Baker Mayfield Jump-Starts Bucs
January 9th, 2025
Scrambling Baker excites Bucs.
Sometimes when a team is lethargic, coaches often try something unorthodox to shake it out of its funk.
Take last Sunday playing the slimy Saints in a win-and-in game. One reason Bucs coach Todd Bowles signed off on going for it on fourth-and-eight in the second half is Bowles was trying to jolt his team to life.
Prior to that, the Bucs played like their heads were somewhere else.
Today, offensive coordinator Liam Coen admitted that sometimes this shock to the Bucs’ system comes organically when Baker Mayfield runs for a first down.
“I definitely think that had something to do with us maybe waking up a little bit and getting things going,” Coen said of Mayfield’s scrambles. He ran 9 times for 68 yards.
“We were maybe going through the motions a little bit sometimes in the first half. Not taking anything away from New Orleans – they had a great plan and did some good things against us, but we weren’t really playing at our highest level, if you just put it that way.
Mayfield’s scrambles “helped the guys out, I think, getting a little bit of juices going. You ended up seeing some good things after that.”
Joe couldn’t help but think of when the Bucs hosted Washington in 1998 in the divisional round at the crib formerly known as the CITS (community investment tax stadium).
The Bucs offense was even sluggish by Father Dungy’s standards. In the second half, John Lynch picked off a Brad Johnson pass and he Gronk-spiked the ball right in front of the Bucs’ bench. It was right by the offense as if to say, “Will you guys get your heads out of your arses and play ball?!”
And then Mike Alstott took over. The Bucs won and went on to face the Rams in the NFC title game.
If it takes Mayfield to run to get the offense flowing, then by all means, run Baker, run!
January 9th, 2025 at 6:46 pm
Baker had me when he did “The Block” heard round the world.
January 9th, 2025 at 7:07 pm
1999 season
January 9th, 2025 at 7:22 pm
Or when he kinda maybe started a lil dustup and left his boys to clean it up. That was 💯 his way of trying to get them going
January 9th, 2025 at 7:38 pm
JK
That is an excellent point. I saw it happen and thought what a fiery leader but reading your post makes me realize he’s also a SMART leader.
January 9th, 2025 at 7:45 pm
That was an awesome moment. I remember it well. Forgot it was Brad Johnson that he picked off though.
January 9th, 2025 at 8:12 pm
We are worried about Daniels and rightfully so but it can’t be understated how important Bakers mobility and ability to take off for 10 is to our offense and what Washington also has to scheme for.
January 9th, 2025 at 9:04 pm
Baker offsets the head soft and weak pass defense to some degree. We are lucky to have Baker.
January 9th, 2025 at 9:13 pm
Baker brings extras that make him a special leader. And yes he is very smart
January 9th, 2025 at 9:14 pm
Penn St. Abdul Carter edge / OLB
Watching this kid in the ball game. He’s the second coming of Micah Parsons.
Guy played two years OLB. Deflected passes, blitzed, int .
Now this year they put him at edge – 22 TFL and 11 sacks. Explosive as hell.
Don’t know where he his projected, probably to high, but he would thrive in the Buccaneers defense. An edge rusher who can also drop back cover the pass.
January 9th, 2025 at 10:40 pm
David Bowles would have him covering receivers because he didn’t believe you need a good edge rush
January 10th, 2025 at 12:01 am
True. And if you want to get REAL technical, the game actually happened in 2000.
January 10th, 2025 at 12:04 am
Yeah, early in the third Baker took off and got hit as he was sliding. And he totally did an Allen Iverson step-over the defender on the ground. Which ticked off the Saints, which led to the shoving match. The Bucs offense got going after that.
January 10th, 2025 at 12:05 am
“Get yer weight up, little boy!” Shirts now on sale..
January 10th, 2025 at 5:10 am
Wow Joe! Yes and lynch knew exactly wht he was doing. I loved it!
I am convinced that Baker decided to pull it down a couple of times…when he was in the huddle.
Go Bucs!
January 10th, 2025 at 7:33 am
I saw Lynch do that. Boy was he pissed.