Baker Mayfield Takes Full Blame For Botched Handoff
January 13th, 2025
Takes a bullet for offense.
It looked like the game had turned.
The Bucs led 17-13 early in the fourth quarter. Washington was driving but the Bucs defense stiffened (no, really!). Washington should have attempted a field goal but backward-cap-wearing fraternity pledge Dan Quinn decided he wanted to be one of the cool kids who host podcasts and believe that when ESPN analytics say to go for it, it becomes easier to pick up chicks than getting them drunk doing keg stands.
The Bucs forced the Commandos off the field, denying them a first down on the Bucs-3.
If the Bucs found a way to kill some clock and maybe march down the field and score a touchdown, that could be the game.
Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen decided to call a jet sweep. From the NBC replays, there was hardly a white jersey on the left side of the field where Jalen McMillan was supposed to run the ball.
He didn’t get a chance.
The handoff was botched and the Commandos recovered. Four plays later, Jayden Daniels hit Terry McLaurin over the middle for a touchdown and a 20-17 lead.
Washington never trailed after that.
McMillan said in the Bucs’ locker room that he and Mayfield weren’t on the same page. Mayfield took full blame.
“It comes back to me, just timing it up correctly,” Mayfield said. “First one of the year that happened so obviously the timing of it, not great.”
It was awful timing. The way the Bucs defense couldn’t get off the field, the Commandos just drained the clock most of the rest of the game.
Mistakes are bad. Mistakes in playoff games are worse. Mistakes inside your own 15 in the fourth quarter of a playoff game are often lethal.
And that’s what happened tonight.
January 13th, 2025 at 1:13 am
Choked the last two drives. but maybe next year bake you played so well this season, just need to take care of ball better next year and we’re good hella season bake your the heart and soul
January 13th, 2025 at 1:18 am
I agree with Joe I hate those analytics nerds. Everyone else is dumb besides them. It’s become a stain on social media
January 13th, 2025 at 1:22 am
Wow……
like a leader should…
Maybe the HC should take notes.
January 13th, 2025 at 1:25 am
We always do something stupid when we take the momentum away from the other team. Literally just got a stop on the goal line. Then we turnaround and give them more chances.
January 13th, 2025 at 1:27 am
Turnovers are game changers, no more evidence then the Baker miscue. That was going to be a perfect call as the field was wide open on the Jett sweep. Baker failed to get the ball in the hands of McMillan, game turning point. Not only a turnover but a turnover that changed the entire game. Lose the turnover battle, lose the game.
January 13th, 2025 at 1:31 am
I like the script better where that fg bounces a different way, Bucky runs for a 40 yd TD in OT win, and Taylor dumps trav before sunrise
January 13th, 2025 at 1:32 am
I like the script better where that fg bounces a different way, Bucky runs for a 40 yd TD in OT win, and taeylr dumps the te from kc before sunrise
January 13th, 2025 at 1:34 am
ish happens, all good….Baker still our guy
January 13th, 2025 at 1:41 am
Imagine that, taking responsibility for a mistake. Bowles? Never
January 13th, 2025 at 1:45 am
mcmillan seems like a mistake waiting to happen. not sure if it was bakers fault
January 13th, 2025 at 2:43 am
At least Baker is accountable, unlike his head coach.
January 13th, 2025 at 3:52 am
Dude is the white version of Jameis Winston. Turnover prone especially in big games. Baker did it last yr in Detroit 🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️ Baker is a bridge QB at best . He’ll never ever win you a big game let alone “THE BIG GAME” it’s not him the F-up is in him not Dog. Dude is trash frfr. Cleveland and Carolina let him go😂😂😂 what does that tell you , like cmon ditch the delusional state some of you are in. Baker is a choke artist. 2nd in turnovers the most fumbles by any QB this yr. Like what else do some of you need to see for you to see he is not HIM. Any focus on him and he chokes. Winning this week ACC division is nothing , heck we won it 4 yrs in a row . What does that tell you? N he struggles to win that. N I still can’t believe Jason waisted a 2nd rounder on Kyle Trask, never understood that. His time should becoming to an end. I guess he goes when Todd does. Dean, Edwards, JTS, Whitehead, Britt,Baker, Shaq, Bresden, Palmer, Nelson, YaYa(dude is trash) Gaines, Hayes, funderburke( who employs someone with that name) Shepard, honestly why bring any of them back can’t make a Case for any of them. Secondary coach , OLB coach, Ryan Neal, and the punter
January 13th, 2025 at 5:18 am
^this guy, lol, a lost super troll lol
January 13th, 2025 at 5:28 am
The Bucs had the ball 24 minutes.
Lets be realistic here, in spite of the Bucs defense playing heroically most times, they couldn’t get Washington off the field when they needed to.
Bucs fans dont want to hear this, but last year was a rebuilding year, as was this year. and our free agency had to go to picking up OUR OWN FREE AGENTS! We did NOT see Mike Evans celebrate his 11th 1k Season in another color, and in spite of Buc2Blame boiling down Bakers career to one play (bet you weren’t say that when baker ran that first down on the TD drive), We’ve managed to Get a franchise QB without having to go 2-15, and when everyone was saying Baker will fall back to earth after Canales left, will be repeating that with the name Coen.
Make no mistake, LIAM COEN is the number one guy we MUST return next season, because the Buc2Blames of gooberville wont understand Baker will have had 3 offensive coordinators, they’ll chase Baker out of town and Coach Bowles all for the devil we DONT know. look that saying up if you’ve never heard it.
January 13th, 2025 at 6:06 am
Baker takes the hit for a rookie’s impatience. Timing was the issue, which hadn’t been a problem all year when other’s ran the play. Add in Barton’s brain lapse on the snap and unfortunately 2 productive rookies made mistakes at critical times.
January 13th, 2025 at 6:41 am
The fumble may have cost us the game, but I believe it is because of Baker and the office that we even got this far. I watched last week against the Saints and our defense looked horrendous. It still looks bad. Baker may have cost us the game, but the lousy defense cost us the season we weren’t going to get for any anyway, nor will Washington. I blame Ty balls for not hiring a defensive coordinator and being stubborn.
January 13th, 2025 at 7:02 am
Reporter: Coach Bowels, what about that fumble Baker was involved in?
Coach Bowels: Baker’s the reason we are here, OK
January 13th, 2025 at 7:49 am
Bucs only got the ball 3 times in the second half and they fumbled the ball one of those 3 drives. The other 2 drives they scored 10 points. They had no margin of error, and so that fumble was such a back breaking, game losing turnover.
January 13th, 2025 at 8:22 am
Baker took the blame for a rookie who clearly got ahead of himself. You can’t take a handoff if you run past the guy trying to handoff. Munch and the haters know what happened but they are only interested in some sick “I told you so.” What is weird is Mayfield had 3 incompletions and one was a clear drop by McMillan. That doesn’t sound like a “choke bum.” Bucs still had a shot at punching one in on last drive and we know what happened down there. Baker probably would take the heat, for that one too, but not even Munch will push that. He doesn’t need to. Munch is the real loser. He has been wrong about Mayfield for 2 years and desperately feels the need to vindicate himself. Everyone who watch that game knew there was more to that game than one play.
January 13th, 2025 at 8:27 am
If you want to place a loss on fumble by one player, you’re advertising that you don’t understand football. This wasn’t a 5 interception meltdown, it was one play in a 60 min game.
January 13th, 2025 at 8:41 am
I saw that the Bucs ran the jet sweep numerous times in the regular season without a mishap, I’d personally would like to know how many of those plays were run with McMillen vs others such as Palmer or Shepard.
January 13th, 2025 at 9:11 am
More convinced than ever that there is a big chunk of people in America who have been dumbed down.
Just looking at the comments from “the athletes” who comment on these pages is evidence that most have never played competitive sports. To execute a football play requires precision. For instance consider the chain reaction in a passing play. Receiver has to be in the right place, the line has to cleanly block, the QB has to deliver a good throw, the receiver has to catch and then not fumble after being assaulted by a defender. Bucs had more good than bad this season but are still a work in progress. It is remarkable that with salary cap limitations post Brady the team has done as well as they have. When no less an authority than Brady himself says; ” Mayfield delivers an A+ pass, or a dime throw” it is pathetic reading comments here from a group of high school band boys headed up by Rod Munch.
January 13th, 2025 at 9:51 am
😂😂😂 everything I said was facts you all can cry about it the same way you did last yr when he blew the game and he’ll do agin next yr n I wanna see what you all say then lmao delusional Buc fans as usual. Happy to win the weakest division in all football leagues college rec league lmao. N when he regresses next yr keep that energy. I don’t wanna hear “O he has to go he’s a turnover waiting to happen”
January 13th, 2025 at 10:42 am
Buc2Blame Says:
January 13th, 2025 at 9:51 am
😂😂😂 everything I said was facts you all can cry about it the same way you did last yr when he blew the game and he’ll do
=================================
You should stick with your clarinet. Go march around your yard like you used to in high school. Leave football and sports to people who know the game.
January 13th, 2025 at 11:06 am
washington never punted–ask Todd Bowles about that
January 13th, 2025 at 11:13 am
i cant with you people blaming the whole loss on baker. he completed almost 85% of his passes! they weren’t dink and dunk passes, the avg was 10.7 yds. two touchdowns, made several huge 3rd down plays-including one where he plowed right through one of the best linebackers in the nfl.
yes, the fumble sucked. he admitted that it was on him. it was a timing issue-really can’t tell what went wrong on it. but the fumble isnt the reason they lost the game. yet again, the defense couldn’t get off the field. the time of possession was ridiculously lopsided, and when they did get the stop it was after they let the commanders drive 80 yds downfield with ease.
then, the defense couldnt get another stop when it counted and let them easily score the winning fg. they probably could have gotten a td if they wanted to. why is it that our defense never gets a turnover? they got like 6 or 7 interceptions ALL SEASON-and dropped several that were right in their hands but they couldn’t manage to hold onto the ball. ridiculous.
January 13th, 2025 at 11:16 am
Oh Buc2blame, having a league leading 136.5 passer rating for the last 3 games isn’t choking. Its ballin out when it matters most . If Baker was responsible for the fumble it was a mistake, that’s it. You’re allowed a couple each game.
January 13th, 2025 at 11:30 am
Baker is the absolute very least of this teams problems.
January 13th, 2025 at 11:34 am
Gipper.. dumbed down.
Ya think?
January 13th, 2025 at 11:37 am
Talk ish about Dan Quinn going for it on 4th down all you want, the fact is they converted every single one except that one.
Defense could not get a stop on 3rd down or 4th down at all. Zero turnovers from the defense of the defensive mastermind HC
January 13th, 2025 at 12:01 pm
Everything misfired on that play, not just the handoff. It makes me wonder whether this particular jet sweep wasn’t practiced enough as it appeared that no one on the Bucs was on the same page.
January 13th, 2025 at 12:21 pm
I didn’t see any heart, passion or smarts from any other player than Baker. Sadly the rest of the team plays like their head coach: Slow, full of excuses and not ready for prime time.
January 13th, 2025 at 1:05 pm
Baker’s a pro and a leader, but McMillan is facing him and ran past him on that play. My take is the fumble was on McMillan, but Baker’s the man.
January 13th, 2025 at 1:24 pm
Jet sweeps are over-used in general but I especially hate then on your own ten yard line. Stupid.
Whatever happened to the quick pass to Rachaad White lined up outside? That play worked great early in the season then disappeared.
January 13th, 2025 at 1:27 pm
As a leader, he was right to take responsibility. Whether he was actually responsible I’m less sure about.
January 13th, 2025 at 2:00 pm
If anything, Baker should of ate the ball instead of trying to execute that handoff. Don’t like McMillan’s response. Sounds like he is trying to take responsibility off him running past the point of exchange. I think that is on him making sure he does not get past that point so he can execute the handoff. Sure Mayfield will take the responsibility, he was part of that play. Mayfield makes OC’s look good. This offense besides Evans and Mayfield had no fire until Baker trucked Wagner on that one scramble. Wish others showed up to play.
January 13th, 2025 at 2:09 pm
He should take blame just because he matured a little bit he still not the guy for the future I love the guys style of play but it’s the little things he has to be better at ball security and I’m assuming communication with his line idk maybe Todd was right playiers forget to communicate
January 13th, 2025 at 2:58 pm
El HEFE Says:
January 13th, 2025 at 2:09 pm
He should take blame just because he matured a little bit he still not the guy for the future I love the guys style of play but it’s the little things he has to be better at ball security and I’m assuming communication with his line idk maybe Todd was right playiers forget to communicate
+=================================
We get it, man, just keep piling non sequiturs on top of brain confusion. Keep striving for coherence.
January 13th, 2025 at 3:50 pm
Lmao GIPPER bro are you a fan of the team a player or just here to be a troll the team had injuries in the defense all year. Baker has been very average and yeah, he has his games here in there, but be for real coenz is System is nice.
January 13th, 2025 at 5:22 pm
Of course it was Baker’s fault. He had 13 fumbles during the regular season. He’s been a turnover waiting to happen for his entire career.
January 13th, 2025 at 5:24 pm
I’ll take Baker all day everyday. He’s a leader, tough physically and mentally and getting better all the time. He’s head and shoulders above Jameis. He’s coming into his prime and for a little while we have him at a discount. A gift to the Bucs for a change.