Baker Mayfield Explains Mike Evans’ Low Numbers Against Dallas
December 23rd, 2024
Mike Evans tries to shake Dallas corner DaRon Bland.
NextGen Stats show Baker Mayfield was good on quick, short passes last night. Not so much on long balls.
In fact, Mayfield struggled with the long ball. And that’s a reason Mike Evans had but five catches for 69 yards.
Joe speculated it was because Dallas took away the long ball. Speaking after the game, Mayfield told the Fourth Estate that’s exactly what happened.
“On some of the shots, they were covering him up – some of the down-the-field explosive plays that we tried to dial up for him, they were covering up pretty well,” Mayfield said of Evans. “Obviously, he made a great catch on the one-on-one go ball earlier in the game.
“But yeah, they were typical [with] what teams do, roll a safety over the top trying to press him up a little bit and take two guys to take him away. But that’s why other guys had good opportunities.”
And that’s why Mayfield was doing well with short passes. On passes where Mayfield got rid of the ball oin less than 2.5 seconds, Mayfield connected on 16 for 144 yards and a touchdown.
December 23rd, 2024 at 9:04 am
when you have 5 people in your face right after you snap it, its hard to throw the ball. O-line crapped the bed last night
December 23rd, 2024 at 9:05 am
Todd Bowles is old school he is another Ron Rivera. Bowles needs to retire
December 23rd, 2024 at 9:10 am
Do you freaking think the Bucs could have focused more on CeeDee in the same way?????????????????
December 23rd, 2024 at 9:10 am
Austin,
They were able to crowd the O line last night and blitz because Otton was out as an over the middle short threat. Baker really didn’t have much time to set and look deep. Last play that produced the Rachaad fumble was pretty typical of the pressure that Cowboys brought all night. Considering the drops and the pressure, most would say that Baker played pretty well last night. This team really misses Chris Godwin when ME gets taken away with over the top coverage.
December 23rd, 2024 at 9:26 am
Gipper,
Baker has been fantastic all year, love baker, this season isn’t on him at all. Last night was lost when Sterling (like him too) dropped that 4th down dart. was all down hill from there.
Injuries coupled with poor coaching have hurt us
Baby poop soft zone coverage, no pass rush, and no fire from the DC/HC is a recipe for disaster
December 23rd, 2024 at 9:30 am
Glad we got outcoached on both sides of the ball. Again.
December 23rd, 2024 at 9:33 am
They were in a great position to win this game. McMillan and White letting defenders take the ball from them cost us.
December 23rd, 2024 at 9:37 am
Palmer looked confused on one deep ball, McMillan had a ball taken away from him for an interception, and Shephard dropped one. Thats just three deep balls. Mayfield’s not the problem. “Joe’s” doing damage control for someone in the Bucs org and Mayfield is the scapegoat. Sorry, you don’t get to ascribe BS agendas to Joe’s work. And you missed a second drop by Shepard. –Joe
December 23rd, 2024 at 9:43 am
Yet CeeDee has 100+yds…hmmm. 2 starting CBs for the Bucs. Mike Edward’s playing safety. What’s the excuse?
December 23rd, 2024 at 9:51 am
How the heck do you have a pass rush so bad that a 3rd string QB eats you alive??? Dallas shouldn’t have scored more than 10 points but our crappy scheme et them do whatever they wanted. This loss is on Bowles.
December 23rd, 2024 at 10:13 am
soooooooooooooo, forcing the ball to Mike did not work?
say it aint so!
I been sayin’, just sayin’
December 23rd, 2024 at 10:33 am
Baker said the deep ball was taken away. McMillan says yes, literally.
LUVMYBUCS, great analogy comparing Bowles to Rivera. Good football minds and men that are easy to respect, but just lacking that “thing” that takes them to the next level as the head guy.
December 23rd, 2024 at 10:35 am
Face The Music..We chocked on a national stage last night with a world captivating audience. No sense of urgency. We got what we deserved.
December 23rd, 2024 at 10:38 am
When the QB is under pressure and just throws the ball up bad things are bound to happen.
A couple times it worked out and a few it did not.
Mayfield coughed it up way too many times and had it not been for some fortunate bounces and in one case being down by contact it would not have even been close.
Dallas came to play and will the Panthers and Saints.
It’s the time of the season when defenses with nothing to lose and the Playoff teams usually play their best.
Can blame the defense all you want but the Bucs Offense got hammered.
If both teams in the NFC South win out Falcons win the Division but it also means that the Commanders have one more loss and it will come down to those same Cowboys having to beat the Commanders and getting the Bucs in with the tie breaker.
That is off course if the Bucs can get past the Panthers and the Saints. Panthers many be finished but are not playing like a 4-11 team and we’ll see what the Saints have left in the tank tonight.
Biggest mistake of the night was completing the last pass as it should have been at White’s feet to stop the running clock. Believe it was first and ten when Mayfield threw a pick putting an end the 2023 Season.
Dumb founded look on his face said it all. Real good at playing aggressive but cannot turn the switch to smart while pressured.
Evans will continue to be force fed the ball to say his streak and could mean the end of the Bucs season.
December 23rd, 2024 at 11:30 am
We all figured Mike would be heavily covered. i think there was one throw to Mike that I don’t think he knew was coming for him though. We could have used more tackles and more protection of Baker too. Sometimes he is slow in throwing the ball, but overall he does a good job.
December 23rd, 2024 at 11:32 am
ah the yucs: this team should be at least 10-6
bad coaching decisions time outs not going for 2 KC
and the most important leaving Chris Godwin and other starters out in a unwinnable game
this season would be totally different with CG on the field
December 23rd, 2024 at 11:47 am
If evans never played the ravens game I think this season goes completely different.
Our offense looked good in that game until he got hurt. When he went down it rattled baker and the team (back to back turnovers and drops). That was the start of the blowout that ended with losing godwin for the season and going on a losing streak.
If none of that happens, I bet we beat the falcons the next week and possibly the chiefs or niners.
Choosing to play an obviously hurt mike evans was what hurt this season IMO.
December 23rd, 2024 at 12:20 pm
Watchn NFL receivers drop HARD earned passes makes me fantasize about big ol ball bats.Can you say practice squad ?? NFL not for long when the ball freakin bounces
December 23rd, 2024 at 2:54 pm
Let’s just say the 1 positive for the bucs isaufield his # speak for them selves he is top 5 in NFL the drops r the worst this is 0&6 in prime time games so goes that record
December 23rd, 2024 at 2:55 pm
I just knew this was going to go this way just like last year down to the last game we better end up 10&7 or else
December 23rd, 2024 at 4:12 pm
Mayfiled also had a crowd of Cowboys around him looking like they wanted to rope a steer on his deeper throws. Look no further than the O line for the reason.
December 23rd, 2024 at 7:49 pm
This loss is not on Baker. The refs screwed us on what should have been a simultaneous catch going to Macmillan by NFL rule. Baker recovered a fumble. Whyte fumbled the game away. The defense missed tackles. Todd called an unnecessary timeout that led to a FG. Finally their kicker is unreal.
December 23rd, 2024 at 11:47 pm
So……..throw short passes to Mike? And send the smurfs out long to stretch the field.
December 23rd, 2024 at 11:50 pm
Motion Mike. Slot Mike. None. Why.
Awful game plan on both sides.
Head coaches are accountable for the game plan, another obvious example why this fine man needs to be a college professor, or life counselor to athletes. But not coaching football.
December 23rd, 2024 at 11:53 pm
Title should be “Baker Mayfield makes excuses for lack of targeting Mike Evans”
I watched baker not even look in mikes direction during parts of the 2nd half. Even if it’s a bunch of short out routes, ME13 is the best WR on the team
Feed him the damn ball.
December 24th, 2024 at 8:47 am
Again, Bowles must go.
December 24th, 2024 at 1:39 pm
As bad as the defense was on the tds it kept them to 4 field goals and if it was any other team with a typical kicker, a few of those would’ve been punts thus winning us that game even with all of the dropped passes, missed tackles and sacks that shouldn’t have been taken. Hats off to their “Money Mclaughlin” kicker.
The thing I will never forgive Clod Blowels for is he stupidly took that timeout thus possibly preventing that field goal but at the end of the game when we needed every second on the clock to drive for a winning field goal, he let 23 seconds run off the clock in order to preserve his precious timeout. Could’ve ran 2 plays to the 2 minute warning. In the end he is the reason for this loss. No matter how good Baker and the offense plays we will be a middling team because of him. Hopefully the Glazers look past the 3 years of playoffs and NFC South crowns to see what will continue to haunt us as long as he’s our HC, never bad enough to be complete losers nor good enough to be winners
December 25th, 2024 at 12:40 am
Our secondary really needs some help, either a coaching issue or talent but something needs to be done.