Career High Rushing Day For Baker Mayfield
January 5th, 2025
The Bucs needed every one of Baker Mayfield’s 68 yards rushing today.
Yeah, sixty-eight!
That was by far a career high for the Bucs’ franchise quarterback, who got most of those yards in the fourth quarter in today’s division-clinching win against the slimy Saints.
On 3rd-and-14 at the Tampa Bay 12 yard line with 4:15 remaining and the Bucs leading 20-19, Mayfield scrambled up the middle for 28 yards. Joe’s not sure the Bucs win the game without that play. Huge!
But that wasn’t Mayfield’s only big run of the day. He had a season-high nine rushes. Overall, Mayfield had 62 rushes this season, same total as last year except Mayfield more than doubled his production.
The sometimes hidden rushing element to Mayfield’s game was in the spotlight today.
Joe expects plenty more of it in the postseason.
WHEELS 👨🍳
📺: #NOvsTB on FOX pic.twitter.com/1rWNBsqdVB
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 5, 2025
January 5th, 2025 at 4:32 pm
Saved the day!
January 5th, 2025 at 4:33 pm
Baker is our Franchise QB for the next 10 years.
January 5th, 2025 at 4:35 pm
Has nothing to do with you Joe
January 5th, 2025 at 4:35 pm
That pass to Jalen McMillan when got called for taunting was so clutch!
January 5th, 2025 at 4:35 pm
HUMONGUS EFFORT …
He won this game. Saints gave it everything.
January 5th, 2025 at 4:36 pm
That possession started at our 5 & he willed us to the td pressure response by Bucs 1-43 now
January 5th, 2025 at 4:36 pm
Straight up stud.
January 5th, 2025 at 4:36 pm
Honestly, Baker probably is one of the biggest reasons the Bucs even had a chance in the playoffs
How many times have we seen Baker put the team on his back and singlehandedly kept drives alive?????…… infact, he’s the only Bucs QB in Bucs history that has had this much gusto, drive, and scrambling ability……… everyone was wrong about Baker…….even me!!!
January 5th, 2025 at 4:37 pm
Watch out for Carolina next year. Saints and Falcons will battle for the basement.
January 5th, 2025 at 4:37 pm
Baker is a hustler! He is something else. Can’t say it enough how lucky we are to have him as our QB.
January 5th, 2025 at 4:39 pm
Imagine if Bowels and the defense was even close to the quality of coach Coen and the offense?
The Bucs would be a consistent contender for many years….
Super excited about the offensive side of Bucs and their game!
January 5th, 2025 at 4:40 pm
Great game for Baker. And especially after seeing that stat that he was 0-43 when having trailed by 10. What a way to break that streak.
January 5th, 2025 at 4:40 pm
Love baker and hus no quit attitude !!
January 5th, 2025 at 4:43 pm
Our O played tight and nervous most of the game imo and I think Mike’s 85 yards need weighed heavy on all. Finally woke up and got the job done. Outstanding and so thrilled for Mike! Jumping around in my living-room. Lol
January 5th, 2025 at 4:49 pm
Bake
January 5th, 2025 at 4:49 pm
“Imagine if Bowels and the defense was even close to the quality of coach Coen and the offense?”
Bill Belichik went FIVE years in Cleveland with ONE winning season and a horrid 36-44 overall record. He went to N.E. lost 11 his first season and then discovered Brady. Brady leaves and comes to Tampa and BB is exposed he finished without Brady 34-50!!!! For the math challenged that means BB’s 70-94 record without Brady is .43 win %
With today’s win Bowles record with Tampa Bay improves to 35-31 a WINNING % ironically drug down by Brady’s final melodramatic season which Bowles had to navigate.
Bowles hatred at this point is growing more and more irrational!!!
Belichik love has always been irrational except as a DC and an HC who benefitted from the GOAT BIGTIME!
January 5th, 2025 at 4:49 pm
How many times did Mayfield face 1st and 20, 2nd and 20? Has to be some kind of record! He was a machine getting first downs starting out so far in the hole. I May have been skeptical, but he is our franchise QB!
January 5th, 2025 at 4:53 pm
BTW I love Coach Coen. But it was the first time he got outcoached as badly as I’ve seen by a DC. But the Saints had Coen figured out! They had guys making plays as if they knew exactly what was coming next.
I still love Coen but if we’re honest Joe Woods had Liam’s number bigtime!!!
Give Coen credit for hanging in there but lets be honest…again I love Coen but he didn’t win this game. Baker put this offense on his back and at times literally carried it with Saints hanging off his back.
Aside from Josh Allen who is a HUGE QB who else would do what Baker did, not sliding but putting his head down like an actual running back and just barreling for what he could get. BAKER IS A FREAKING LEADER!!! BY EXAMPLE. WITH COJONES THE SIZE OF THE BOWLING BALLS!
January 5th, 2025 at 4:54 pm
TheBucsAnthem Says:
January 5th, 2025 at 4:36 pm
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Not “everyone was wrong about Baker.”
January 5th, 2025 at 4:55 pm
yung scraps…………..was scrappy AF out there today 🙂
January 5th, 2025 at 4:56 pm
In Mayfield’s first game, he entered the game in the second quarter with the browns down 14-0, and they came back and won. So I’m not sure if that come from behind stat is too accurate.
January 5th, 2025 at 4:58 pm
I think now that the regular season is over and looking at Quarterbacks that we have had “playing for us”
I would have Baker as 2nd best QB in our history.
January 5th, 2025 at 4:58 pm
Whatever it takes, appreciate Baker putting it all on the line!
January 5th, 2025 at 5:03 pm
When the commentator says Bucs have a tough 3rd and long, I usually smile. I am never worried because Bake seems to love it and knows what he needs to do and seems to do it an unreasonably high amount.
I don’t have the fourth quarter in front of me, but if I had to roughly guess, I’d say he singlehandedly saved the game no less than 5x in the last 5 minutes.
The 28 yard run, the shovel pass to McMillan, the long pass to McMillan that had the pf for UC also, even though it was penalized.
The shorter scramble.
Doing all that with the pressure of $3 for and making history with ME13, Baker has become a clutch QB. Makes the pro bowl snub even worse.
January 5th, 2025 at 5:03 pm
The Bucs are still injured going into whatever position in the first P/O games. Coen still does not get the talent he coaches. I saw one positive. Coen had him do a pure lateral. The play got a ton of yards. Coen needs to do these options.
January 5th, 2025 at 5:07 pm
geno711 Says:
January 5th, 2025 at 4:58 pm
I think now that the regular season is over and looking at Quarterbacks that we have had “playing for us”
I would have Baker as 2nd best QB in our history.
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Mayfield threw the ball a lot fewer times than Brady when he was in Tampa. Baker still on the rise. Hasn’t peaked. Pretty sure Baker has earned his money.
January 5th, 2025 at 5:08 pm
If they are going to play like this in the playoffs we better get the backup QB’s up to speed soon!
January 5th, 2025 at 5:23 pm
The offense stalled totally because they wanted to get Mike the record. I wanted him to get it too. Once again Bowles made adjustments at halftime and shut down the Saints. Love this team. Go Bucs!!!
I do think we are out of safeties though. Where do we go from here!!! Lol.
January 5th, 2025 at 5:25 pm
Gipper if you put Baker 1st on your list, that is fine it is your list.
This year, Baker has a better running game than Brady ever had.
As you pointed out, Brady threw the ball more often. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Or just a difference in the team?
Just like how much we appreciate or do not appreciate the OC on each team.
But I clearly agree that both Baker and Brady earned the money the got from Tampa Bay.
January 5th, 2025 at 5:28 pm
That win is on the Bake show ,,,, Won my prob bets ,,, Bucs division and make playoffs too
January 5th, 2025 at 5:30 pm
Not just to say I told you so, but I joined this blog last year right after Baker’s contract was done. I told you that this guy was a winner. You can say that I’m not a long-term Buc’s fan, but now you’ll also understand why I followed this kid to Tampa Bay. I was so excited that Baker was going to have an opportunity with a high-quality organization and had all the faith that he was going to succeed.
I’m most happy to see how many veteran fans have changed their minds and gotten behind him.
And…. I think that I’m going to be a Bucs fan for the remainder of my days!!
January 5th, 2025 at 5:32 pm
geno711 Says:
January 5th, 2025 at 5:25 pm
Gipper if you put Baker 1st on your list, that is fine it is your list.
This year, Baker has a better running game than Brady ever had.
As you pointed out, Brady threw the ball more often. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Or just a difference in the team?
Just like how much we appreciate or do not appreciate the OC on each team.
But I clearly agree that both Baker and Brady earned the money the got from Tampa Bay.
=================================
Just making an observation. Brady stats were slightly better than Baker because he threw the ball a lot more. Baker is 29 and on the rise. Brady was at the end of his career at 44. Not in any way denigrating Brady. Baker has a lot more to prove. Think he will. Consider what he did with Godwin and Evans out for large parts of the season. Made it work somehow, some way.
January 5th, 2025 at 5:32 pm
He’s the real deal.
Glad we have him signed in his prime.
Get the defense up to standard and sky is the limit.
Baker was baking today!
January 5th, 2025 at 5:35 pm
A lot of trends were broken today, which was surely needed for us.
January 5th, 2025 at 5:36 pm
stpete, I normally love your takes and we are clearly aligned politically. However, I’m never going to be on the Bowels bandwagon. Yes, he’s won the division 3 years in a row. Do you think he would have won any other division 3 years in a row? Do you think he would have won ANY other division once in the last 3 years?
I do not believe Bowels is a good enough in game coach to ever win a Super Bowl, and that’s what it’s all about. Even today, near the end of the 1st half, he takes an unnecessary timeout, gives the Saints 1:03 and they almost scored a TD and they did kick a FG.
January 5th, 2025 at 5:39 pm
Every time I see Baker tuck it and run, I hold my breath.
January 5th, 2025 at 5:41 pm
“If they are going to play like this in the playoffs we better get the backup QB’s up to speed soon!”
Given the amount of Baker hate, second only to Bowles, I’m not sure I grasp that comment.
I wish to give the poster the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he meant that the Bucs are going to get him killed if Coen has another play calling half like the first half today.
Or perhaps he’s just a garden variety ignoramus who is suggesting that Baker was the reason the Bucs struggled.
I HOPE its the former but on this blog it could be the latter.
January 5th, 2025 at 5:42 pm
Baker also tackled #0 guy lololol
January 5th, 2025 at 5:45 pm
Alvin
Appreciate your opinion and your manners in presenting it. Obviously you are free to disagree but with all due respect your questions are irrelevant.
Todd and the Bucs weren’t given a chance to compete in another Division. They did pretty well in the playoffs last year with Baker at QB we’ll see how they do this year.
This gets down to stuff like if the bullfrog had wings he wouldn’t scrape his arse on the tall rocks. IF…IF…IF’s are freaking meaningless. FACTS
Which Coach has won the Division 3 years in a row. Opinion it’s because the NFC South Sucks, they’ve won only against the poor teams despite the opening success against the preseason favorites in the NFC Detroit. Was that luck?
January 5th, 2025 at 5:48 pm
Well, it is done. Baker has once again proved all the naysayers wrong as he has been doing since high school. That is why some of us love him, he is the quintessential underdog fighting to prove himself and help his team win. How can a person not love a guy like that, keep that chip brother. Great season and good luck in the playoffs!!!
January 5th, 2025 at 6:07 pm
Hey Joe, how about doing some research? Steve Young played here. The Bucs were so bad, first chance he got, he fled. Baker has a complimentary O backing him up. He WANTS to stay here. And credit Todd Bowles who is why Licht rescued Baker. Can he be another Young? Time will tell. 10-7 and I am one very happy Bucs fan!!!!!!
January 5th, 2025 at 6:54 pm
stpete, you know the Bucs were totally outgained in that Detroit game. Go back and look at the stats. That was an aberration.
January 5th, 2025 at 9:52 pm
Some say the Bucs can only win against bad teams. When they are on their game, like last week, that offense will score on ANYONE. And that is without Chris Godwin and that guy is deadly. IF he comes back 100% and the offense is firing on all cylinders that day, this team will be very very hard to out score. They will score at will.