Fumbling Baker Mayfield
June 19th, 2025
Some fans, especially Baker Mayfield fans, get annoyed when Joe references that the Bucs’ Pro Bowl quarterback tied for the league lead in interceptions last season with 16.
No shame there. Mayfield had a great year and it’s not like he had 30 picks like bumbling quarterbacks of Bucs past.
Vinny Testaverde threw 35 interceptions for Tampa Bay in 1988. The next NFL quarterback to throw 30 or more picks? That was Jameis Winston, America’s turnover machine. He handed out 30 picks as a Bucs quarterback in 2019.
Again, Joe’s not crying about interceptions. Hall of Fame Quarterbacks like Drew Brees, Brett Favre, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning and more all led the NFL in interceptions for a season.
Today, Joe will switch to talking about fumbles. Mayfield tied for the NFL lead in fumbles last season with 13.
Yeah, a quarterback nearly always leads the NFL in fumbles, but 13 is too many. Joe is uneasy about Mayfield losing only 2 of those fumbles to his opponents. That ratio can’t last. So Mayfield really needs to cut that fumble total by 50 to 70 percent.
Jared Goff, C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert and Matthew Stafford, all pocket quarterbacks like Mayfield, each got through last season with only 6 fumbles. So Joe thinks six a good target total for Mayfield. Zero is not realistic.
For those wondering, Tom Brady fumbled only 17 times in 57 Bucs games, despite dropping back to pass a truly historic amount in Tampa Bay’s pass-happy offense.
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June 19th, 2025 at 1:59 pm
Ya, and Brady had 3 INTs in one game against Green Bay, but the defense bailed him out every time.
June 19th, 2025 at 2:02 pm
WOW LOL
June 19th, 2025 at 2:05 pm
did those QBs above ever lead the nfl in INTs and Fumbles in the SAME season and still make the playoffs?
and folks bash the defense lol…looks like we should praise bowles and the defense…
GO BUCS!!!!
June 19th, 2025 at 2:10 pm
The overall desire (fumbles, interceptions, taking sacks and potentially getting hurt) is for mayfield to play smarter. Those are all symptoms of not playing on schedule. He’s great at making plays off schedule and from the pocket on time. But the more he tries to extend every play the more those symptoms show.
Brady was excellent at realizing a play was going nowhere and would live to fight another down. Obviously that’s because Brady didn’t have the agility to try and create outside when it broke down around him.
June 19th, 2025 at 2:11 pm
Not concerned about Bakers turnovers. He is the epitome of a gunslinger. There is zero doubt in my mind that a team could win a superbowl with Mayfield. Trent Dilfer won a Superbowl. Brad Johnson won a Superbowl. Mayfield is a much better QB than either of them. He is better than a few QBs that have won the big game. I still get irritated when people , especially the media when they say Tom Brady came to Tampa and won a Superbowl for them. Tampa was a QB away from contending for the big game I always ask people that say that “so do you think if Brady had gone to Carolina they would of won the Superbowl” and they always back pedal their statement. Bucs had a great O-line and a very good defense and excellent receivers. Don’t get me wrong, Brady is the G.o.a.t. but Tom Brady didn’t hold Patrick Mahomes and company to nine points and zero trips into the end zone.
Its a team sport!!! Mayfield is fine. Better than fine!!
As always Go Bucs!!!!
June 19th, 2025 at 2:23 pm
How exactly can you be so confident in a QB that seems to have a knack for messing up in big moments?
I bash the defense a lot and they deserve it. I bash Bowles a lot and he deserves it. Mayfield has played well for the most part but how anyone can be so confident in him until he actually proves he’s not a choke artist is beyond me.
Whatever happened to The BucRealist? We need some more of that.
June 19th, 2025 at 2:38 pm
Nature of the beast, I guess. Interceptions and fumbles will often come with a QB that has that sort of “gunslinger” type of approach. Doesn’t make it okay and it can cost the team games when it happens at the most inopportune times. For the record throwing interceptions like that is not akin to choking as some like to infer. With Baker it will likely be someting he will always need to work on. Akin to threading the needle-cutting down on turnovers while still maintaing that sort of free-wheeling spirit. Don’t want neuter the qualities that makes him special. I can live with it but would rather not, type of deal.
June 19th, 2025 at 2:46 pm
FUMBLE CULPRIT = SMALL HANDS?
Only 3 starting NFL QBs have smaller hands than Baker’s 9.25. Winston had small hands, too. Baker should consider wearing a glove(s) if this continues to be an issue. Winston went to a glove but I don’t think it helped him much.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:00 pm
Crickett Baker Says
“Ya, and Brady had 3 INTs in one game against Green Bay, but the defense bailed him out every time.”
That is such a subjective statement, considering those were the ONLY fumbles he had that year…and he had less his final 2 years.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:03 pm
It’s not a good stat. Leading the league in Interceptions AND Fumbles last year.
The Interceptions are one thing…16 is too many, but not horrible compared to our QBs of the past.
But the Fumbles? That is really, really bad. Especially with the way our OL improved.
No excuse for Mayfield.
That said, I’m still confident in him.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:05 pm
The Brady comparison isn’t great though cause if Tom sniffed strong pressure he is securing the ball and taking a dive.
Mayfield is trying to extend the play and sometimes it burns him/us but sometimes he gets extends the drive.
I remember when the season ended I couldn’t believe the INT or Fumble numbers. I watched every game and it did not seem like that many. If only 2 of those fumbles were turned over then that explains a lot of it I guess. He certainly needs to cut it down but as far as giving games away, I still worry more about the HC than I do the QB.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:05 pm
Couch Fan Says
“How exactly can you be so confident in a QB that seems to have a knack for messing up in big moments?”
You make a valid point.
But…he’s our QB, and he’s better than any QB we’ve had in two decades not counting Brady.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:07 pm
trent dilfer and brad johnson both learned to limit turnovers late in their careers, dungy chained dilfer basically… can’t put your defense in a bad spot especially in the playoffs, look at goff he turned it over multiple time’s against the commanders, baker has got to cut his turnovers for him and the bucs to get to the next level
June 19th, 2025 at 3:07 pm
It does sort of justify why the national media is so down on him though.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:10 pm
For the record throwing interceptions like that is not akin to choking as some like to infer. With Baker it will likely be someting he will always need to work on.
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2 major mistakes in the playoffs that had direct results in us losing. Im not one of these to blame it all on him. But to say he’s not a choker artist is asinine right now.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:11 pm
Noclu, you said it just about better than anyone has! Great insights
Couch fan, we have confidence in him because overall when it’s playoff time, overall, Baker plays better, according to NFL standards, than anyone has in the past and does now. This year he had a passer rating of 146, that is knocking on a perfect game of 158. No one played that good in the playoffs this year. This year for the last 3 games, the ones that got us in the playoffs in the first place. Baker had a rating of 136, the closest was Lamar with a 110 rating. Baker has proven over and over again when it really matters he rises to the occasion, that’s why. Is he perfect, no. Far from it but so are all the others.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:13 pm
It’s likely more a matter of how he holds it when scanning the field. Once word gets out, other teams watch the tape and target him
June 19th, 2025 at 3:14 pm
@Bonzai
I’m not disagreeing. I was against him when he first got here but he’s won me over for the most part. But I’m not blind to his faults like some seem to be.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:23 pm
I admire Baker trying to make something out of nothing…
But sometimes you need to accept the reality that a certain play is going nowhere and let it go.
Punt the ball away and hope the defense does it’s job and get ready for your next opportunity.
Baker just needs to mature a little bit and take better care of the football – we were 2-6 in one score games last season.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:29 pm
With the Bucs defense, punting the ball away means you’re about to give up at least 3 points, especially in the last 5 minutes of the 4th quarter.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:30 pm
You can’t blame that loss to Washington fully on Baker when our defense couldn’t get the ball back. And, of course McMillan was involved.
The defense looks like it’s improved.
The pass rush is hopefully improved.
The punting will definitely be improved.
If Baker cuts down on ints, maybe throws 30% less and the same with fumbles, we will win 12 to 13 games barring injury.
… I hate that “barring injury” statement. You really don’t know how that’s going to go until you’re in it. Last season things looked so good a few games in, Bryce hall went down but that was about it.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:35 pm
Couch Fan Says:
June 19th, 2025 at 3:10 pm
But to say he’s not a choker artist is asinine right now.
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Nah. Choking is doing something unique in a big moment, because it is a big moment. Unfortunately, as evidenced by his stats he is not doing anything unique, at all. He actually does it frequently. In fact THAT is the topic of the article. The choke thing is a lazy argument. If he choked I would be the first to say it.It’s just Baker being Baker. Regardless of the circumstances. You are clearly missing the most obvious thing here.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:37 pm
Baker has proven over and over again when it really matters he rises to the occasion, that’s why.
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I disagree. The playoffs matter more than anything else and in the biggest moments he seems to stumble, not rise. At least so far anyways. Hopefully he changes that this year.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:41 pm
Doing something unique in a big moment… like completely botching a simple handoff in a big time moment when we need a score? Now I dont pretend to know whos fault it was exactly but Mayfield is the QB, he gets the credit when we win and he gets the credit when we lose…. The year before that he throws an INT when we need to score to close out another playoff lose… This is choking.
If we need a score in the playoffs to finish the game, very few would have confidence in Baker.
You can try to redefine the meaning as “unique” all you like but at this point he’s a choker in the playoffs until proven otherwise.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:49 pm
Play calling vs turnovers!
For all of the creativity of the Bucs offense, there were too many predictable plays called with Baker in the shotgun was trying to stay alive while waiting for slowly developing routes to come open. With the dogs set loose on him, Baker is always going to be Baker which means holding the ball trying to make a play, and that means fumbles. (TB12 would either fling it to Gronk or say , “Nope!”, and launch the ball into the stands in those situations.)
Good and bad and sometimes astounding, Baker is Baker!
The play caller sometimes needs to call plays that let Baker be Baker!
And, sometimes the play caller needs to call plays that protect Baker and the Bucs from Baker’s optimistically indomitable excesses! Coen sometimes screwed that up last year! Grizzard and the Bucs analytics people need add red letter “Don’t call!” notes lto the script for certain downs, distances and blitzing/rushing tendencies to help Baker cut downs on fumbles.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:53 pm
Couch Fan Says:
June 19th, 2025 at 3:41 pm
Doing something unique in a big moment… like completely botching a simple handoff in a big time moment when we need a score? Now I dont pretend to know whos fault it was exactly
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Lol. No you don’t..but you have hung your hat on the choking thing and you are obliviously riding off in to the sunset with it. You are not helping your own argument. Take some time and think it through. I think you have been reading too many troll arguments. Peace out.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:56 pm
35-56-0-9 Goff
53-233-0-14 Stroud
69-306-2-23 Herbert
30-41-0-10 Stafford
60-378-3-24 Mayfield
That’s carries, yards, touchdowns & first downs. Only one of the four are fair comparisons where fumbles count, IMO.
Mayfield also had 31 to 67 more total passing attempts than the other four, so while nearly double the fumbles is a blemish, it’s not way out of line. Mayfield fumbled 8 times in 2023.
So, Goff and Stafford stood out before checking the stats, while I expected Stroud may be close in total carries & I didn’t expect as much from Herbert. What I thought immediately after the comparison to those QBs was that Mayfield hasn’t seemed a statuesque, drop back NFL QB.
Not in the Goff or Stafford mold, anyway. I had seen enough of both to surmise the difference before looking. I’ve see the other two QBs one time each, that I remember.
Now, he’s also not Lamar Jackson. Lamar’s worst fumble total in his career is 12.
Maybe hand size matters? Jackson has 9 1/2 hands.
June 19th, 2025 at 3:59 pm
@ Aqua
“With the Bucs defense, punting the ball away means you’re about to give up at least 3 points, especially in the last 5 minutes of the 4th quarter.”
During the games when Winfield, Dean and McCullum were all out this is a true statement…
June 19th, 2025 at 4:02 pm
Lol. No you don’t..but you have hung your hat on the choking thing and you are obliviously riding off in to the sunset with it. You are not helping your own argument. Take some time and think it through. I think you have been reading too many troll arguments. Peace out.
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Yea run away with your weak argument pretending I’m the one with a “hung hat”. You changed the meaning of choking for your man crush. LMAO. Have good one.
June 19th, 2025 at 4:08 pm
If he only lost 2 how is this an actual issue ?
Potential issue maybe, assuming he’ll fumble the same amount but lose more I guess?
Baker is Brett Favre 2.0
Undoubtedly the offensive and defensive coaching staff will emphasize turnovers to their squads. Hopefully we’ll see less by the offense and Baker and more from the defense. We’ll have to wait awhile to see the results 🤷🏼
June 19th, 2025 at 4:15 pm
Couch Fan Says:
June 19th, 2025 at 4:02 pm
Yea run away with your weak argument pretending I’m the one with a “hung hat”. You changed the meaning of choking for your man crush. LMAO. Have good one.
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You sound irritated, even irrational at this point. I don’t know what the problem is. Baker is guilty of throwing interceptions throughout the season. So when he does it in a big moment that is nothing unusual. “Simple as that”
Your turn.
June 19th, 2025 at 4:29 pm
According to that stupid definition there is no such thing as a choker because EVERYONE throws picks in the regular season.
LMAO do you even hear yourself? If anyone sounds irritated, its YOU.
June 19th, 2025 at 4:44 pm
Couch Fan Says:
June 19th, 2025 at 4:29 pm
According to that stupid definition there is no such thing as a choker because EVERYONE throws picks in the regular season.
LMAO do you even hear yourself? If anyone sounds irritated, it’s YOU.
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Okay. Sounds good.
So my definition of choking is when a player is in a big moment, in a big game and makes bad plays because the pressure of that big moment is causing him to do things he would not normally do. So for example if a player does not normally thrown many interceptions suddenly starts making bad plays because the pressure of the moment is starting to make him do stupid things and throw interceptions. But w/ Baker he led the league in interceptions and fumbles so when in a playoff he does the same thing. That’s just him doing what he normally does. That is not choking. That’s just doing what he has done all season long. That is normal for him.
Don’t know how easier I can spell it out for you, brother. Yikes.
June 19th, 2025 at 4:45 pm
I’m pretty sure the fumbles are Todd Bowles fault.
June 19th, 2025 at 5:09 pm
he’s the best fumble recoverer in the league
June 19th, 2025 at 5:13 pm
So in other words Baker just naturally sucks in big moments in he’s not a choker. Got it.
Wow you really showed me.
June 19th, 2025 at 5:17 pm
Durango 95, Couch Fan is an irritating little twit, isn’t he? His hate is so sweltering I’ve wondered before what happened to him growing up. Sadly he knows next to nothing about the game of football. So why would he be on this site? He’s reaching out. To be heard.
June 19th, 2025 at 5:23 pm
Couch Fan, if you really want to know the truth you can go to you tube and see first hand how the JS is “supposed” to be run, it’s really not that hard. If you just don’t like Baker say so. But my goodness don’t just ignorantly keep saying nope it was our qb fault. At least have an example of who ran it like McMillan did. I know, you wont do it because number one, no one runs it like he did. Maybe Baker should have pulled the ball when he saw he couldn’t REACH McMillans midsection. I don’t know, but I do know the design of the JS, and McMillan was not in the right place when it was time to make the hand-off. He just wasn’t. I can tell you 20 videos of the JS being ran by colleges and pro teams running it right. But I know you don’t care to look, it’s too hard and heck if you knew the truth it wouldn’t be so easy to say our qb did it so… whatever 🙄
When we win a superbowl, look out….
June 19th, 2025 at 5:36 pm
Can any of you fan boys please stay on topic. I said I like Baker, the only knock I have is his propensity to choke. Apparently though he’s not a choker, he just is terrible in big time situations. You are all so sensitive If I dont slob over his know like you all do. LMAO.
And I also said it’s NOT all Bakers fault. Can you read? Or is your head to far Mayfield’s Baker that you dont really care enough to do anything other than shake your pom poms for him? Asking for a friend.
June 19th, 2025 at 5:38 pm
Couch Fan Says:
June 19th, 2025 at 5:13 pm
So in other words Baker just naturally sucks in big moments in he’s not a choker. Got it.
Wow you really showed me.
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Oh I know that.
How I interpret the stats is in my very first post for anyone to see. No point in asking questions that have already been answered, kid.
June 19th, 2025 at 5:39 pm
slob all over him*
June 19th, 2025 at 5:45 pm
Durango did you come back with something other than nonsense? Did you think of any more terrible excuses to defend Mayfield’s propensity to turn the ball over at the worst times? I mean something other than he sucks during the season so you have to accept he’ll suck in the playoffs to. Thats a pretty bad one if I say so myself.
June 19th, 2025 at 5:51 pm
Couch Fan Says:
June 19th, 2025 at 5:39 pm
slob all over him*
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Your surrender has been duly noted.
June 19th, 2025 at 6:20 pm
Do we get to subtract two from the two that Baker lost because he recovered two fumbles during the season that his teammates had punched out?
June 19th, 2025 at 6:22 pm
Joe … ‘Mayfield tied for the NFL lead in fumbles last season with 13. Yeah, a quarterback nearly always leads the NFL in fumbles, but 13 is too many. Joe is uneasy about Mayfield losing only 2 of those fumbles to his opponents. That ratio can’t last. So Mayfield really needs to cut that fumble total by 50 to 70 percent.’
I’m gonna make an ASSUMPTION here Joe that QBs don’t start any plays with the mindset ‘Hey, I think I’ll throw an interception on this play’. Or ‘Hmmm, maybe it’s time for a fumble on this play’. Baker has had up-and-down years when it comes to INTs, from an annual low of 8 INTs to a high of 21. If you look at his Interception Percentage, it’s ranged from a high of 3.9% (when he threw 21 INTs in 2019 to come in 2nd to Jameis), to a low of 1.6% the very next year in 2020 (when he threw only 8 INTs and led Cleveland to an 11-5 record & the playoffs).
Difference between those 2 back-to-back years? One stands out to me. His OC in 2019 was Todd Monken. His OC in 2020 was Alex Van Pelt. Hmmm, wonder if what he was asked to do had an impact on his season’s performance.
Looks to me like the years Baker does best is when his INT Percentage is down below 2.0% for the year. It was 2.8% last season (16 INTs divided by 570 Attempts … the MOST attempts of his career). Had Baker thrown 2.0% INTs, he would’ve thrown between 11-12 INTs in that many attempts. Personally I think that’s a fair GOAL.
In terms of fumbles, yes he had 13 last year, but we only lost 2 of those as a team. Look back at his 1st year (2018) Joe. Baker was charged with 7 fumbles; he also had 7 recoveries (not necessarily the same fumbles of course). But still, pretty good awareness? In 2024 Baker was charged with 13 fumbles, but he also had 8 recoveries (apparently his teammates had his back on 3 others).
Is that too many fumbles? Of course it is, and that’s what’s gotten him in trouble at times in the past. Can he improve on those numbers? He’s shown in the past that he can, but my guess is that it’ll be a consolidated effort between Baker, Grizz and probably Todd staying on his case all season long.
But while a more ‘subdued’ Baker might throw fewer INTs & fumble less, he also might end up being a lot less effective in other ways (lower completion percentage, fewer TDs, less running yardage, etc). Until he reaches the pinnacle, the question on Baker will always be ‘Can he take a team to the top?’ And we’ll never know until he does it.