Derailing The A-Train
October 16th, 2025
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BY IRA KAUFMAN
Mike Alstott has owned the hearts of Buc fans for almost three decades.
Since his arrival in 1996, Alstott has reigned as the most popular player in franchise history, but there’s a feisty gunslinger poised to derail the A-Train. The love affair between Buc Nation and Baker Mayfield grows with each Tampa Bay victory and his swashbuckling style is a perfect fit for this blue-collar region.
Mayfield’s mesmerizing 15-yard run on third-and-14 was the key play in Tampa Bay’s 30-19 victory against San Francisco last week. He left five 49ers sprawled in his wake during a head-shaking scramble reminiscent of No. 40 in his prime.
Like Alstott, Mayfield’s rough-and-tumble style has a galvanizing effect on teammates.
“It’s unbelievable,” says right tackle Charlie Heck. “It seems like every week he’s making a huge play like that. It fires everybody up. We’re ready to go down and score when we see that. It’s an awesome feeling.”
He’ll never be confused with Lamar Jackson, but Mayfield has emerged as a very effective runner since arriving at One Buc Place. Half of his 22 scrambles this season have resulted in first downs and his average of 7.2 yards per carry bests Josh Allen, Jayden Daniels, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts.
“I had a front-row seat for that crazy run,” says center Graham Barton. I was screaming ‘Go, Baker, go,’ and he just kept going. First down, Bucs. Biggest play of the game? 100 percent. It gets the crowd into it and gets the momentum going. He’s made plays like that all year.”
Most quarterbacks frantically seek the sidelines during scrambles. Mayfield isn’t like most quarterbacks. He’s not thinking about safety — he’s thinking about the first-down marker.
His physicality is a major component of Mayfield’s mystique. Even Alstott acknowledges that Mayfield’s willingness to absorb punishment to get the job done endears him to this community.
Tristan Wirfs had an eyewitness view of Mayfield’s highlight-reel run.
“I remember turning and seeing Baker and going ‘damn,’ Wirfs says. “He ducks, he gets out of it and he just keeps going. Honestly, it fires everyone up. You see your quarterback make a play like that, giving his body up, putting his body on the line. We know how sore he is, we know what he’s going through, but he’s still fighting and we want to fight for him.”
After the game, I caught up with 49ers GM John Lynch and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Lynch said Mayfield has been playing “incredible” football and praised him as a legitimate candidate for league MVP.
Saleh was equally impressed.
“Mayfield’s cool because it shows that if you can just let a kid develop in this league, they can turn out pretty darned good,” Saleh said. “Mayfield was the No. 1 pick for a reason. Good for him that he stuck to it and continued to develop. He’s a hell of a player. I still don’t know how he got out on that run.”
October 16th, 2025 at 11:41 am
Definitely one of the best Buc QB scrambles I’ve ever seen.
October 16th, 2025 at 11:45 am
Will power!
October 16th, 2025 at 11:56 am
Saleh saying “I still don’t know how he got out of that run (play)…” and getting a first down on third and 14.
That goes to show you WILLING YOURSELF TO GET THAT FIRST DOWN (that mind over matter mentality) can help you literally play out of your mind type of performance.
If the Bucs go to the Super Bowl 🏈 it’s because of Bakers mentality which turns a team into a bunch of over achievers.
October 16th, 2025 at 12:00 pm
Alstott still has the best highlight reel on Youtube.
Why isn’t he in the HoF?
October 16th, 2025 at 12:04 pm
Yeah, no. The comparison will take At Least another generation to manipulate that one Ira. Besides, it’s apples and oranges.
Alstott (FULL BACK) LOOKED FOR (Like a BULL) people to hit on HIS WAY through ANY line. Eventually they JUST GOT OUT OF HIS WAY BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T WANT TO GET HURT ANYMORE…
Baker (QB) on the other hand does a Masterful job of Dodging and Weaving like a Slippery Eel. AND he’ll hit someone if necessary to pick up some MORE…
Just not the same but I have to give it to Baker that he’s Got Plenty of Guts and GO FOR IT…
And for ALL of the “New to the team” guys it would bring a Deep Understanding of WHAT Tampa Bay has always been about and the “WHY” the criticism of a “defensive head” and the ones that proceeded the current guy in charge of… the defense…
Go back and pull up some High Light reels on Our Heroes of days gone by but Not so far as we can’t remember AND what “DEFENSIVE DOMINATION” Actually Looks Like compared to what we have today. Go back and SEE what it IS to HAVE 4 Defensive HALL OF FAMERS (should be 5!) On the team AT THE SAME TIME… And You “will begin” to Understand WHERE WE’RE COMING FROM… concerning DEFENSE!
WE KNOW DEFENSE! We KNOW what garbage looks like and WE KNOW what a HOFer looks like… AND WE KNOW what Great defensive schemes look like and Again WE KNOW what a LOUSY defensive scheming and execution IS….
So… Go back and watch what one of our greatest OFFENSIVE weapons did to Large humans and UNDERSTAND THE POWER AND GLORY OF MIKE ALSTOTT! #40
October 16th, 2025 at 12:11 pm
DJT is posting on here now? What’s with all the caps?
October 16th, 2025 at 12:24 pm
C. Otton had a key block near the end of that great run that actually allowed Baker to dive for the extra yard and get the 1st down! He should get a little credit there!
October 16th, 2025 at 12:26 pm
Good point, Ugotrobbed!
October 16th, 2025 at 12:29 pm
Mike Alstott was kind of a mix of a drunk Olympic weight lifting Champion that somehow got a Battering Ram pregnant. .. You DID NOT WANT THAT MAN TO HIT YOU! In fact, he didn’t necessarily “need” an O lineman to open holes for him. HE WOULD MAKE HIS OWN HOLES!
He Should At Least be in the HOF for the Number of “men” he converted into wearing “High Heels and Lip Stick” BY THE TIME HE WAS DONE POUNDING THEIR BRAINS OUT!
And for those with a “Dirty Mind” , I Do mean IN FRONT OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ON THE GRIDIRON! Weekly….
A TRUE LEGEND…. #40
October 16th, 2025 at 12:41 pm
Great article Sage!
True!
Go Bucs!!!!
October 16th, 2025 at 12:44 pm
Mayfield’s playing style inevitably will lead to him missing games. We’ve seen our share of Hero Ball quarterbacks, Winston comes to mind, who threw interceptions like he was tossing Mardi Gras beads into a salivating crowd. Mayfield plays a different type of Hero Ball, but it will wind up hurting the team just the same. He’s a fiery competitor who lives in the moment and, just like Winston, I doubt he can change. That attitude, though, is the underlying catalyst for this team. They feed off him. Instead of chanting MVP, the stadium crowd needs to chant slide, Slide, SLIDE when he runs!
October 16th, 2025 at 12:59 pm
Dtownva, go take a Xanax.
October 16th, 2025 at 1:04 pm
ModHairKen——-I save them for game day.
October 16th, 2025 at 1:32 pm
Ahh. Old stories. I remember meeting Allstot’s mom in Appleton, Wisconsin (airport) before the 2005 Green Bay game.
We knew it was her just by the way she looked. Can’t say splitting image but really no doubt.
After a quick hello, we were having some drinks in the Airport bar when Derrick Brooks and Dexter Jackson sat at the bar table next to us.
We tried to engage a little bit with them — Derrick did not seem to want to engage back much (he was pilling in chicken wings) but Dexter offered to take a picture with us which we did.
Nice memory of one of the about 20 Bucs away games that I have been to.
October 16th, 2025 at 1:36 pm
What’s with the DJT bit? Joe has warned repeatedly that jbf is NOT a political site. Some of us get on here to get a respite from politics/current events! Feisty Bake compared to MA? Geez, I don’t know about that one, Ira. Alstott was a 24k fullback. Bake is a 24k quarterback with a big chip on his shoulder. He has found a home here, and is on a mission to prove he is worthy of it. He also is learning how to slide, thank the football gods. We know how the zebs operate with no calls. Thanks for the article, Sage. Appreciate the Lynch/Saleh comments. They’re 2 seasons why the 49ers continue to be one of the great NFL franchises. Still, GO BUCS!!!!!
October 16th, 2025 at 2:54 pm
Deservedly Alstot is being applauded for his battering ram like style when hitting people, he was also elusive for such a big dude. He had a little jump cut where he would make guys mostly miss right at the hole and then he’d smack a guy at the next level. He could change directions and make a cut better than anybody in his weight class. And, granted there was pretty much was very few running backs in his weight class. LOL
There were definitely some North and South runners in the league much lighter than him that couldn’t move laterally like he could.
October 16th, 2025 at 4:02 pm
Baker has been sliding more. In crucial moments when a momentum shift has occurred or is imminent he will lay it on the line. The score was 20-19 the 49ers just had an almost 8 minute drive to cut the Bucs lead to 1 point and Baker wisely realized we needed points or at the very least a sustained drive to slow the 49er mo down.
October 16th, 2025 at 4:04 pm
It is unbelievable every single time Baker starts looking like he may be in trouble, here he comes out of the cave of bodies all over him. It is an exciting time watching Baker and the team.
October 16th, 2025 at 4:06 pm
Tremendous article for the heartbeat of the franchise.
October 16th, 2025 at 4:20 pm
Alstott should be in the Hall Of Fame- he was really a fullback- shame he’s listed as a tailback
Loving Baker too but the A train is #1 for me.
Someone should have let Winston Develop as a #1 overall
October 17th, 2025 at 2:26 am
Sorry Ira… Gotta stick with the A-Train. Still have his jersey from 29 years ago. Wore it yesterday…LOL Can we get him a gold jacket sir?
Love Baker though. Moxie Man! Sunday he reminded me of one of Alstotts TD runs. He ran about 20 yards after knocking over a LB to get a 5 or 6 yard TD. It was amazing. Like the play Sunday you kept thinking oh no he’s toast and…nope!
Go Bucs!