Baker Mayfield Feet Fix Is In Year 2
June 5th, 2024
So a year ago, then-Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales set out to start from scratch with quarterback Baker Mayfield’s footwork and reset it for success.
Canales talked about this on NFL Network after he was hired as head coach of the Panthers. Canales added that he set out to craft plays, in part, based on what Mayfield’s footwork told him would work.
Enter Tampa Bay quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis, who was there for the Mayfield tutoring last season. He said earlier this year that May and June of 2024 would be all about Mayfield’s feet.
So it intrigued Joe yesterday when Mayfield noted that he’s got feet issues.
“Sometimes I process information pretty quickly and my feet get out of whack a little bit,” Mayfield said. “Obviously, when it comes down to playing football, you can always run for a first down, whatever you’ve got to do. But not drifting in the pocket, not putting extra stress on these guys up front, and just going through it in a balanced setting and just trying to handle it the best way possible.”
Every QB should scrutinize and try to improve fundamentals. Heck, Tom Brady hired a throwing coach late in his career, so it’s great that Mayfield is being hard on himself. Unlike Canales, new Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen played the position, so perhaps he can add fresh perspective on Mayfield’s movement.
Still, as a seventh-year quarterback in a brand new offense who had a busy offseason, Mayfield is unlikely to have dazzling and greatly improved footwork for the 2024 season.
But a little improvement certainly could cut sacks (Mayfield ate 40 sacks last season) and as close as the Bucs were to the NFC Championship game, tiny gains can mean everything.
June 5th, 2024 at 4:03 pm
I don’t even know enough to recognize dazzling quarterback footwork if I saw it, but if Mayfield really trusts the guy who’s coaching him, there could well be more than just tiny gains.
June 5th, 2024 at 4:11 pm
I mean, just watch the tape. I’m still curious as to whether or not Mayfield has hired a throwing coach in the offseason, because even Peyton Manning had one in his career.
June 5th, 2024 at 4:11 pm
Well I heard Canalysis mention it last year, but not Baker. If that is any indication, Baker trusts them more this year. Maybe because Lewis said this is the 2nd staff harping on it so own it.
Try changing your golf swing for instance. It’s easy to hit a couple good shots on the range, but out on the course, it’s hard not to revert to what you have always done.
If he can slow down his happy feet, I will be impressed.
June 5th, 2024 at 4:12 pm
If Canales started the emphasis on Bakers footwork, and Coen is only continuing it, then who’s to say he won’t improve in that area?
June 5th, 2024 at 4:44 pm
May understand why the Bucs released Deven Thompkins….
His estranged wife, Maria Castilhos, just released allegations on Tik Tok of domestic violence. She evidently showed photos & copies of text messages with Deven threatening her….
This isn’t good to see 🙁
June 5th, 2024 at 4:45 pm
Actually, it was his footwork that prevented probably 15 more sacks with the disaster at Center and Guard.
June 5th, 2024 at 4:47 pm
I don’t agree with Joe that Bakes footwork won’t be anything better this year. Most QBs work on their footwork in the offseason so nothing special there. What is Joe implying by “a busy offseason”? Maybe Joe has done some research with Bake or Thad?
June 5th, 2024 at 5:22 pm
“But not drifting in the pocket, not putting extra stress on these guys up front, and just going through it in a balanced setting and just trying to handle it the best way possible.”
Drifting in the pocket = throwing from a bad platform
Putting extra stress on these guys = his footwork cuts into the time he has in pocket on occasion
Balanced setting= syncing up his eyes with his feet which will improve pocket presence and give him a more consistent platform to deliver. Also why his passes have great velocity, but because his motion is so jerky a good enough amount of his downfield passes tend to sail on him and it’s why he’s turnover prone passing over the middle.
June 5th, 2024 at 5:29 pm
tp hell with his feet. someone get him a clear visor so he can see the field!
June 5th, 2024 at 5:45 pm
Just hire Brady as a QB coach – Brady, him of almost perfect footwork since as a statue he was forced to be since giraffes don’t run for 1st downs.
June 5th, 2024 at 5:49 pm
Just for sheetz and jiggles, you gotta watch watch the Mic’d up of Goedeke vs the Jags! If I missed it this past season on JoeBucs, then my apologies! I know it’s off topic, but so many posts I’ve seen talking smack about Goedeke….. Makes me really appreciate this video
June 5th, 2024 at 6:00 pm
If you want to see great feet, look at Montana or Brady. Those guys set the standard.
June 5th, 2024 at 7:20 pm
I’m rewatching the lions game in the playoffs and Baker played good in the first half of the game. I was wrong on that one but I will keep watching the rest of the game. Because it’s been a while since they played.
June 5th, 2024 at 10:40 pm
BillyBucco, you are completely right about the golf swing. When I started playing golf all of my instructors worked on the top half of my swing. Big mistake. As any good golf instructor will tell you, that just like in any sport the swing starts from the ground up. The same is definitely true about the QB throw.
Although I never played QB, I have watched hundreds of hours of tape on how to instruct young players on how to throw a football. All of them start with the feet and the lower half of the body and this is what I try to teach my young players. Can a QB as established as Baker improve his footwork? Absolutely. But he just has to be dedicated to doing it enough times to build it into his muscle memory.
June 6th, 2024 at 3:32 am
But Baker, for the love of all us Buc fans please…pretty please…Get the ball out and stop staring down Mike!
Go Bucs!
June 6th, 2024 at 4:55 pm
We go from Vinny T and Brad Johnson both statues to happy feet Mayfield.
I’d like to see Baker settle down a bit in the pocket, somewhere in between Baker 2023 and Brad Johnson.
This is not a knock on Johnson, I will always love the man for helping bring us our first Super Bowl after being let down the previous 25-26 years.
June 6th, 2024 at 8:46 pm
Happy feet is the best way to describe him. He’s a great scrambler but poor runner and has escaped many sacks but he plays scared at the snap if his 1st rear is covered and doesn’t set his feet properly. This is why he’ll never be great. Jaymiss ATM needed glasses Mayfield needs to set his feet. At least Baker isn’t a moron.
June 7th, 2024 at 8:59 am
DavidBigbuc. Oh please Jamies didn’t have near the team Baker or Brady played with. His second year the bucs missed on a whole draft class which also set this team back. And the bucs never attempted to the run the ball as much either. One thing about it when Jamies was here our offense was top 5 and yards and scoring and that’s without a running game. And that’s a fact he was the scapegoat for a trash defense and a bad running game. I’m telling you I’ve never heard any of you talk about how bad the running game is until Brady came here. And don’t give me that well you couldn’t run because we were behind all the time and that’s a lie go do your research. I’m tired of this fan base make excuses for the players y’all love so much. This is why right now the bucs have never developed a quarterback and we are the only franchise in the history of the NFL that never developed a quarterback but it’s always the quarterback fault lol 😂. Leftwitch was the scapegoat for Brady once AB and Gronk left and Brady played just like he did his last year in New England he had the same numbers actually in 2019 and 2022. So look what happened when Brady played with the same offensive players that Jamies played with. That’s why he went got AB ,Gronk and Fournett. He new he wasn’t winning nothing the bucs without them and BA still had to change his play book when he had 12 picks . Even Lashawn McCoy said it yesterday on their show with Joy Taylor and remember he was on the team!!!