Baker Mayfield And His Picks
June 16th, 2023
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
Despite showing promise with Los Angeles last year, more than one or two NFL analysts believe Baker Mayfield was one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL.
This is why you see so much hate for Mayfield from national stenographers who cover the NFL, many believing Mayfield is a “bridge” to the Bucs’ next quarterback who will be drafted in the first round in 2024.
Last year, playing for the Stinking Panthers and the Rams, Mayfield had 10 touchdowns and eight picks. Bad ratio.
Yesterday, Todd Bowles was asked what the Bucs can do to help Mayfield limit turnovers. Bowles had suggestions but added a quarterback must be able to take chances so no quarterback will be mistake-free.
“I have to see all of [Mayfield’s interceptions] first to see what kind they were,” Bowles said. “But you try to get the ball out of his hands and make sure he’s making the right read.
“If the guy is covered, try and throw it out of bounds. If you’re a quarterback, you’re going to take some chances and you’re going to have some turnovers – just try to limit them as much as we can.”
Joe is no knuckle-dragging, run-the-ball meathead. You win by throwing in today’s NFL — provided you have a decent quarterback (if you don’t have a decent quarterback, you are pretty much screwed).
Joe thinks the Bucs will be a running team not so much because Bowles prefers that, but because of common sense. If Mayfield is throwing the ball 40 times a game, it might be the second coming of Mr. Entertainment, America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston?
At least with Jameis, you got production along with the fun picks.
Yes, Joe understands the Bucs didn’t add anyone of significance to the worst running attack in the NFL last year. But that’s another story for another day.
Ira Kaufman Talks Four Rookie Standouts At Minicamp, State Of The Bucs Entering Training Camp, And Much More
June 16th, 2023 at 5:09 am
Hopefully, the O-line will create holes for the running backs. At least Canales seems to know how to scheme running lanes> And hopefully the line will be able to protect Trask in the pocket.
June 16th, 2023 at 5:54 am
“I have to see all of [Mayfield’s interceptions] first to see what kind they were,” Bowles said.
This seems like an odd statement. Didn’t they look at his tape before they signed him?
June 16th, 2023 at 6:48 am
You fix the under-sized quarterback’s vision problems by playing the NFL-sized quarterback.
June 16th, 2023 at 6:52 am
@Akickinthebucnuts…
“This seems like an odd statement. Didn’t they look at his tape before they signed him?”
That’s exactly what my first thought was…Matter of fact, No other QB has thrown more picks than Mayfield since he came in the league…Not to mention, all the batted down passes…
I personally am not a fan of Mayfield, I was really disappointed when we signed him but I understand why…He was brought in to push Kyle; so in reality it’s Kyle’s job to lose…
That being said, Mayfield will have to be leaps and bounds better than Kyle to win the job…
If it’s a close competition Kyle will get the nod, for the simple that the team has more invested in him…
June 16th, 2023 at 6:53 am
Baker Mayfield had one good season with the Browns, in 2020 when they went 11-5 and won a playoff game. He had 26 TDs to 8 INTs, a pretty decent TD/INT ratio, slightly better than Tom Brady’s final season with the Bucs (25/9). He was healthy that season.
The following year, Mayfield played injured (shoulder injury – a terrible injury to suffer, even though it was his non-throwing shoulder). His numbers got much worse. Last season, playing as a backup on two different teams, one of which was a complete cluster fck (Carolina) is not indicative of what he would do as a designated starter and if he stays healthy.
So to date, the upside of Baker Mayfield is about equivalent to Tom Brady in a somewhat down year (at least as far as scoring points is concerned – his passing yards at 4,600+ were great). Can he get better? Tom Brady got better as his career progressed, not hitting his peak performance until his 8th season in the league, while his early years with New England he produced very pedestrian stats while still winning a lot of games.
June 16th, 2023 at 7:12 am
@AnonymousBuc76
100% agree that’s how it should be. Based on Joe’s practice notes so far – yeah, yeah, underwear, not comprehensive, blah, blah – it looks like Trask has been doing well, at least as well as Baker if not better. That’s why the likes of Rod Munch and Goatpoo have all but disappeared from this site. But Trask’s competition is not just Baker – it’s also the Baker Bois Hype Machine.
June 16th, 2023 at 7:13 am
Yall must me be high down there in Tampa if you think Kyle Trask is gonna beat baker mayfield out for that starting job. Baker might not be the guy he was at Oklahoma but he can still make big plays and he’s experienced. Won a playoff game etc. Trask couldn’t even beat a weak OU team with a terrible Defense in college bowl game. Wake up or put ur pipes down.
June 16th, 2023 at 7:32 am
Bowles is a low production just be safe with the ball coach. Mayfield is a turnover machine. Bowles now claims he didn’t look at Mayfield’s tape. So is this hiring all lichts doing. It doesn’t add up.
June 16th, 2023 at 7:43 am
Sounds like coach is setting up the easy punt to Trask.If things go sour.
June 16th, 2023 at 7:48 am
Bowles really telling people he didn’t watch every one of Bakers throws last year, let alone picks….not even last years??? C’mon man?!?!??!?
June 16th, 2023 at 7:55 am
Yeah with Winston his so-called production was an example of “cause and effect”. With his myriad of turnovers he was always playing from behind to catch up on the deficit score.
June 16th, 2023 at 8:00 am
Mayfield or Trask will thrive on the Bucs for the following reasons they have the
top 2 wr of the nfl. Evans and Godwin.
nfl best o lineman in Wirfs
nfl best center in the league Jensen
nfl best defensive tackle in Vea
nfl best linebacker in White
nfl top secondary in the league.
nfl best defensive end in Barret.
When you have that type of supporting cast and talent. The results are obvious.
The Bucs are primed to win a bunch of super bowl chips this decade.
June 16th, 2023 at 8:04 am
White is not the best linebacker in the NFL. Hr’s not even the best linebacker on this team – David is, followed by Shaq.
June 16th, 2023 at 8:45 am
“This seems like an odd statement. Didn’t they look at his tape before they signed him?”
There’s a QB competition going on, Bowles could easily be talking about the tape from the practice that had just concluded which is a normal thing to do for these NFL staffs. It’s been reported that the plays in practice haven’t been scripted and Bowles has been throwing some of his pressure packages and exotic looks at both QBs to see how they’d respond in a game-like situation. Not being talked about enough, but that’s what these practices in shells are for the field is just an open air classrooom.
June 16th, 2023 at 8:58 am
Mayfield is not much more accurate than Jay-Miss but he turned the ball over far less in Cleveland while not having very many receiving targets. I’m not overly optimistic about Mayfield but he’s not going to be a turnover machine like our former #1 overall draft BUST.
June 16th, 2023 at 9:03 am
49ers did pretty well being forced to let an unproven back up start last year. 1st rounder not going to be the starter, might get traded. Lets learn from this recent history.
June 16th, 2023 at 9:04 am
canales probably handled geno smith with a bit of a safe approach…
probably gotta do that with baker as well…
jameis needed to be reigned in too, and under payton before injury he was not as bad…
mayfield probably needs to not go outside of canales’ so called box too often, if he can help it…
imagine if he can have a geno smith type season…hey anything’s possible
June 16th, 2023 at 9:17 am
Joe understands the Bucs didn’t add anyone of significance to the worst running attack in the NFL last year.
Bucs will have 3 new starting OLinemen this year which , along with Canales, should upgrade the running game significantly.
Plus, Bucs may add a RB to the mix before training camp.
June 16th, 2023 at 9:51 am
Joe is going to guess Bowles meant minicamp tape.
June 16th, 2023 at 9:55 am
I really hate how people talk about undersized quarterbacks and their inability to be accurate yet drew Bree’s was considered undersized and when he was with NO he would pick out defense apart time and time again. I’m not saying Baker is even worth mentioning in the same sentence as Brees but I believe that saying someone is undersized for a position is a cop out. We could even argue Jay Miss Winston is your atypical height you want at QB but look out inaccurate that fool was. For every great play he had 10 bonehead plays.
June 16th, 2023 at 10:07 am
Was Brees the norm or was he the outlier? NFL suits (and coaches) who gamble on the outlier and lose often are quickly looking for work.
Joe heard a former NFL GM say about this subject, “The reason why people are down on short quarterbacks is because the data is overwhelming.”
No, there are no absolutes. Just because Mayfield is short doesn’t mean he can’t play. But history is history.
June 16th, 2023 at 11:03 am
Bowles & Canales are both big on ball security & on a QB kinda like being a point guard in basketball. Given a decent TEAM around them, both Mayfield & Trask have shown in the past that they can make plays & be successful. So IMO the winner of the QB competition will be the one (1) who gets the team around them to play at their best; (2) who protects the ball the best; and (3) who makes the most plays when things go to he11 in a handbasket.
Underwear football told us nothing. Preseason’s practices & games will tell us a bit more, but I really don’t expect Bowles or Canales to name a starter until after that 3rd preseason game (like they said?). Well, unless either Mayfield or Trask REALLY screws up, but that’s unlikely.
June 16th, 2023 at 11:08 am
Just make sure you get to overtime because that is how you prevent interceptions!
June 16th, 2023 at 11:10 am
Sooner Slim – better get off that crack pipe, you’re definitely losing it.
Kyle Trask was a Heisman runnerup his senior season, led the entire nation in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and TD/INT ratio. Let his team to the NFC East Championship, which is equivalent to winning a conference championship in the NFL, losing to the eventual national champion Alabama team by just one score on a neutral field. His college stats were almost identical to those of Baker Mayfield, and unlike Mayfield he is a prototypical NFL size quarterback, which matters a lot. For instance, he does not suffer injuries like Mayfield has done, who had a lost season his final year at the Browns due to a severe injury to his non-throwing shoulder, when his stats and team wins cratered.
June 16th, 2023 at 11:22 am
Joe sees what you did there. 🙂
June 16th, 2023 at 1:21 pm
Joe you might want to revisit last year’s Rams-Seattle game
June 16th, 2023 at 1:25 pm
Thank you Alanbucsfan …
I didn’t understand the “didn’t add anyone of significance to the worst running attack in the NFL,” comment, either. The majority of the offseason was dedicated to overhauling the rushing attack.
Joe: New rush-first OC, new LT, LG, RG, RT. New RB1, too. If a complete 100% overhaul is not significant, I don’t know what is? Please explain.
June 16th, 2023 at 1:40 pm
Short QB’s suck. Joe Montana was a wannabe. Drew Brees and Bussell Wilson were liabilities, held their teams back. Get real. It’s what’s upstairs and inside that counts. Old boy might shine or he might fail but being “too short” will not be the reason if he stumbles.
June 16th, 2023 at 2:08 pm
SlyPirate Bucs added Chase Edwards, Matt Feiler and Cody Mauch – that’s the net add personnel wise unless you think this is an additional via subtraction type of positive iteration.
Good players, but nothing that sets the world on fire.
Bucs got beat up front last season above and beyond what you would consider consistently.
Tom Brady stopped attempting sneaks – something he’s spectacularly good at.
New look OL and a RB1 that put up poor numbers in his rookie season is not inspiring an abundance of confidence.
Upside? Sure, but no lock by any means.
June 16th, 2023 at 3:03 pm
Man the younger generation looks at STATS and that is it.
So glad you guys don’t coach. You would always be paying top dollar for a player because you can’t spot talent until the All Pro is thrown in your face.
Give White the carries and catches from Fournette and he will eclipse 1,000 yds.
He oozes talent and this wide zone system will allow him to slash, which he excels at.
You guys are in for a pleasant surprise if you think we didn’t upgrade our running attack.
June 16th, 2023 at 5:10 pm
Joe says: “provided you have a decent quarterback (if you don’t have a decent quarterback, you are pretty much screwed).” My Momma says: “See offensive line. Even if you have a decent quarter back, your screwed if you don’t have a decent line, Joe. Look at Brady last year.”
Joe says: “Yes, Joe understands the Bucs didn’t add anyone of significance to the worst running attack in the NFL last year.” My Momma says: “See offensive line. Look at how Vaughn contributed in 2021.”
June 16th, 2023 at 6:28 pm
Sooner slim Says:
“Trask couldn’t even beat a weak OU team with a terrible Defense in college bowl game.”
.
.
Might have had something to do with the Gators also having a terrible defense.
June 16th, 2023 at 7:45 pm
OK BYCS FANS,
BAKER was treated terribly by the BROWNS OUR WRs beat man to man coverage 25% of the time. The organization said they were a RUNNING TEAM yet Sent BAKER out on the field with BROKEN BONES in his shoulder. Everyone seems to forget he took a 1 and 31 football team and almost made the playoffs as a ROOKIE breaking the ROOKIE TD record. Which QB can you say put up with 4 HC 4 OC in 3 years and took a 1 and 31 team to the playoffs. Any decent organization would not allow a young QB with BROKEN BONES to play. Be real! Is Baker done, well maybe but if it was your franchise and you had decided to move on from your QB would you really try to make him look as bad as possible before you basically CUT HIM? Only a joke of an organization would I have LOVED MY BROWNS for over 50 years I have to say if BAKER was the reason we lost then why did we need to actually get some pass rush, LB’s and WR’s for this team with a TOP 3 QB? WAKE up give him a chance I think you might be surprised. If he hasn’t lost it between the ears he will succeed for you guys just fine.
June 16th, 2023 at 9:23 pm
Sooner slim Says:
“Trask couldn’t even beat a weak OU team with a terrible Defense in college bowl game.”
Why do you have to post incomplete false comments just to degrade Trask dude ?
First Trask only played a few snaps in that game without his regular receivers with third string OL and receivers. He also had ankle injury on the game that he did not have to play. He almost defeat Alabama with Mac Jones in SEC championship scoring multi Td’s but his defense lost the game.
June 17th, 2023 at 9:35 pm
The two teams in the NFC championship were creative run-offenses in SF and Philly. We’re following the blueprint