Taming Baker Mayfield
May 21st, 2025
Playing smarter.
This may surprise casual Bucs fans. Baker Mayfield is 30 years old and with that comes some hazards.
As Tampa Bay quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis said yesterday at One Buc Palace, 30-year old quarterbacks cannot take the punishment that 25-year-olds can.
This was also on the mind of Jim Miller, the former Bucs quarterback and NFL veteran. He hosts the best damn football show on radio, SiriusXM NFL Radio’s “Movin’ the Chains.” Recently, Miller emphasized how for the quality of the Bucs’ offensive line, Mayfield taking 40 sacks last season was way too high.
This was on Lewis’ mind yesterday. In fact, Lewis is trying to rein in his prize racehorse. He’s trying to convince Mayfield to be less “dawg” and more smart.
Lewis’ mission is to preserve Mayfield or the Bucs and prolong his career so Mayfield can earn hundreds of millions more dollars.
As the old football axiom goes, there aren’t many old running quarterbacks.
“He has a chip on the shoulder,” Lewis said of Mayfield. “No matter what; good, bad and indifferent. He’s always out to prove himself.
“But he’s his own worst enemy, right? And he’s got to get himself out of harm’s way. I like his competitive nature, but I don’t like it to the expense where he keeps getting hit and he won’t be available.
“He’s getting older. He turned 30, so I joke with him now, ‘Welcome to the 30 club.’ [Lewis has told Mayfield:} You’re older. Now some hits you took when in your 20s might affect you a little different in your 30s.”
So how does Lewis coach up Mayfield to play older?
“So, you know, just to get him to start being smart, take less hits, throw it away,” Lewis said. “Maybe get down. Be competitive in situations called, ‘Gotta-have-it’ situations. [Gotta have a] first down, touchdown, [stay in] the game, things like that.
“But I love him to death. I wouldn’t trade him for nothing, or his competitive nature.”
And that is the conundrum. The race horse is good because he’s hyper and fast while at times reckless. How do you train him not to be reckless but at the same time keep horse’s speed?
This is sort of a damned if you do, damned if you don’t routine.
If Lewis figures this out and Mayfield leads the Bucs on a deep run into the playoffs, both he and offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard might have big promotions with other teams come January.
And the Bucs might just be licking another Lombardi Trophy, too.
May 21st, 2025 at 7:17 am
Run the ball more and effectively.
May 21st, 2025 at 7:20 am
Backyard football can be fun to watch. But there’s no doubt that as they age more and more of the completions need to be on schedule rather than off platform.
Russell Wilson is a good example of what happens when a qb relies too much on his legs to be effective. Not quite an apples to apples comparison considering that Wilson was effective because of off platform and Baker is good at both.
May 21st, 2025 at 7:22 am
Shh… We have a steal. Baker knows it. Some of us forever buc fans
him wanted him the year before.
May 21st, 2025 at 7:22 am
That is kind of what Canales did right? Baker had a pretty average, albeit safe year where he dialed it up in the playoffs but it kind of cooked us during the Lions game, thought one of those INT’s was not his fault. Then the next year it seems they said let it rip, and well that led to too many INT’s. How do we find the happy medium like 35 touchdowns, no more than 10 INT’s, and maybe 1-4 running touchdowns but also 4,000+ yards through with Mike, Chris, McMillan, and Egbuka getting 1,000 each LOL
May 21st, 2025 at 7:27 am
“…both he and offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard might have big promotions with other teams come January.”
I can see a scenario where, if Grizzard is successful, he becomes the next HC and Thad Lewis is the next OC. You know, continuity and such.
May 21st, 2025 at 7:39 am
I think everybody, including Baker, knows that he needs to find a way to incorporate more discipline into his game. He needs to be more selective on the physical part and also on his belief that his rifle arm means he can gun into very small holes, another source of INTS.
I always harken back to the great Fran Tarkenton. Only 6-0 190Lbs relative to the size of D lineman and LBs he was the same size as Baker’s 6-1 215.
Tarkenton cut down his yards lost due to sacks as his career progressed and he aged and didn’t try heroic moves to evade the tacklers. Baker’s yards lost to sacks has actually gone up as he refuses to throw the ball away.
Brady’s first year with the Bucs was perfect. He threw the ball away when necessary but on several critical occasions he sucked it up and plowed forward.
By year 3 however I felt sorry for him. He played like a distracted, scared, old man. The mere sight of a rusher beating his blocker made him throw the ball into the dirt. No shame in that! He simply stayed a couple of years too long. IF he had quit after that 7th Lombardi he would have avoided that embarrassment and maybe the end of his marriage. Hindsight is 20/20 and especially meaningless from a keyboard warrior like me. He’s STILL the GOAT.
May 21st, 2025 at 7:46 am
after cg went down JMac made rookie mistakes that turned into a few of those ints, like not finishing his routes, should be less ints this year, exciting to think about this year… do you think atlanta can shut down bucky and the passing game?
May 21st, 2025 at 7:49 am
Age is just a number and I hate Baker to have too much to think about. He has been very durable throughout his career and as he gets older he’ll know when he needs to tone it down some. Cross our fingers that all of our players can have a healthy season. All I want to see is Baker getting the ball in the hands of these outstanding playmakers just as fast as he can. Cutting down on turnovers is the only thing he should be thinking about besides dishing that ball off. The more experienced his receivers the less interceptions we’ll have. We need to work hard at cutting down the fumbles. We were lucky last year that we recovered most of our fumbles and we don’t want to count on luck.
May 21st, 2025 at 8:06 am
On doing some analysis yesterday on deep passes, I was shocked going through the play-by-play recaps at how many times Baker kept drives alive last season with HIS running. I wish I had kept a running log of those, but didn’t. We praise our RB runs, we praise the various catches of our receivers, but keeping those drives alive was critical. And Baker’s legs proved to be critical in that.
I for one want him to keep running, but selectively. He’s got plenty of weapons, so HIS running should be a last resort (OK, when everything else breaks down). Personally I think one of the reasons Baker takes so many sacks is that he hangs in their with his progressions, and keeps looking for ways to get SOMETHING out of each play. And sometimes he waits too long. But hey, this team accumulated almost 6800 total yards last year and generated over 500 total points. What they did worked; don’t screw it up now.
May 21st, 2025 at 8:26 am
Baker trucking that LB last year on that scramble up the middle was unreal. Idk if that can be coached out of him.
But he does take a bit too many hits, and I get nervous about it from time to time.
May 21st, 2025 at 8:27 am
Oh yeah, I think that was Bobby Wagner he trucked.
Insane, Wagner got mowed over.
May 21st, 2025 at 8:33 am
“Just get him to start being smart”
Not a ringing endorsement for Baker’s mental game.
At 30 years old he’s entering put up or shut up territory.
Time to stop faking it till you make it. He might have five more good years.
But a 20-17 record in two seasons including playoffs doesn’t scream elite.
1-2 in the playoffs is the only record that matters.
May 21st, 2025 at 8:42 am
In the last ten years the winning Super Bowl quarterbacks average age was 27 , the losing quarterbacks in those contests averaged 32 years of age , Father Time still undefeated!
May 21st, 2025 at 8:51 am
At least he’s stopped head butting linemen.. without his helmet on.. I think.
May 21st, 2025 at 9:28 am
Applause for DR. Exactly. Well said.
May 21st, 2025 at 9:34 am
Sorry folks.
If my bucs beat Falcons on road then it’s all about discipline from here on on out
May 21st, 2025 at 9:52 am
Should be the most exciting season since TB12’s Lombardi toss to CB!
May 21st, 2025 at 10:03 am
Baker has 2 years without many hits due to the stupidity if tge tge browns and the Panthers and the red shirt rules in college.
We need him to keep being a pirate. After he wins the super bowl let’s talk
And baker will pass on an extra 59 million to win a super bowl. And i cant thank him enough.
May 21st, 2025 at 10:11 am
Well let me think… 🤔
Plank, try and keep in mind, we were a 4 win team in 2023 and we still went to the playoffs. 4 win teams dont go to the playoffs. And the only thing that really changed was Baker was hired and we won 9. That’s 5 more than we were suppose to win. And he might have 10 more good years. If you haven’t noticed Bakers a little different.
May 21st, 2025 at 10:27 am
What would also help is taking him out when games are clearly over(whether winning or losing big) to prevent an injury for no reason, and let Trask get some snaps. It would kill me seeing Baker on the field while up 3 touchdowns with 5 minutes left.
May 21st, 2025 at 10:40 am
IF BAKER WON THE SUPER BOWL
The NFL would explode. Bakermania would be absurd.
>50% the media would have said they always loved him.
>50% the media would still find a reason to hate him.
>100% of the media would ruthlilessly demoralize the Browns.
>1% of the media (Joe) would give credit to Licht.
May 21st, 2025 at 11:05 am
there was a couple of times he took off running and i’d cringe that he was going to get his career ended. i think once his ankle got rolled on pretty badly last season…. he needs to stop and they want him to stop, but he is as tough as they come and wants to win more than play it safe…. hope he lasts. glad he is on our side.
May 21st, 2025 at 11:19 am
If Baker goes down the season is over.
Due to Licht’s lack of foresight we have nothing but a 98.6 clipboard holder as a backup.
There needs to be a competition with an experienced veteran QB and Trask.
You say you want to make the playoffs and a SB run?
“Preparation meeting Opportunity is where plays get made.” – Ronde Barber
May 21st, 2025 at 12:12 pm
DONT TRY 2 CHANGE BAKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In Texas, Ok and even the 1st 2years at Browns AND TAMPA BAY!! YOU LET BAKER BE BAKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THATS WHEN HE IS AT HIS BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WAS VERY VERY concerned when i heard GRIZ press conference-FINE_ DONT MAKE HIM HAVE 2 CARRY TEAM 2 A WIN ON HIS BACK-GET TEAM 2 STEP UP -BUT DONT ASK BAKER 2 NOT DO WAHTEVER IT TAKES 2 WIN CAUSE U R SCARED HE WILL GET HURT- LET BAKER BAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 21st, 2025 at 12:22 pm
sorry, but HAD 2 ADD!!!! I WAS MORE HORRIFIED AT LEWIS’ PRESS COMMENTS ALSO< QUIT TRYING 2 TAKE THE DAWG OUT OF BAKER!!!! THAT IS Y HE IS SOOOO GOOD AND LOUVES PLAYING HERE, CAUSE HE CAN BE HIS DAWG SELF!!!!!!!!!! SURE< SURE< PLAY A LITTLE SMARTER, GR*!!! BUT< NOPE< DO NOT GO DOWN ON BALL 2 BE SAFE-THATS NOT NOT NOT BAKER!!! LET BAKER BAKE LEWIS< GET REST OF TEAM 2 STEP UP AND BAKE IS BETTER AND DOESNT HAVE 2 GO ALL DAWG ALL THE TIME< YET< HE WILL BE A DAWG ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO BAKER!! GO BUCS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 21st, 2025 at 12:24 pm
I’ll take 40 TDS and 15 picks all day vs 20 tds and say 5 tds. Picks come with having an aggressive gunslinger qb. It’s not that picks are good and that he shouldn’t work on limiting them, but you also can’t coach the aggressive mentality out of him either. That’s what makes him Baker.
May 21st, 2025 at 12:24 pm
Tgoodwin 👍🏽 👍🏽 👍🏽
May 21st, 2025 at 1:33 pm
translation – coach willing to try to convince Baker to remove his best quality in order to prevent Trask playing because he knows we’ll lose almost every game if Baker gets hurt.