Jason Licht Not Worried About A Learning Curve For Baker Mayfield
May 11th, 2024
Talks offensive learning curve.
So Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” this week and he got hit with an interesting question from one of McAfee’s elves working in the background.
Will the Bucs have new offensive coordinator Liam Coen try to keep the offense as similar to Dave Canales’ offense because Mayfield had so much success with Canales last season?
Licht responded that there shouldn’t be much of a learning curve because Coen’s offense isn’t that much different than what Canales ran, which was a big reason the Bucs hired Coen.
“Well, that was one of the things we liked about [with] Liam coming from L.A. when Baker was there,” Licht began. “It’s kind of a related offense. Lot of the same terminology.
“And Baker was very excited about that and excited about the fact we hired Liam because they had a good connection there.”
Mayfield was pretty much left for dead as an NFL quarterback as his career bottomed out in Carolina. Then the Stinking Panthers let him go to Los Angeles and in a very short time playing for Coen, Mayfield showed signs of life that directly led him to the Bucs last season.
“Liam got — under that McVay system — [coached up Mayfield] very quickly, almost overnight, basically in a few hours [in Mayfield’s first game with the Rams two seasons ago] for that game on a Thursday night,” Licht detailed.
Mayfield was signed by the Rams midweek on Dec. 6 in 2022. Two days later, Mayfield played most of the game against the Raiders and led the Rams to a 17-16 win. Mayfield’s arrow has been pointing up since.
“I don’t think [the learning curve] will be as daunting as it would with a normal offensive coordinator change,” Licht said. “This is something that Baker was very excited about. This is also something he said he understands the system.”
Likewise, Coen came to the Bucs, in part, because of a possible reunion with Mayfield.
“Liam thought that Baker would come in quickly and get it,” Licht said. “And by all accounts in OTAs, it seems to be seamless.”
While Joe puts very little stock into underwear football, if Mayfield is showing a grasp of the offense already, well, that’s a very good thing.
The fact there should be a limited if not minimal learning curve for Mayfield, Joe gets how some believe the Bucs could be better this year than 2023.
Dan focuses on the macro of NFL playbooks….check out the micro as I breakdown 1 of the 700 plays from Sean Payton's offense.
Gun King Bunch Rt Jab 15 Stutter F KILL 84 Z Cowboy Y Shallow Cross https://t.co/LqBNorYXkX pic.twitter.com/37TMiBQR1Q
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) May 9, 2024
May 11th, 2024 at 8:29 am
Hey that’s a version of the immortal play of Brady to Miller in GB 2020. What was it in the huddle: gun bunch left everyones’ gotta go. Or something like that.
I still fondly recall huddling up on the school yard and drawing routes in the dirt. “Go about ten yards and turn around…”
May 11th, 2024 at 9:55 am
And we wondered why Jeremy McPlayBook had such a hard time?
May 11th, 2024 at 10:10 am
Watching those videos, it’s a wonder any play succeeds. For must of us, if we were in the huddle and the QB called the play, it would be major Keystone Cops!
May 11th, 2024 at 10:20 am
Comes down to people see what they want to see.
Some see Mayfield’s stint at the Rams as impressive.
2-0 against Raiders and Broncos with combined record of 11-23
0-3 against teams with a combined record of 3 wins over .500
Goes to the Rams and pulls out a close win against the 4th worse defense and one penalty away from a loss.
To each their own.
I’ve seen guys pull a lawnmower off the curb on garbage night, put a little work into it, get it running, and cut grass all Summer. All Summer they brag how they got a great lawnmower for $4 in parts.Following Spring they are out there pulling on the cord and MFing their head off about this POS. Following garbage day it’s sitting on the curb and another dumba$$ is loading it in his truck and taking it home.
Saying is ‘one man’s (CLE CAR) junk is another man’s (TAM) treasure.
In reality one man’s junk is another man’s junk.
I expect Mayfield will mow down the short grass (CAR NYG) just fine but when he has to handle the deep grass will bog down and find himself back on the curb.
Tampa’s neighboring teams are mowing with a nice Toro, Craftsman and one that is waiting on the owner to figure how to get it started. Bucs on the other hand are going with the junk they pulled off the curb a year back.
Hopefully the NFL blesses them with short grass the first few games of the season.
May 11th, 2024 at 10:54 am
Saw this interview! Great breakdown!
Baker seemed to catch on fast, Rams were really dealing with a lot of injuries, but I seem to recall hearing that McVay, let Liam Coen actually call the offense.
Yeah, I expect Baker is primed for this implementation, always nice when your strong armed starting QB familiarity with the new OC & offense, terminology…AND HAS already built relationships with the skill positions/personnel. I’m looking forward to a fast start!
Adding those newly drafted chess pieces will be fun to watch too.
Let’s Bake!
May 11th, 2024 at 12:27 pm
How many OC has Baker had since being in the nfl? Can’t exactly remember but he should be good considering he has some chemistry with Coen. When you’ve had as many offensive coaches and bounced around as much as baker you should be adapted by now. No worries he’s got great receivers and a better oline to work with this year. So he has no excuse to bail out on this year if he starts to fail but I believe we will win the division once again Go Bucs
May 11th, 2024 at 2:10 pm
A terrific informative article! One of the replies showed Gruden with (it seemed) Chris Simms which demonstrated again how hard it is.
May 11th, 2024 at 2:22 pm
Mayfield has what it takes. He can win playoff games in December. No other QB in our division can say the same thing. Mayfield is a clutch performer on the biggest stages. I was at the Philly playoff game and it was never in doubt. Love that guy
May 11th, 2024 at 7:13 pm
Its all coming together…. That’s why we got Coen. Haha, betting the over is a gimme at this point. And dont count out denver nba in that series. I know how.
May 11th, 2024 at 7:56 pm
@D Cone
“Comes down to people see what they want to see.”
So let me share what you DIDN’T see.
Baker Mayfield won Oklahoma’s sixth Heisman while producing the highest passing efficiency rating in FBS history!
The Cleveland Browns selected Mayfield with the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. You of course see horrible scouting eh?
Mayfield played in his first NFL game in Week 3 against the New York Jets, replacing an injured Tyrod Taylor with the Browns down 14–0. Mayfield went 17 of 23, passing for 201 yards as the Browns came back and prevailed 21–17, ending their winless streak at 19 games. Oh yes let’s keep focused on the NEGATIVE…everybody knows the Jets suck right?
While Mayfield was considered by many to be the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year for 2018, the award was won by Giants running back Saquon Barkley. On the annual Top 100 Players list for 2019, Mayfield’s peers named him the 50th best player in the league. So D Cone you see more clearly than the actual guys who played against him? I guess they too simply saw what they wanted to see!!!
In the playoffs Mayfield and the Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24–22 and earned their first playoff berth since 2002, at which time Mayfield was seven years old. The Browns finished the 2020 regular season 11–5. ANOTHER STROKE OF LUCK EH?
In the Wild Card Round against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mayfield went 21 of 34 for 263 yards and 3 touchdowns during the 48–37 win, leading the Browns to their first playoff victory since the 1994 season, the year before Mayfield was born. It was also the Browns’ FIRST PLAYOFF ROAD WIN SINCE 1969!!!
You can see what you want D Cone, I think I’ll see the FACTS I just posted.
There is a Zen saying that describes this very well. People see where they place their attention. If you wish to stay glued to the negative there’s always something to see. E.G. Now lets trash Josh Allen with your method of “seeing”.
.500 for his playoff career.(same as Baker) Allen and the Bills still haven’t made a Super Bowl during his tenure and the furthest they’ve gotten has been the AFC Championship Game, which they did in the 2020 season.
May 11th, 2024 at 10:01 pm
Remember the movie coneheads that’s u r guy D cone says what a dosch bag
May 11th, 2024 at 11:59 pm
You can talk all you want about stats and mowing grass. But all that “stuff” has a thousand reasons why it turns out the way it did. And none of us really knows why. The bottom line is does your qb elevate your team? Baker has elevated every team he has played for. Cleveland was 0-16 Baker took them to 11-5 and the first playoff road win in 51 years. After Brady left EVERYONE predicted Tampa to win 4 games. Tampa went to the divisional and could have won it and went on to being one game away from the superbowl. Baker has the Bucs record for playoff passer rating at 106.3. He is clutch. And if you actually think he will regress this year you dont have a clue who Baker Mayfield is. If Cohen works out and puts a good system in Baker will dominate just like he did in college. He owned the passing efficiency record at 203, better than Mahomes and ALL other qbs.He owned Mahomes in college and if he can get in a good system like Kansas City is for Mahomes he will flourish. He has been through hell since being drafted. He just needs that system as all qbs do. I hope Tampa will be that system.
May 12th, 2024 at 12:22 am
When Baker had 48 hours to learn the Rams plays/system he did it and won-48 hours. He is sharp. McVay laughed because he was amazed that Baker could do that. He won’t have a problem learning Cohens system. It is going to be fun!!!
May 12th, 2024 at 5:31 am
Baker is so much smarter than his critics!
May 12th, 2024 at 9:59 am
If Tampa is that team and Cohen is the guy with a good system, Baker will make you think, Kyle…. Kyle…. who??
May 12th, 2024 at 7:37 pm
Dcone a hater using lawn mower metaphors. Precious