More Pressure Or Less Pressure On Baker Mayfield?
July 21st, 2024
In recent days, Joe has heard Todd Bowles, former Bucs center and assistant coach A.Q. Shipley, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero and Baker Mayfield himself talk about what’s different for Mayfield this season.
And it’s not been about Mayfield now having a new offensive coordinator, one he worked with for five weeks or so during the 2022 season.
All the names above were referencing how Mayfield is “the guy” now after he wasn’t handed over the team last season for him to lead on Day 1 in his own way.
That made locker room dynamics tricky a year ago, Mayfield said.
Bowles and Shipley commented that it’s now Mayfield’s team as if that will make something different in a positive way, or that Mayfield will have less pressure on him.
Pelissero, speaking on The Rich Eisen Show, said he believes Mayfield had the pressure off him last season but it’s back now. However, Pelissero acknowledged Mayfield’s career was on the line last season, and Mayfield said the same thing.
So which is it?
Joe believes you can’t claim a guy is throwing passes and managing games for his football life and then in the same breath say, mentally speaking, he was playing freely and with nothing to lose.
It’s unclear to Joe whether Mayfield will feel more pressure this season versus last year. And as Pelissero noted, Mayfield “sometimes plays his best when you back him into a corner.”
Joe does know, however, that an opening day win at home against a weak Washington team with a new head coach and a rookie QB is critical. The pressure on Mayfield and the whole team will be massive if the Bucs can’t pull a “W” out of that game.
July 21st, 2024 at 7:45 am
Bake will be fine
July 21st, 2024 at 8:53 am
That’s the 1st thing the Bucs need to avoid, feeling like certain teams are weak because of last season’s record! Show me a team in the NFL that is not that physical and I will show you a team that will be in a dog fight every week!!!
July 21st, 2024 at 9:06 am
A trap game. Washington is very physical up front. Daniels could be the next rookie to light up the Bucs, especially Zion. We will find out quickly if the national media is right about Canales carrying Baker last season.
July 21st, 2024 at 9:25 am
Will Mayfield avoid throwing passes to Bobby Wagner
July 21st, 2024 at 10:15 am
It is a pressure job no matter what. Baker in particular seems to thrive under pressure whether as a walk on twice, college playoffs, nfl training camp competition or nfl playoffs.
July 21st, 2024 at 10:19 am
You couldn’t tell Viking fan week 1 last season they had a 50/50 shot of losing that game at home!!!🚩☠️💯
July 21st, 2024 at 10:25 am
Washington is a weak team? Weaker than Carolina , the team with the worst record in the NFL last year that Mayfield couldn’t even manage to throw a touchdown against in a must win game ! Beware of “ weak” teams if you don’t want to be embarrassed!
July 21st, 2024 at 10:31 am
It’s the NFL where every team is capable of beating any team on any given Sunday. Just treat every week like it’s a must win game, take no opponent lightly, maybe cover someone in 3rd and long, and occasionally be aggressive and run left gut instead of right gut.
July 21st, 2024 at 12:15 pm
Dave Pear … ‘Just treat every week like it’s a must win game, take no opponent lightly’.
100% behind that one Dave.
Last season the Bucs started 2-0. So did Washington BTW.
At the halfway mark, the Bucs were 4-5. So was Washington.
Couple games after that, Bucs were 4-7. So was Washington.
THEN the Bucs caught fire and won 5 of our last 6 games to finish 9-8, win the NFC South, and go a couple games into the playoffs.
Washington collapsed instead and lost their last 6 games. Finished last in the NFC East. Their coaching staff got fired (and they actually had some VERY experienced coaches in Ron Rivera (HC), Eric Bieniemy (OC), Jack Del Rio (DC), Juan Castillo, Ken Zampese and others.
Their defense absolutely stunk. Allowed 518 points (over 30 PPG) to finish #32 in Points Allowed and gave up 6612 yards to rank #32 in Total Yardage Allowed. Washington allowed 59 TDs, 54 on the defense & 5 on the offense. WOW!
As bad as they finished, they still started 2-1 like us and were 4-7 like us 11 games into 2023. TAKE NO OPPONENT LIGHTLY.
July 21st, 2024 at 12:54 pm
I agree with Dave Pear.
In my opinion week one will be all about Todd Bowles. Will he have the team prepared ? Will he set the tone for home games ? Which will be more important, statistics and analytics, or heart ? Will the “will to win” take precedence over “thoughtful play” ?
July 21st, 2024 at 1:57 pm
There’s a lot of pressure on him whether the bois want to believe it or not. He’s never had 2 or more seasons in a row of very good or better play in a row. Last year was a pretty good statistical year for him but because he played poorly in the first half of most games and had a bone headed must run up the gut OC, the Bucs quite often were in holes they couldn’t climb out of because the defense couldn’t be counted on at times when it was needed the most. Hopefully Coen will be a much more fluid and smarter OC so that the offense all together will be better in the first half
July 21st, 2024 at 3:08 pm
The pressure is still on because of the constantly repeated issues with replicating success for 2 years in a row. He needs to prove the front office and coaches were right in making him “the man”.
There might be some growing pains early on while everybody “gets on the same page” offensively with Coen @ the helm but I’m feeling good about our chances to field a much improved, higher scoring offense this year with Baker leading the way!
July 21st, 2024 at 3:25 pm
“You either feel pressure, or you aply pressure”.. Jon Gruden
July 21st, 2024 at 4:16 pm
Jose, you seem to be obsessed with last year’s QB competition. And for some reason you are saying you think Mayfield earning the locker room, through that competition, is inferior to being given the locker room by divine right. On what team would that be true, ever?
July 21st, 2024 at 4:24 pm
I got bake to tampa because we needed a leader. Relax. He will be just fine. I would never let u down like chicken fingers or ride my horse.. Lets Go Bucs!!!
July 21st, 2024 at 5:06 pm
Deadwood South Dakota Says:
July 21st, 2024 at 4:24 pm
I got bake to tampa because we needed a leader. Relax. He will be just fine. I would never let u down like chicken fingers or ride my horse.. Lets Go Bucs!!!
Hmmm… ” I got bake to tampa…”…”because WE needed a leader.”
Very interesting.
July 21st, 2024 at 5:12 pm
Deadwood South Dakota Says: I would never let u down like chicken fingers or ride my horse..
That sounds personal.
July 21st, 2024 at 5:23 pm
I’m….I’m concerned for the horse. Implication of inappropriate “riding” of an innocent animal.
That’s illegal in most states, maybe not South Dakota though.
July 21st, 2024 at 5:33 pm
Was the stallion actually a gelding ? Was it a gelding wishing it was a filly ? Could it have been a mare with a complex against stallions ? Could it have been a filly dreaming of being a stallion ?
Don’t draft any more horses.
July 21st, 2024 at 7:18 pm
I thought from the title that this was about the OL.
July 21st, 2024 at 8:24 pm
Ken— Nice!!!
July 21st, 2024 at 10:11 pm
And Citrus encapsulates the scope of the serious issues facing Todd and the Bucs as we head into 2024 camp. Glad they’re out in the open.
July 22nd, 2024 at 11:50 am
Joe, what do you think will happen if Mayfield is so-so in training camp and Trask comes in better than he was last year? How much better does Kyle have to be to replace Baker in the starting lineup?
July 22nd, 2024 at 12:02 pm
You can moderate and delete my comments but that doesn’t change the fact that our qb played horribly at times last season. I guess it’s taboo on this site to want better play from the QB position
July 22nd, 2024 at 12:04 pm
You can protect him on this site but not on the field!!
July 22nd, 2024 at 12:08 pm
Do, what you want is comments only from people who approve of Mayfields play last year
July 22nd, 2024 at 12:10 pm
He’s going to lose his job and there’s nothing you can do about it!! Will you still ban comments about Trask??
July 22nd, 2024 at 12:21 pm
Same as last year: Unless Kyle Trask looks like the second coming of Dan Marino, he’s on the bench. The Glazers didn’t give Mayfield all that money to eat popcorn and hot dogs on gameday. Shouldn’t you be more worried about Billy Napier?
July 22nd, 2024 at 2:19 pm
ATLBUC, when will you Trask guys give it up? Trask is not and never will be “the guy” for Tampa or Mayfield never would have been acquired in the first place. He is a mop up guy at best. Management decided to play a 1-armed Mayfield instead of Trask with the playoffs on the line. Beefed up line. Better defense. Better running game. Added Shepard to the receiving corps. Going to be 11+ win season.
July 22nd, 2024 at 2:38 pm
ATLoser getting more desperate. Her Kyle poster must be getting crusty and cloudy.
To all the desperate Trashkophiles out there — take your beef up with Todd and Jason. They are obviously clueless to your astounding quarterback acumen. I’m sure by watching your love child every day in practice for four years now, they have no idea what Kyle can do. That’s it. So, put him in to satisfy the Trashkophiles. Yep. That’s excellent personnel strategy.
You should be turning your attentions to the battle between Wolford and your boy. The smart money is on Wolford, which conveniently gives the Trashkophiles more ammunition to cry about The Great Trashk Conspiracy.
July 26th, 2024 at 10:43 am
Now that the team is officially his, he must prove his worth. Mayfield seems to play his best football when he is put in a difficult situation. As they write on a strong man is only strengthened by difficulties. So he will definitely show his true strength.