Baker Mayfield Makes An Unexpected Top-100 List Three Times
July 20th, 2025
There’s one aspect to Baker Mayfield’s game that has been underrated — and for good reason.
Before last season, Mayfield was not a quarterback that would get his team many yards on the ground. His season-high had been 165 yards with Cleveland in 2020.
Mayfield was a great escape artist in Tampa in 2023. He eluded his share of sacks and scrambled for 163 yards on 62 runs. Solid. But last year was a new Mayfield. He ran for 378 yards on just 60 scrambles in 17 games. That was 10th-best among quarterbacks.
Former Bucs QB Josh Freeman ran for 364 yards in 2010 in 16 games. Interestingly, that total actually ranked second in the NFL that season for quarterbacks. Times sure have changed when it comes to running QBs.
So the NFL produced a video featuring the top-100 runs of the 2024 season. And guess who had three of them? Yep, Mayfield.
That’s an eye-opener considering Mayfield was competing against every team’s running back, plus wide receiver runs and the legendary running QBs like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.
Bucky Irving showed up a few times, too. So the Bucs had a good showing.
For those who want to watch, it’s linked here. For the Ben Bredeson bashers, Joe will note there’s a good chance Mayfield wouldn’t have taken off for two of those three runs if not for heinous pass blocking by the Bucs’ left guard.
July 20th, 2025 at 9:06 am
White did not have any.
July 20th, 2025 at 9:08 am
Not good enough. If he is not winning super bowls like Justin Herbert, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or Dan Marino he sucks.
July 20th, 2025 at 9:13 am
Baker is not a top “running” QB….
But he’s definitely one of the top Quarterbacks when it comes to avoiding sacks and making positive plays out of heavy pressure situations…..
July 20th, 2025 at 9:20 am
Running QBs don’t win Super Bowls
That’s why the Eagles gave Saquon Barkley a bag
They wanted Jalen Hurts to be a game-manager, not a game- changer
Feed Barkley, let him run for 2,000 yards, feed the WRs, TE
And let the defense do their thing
We don’t need Baker to run, we have to many offensive weapons
There’s already not enough balls for them to go around
It’s okay to run every now and then when the pocket collapse
But we don’t need him to run on designed plays
July 20th, 2025 at 9:26 am
But Jalen Hurts is probably the only running QB to win a Super Bowl
The only one l can think of
July 20th, 2025 at 10:06 am
Tha’s my quarterback
July 20th, 2025 at 10:09 am
Making lists like these are why so many of us are Baker fans.
He’s not perfect, but he plays with all his heart and a lot of grit.
Although, I see the points in some of the comments above.
Baker is who he is. Trying to change that, or forcing him to change would probably do more harm than good.
Here’s where I stand:
We have a loaded offense that’s capable of attacking defenses in so many different ways.
Hope is never a good strategy, but I’m hoping it runs on all cylinders throughout the season.
If it does, Baker won’t have to do so much scrambling and making plays on his own.
We’ll still win, and we’ll be much less likely to see our starting QB sitting out a few games because of an injury.
I’m thrilled that he made the list, but in some respects it’s a list I’d rather not see him make, lol.
July 20th, 2025 at 11:24 am
LOLOL Marky Mark
July 20th, 2025 at 11:30 am
So funny. Munch told us over and over again that Baker couldn’t escape and was way to easy to catch. 😂 😂 total buffoon
July 20th, 2025 at 1:38 pm
Here is a response I wrote to DefenseRules cogent comments the other say. It is so good I am repeating here for all the fat guys who played clarinet in the high school band.
DefenseRules,
Thank you for a sensible analysis of Mayfield INT’s. A bunch of fat guys on couches raise hell about INT’s but don’t know much else about football. Coaches like T Bowles conveniently point to INT’s to excuse pathetic defense. Let’s be clear; the Bucs pass defense the last couple of year was beyond pathetic to a lighter shade of pale. Mayfield has thrown some interceptions in his 7 year NFL career including 16 last year. The patron saint of QB’s, Mr.Tom Brady, threw 13 INT’s 3x in his first 7 NFL years. Collectively, Mayfield has thrown a few more in 7 years than Brady. Adjusted for total passes thrown in 7 years it isn’t statistically significant. Hoping Mayfield limits INT total to 10 this year. For all the fat, old, ex band members who watch Bucs football, INT’s are going to happen. Get over it and relax. INT’s are just part of the game. To compare Mayfield with Jameis Watson is just absurd.
July 20th, 2025 at 2:46 pm
Baker runs a 4.8 – 40. That’s slow! Tristan Wirfs and Logan Hall run 4.8s.
Yaya runs a 4.5. CK a 4.6. LVD a 4.4 (back in the day).
How is Baker getting 380 rushing yards?
July 20th, 2025 at 3:51 pm
Obviously O’Neill doesn’t get to vote in that poll!
July 20th, 2025 at 3:54 pm
Vanessa
Take all of your points. I’m a little concerned myself when stats/lists/individual awards come up.
IF they occur great but they are not really important. I’ll take a long post season run over individual awards any day. No need to worry about Bucky, ME , Baker and others personal stats. I hope they achieve them but they are icing on the cake. I’m with Al Davis. “Just win baby!”
July 20th, 2025 at 4:09 pm
StPeteBucsFan:
Agreed. 🙂
July 20th, 2025 at 4:32 pm
Slypirate, Shiftyness is how Baker gets his yards. Baker has running instincts. He instinctively knows when to stop or slow down and change direction just enough to make a defender miss. Bucky has it in spades. Baker has it just enough to make you miss him. Most players dont have this talent. Usually, it’s the running backs that have it. It really is that simple, shiftyness.
July 20th, 2025 at 4:36 pm
That’s worth 3 long passes. He needs to get better throwing the deep ball. That’s what trask mania was about, not that trask has proven anything yet
July 20th, 2025 at 6:32 pm
If Baker isn’t fast enough, how is he out in front of Bucky blocking 20 yards downfield from the line of scrimmage?
Also, speed 40 speed doesn’t account for stiff arms and running over and through people and staying on his feet.
July 20th, 2025 at 6:33 pm
Strength and toughness and grit are their own kind of speed that may not get 80 yard touchdowns, but they do add ten and twenty yards to plays.
July 20th, 2025 at 7:10 pm
Tom Brady 1st 7 full NFL seasons as a starting QB INT’s=86
Baker Mayfield 1st 7 full NFL seasons as a starting QB INT’s=90
Get over it. Go slurp another beer and pretend you know something about football.
July 20th, 2025 at 9:18 pm
Out of the top 32 quarterbacks the only one that has a higher per rush average than Baker is Lamar Jackson. He has a 6.6 yards per carry. Bakers is 6.3. All the other 30 are less than and that includes all those young boys. If i remember correctly Baker also converted more 3rd downs into first downs than anyone last year. Didn’t Rod Munch tell us for 2 years that Baker was too slow and couldn’t get to the hole that the line opened for him fast enough before it closed. He was too easy to catch he said. Well it’s like everything else the football genius tells us about Baker, with a little time it is invariably proven W R O N G. I could see this coming in awful handy with your quarterback. So we have one of the best arms and second best set of legs in the NFL with OUR quarterback. The cream is slowly rising to the top once again 🤔
July 21st, 2025 at 12:16 pm
You wanna know who showed up more in that video than Mayfield? Our defense! At least our OL showed up more than they did.
July 21st, 2025 at 1:08 pm
Too bad they left off the run Mayfield trucked Bobby Wagner. They could have replaced Patrick Mahomes 1 yards TD run. He’s got to be included in a top 100 anything.