room and give the owners a clearer picture of where they need to go in the draft, which makes a big difference, if they feel comfortable handing the keys to Kyle, while all the other teams are chasing after that elusive qb who is going to immediately take them to the football promised land, the Bucs could be making a historic draft of other position players the other teams are ignoring ,and building a team for the future. At the worst , the team gets a full year on Kyle’s last year of his low cost rookie contract to really see what he and the team they built has and then , if Kyle does not meet their expectations , the next year ,with a fully rebuilt team, they can join the chase for a magical rookie to immediately take them to the promised land . Seems the fair and logical thing to do.
December 10th, 2023 at 10:25 am
The only way forward is to try and win games. Ira has lost his mind.
December 10th, 2023 at 10:51 am
Couch Fan Says:
December 10th, 2023 at 10:04 am
Calls people uneducated while saying Baker is playing well. LMAO. You cant make up this type of stupidity.
———
Why not? You do it every day!
December 10th, 2023 at 10:56 am
It’s the right move if they lose. Winning this division this year would be winning the battle but not the war. It’s a win-win situation starting Trask. If he is worse than Baker, the team mails it in, and you go 5-12 or 6-11, and you are probably in great position to draft Jayden Daniels. If Trask balls out the next 4 games you might have something for next year. He was a 2nd round pick and deserves a test run in a lost season. It sounded like he was neck and neck with Baker in camp. Baker just had the experience with a coaching staff on the hot seat so they trusted him more with their jobs on the line. And honestly it’s not like Baker is blowing the doors away. This offense hasn’t been productive and his inability to hit on throws down the field has really hindered this offense (as well as the lack of a run game of course). He’s been great as a bridge QB and for the price tag this year. Heck, look at the mess the Saints got themselves in with Carr. If we are being honest though, Baker isn’t the long term answer. You aren’t winning a SB with Baker Mayfield as your QB
December 10th, 2023 at 11:04 am
Rick Brooks- You can listen to the game on the internet for free- Iheart radio app- 98Rock Tampa
December 10th, 2023 at 11:38 am
Why not? You do it every day!
——–
And its true every day!
December 10th, 2023 at 11:48 am
I’m mind blown on the people that watch this team play and think the QB is the problem!
Their Defense is ranked 27th in the league!
They have the last ranked rushing Offense in the league!
Not to mention three times this season alone they’ve had the lead and the game ended with the other team driving the field to win the game!
The talent on this roster is average, I believe the coaching staff and play calling as done well this season.
End of the day your a game out in Dec with a chance to still win your Division!
December 10th, 2023 at 12:01 pm
Why in the world would we not lose out in order to get a quality QB in the draft??? Even if we made the playoffs we would get waxed by the Eagles or Cowboys.
December 10th, 2023 at 12:20 pm
Fishhawkbuc Says:
Why in the world would we not lose out in order to get a quality QB in the draft??? Even if we made the playoffs we would get waxed by the Eagles or Cowboys.
——————-
Since 2015 the bucs have had two QB’s who were no. 1 overall picks.
The draft is a crapshoot.
December 10th, 2023 at 12:23 pm
Baker is gone under any scenario. He has done enough already to be the #2 QB in FA behind the Vikings guy. I can see the Steelers grabbing him after what Bakes did to them in the playoffs.
December 10th, 2023 at 12:54 pm
The Bucs are 5-8 and we are still in the playoff hunt. This is ridiculous, if we go to playoffs we are going to get embarrassed. Todd Bowles does not coach and gameplan to his offensive strengths and has shoved a run heavy style of offense down the fans throats for past 2 seasons and it’s not working. Todd Bowles is not a good HC because he doesn’t coach to his best players strengths to win games. We just won a SB a few years ago. This win increased my standards snd expectations of our Buccaneers. In conclusion the Bucs are mediocre at best this season and I’m just over this bad football team. If we can’t hang with Eagles and get the 49ers in the NFC then why are we circling the drain of mediocrity this season.
December 10th, 2023 at 4:33 pm
Bucs win 29-25 with Baker throwing nice 11-yard TD with 31 seconds left and Bucs lead the division due to tiebreak advantage. Imagine if Bucs defense had held Texans with 45 seconds left after Baker TD pass game them the lead. Bucs actually had running game today which was nice to see. Baker did not overall play really well but came through when they needed him, and season was basically on the line.
December 10th, 2023 at 11:53 pm
Go compare Baker’s stats to the rest of the league. He’s top 10-12 in most categories, yet a lot of you clowns still clamor for Trask. Baker isn’t an MVP type guy, but with zero running game and an elementary school play caller he’s doing alright. Bucs control their own destiny. Go cheer for for the Dolphins you fair weathered so called fans!