“It’s Like He Game Plans Himself”
October 12th, 2025
Baker Mayfield (right) with offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard.
After playing for more offensive coordinators than years he’s served in the NFL, Baker Mayfield has learned a thing or two about preparing to dissect a defense.
He’s become more of a master of that craft, says his quarterbacks coach.
Lewis spent eight NFL seasons playing the position with eight different teams, so he’s been around a load of QBs and playcallers. He spoke this week about Mayfield’s preparation on the Buccaneers Radio Network.
“It’s like he game plans himself,” Lewis said of his quarterback. “So he can come in and he’ll have an idea or something he sees or how he sees the game. And so if you don’t know what you’re talking about, he’ll call you out on it because he actually does.
“I mean, he comes in, he looks at first and second down. He looks at third down. He looks at the red zone. He knows the coverages. He knows all his protection issues. He knows everything. And so, I mean, his preparation is coming in early. I’m in here at 3:30, 4 o’clock in the morning; he’s right behind me. Just seeing him take that next step of his game, you know, just to prepare. And he’s watching film just as much as the coaches are watching film. He has his personal laptop, he has his notes that he take, he has his color coordinated situations he does with his highlighters. And it is so amazing to see how he prepares and the things that he do. It’s amazing.”
Fun stuff from Lewis. The growing legend of Mayfield seems to have many layers.
Joe wonders if Mayfield is ripping smelling salts to study film at 5 a.m. Joe wouldn’t bet against it.
October 12th, 2025 at 8:51 am
That’s what having a Stud Franchise QB will do. We are truly fortunate that Baker felt into our lap just as he was fortunate to find a loaded team that was willing to let Baker be Baker. And now he’s been truly “Born Again” in Tampa. Go Bucs!!
October 12th, 2025 at 8:58 am
I’m sure glad BM6 is our guy!! He’s having a great season! If he can protect the ball, control the clock, and make plays the Buc’s can win this game! Score TDs not field goals.
He will need the D too. They need slow down McCafferty and get off the field on 3rd + 4th downs! Perhaps a takeaway or two. Should be another nail biter! Get it done!!!
October 12th, 2025 at 9:08 am
He fits right in with this team.
We are experiencing the Dream Decade.
Let’s Go!!!!!
October 12th, 2025 at 9:21 am
Bake will be a force until the day the league ends up banning smelling salts.
After that day, I’m not so sure.
Lol
Thank the almighty that smellies are still allowed and Bake is a beast!
October 12th, 2025 at 9:37 am
Lewis? Who is Lewis? You ever take journalism classes? No one knows who Lewis is if you dont put the first name genius.
October 12th, 2025 at 9:38 am
I have been saying this since Canoli left and fans thought the,sky was falling. Baker is his own OC and trains up these guys who go on to make generations wealth.
October 12th, 2025 at 9:40 am
Is Grizz single? Ladies get a date and marry the next rich guy Baker creates.
October 12th, 2025 at 9:48 am
John, im guessing he’s talking about Thad Lewis, the QB coach. But yeah, should’ve referenced that.
October 12th, 2025 at 9:58 am
You can tell Feisty Bake is serious and does his homework. He’s super football smart and it shows. He’s no diva, and he’s been through the bad side of that overhyped BS. We fans and the Bucs are very lucky he’s here. Thank you, Todd Bowles!! And Bake, hopefully you will be the winning factor in this one. You go, man!!
October 12th, 2025 at 10:03 am
John, just because you say “ no one knows” doesn’t make that true. In fact I’ll bet nearly everyone here knows who Thad Lewis is. Maybe everyone except you. How can anyone possibly be that stupid? Ask John. No, bad idea. John doesn’t seem to know Jack Shlt.
October 12th, 2025 at 10:24 am
Kenton Smith, you’ve done it again. Another coffee sprayed over my screen. LOL.
October 12th, 2025 at 10:30 am
We should all agree that referencing Thad Lewis as the interviewee is a journalism must and a simply misstep by Joe.
Name calling is needless and uncalled for here.
5-1 incoming!
October 12th, 2025 at 10:34 am
I too was confused who was being referenced, 74.
Baker’s productivity matches the description
October 12th, 2025 at 10:36 am
5-1! Go Bucs! Keep the pressure on Mac, especially with his hurt knee!
October 12th, 2025 at 10:48 am
‘74 Bucs Fan, “ if you don’t put the first name “genius””. After questioning Joe’s credentials? ‘74 Bucs Fan, I may be name calling. But after John’s comments he knows here at JBF we don’t take no shlt! And it’s game day and we woke up feeling dangerous!
October 12th, 2025 at 11:01 am
Whew..Aaron Glenn must’ve taken his clock management skills straight from Todd Bowles. Going into the half was plain stupid.
October 12th, 2025 at 11:24 am
GO BUCS 6-1
October 12th, 2025 at 11:27 am
John, that was my first thought, verbatim. Hey Joe, does Lewis have a first name?
October 12th, 2025 at 11:38 am
Kenton- funny
Well now we know the story and can get back to pregaming for the big win
LFG Buccos!
October 12th, 2025 at 11:40 am
Interesting piece Joe, and it gave me an idea. Maybe we should suggest that Todd Bowles & his defense start doing what Baker’s been doing all along: game planning against itself. IF they took that to heart, maybe they’d see a lot more of the mistakes that just keep recurring & recurring.
They could start by looking at their Red Zone defense. This season our opponents are averaging scoring a TD 71.4% of the time they enter the Red Zone. That places us ranked #29 in the NFL in Red Zone defense. Let me see, oh ya, that sucks. Last season we were at 54.4%, and that placed us middle-of-the-pack (#14). In 2023 we were down to 42.6% and ranked #3. We’re heading in the wrong direction.
They could also look at their Pass Rush, and gameplan against it. Not very hard to do obviously, since it’s becoming pretty much non-existent lately. In our last 2 games we’ve gotten a TOTAL of 2 sacks & 5 QB Hits. Meanwhile, without an effective pass rush, opposing QBs completed a tad over 74% of their passes & their teams put up 66 points all together.
Our defense IS better than that. Yes we’ve had some significant injuries (Kancey, Dean, Morrison, Izien, now McCollum plus Walker & Roberts) but we’ve supposedly got better depth this season than we’ve had in awhile. Better game planning against itself; that’s what’s needed.
October 12th, 2025 at 12:14 pm
good idea. have baker fix the D. bowles will surely listen.
October 12th, 2025 at 12:22 pm
DR, pretty sure we’re self-scouting. Our depth is not as good on defense yet. Offensively it’s night and day getting Wirfs back and a little continuity on our OLine. With Dean and Izien back today it’ll be better. Winfield and Tykee and Dean and Parrish and Izien is a pretty good backfield. Last week was an old fashioned shootout between a 1 pick and a 3 pick. Our defense made enough plays to win the game. Darnold beat 14 defenses last year. He’s good. I’m not losing confidence that our defense will get better as the year goes along.
October 12th, 2025 at 12:38 pm
Funny picture. Is that the Bakers Boys, or the Grizz Brothers?
October 12th, 2025 at 12:40 pm
God has empowered Baker to be what he is today. It’s not smelling salt or vudu magic, it’s God’s grace through his son son Jesus Christ that jas put Bakrr in this position. Glory be to God, forever and ever!
October 12th, 2025 at 12:50 pm
Kenton … ‘I’m not losing confidence that our defense will get better as the year goes along.’
Neither am I, but I was convinced that our defense would rank in the Top-10 (Points Allowed) this season. Right now we’re ranked #23, surrendering an average of 26.4 PPG.
Just for comparison, the Saints are ranked only 1 below us (#24), giving up 27.0 PPG. The Panthers are ranked #18, allowing 23.8 PPG. And the Falcons, who we beat, are ranked #15, giving up 21.5 PPG. So our defense isn’t at the bottom of the weak NFC South, but the bottom is nipping at our heels.
I’m flabbergasted (and bewildered) by the stats our defense is putting up through these first 5 games. Inconsistent to say the least. For instance …
o Our 3rd Down Conversions Allowed percentage is 37.9%, pretty much what we ended with last season (38.1%). Our 4th Down Conversions Allowed percentage is down at 50.0%, much better than the 63.3% we ended 2024 with. But our Red Zone TDs Allowed percentage (71.4%) is off the charts (we rank #29), far worse than we ended 2024 with (54.4%).
o We’ve only managed to get 10 sacks thru 5 games (2 sacks/ game average), putting us on-track for 34 sacks on the year. That’s 10-15 fewer sacks than we’ve averaged each year under Todd Bowles. We’ve also gotten 25 QB Hits thus far; on-track for 85 for this year, which would be almost 30 QB Hits BELOW last season, but in line with the 84 QB Hits we managed to get in 2023 (when our defense ranked #7). Huh?
A lot of what I’m seeing just doesn’t make sense. Our defense looks to be VERY inconsistent so far this season. Hopefully the injuries will stabilize (and diminish) and our defense will become a lot more consistent (and get up into the Top-10).
October 12th, 2025 at 12:59 pm
Ironic that the account calling people stupid is the one who doesn’t know how to use quotation marks properly—or where to put the period in a sentence. Lol.
October 12th, 2025 at 1:10 pm
DR, we need to get the points against down for sure. Our special team is to blame for some of that points against. We really do need to get it down to the top 10 or 12 in the league to get to the Super Bowl. We’re winning and we’re going to get that statistic, points against, down. By a week from tomorrow we’ll have a better idea if we’re as good as I think we are.