If Defenses Want To Sack Baker Mayfield…
July 7th, 2025
When Baker Mayfield feels the heat.
Baker Mayfield has numbers and tendencies to really craft an offense around.
Mayfield was one of the most accurate quarterbacks last year. And weirdly, the best way to get Mayfield on the ground was to be very quick at the snap.
Per a stats chart by @fball_insights about sacks, if defenses want to put Mayfield on the ground they’re better off doing it very quickly.
When Mayfield feels heat in less than 2.5 seconds, he is sacked 34 percent of the time. When it takes more time to get to Mayfield, his sack rate is cut in half.
Joe really has no idea how to interpret this. Could it be that the Bucs’ offensive line is so good in pass blocking that to get past them, you have to fool them at the point of the snap? Like using weird stunts or blitzes that catch the line off guard?
Or does this mean when Mayfield is pressured longer than 2.5 seconds, the chances a receiver would be open are much better than early in their routes?
Joe really doesn’t know what to make of these numbers. But they are interesting.
July 7th, 2025 at 10:37 am
And the offensive line will be better this season. With Graham Barton having a year of NFL experience at OC. And with the O-Line having a year together as a unit…
July 7th, 2025 at 10:48 am
This chart shows me we didn’t have to “DB” drop backs 157, as often as many other teams QBs did, I do wonder why not?
Shotgun snaps? Running plays for sure.
July 7th, 2025 at 11:38 am
It’s not broken and there is absolutely nothing to fix!!!
The OL is top FIVE!!! Young and getting better and slowly deeper.
The top 3 RB’s are all good, one is great, and one still has unrevealed potential.
All 3 can catch the ball!!!
The Bucs Receiver/TE corps may be the best in the league, certainly near the top with ME, EE, CG. JMAC and Otton and perhaps Culp.
The reason Baker doesn’t get sacked if they don’t get him in 2.4 is that he’s bold and mobile and confident enough to evade tacklers when everything else breaks down.
Seriously there is obviously no comparison in Brady and Baker. One is the GOAT the other is simply a good QB trying to take advantage of a great opportunity.
But nobody had to worry about defending the Bucs if Brady didn’t get the ball out in 2.5 because he was either going to go down or toss it out of bounds. Not saying that’s not the SMART play it is! Just saying that it’s a totally different style.
Baker is not the passer that Brady was but he obviously is a FAR better scrambler. Baker knows he’s not Brady and so he does crazy stuff like complete passes with Bosa draped on him to perhaps make up the difference.
More than ONE way to win games, more than ONE style of QB who can win them.
July 7th, 2025 at 11:58 am
I would reckon as more time goes by gaps emerge that he can squirt through
July 7th, 2025 at 12:19 pm
StPete, you said just what I was going to say, except more, and better. 🙂
July 7th, 2025 at 12:38 pm
There’s so many variables that go along with these stats it’s too numerous to mention. Correct call or check down against defense, defender getting a great jump, missed sack opportunity, etc. It is intriguing to see some QB’s that you think would get out of sacks beyond the 2.5 getting taken down more. Some scramble like they always do and some are able to process and check down quicker if someone is open. I know Baker did more than his share of Houdini’s last year when I thought he was dead to rights for a sack.
July 7th, 2025 at 1:11 pm
Good Point Joe. Hard not to notice this glaring stats in there.
Also >2.5 Check Down 18%. <2.5 Check Down 24% Only guy with more is Kyler Murray. Check Downs 42% of the time works well for completion percentage and yards until it doesn't.
July 7th, 2025 at 1:38 pm
1 sack avg for every 17 pass attempts < 2.5 seconds to pass
1 INT avg for every 75 pass attempts < 2.5 seconds to pass
76.5 Completion % < 2.5 seconds
28 TDs & 2778 yards 2.5 seconds to pass
1 INT avg for every 17 pass attempts > 2.5 seconds
61.5 Completion % > 2.5 seconds
13 TDs & 1772 yards > 2.5 seconds
88.9 passer rating
80 first downs
(195 total attempts)
Get the ball out of his hands and let the skill guys cook.
@Rusty
Mayfield attempted 462 of his total 570 pass attempts out of the shotgun. Why? I imagine Baker’s field of vision changes drastically from snapping the ball under center to his back heel stop his 3rd/5th/7th step in a drop which could effect timing in relation to the route concepts on a given play. Also cuts into the time and distance the rush has to get to him. I expect for Grizzard to put him in those same types of situations in 2025.