How Close Was Baker Mayfield To Getting Benched?
March 7th, 2024
Joe can’t just toss this aside as a ridiculous rumor for two reasons.
First, the source is former Bucs receiver Keyshawn Johnson, known recently for being an ESPN TV analyst and radio host for more than a decade. He joined FOX last summer.
Second, Johnson was adamant about this take and said it multiple times this week on FS1.
Johnson was explaining that he’d rather have Kirk Cousins at quarterback, if healthy, than Baker Mayfield.
“Baker Mayfield was almost on his way out of Tampa Bay mid-year,” Johnson said. “He was on his way out of Tampa Bay. He turned things around again in Tampa Bay. But in the middle of the year, there was questions about whether or not he was going to be benched for Kyle Trask.”
Again, Johnson ran with this take multiple times in slightly different ways. He was very firm.
Joe isn’t buying that Mayfield was near the end of his Bucs season when the team was 4-7. However, it certainly is possible that tanking chatter was under consideration during secret hypothetical meetings at One Buc Palace. And yes, Joe would have considered the Bucs turning to Trask in December as one step in a tanking plan for a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Thankfully, the Bucs and fans found a happy ending — and a quarterback. Johnson agrees, as he thinks Mayfield would be foolish to chase a check in free agency that isn’t from Tampa Bay.
March 7th, 2024 at 10:43 am
Great take Joe!
March 7th, 2024 at 10:46 am
Can’t stand Meshawn, and I don’t think he’s correct here. As much as I wanted Baker benched (he fully deserved it), I don’t believe for a second that Bowles was ever willing to consider it. He’s laminated to Baker, for better or worse.
March 7th, 2024 at 10:49 am
He’ll be back at 35 million a year. Number everyone expected.
March 7th, 2024 at 10:57 am
Keyshawn doesn’t know anything.
March 7th, 2024 at 10:58 am
Agreed Realistic-Optimistic
Ive said all along that benching Mayfield would be Bowles saying he made a mistake, and we all know Bowles would never admit to mistakes. He prefers to throw everyone else under the bus.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:07 am
Nobody cares what KJ has to say….
March 7th, 2024 at 11:10 am
Baker is a compelling character in this big reality show. Scrappy, team oriented, and often underrated and overlooked. He’s somebody that’s easy to be a fan of. That makes him deserving of a contract among the top half of starter QB contracts. (Which will be North of 40 million this year.)
But it shouldn’t be the Bucs paying that for him. They should remain the team that makes QBs look like they are worth franchise breaking money.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:12 am
Key is a clown, but he’s right. Baker had a long stretch of games where no one was taking about $40M a year. The whole idea we have to extend this guy as a “great” QB is a joke. Mediocre at best.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:13 am
Deactivation Bitterness Syndrome
March 7th, 2024 at 11:14 am
That being said, I don’t believe the Bucs should pay Baker any more than Brady ever made or for any more than 1-2 seasons.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:15 am
I don’t know how close Bowles was to benching Mayfield, but at 4-7 the fanbase was certainly ready.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:16 am
……..
March 7th, 2024 at 11:16 am
he’ll pull an AR on opening day after they sign him long term
March 7th, 2024 at 11:18 am
I watched and listened to K Johnson a few years with the Bucs and a few years before, he’s a darn knuckle head and very arrogant.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:19 am
You really…. really can’t even fathom that after our hot start then turning into hot garbage that baker mayfield…. read that again and remember recent history… Baker. MAYFIELD. Who was run out of Carolina in only a few weeks. May have possibly been benched, after going ONE AND SIX. You really can’t even picture it? Why do I still come here if you can’t believe going 1-6 could get… baker freaking mayfield benched.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:19 am
I can’t stand MeShawn, but on this I hope he is right.
It would be nice to know that Bowels has an ounce of common sense. Losing 6 of 7 games was certainly reason to bench Mayfield.
And that losing streak is exactly why overspending on him would be a mistake.
So fas as going to Trask being tanking? I disagree. Switching may have fired up the team, and Trask MIGHT be better than some think.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:28 am
Thank goodness Mariah Godwin saved the Bucs season and Mayfields career
Lol
March 7th, 2024 at 11:32 am
U guys are funny. The Bucs were expected to win 4 or 5 games with that roster. Instead Baker won a division for you. And won more games than Brady did the year before. Don’t blame you for not wanting to OVERPAY Baker but Baker is a top 15 QB at worst. Go ahead Cousins has had better teams in Minnesota than Baker has ever had anywhere and exactly how many playoff wins does Cousins have? EXACTLT!
March 7th, 2024 at 11:33 am
Keyshawn Johnson just another in a line of so called experts like peter King who have been consistently wrong about Baker Mayfield. This stuff is just sensationalized to see if anyone is paying attention. No indication from anyone ever on Bucs coaching staff that Baker was going to be benched. Especially true when Baker watched as the defense gave away two games he had brought the team back to win.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:33 am
When they were on the losing streak, it wasn’t on Mayfield. But some people, those who think Trask is anything more than a backup, thought Trask should be thrown in to “see what we’ve got”. Those people were obviously wrong and generally knuckleheads anyway. I say play your best players, even if you’re losing. Tankers are even bigger losers.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:38 am
doesn’t key still have beef with wayne chrebet…?
🙂
March 7th, 2024 at 11:42 am
He was Close that was reported by many here locally .I always though if they got to 9 losses he was done but he didnt.lol
March 7th, 2024 at 11:42 am
If the BUCs lost a couple more games after getting to 4-7 and it got to the point where there was no realistic chance for the playoffs I would have hoped that Trask got put in. It would have been a win-win situation at that point. Either he would have shown that he IS capable of being a starting QB in the NFL or he would have helped the Bucs tank and get a new QB in the upcoming draft.
As long as there was still a chance to turn things around (as the Bucs did) Bowles is not going to switch to a QB who has zero experience in regular season NFL games. Even some competent starters in the NFL had to go through a significant learning curve in their first season.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:43 am
U guys are funny. The Bucs were expected to win 4 or 5 games with that roster. Instead Baker won a division for you
——
LMAO. No, YOU are the funny guy thinking Baker was the reason we won the division. Playing 3 quarters of bad football for a majority of almost every game. Comical stuff there. You Baker fan boys are something else.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:43 am
Not Says:
March 7th, 2024 at 11:33 am
Keyshawn has a reliable insider, Ian Beckles I think.
Best comment in the entire thread
March 7th, 2024 at 11:44 am
Had we lost enough games to declare the season a net loss, (which that Atlanta game WOULD have caused imo) I could see them sitting Baker to let Trask drive for a while
March 7th, 2024 at 11:44 am
Meahawn is an idiot but I doubt he’s wrong.
Any coach with common sense would be discussing it.
And I would pay Cousins for 4 years n a heartbeat as well.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:44 am
Too bad we have no idea how Trask would perform in a real game situation. It could have possibly helped the Bucs in gauging the current and future QB situation.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:45 am
Just a false analogy. A simple confirmation bias. Just because the Bucs won the division does not mean that Baker was the guy that won the division for us.
Life is harder than those simplistic analogies.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:47 am
If Trask played at Florida State instead of Florida – All you BakerBois would be wearing a Trask Bucs Jersey to Applebees on your date night.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:50 am
Buc4evr Says:
March 7th, 2024 at 11:44 am
Too bad we have no idea how Trask would perform in a real game situation. It could have possibly helped the Bucs in gauging the current and future QB situation.
There is no need to see Trashk perform in a real game. It is blatantly obvious he doesnt have it. No team traded for him either. He wasnt even the backup when Brady was here. He is OBVIUOSLY not capable.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:51 am
I don’t get why you don’t think that was possible Joe. The week of the Atlanta game Ira was on his podcast saying if they lose it’s time for Trask to see what they had in him. Even one of the Joes said he would reevaluate his thoughts on the season if they lost. I think Baker has earned a spot, but the only team that was above average that they beat was the Packers. The end of the season and when they went on their run they really didn’t beat any really good teams. They even got blown out by a Saints team that packed it in for the year. I think Baker and Bowles were the Atlanta game away from being shipped down the road. The way this years schedule looks, the Bucs are going to be playing a lot of good teams and because of last season and who they’ll be playing this year I wouldn’t give Baker a giant contract. I would have done the tag on him.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:52 am
Mediocre!
There I said it…
March 7th, 2024 at 11:54 am
What is Johnson’s source? He likes to hear himself talk but I don’t see him with some sort of connection to the current regime in Tampa. He more than not had a negative take on all things Buccaneers over the last decade or so. More of the same here.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:54 am
Derek Carr with a better supporting cast
March 7th, 2024 at 11:55 am
Careful 87, you are living dangerously.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:57 am
lol
March 7th, 2024 at 12:03 pm
geno711,
Hope you get your wish and Baker moves on to ATL. Will enjoy reading the comments from duds like you when Baker lays it on Bucs 2x in 2024.
March 7th, 2024 at 12:07 pm
Yes we should be really worried about Baker going to Atl and playing 3 quarters of bad football and not having Evans to catch his inaccurate jump balls to make him look better than he actually is. Sooooo scaryyyy.
March 7th, 2024 at 12:07 pm
Buc1987 Says:
March 7th, 2024 at 11:52 am
Mediocre!
There I said it…
—
I’m proud of you man -self analysis and confessions is a step forward
March 7th, 2024 at 12:14 pm
That 5 game skid was gruesome
March 7th, 2024 at 12:18 pm
Bucs FO is going to sign Baker to a contract he’ll never in a million years live up to.
Bucs will miss the playoffs next year because after they sign Baker they won’t be able to field a complete team.
Who’s going to play LB? DE? S? How are they going to sign the rookie class?
Baker isn’t Mahomes. He can’t carry the team and he’s prone to hot and cold streaks.
Bucs at best will be a .500 club.
Trask will eventually move on and go within the division and light up Tampa’s sorry depleted defense for YEARS to come.
That’s the future we’re looking at.
March 7th, 2024 at 12:20 pm
Couch Fan Says:
not having Evans to catch his inaccurate jump balls to make him look better than he actually is.
thats not true . Evans had to have played in cleveland. I mean he must have for Baker to have just about the same stats in twenty twenty as he did in twenty three. See man? I got your back even when your argument doesn’t make sense. all we have do now is study game film and figure out how Evans snuck in and disguised himself on the field. We’ll get a pizza and ger started over the weekend.
March 7th, 2024 at 12:20 pm
Hey Joe’s and Keyshawn, any word out in print on or off the record or from any confidental confirmation of if those Keyshawn Johnson “chased off the team and out of the facility checks” were direct deposits or did they mail em in to ya? Thanks for our First Super Bowl ^ Win and your contributions to it.
GO!!!!!BUCS!!!!!
March 7th, 2024 at 12:21 pm
It’s also POSSIBLE (fellas & gals) that the season would’ve turned out the same with Trask coming in after 4-7, instead of tank for JJ
^^mtn^^
since ’76
March 7th, 2024 at 12:21 pm
Montana Says: “If Trask played at Florida State instead of Florida – All you BakerBois would be wearing a Trask Bucs Jersey to Applebees on your date night.”
LMAO! Best post of the day!
March 7th, 2024 at 12:24 pm
Hey, the Bucs may actually be the biggest suspects in driving Bakers price up, if you catch my drift
^^mtn^^
since ’76
March 7th, 2024 at 12:24 pm
Tired of all this Baker talk and debate, let’s just sign him already or move on. Off season sucks, ready for some football
March 7th, 2024 at 12:29 pm
Tired of the Trask vs Mayfield nonsense. Baker earned the job and deserves it. It’s unfortunate Trask won’t get s shot but whatever.
Bowles and Mayfield were tied together by mid season. Bowles was never going to bench Mayfield. Luckily it worked out.
March 7th, 2024 at 12:37 pm
Why would putting in Trask for a failing Mayfield necessarily have been a “tanking” move when Trask had outplayed Mayfield in training camp? I guarantee you the other 31 NFL teams, at that point in the season, would have benched Mayfield for his terrible play and played Trask.
March 7th, 2024 at 12:43 pm
That’s Keyshawn, superbowl winning WR, fans on here act like they know better
Yesterday it was LeSean McCoy (future HOFer), fans act like they know better.
All GMs and NFL heads have Kirk Cousins ranked ahead of Baker, fans in here act like they know better.
Bowles talked about how close the competition was between Baker and Trask, fans act like he’s lying and it wasn’t close.
Reports are the Bucs and Bakers are far apart, seems like Bucs FO agree he’s not worth a massive contract, fans on here don’t wanna hear it.
Yall want to invest long term and huge cap percentage in a guy that barely beat out Kyle Trask and isn’t considered better than Kirk Cousins, all cause he’s a cool locker room guy and the Bucs Defense carried the team to the playoffs?
Not me, im for:
sign Wilson cheap, he’s got something to prove like Baker did last year, battle it out w Trask, and draft a QB.
Use cap on Lavonte David who deserves it, on Whitehead who should be brought back, on a DE/OLB and the team will be much better this year.
March 7th, 2024 at 12:43 pm
The occult of Trask is very upset .
March 7th, 2024 at 12:46 pm
Only complete idiots care what college a quarterback played for.
March 7th, 2024 at 12:52 pm
I honestly thought he might have lost his job during the Week 14 Falcons game. That TD drive at the end of the game probably saved his job and his career as a starter. If he loses that game Bucs are 5-8, and Falcons would be 7-6, with a three game lead after sweeping the Bucs, with 4 only games left in the season. Essentially ending the Bucs season. Baker and the Bucs were hot to start the sesson at 3-1 but would have been 2-7 over their last 9 if they didn’t win that game. Also one of those wins coming against a team that would win 2 games all year. Let’s recap what happened since the hot start
Week 5 Lions 20-6 loss
Awful game by Baker. Probably his worst of the season. 19/37 0 TD’s 1 INT 206 yards with 69 of those yards in garbage time on the last drive of the game down 14 with 3:45 left. No offensive TD’s all game and missed Trey Palmer for about 150 yards.
Week 6 Falcons 16-13 Loss
A lot people blame the defense but it took the offense 55 minutes and 15 seconds to score just 13 points to only tie the game. Baker could have gotten a TD to win but didn’t. They scored a FG to tie. He also threw a costly INT at the Falcons 26 yard line with 3:45 left in the game down 3. If your defense only gives up 16 you should win the game.
Week 7 Buffalo 24-18 Loss
Baker got 117 of his 237 yards with 7:21 left down 24-10. I don’t want to hear about the Hail Mary. The Hail Mary takes no skill on the QB. You are just chucking the ball to the end zone hoping somone comes down with it. It’s a glorified game of 500. Defense gave up 24 points but 7 came when they started on their own 23 yard line after special teams gave up a long punt return.
Week 8 Texans 39-37 Loss
Bakers second best second game of the season and best overall game up to that point of the year. Defense let the team down. Simple as that.
Week 9 Titans 20-6
Complete game both sides of the ball. Pretty good game by Baker. 18/29 278 2 TD’s 1 INT. Any QB on this roster can win though when the defense gives up 6 points.
Week 10 49ers 27-17 Loss
A lot people mention the drops in this game but also leave out all the dropped INT’s. Those drops on both sides basically made it a wash. Leading still to a mediocre performance by Baker. 29/45 246 yards with 121 yards coming down 27-7 with 16 minutes 42 seconds left never coming within a possession of the 49ers. Threw his only TD during this time as well as his only INT. Defense played bad too. Overall team beat down
Week 11 Colts 27-20 Loss
Baker got hurt early and looked bad the rest of the way. Threw an early INT at the end of the 1st. Gave Colts a short field to score a 41 yard TD drive. Only TD of the first half was 16 yards set up by the defense getting an INT. Baker threw a 1 yard TD. Baker ended the game with a QBR of 29.1
Week 12 Panthers 21-18 Win
Baker goes 14-29 202 yards 1 TD 1 INT with 75 yards coming from Mike Evans getting 60 YAC after getting wide open. Baker finished with a QBR of 24.5
Week 13 Atlanta 29-25 Win
Before his game winning TD Baker was only 11/22 for 88 yards and a TD with 3:23 left in the game. The team only had 2 TD drives with one being only a 8 yard TD drive set up by the defense getting an INT. White had a 7 yard run and Baker had a 1 yard TD run. The defense also got the team 2 points with a safety so they accounted for 8 of the 22 points so far.
If Baker doesn’t get that TD drive at the end to win the game I think the Bucs bench him. Again, they would have won 2 of their last 9 with one of those coming against the Panthers. It would be a lost season at that point. Baker would have played well in only 2 games during that 9 game stretch. Why wouldn’t you see what you had in your 2nd round pick?
Instead, Baker changed history and won that game. Played amazing vs the Packers and Jags. Had another 2 game skid. Then closed the season with a good playoff run, granted it was against the 31st and 27th pass defenses in the regular season, and earned a new contract here or somewhere else. I know this will upset some of the Baker fan bois but it’s the truth
March 7th, 2024 at 12:56 pm
Mostly Peaceful Trask Fan, SOMEwhere over the rainbow Trask will fly….
March 7th, 2024 at 12:56 pm
That’s like saying every loss was cause of baker plz how bout the 2 min drill against Houston now that loss was baker rite that wud have made us a 10& 7 I think a lot of the losses were not just directly baker I saw most of them were bad drops from the (elite) receivers some of those bad drops were game winning drops I gave baker 4 losses on him the rest were receiving & the bad D
March 7th, 2024 at 12:58 pm
Dubcity, and then Mayfield will beat TB 2X for the remaining years of his contract in Atlanta.
March 7th, 2024 at 1:00 pm
Might be the only thing Keyshawn has gotten right in a while.
If Godwin had caught that Trask pass, and Trask played a little more against the Colts, the world might look different. Even if the Colts had gotten a penalty for climbing up Godwin’s back and Trask got a sneak for a score, things would look different.
That was at the end of that 1-6 run, and Baker did look really bad at that time.
March 7th, 2024 at 1:02 pm
Wuda shuda cuda baker did all the above & don’t forget all the accomplishments Mayfield had for us this past season rite down to pro bowl seems like just when u think he is down he pulls thru I LIKE THE INTENSITY that comes with baker
March 7th, 2024 at 1:07 pm
Hey Joe,
Based upon what you see/hear/know.
What are the chances we dont sign baker and instead go with a combination of a vet like jacoby brisset, ryan tanehil etc, a rookie qb, and Kyle Trask and let the best man win of the 3?
Ill be honest, Baker was a pleasant surprise. I didnt think he would do that well last year. But i have little confidence he can do it again. Specifically for 30+ mill a season.
March 7th, 2024 at 1:08 pm
For the record I hope they resign Baker, but only at a reasonable amount. I think it’s absolute BS that we should all fear giving Trask a real opportunity and use the savings to build the roster even more. The training camp competition had many of us thinking Trask was winning that for a good while and if it weren’t for the predisposition of Bowles that Baker, and his moxie and headbutting other players that BM got the nod. To think that our offense would fall off a cliff without Baker is nonsense. We did not light up the scoreboard. The numbers are what they are for Baker but we all know he didn’t meet the eye test a significant amount last year. His momentum at the end of the season…..recency bias….is what has so many thinking he is it.
March 7th, 2024 at 1:10 pm
What do u think management was supposed to say Kyle sucked why wud they do that if baker got hurt which he did & they had to put Kyle in the game how much confidence wud that project on him competing in the actual game he did have a chance as stated by dubcity days he friggin blew it pal plan & simple like Brady said if u ever get a chance to play u better shine cause that may b u r only chance so sorry bout u r luck trask is a schmuck
March 7th, 2024 at 1:14 pm
@ Bonzai
Overall, Bowles has been very slow to bench guys. Think Devin White, Goedeke at G etc.
But in the case of Baker after 4-7, think it worked out in the Bucs favor.
^^mtnbucman^^
since ’76
March 7th, 2024 at 1:22 pm
BucsFanSince1996 Says:
March 7th, 2024 at 11:42 am
If the BUCs lost a couple more games after getting to 4-7 and it got to the point where there was no realistic chance for the playoffs I would have hoped that Trask got put in. It would have been a win-win situation at that point. Either he would have shown that he IS capable of being a starting QB in the NFL or he would have helped the Bucs tank and get a new QB in the upcoming draft.
As long as there was still a chance to turn things around (as the Bucs did) Bowles is not going to switch to a QB who has zero experience in regular season NFL games. Even some competent starters in the NFL had to go through a significant learning curve in their first season.”
QFT
^^mtn^^
since’76
March 7th, 2024 at 1:25 pm
“Beeej Says:Had we lost enough games to declare the season a net loss, (which that Atlanta game WOULD have caused imo) I could see them sitting Baker to let Trask drive for a while”
Yes, very well could have
^^mtnbucman^^
since ’76
March 7th, 2024 at 1:33 pm
White got benched so I believe it…you seen mayfield during that losing streak his body language said I am going to get fired if I keep this up. He took advantage of his moments Antoine Winfield and co. Gave him in games we was primed to lose with bakers play…he can chase a check if he wants and I hope Dave Canales doesn’t try to drive his price up if a deal isn’t done before free agency dinner bell. He goes elsewhere just know Mike evans won’t bail you out and make you look good because real burners like trey palmer and the new guy who played for us was misses wide open several times.yeah it’s rakim Jarret dude got behind defenses and he missed him quite a bit if he corrects those throws we would be ok
March 7th, 2024 at 1:34 pm
“Buc4evr Says:
March 7th, 2024 at 11:44 am
Too bad we have no idea how Trask would perform in a real game situation. It could have possibly helped the Bucs in gauging the current and future QB situation.
uhmmm Says:
There is no need to see Trashk perform in a real game. It is blatantly obvious he doesnt have it. No team traded for him either. He wasnt even the backup when Brady was here. He is OBVIUOSLY not capable.”
Ummmm, Baker has moxie, Trask is more of a technician I think.
Would you agree, there’s more than one way to win at QB?
Someone posted earlier somewhere that Purdy, Brady & Warner sat the bench & there’s probably more.
Don’t know how debaters on either side can be so adamant.
^^mtnbucman^^
since’76
March 7th, 2024 at 1:39 pm
We were 4-7…. lets say that went to 4-9. Baker would be benched for sure!!! At that point , the only way Bowles saves his job is if he can put in Trask and have him turn it around so the Glazers would see QB as the only problem. No mater what, we were a few plays away from missing the playoffs.
March 7th, 2024 at 1:40 pm
“How Close Was Baker Mayfield To Getting Benched?”
About or perhaps exactly as close as Todd Bowles and the whole coaching staff were to getting replaced also…
March 7th, 2024 at 1:42 pm
I completely remember that time in the season. It was shocking he wasn’t benched. Joe wrote multiple articles on it. If you want to relive the period via JoeBucsFan, simple Google:
JoeBucs Last Call For Baker Mayfield
JoeBucs Peter King: Baker Mayfield Is On Very Thin Ice
March 7th, 2024 at 2:11 pm
There’s not even a reason for this article
A.. Kershaw isn’t worth listening to.
B. Any “meetings” he wouldn’t be invited to.
C. It was never going to happen.
D. I’m out.
March 7th, 2024 at 2:13 pm
SlyPirate Says: “It was shocking he wasn’t benched.”
Not really. It would have made Bowles look like an idiot for not starting the guy all reports said had a better camp.
March 7th, 2024 at 2:19 pm
“Ringer Says:
March 7th, 2024 at 1:08 pm
For the record I hope they resign Baker, but only at a reasonable amount. I think it’s absolute BS that we should all fear giving Trask a real opportunity and use the savings to build the roster even more. The training camp competition had many of us thinking Trask was winning that for a good while and if it weren’t for the predisposition of Bowles that Baker, and his moxie and headbutting other players that BM got the nod. To think that our offense would fall off a cliff without Baker is nonsense. We did not light up the scoreboard. The numbers are what they are for Baker but we all know he didn’t meet the eye test a significant amount last year. His momentum at the end of the season…..recency bias….is what has so many thinking he is it.”
Good post.
Add in the fact that since Bake doesn’t like to slide, it’s good to be cautious with this signing. He needs to play smarter, avoid contact for the most part.
At least some of us feel good about Trask coming in if Bake has to come out.
Have always said, if it was close competition, the vet gets the nod
^^mtn^^
Since ’76
March 7th, 2024 at 2:23 pm
“Pickgrin Says:
“How Close Was Baker Mayfield To Getting Benched?”
About or perhaps exactly as close as Todd Bowles and the whole coaching staff were to getting replaced also…”
LOL, yup.
Glad it all came together the way it did. Otherwise they may have blew it up and started over this season
^^mtn^^
March 7th, 2024 at 2:28 pm
Joe says:
Joe would have considered the Bucs turning to Trask in December as one step in a tanking plan for a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.
————–
Starting Baker was the tanking plan and it almost worked until AWJ’s great play in Carolina.
March 7th, 2024 at 2:39 pm
ATLBuc Says: “Starting Baker was the tanking plan and it almost worked until AWJ’s great play in Carolina AND CHASE MCLAUGHLIN’S 3 FIELD GOALS IN 17TH GAME.”
March 7th, 2024 at 2:39 pm
ATLBuc Says:
March 7th, 2024 at 2:28 pm
Starting Baker was the tanking plan and it almost worked until AWJ’s great play in Carolina.
—
LOL you don’t even know what tanking means. 🙂
March 7th, 2024 at 2:50 pm
Oh look, the delusional Trask fans are back. Better get ready to go back under the rock you just crawled out from. Only a matter of days, maybe even hours, before the contract is signed.
March 7th, 2024 at 3:24 pm
Most of these guys just make this stuff up to get views. The only way we were benching BM is if the playoffs were out of reach.
March 7th, 2024 at 4:01 pm
The only reason he wasn’t benched was because the Bucs play in the NFC South. With that said, after a number of bad games, he had the best game of his career in Green Bay, out of the blue.
Of course Green Bay was in a three game slide where they literally made Tommy Devito look like a future HOFer, and Baker look like a future HOFer, and Bryce Young had by far his best game of the season in that stretch as well.
But, more impressively for Mayfield, he managed one of his ultra rare back-to-back good game streaks – and had a fantastic 1st half vs the Jags. Of course Baker then followed it up, with the Bucs needing a win to get into the playoffs, by completely collapsing and playing his two worst games of the season and did everything possible to lose that game in Carolina.
If you go game by game, over the last 8 games of the season, Baker had 2 really good starts, and 3 really bad starts, and 3 middling games. In the playoffs, vs the Eagles, he had a good game, but the Bucs left a ton of points on the board. Then in Detroit, he completely choked when it mattered.
March 7th, 2024 at 4:27 pm
lol…. look at all the Baker hatorades trying desperately to soothe themselves over an event that no matter what – never happened.
Well eerr it Coulda , woulda shoulda.
Call Kylie and tell him when he might have started. I am sure it will lift his spirits greatly that in the end Bowles said TWICE (including the panthers game)- no way Jose – to putting in Trask in
Pure comedy. 🙂
March 7th, 2024 at 4:33 pm
This is like asking how close Rod Munch was at being right about his 5-12 prediction.
March 7th, 2024 at 4:52 pm
Joe in Michigan Says:
March 7th, 2024 at 4:33 pm
This is like asking how close Rod Munch was at being right about his 5-12 prediction.
———————————-
Munch has been trying to remain relevant. He might be fooling rookies to this site. Here is an idea, when you say things with such negative assurance about Mayfield, maybe you ought to know what you are talking about.
March 7th, 2024 at 5:20 pm
Joe in Michigan Says:
March 7th, 2024 at 4:33 pm
“This is like asking how close Rod Munch was at being right about his 5-12 prediction.”
or how in 2023 no one in the NFl needs running backs
He does have quite the greatest hits list
March 7th, 2024 at 5:31 pm
If Trask started and had Bakers stats and was TWO games away from the super bowl this year…ppl on here would be creaming in their pants saying he is a franchise long term QB!! But Baker does it and he’s mediocre at best!? Laughable
March 7th, 2024 at 6:08 pm
I have no respect for Rod Munch’s options…he is constantly misstating facts or straight up telling lies as facts. On another thread on this site he has stated Gardner Minshaw had a better season than Baker….???….
March 7th, 2024 at 6:20 pm
Is it true Rod…you predicted the bucs would go 5-12 this year…what happened and why aren’t you happy with the success we had this year…do you need help finding a rock to climb under
March 7th, 2024 at 6:56 pm
Joe in Michigan Says:
March 7th, 2024 at 4:33 pm
This is like asking how close Rod Munch was at being right about his 5-12 prediction.
———-
Well, I was perfect when I had them 3-1, and 4-7 before the season.
Thankfully, at the end of the year, the 7th ranked defense was able to bail out Baker and get one of those W’s to end the year.
March 7th, 2024 at 6:57 pm
Bucben61 Says:
March 7th, 2024 at 6:08 pm
I have no respect for Rod Munch’s options…he is constantly misstating facts or straight up telling lies as facts. On another thread on this site he has stated Gardner Minshaw had a better season than Baker….???….
———-
Minshew had the better QBR, better points per game, and the better win percentage. Tell me where I’m wrong or making anything up, kiddo.
March 7th, 2024 at 7:14 pm
Liar Rod has spoken…see there you go again…cherry picking stats and misrepresenting truths…I’m pretty sure anyone in the know would say Gardner is an above average backup…who can spot start…month would also say Mayfield when healthy above average starter….what you clearly say is Gardner had a better year last year but he didn’t ..he had a better qbr…..you are laughable
March 7th, 2024 at 7:16 pm
Qbr is a trademark system of ESPN…they used to be involved with sports before they became a mouthpiece of the liberal left
March 7th, 2024 at 7:39 pm
@Bucben61
Passer Rating (RTG) is the official NFL quarterback statistic. Quarterback Rating (QBR) is an ESPN invention designed to help runaround quarterbacks who do not excel at passing, and score lower than their peers on the Passer Rating (RTG), by adding factors such as rushing stats, sack stats, and other stats that are not a gauge of passing ability. It’s one reason so many hyped runaround quarterbacks coming out of college flop in the NFL.
March 7th, 2024 at 7:42 pm
Thank you
March 7th, 2024 at 7:44 pm
The bucs were 10th last season in td passes…the colts were 24th…that’s a better comparison
March 7th, 2024 at 7:46 pm
Correction bucs were tied for 9th not 10th
March 7th, 2024 at 7:50 pm
Love him or hate him Baker is worth a few $$$…if the bucs are low balling him I’m sure there will be other teams interested…I hope they can come to an long term agreement…I think with a healthy Baker the bucs are a relevant playoff team yearly…improve the trenches and God damn get a run game and the sky’s the limit
March 7th, 2024 at 8:11 pm
I will agree that Minshew is nothing more than an above-average backup. And that backup had a better year than Baker.
Thus the concern.
Also, Minshew literally beat Baker head-to-head when Baker choked and fumbled the ball to lose the game.
BTW, just so you sound less retarded, literally no one with an IQ over 70 talks about the old broken passer rating or uses that to judge QBs, not since about 1996. You should update your Rolodex.
March 7th, 2024 at 8:16 pm
I have no idea what the hell you are talking about but then neither do you….aren’t you late for your shift at McDonald’s
March 7th, 2024 at 8:18 pm
Alot of teams had tanking plans until the backup QB had different plans. Bledsoe got hurt and the pats thought they were fried. Little did joe know. One man can change the course.
And we do know Mayfield was close to getting benched. We watched the games.
March 7th, 2024 at 8:21 pm
Levin Says:
March 7th, 2024 at 7:39 pm
@Bucben61
Passer Rating (RTG) is the official NFL quarterback statistic.
———–
Are you one of those people who used to buy the ‘OFFICIAL’ magazine of the team which was filled with nothing but puff pieces and ‘OFFICIAL’ approved stats? LOL!
I knew someone had to be buying them since they kept on printing them, but wow, I didn’t know anyone would actually admit to it.
March 7th, 2024 at 8:57 pm
Bucben61 Says:
March 7th, 2024 at 7:14 pm
Liar Rod has spoken…see there you go again…cherry picking stats and misrepresenting truths…
Let me help you out here Bucben because you are BANG on the money
he is makign things up. In statistics they call it cooking the stats or book. What he is doing is hiding the rushing Tds of th colts in his overal scoring use of the stats.
Colts are top of the league in rushing scoring
Bucs are at the bottom
He doesn’t tell you or anyone reading this. He just lumps it together and puts the lack of rushing TDS included in the colts scoring as on Baker the QB not the the running back
It as pinocchio growing nose as you can get.
March 7th, 2024 at 9:13 pm
RodMunch,
An absolute lie that Minshew had a better year than Mayfield. All you are doing with such nonsense is making yourself even smaller than you already are. Minshew had 15TD 9INt 62% complete rate versus Mayfield 28TD 10Int 63.4% completion%. Minshew threw the ball 490 times to Mayfield 566. This is significant because although Minshew played fewer games he threw the ball plenty of times to add to his TD total. Throwing fewer times Minshew was about equal to Mayfield in interceptions.
March 7th, 2024 at 9:34 pm
Colts had #7 run scoring offense and bucs were 29th…what’s that Muncher…the qbr….lmao
March 7th, 2024 at 9:41 pm
Gipper – Throwing a 2 yard pass to White on 3rd and 9 to boost your completion percentage doesn’t mean much, it’s the same thing Carr does to boost his passer rating.
Also, as pointed out, you win games by scoring points – not by protecting the football – and Minshew’s offense scored more points, and won head to head, and had the better QBR, and had the better winning percentage – and did that on an offense with a lot less talent. The Colts #1 WR would be the Bucs #3 WR.
Minshew > Baker
March 7th, 2024 at 9:54 pm
Your right Muncher…I’m shocked no team has scooped you up as gm
March 7th, 2024 at 9:56 pm
Munch,
Watch 2023 Mayfield highlights tape to see what a pro passer looks like. John Dorsey knows talent and elite passing arms. He drafted both MaHomes and Mayfield. Baker just getting started after playing for dysfunctional Browns. Notwithstanding the Browns, Mayfield numbers for first 6 full years are comparable to Brees and Matthew Stafford.
March 7th, 2024 at 9:58 pm
Rod Munch Says:
Also, as pointed out, you win games by scoring points – not by protecting the football – and Minshew’s offense scored more points, and won head to head,
Oh give it up. You have been unamasked. Trying to claim its Mishews offense so you can include the Running bacc production as QB stat is just pathetic.
and that s all you have been doing with this fabrication – using overall scoring which includes the runnig game socres and putting them in the QB column as his scoring.
March 7th, 2024 at 10:01 pm
@Rod Munch
Blow it out your ass. I was merely explaining to Bucben61 the difference between RTG and QBR. They are a thing.
March 7th, 2024 at 11:31 pm
Levin – Just so I’m clear, is that an ‘official’ recommendation, or just your personal recommendation? I only follow instructions that come to me in an ‘official’ capacity.
Anywho, I was just having some fun with you. Unless you really did buy the ‘official’ magazine, in which case I could see that hitting close to home.
But as a kid, I’d be excited that some new Bucs magazine was on the rack, and then I’d pick it up and start reading it, and think, wow, this is terrible. I seriously have no idea who bought those.
March 8th, 2024 at 6:46 am
I totally agree with ol Meshawn, Baker and the Bucs at 4-7 were on life support,
BUT…….
Baker brought them back from the dead, and into the playoffs.
Now the Bucs will be paying him at least 33M-36M a year for 3-4 years, if he signs.
March 8th, 2024 at 11:04 am
Keyshawn Johnson was spreading a rumor; he didn’t have ANY reference to a NAME inside the Bucs’ organization that could confirm that serious consideration was made to bench Mayfield. I’m sick of so called “experts” taking pot shots at Mayfield on groundless rumors.
Keyshawn has said he “helped” Baker prior to the combine back in 2018 and that he “likes” Mayfield. If he is a friend of Baker’s then he doesn’t need any enemies. Keyshawn hasn’t a good word about Mayfield that I know of.
March 8th, 2024 at 4:29 pm
Or, maybe if The Buccaneers that they were close to being eliminated from the playoffs with another loss or two that maybe we let the kid we drafted get Starter time see what happens
March 8th, 2024 at 9:13 pm
Faker Mayfield fanbois in full effect on this one as expected. Baker squaws circling their little chiefs tee pee to protect his honor. Face it ladies at 4-7 and Fakerboi putting on some rotten tomato performances you were sitting in you Baker Power Puff Girls onesies biting your toe nails that he wouldn’t get benched. Baker was on the best of the worst heap and pretty much had to take that $4 mil check because that’s what he earned. 6 years into a career and he still plays as lousy as he did at times this year and you think he deserves a long term contract when he was close to being benched? Get outta here with your foolishness. If Blowles wasn’t so scared of losing his job and went with our 2nd round pick there’s a good chance he would’ve done well and developed with more games he played and we would save money this year to sign more players not signing a qb who wouldn’t deserve it one or more years of the contract due to having his normal bad year. You guys must be fans from another universe where he is actually a consistently good qb not Mr. Winsome Losesome.