Baker Mayfield isn’t shy about his feelings for the slimy Saints. He really hates them.

Joe believes the genesis of this goes back to 2023 when the Bucs hosted the slimy Saints on the second-last week of the season. Mayfield took two cheap shots from Nathan Shepherd and Tyrann Mathieu, very late hits, and was hurt.

Mayfield, being the tough guy that he is, sucked it up and started in a critical game at the Stinking Panthers to end the season a week later.

The Bucs needed a win at Carolina to get into the playoffs. Mayfield wasn’t anywhere near his normal self and the Bucs’ offense that day looked like Woody Hayes was calling plays. Mayfield couldn’t throw.

The Bucs, as a result, were in a slugfest with the Stinking Panthers and a game-sealing play by of all people Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, when he had a strip-sack of Bryce Young midway through the fourth quarter, which helped preserve a 9-0 Bucs win.

The Bucs damn near didn’t win the division because of Mattieu and Shepherd’s nonsense. Mayfield hasn’t forgotten and when the slimy Saints pop up on the schedule, Mayfield is only too happy to call them out.

Mayfield often says a version of, we don’t like them and they don’t like us. He wants to say more.

Yesterday Bucs outside linebacker YaYa Diaby spoke with the local pen and mic club. He said he can feel the hate Mayfield has for the slimy Saints.

“Yeah man, I’ll be feeling it,” Diaby said. “That’s what is going to pick us up, just having a guy like [Mayfield, who] is going to keep pushing us.

“It doesn’t matter if stuff is going good [or] stuff is going bad, I know Baker [Mayfield] is going to always be there and be fiery.”

Well, the Bucs cannot let down at all on the slimy Saints, even though it appears they may have the No. 2 overall pick in the draft this coming spring (Joe doesn’t think they will beat out Tennessee for the honor of being the worst team in the league).

Joe’s pretty sure Mayfield is very aware of this. It’s why he didn’t like Ira asking him questions about the Stinking Panthers.

First things first and that is the slimy Saints come marching in. And hopefully marching out eating an L.