Baker Mayfield Is A Third-Down Monster
January 18th, 2026
Baller on third downs.
The way the second-half of the 2025 season shook out, “this Joe” was very down on Baker Mayfield. But in the very same paragraph, “this Joe” is adamant that no quarterback this side of Pat Mahomes has better intangibles.
(The “other Joe” was not down on Mayfield and finds his intangibles overrated after a massive team collapse.)
If half of the Bucs last season had half the heart Mayfield has, Joe is likely writing here about a Bucs divisional round playoff game preview.
Maybe not even Mahomes has a bigger pair than Mayfield.
The evidence for Joe is how Mayfield, ever since he came to the Bucs in 2023, has had scoring drives kept alive by his savvy third-down running. Mayfield quite possibly is the best in the league at this. In fact, he is the best in the NFC at this.
No one in the NFC converted first downs by running on third down at a higher rate than Mayfield. Last season he did this at a 72 percent clip.
No quarterback in the NFL had a higher yards-per-attempt on third down than Mayfield. And only one quarterback, Buffalo’s Josh Allen, has converted more first downs running on third down than Mayfield.
But as former Bucs’ Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians likes to say, when a quarterback puts himself in harm’s way, harm will find him. And Joe believes that’s what happened to Mayfield this season.
Those runs caught up with him and he was very likely beat to hell, which screwed up his passing game.
At the end of the day, a quarterback is judged on his passing, not his feet. And Mayfield’s passing was bad after the bye.
Still, when it comes to intangibles and savvy running, it’s awfully hard to beat Mayfield. Would the Bucs be drafting in the top-10 this spring if not for Mayfield’s legs?
January 18th, 2026 at 12:35 am
That’s great…he still is NOT a Super Bowl QB
January 18th, 2026 at 12:45 am
IF the Bucs would just reverse course and make Klint Kubiak the Bucs next HC, the Future would be BRIGHT in Tampa!
January 18th, 2026 at 1:02 am
Vancouver you know nothing about football talent, obviously.
January 18th, 2026 at 1:06 am
Mayfield is a proven stud
January 18th, 2026 at 1:10 am
VancouverBuc is RodMunch’s husband.
January 18th, 2026 at 1:14 am
🤣🤣
January 18th, 2026 at 1:21 am
It is funny that Josh Allen has 2 interceptions and 2 fumbles today. No one is saying he can’t win a superbowl. I mean the irony is thick. Some people just unjustifiably hate Mayfield.
January 18th, 2026 at 1:22 am
Baker should leave after this next year. This organization is not helping him at all. Sammy Darnold is about to be in the SB and he was his damn backup!!!!!
January 18th, 2026 at 1:47 am
Didn’t Baker beat Sam Darnold who just spanked the 49ers and are going to the NFC Championship game. Seattle also has one of the best defenses in the league and Baker spanked them at home. In fact, against the run Seattle is #1. Strange how Baker can pull that off and people hate him so much they ignorantly say he CANT get a team to the superbowl. Astounding, simply astounding.
January 18th, 2026 at 1:48 am
And then … A 4th Quarter INT
January 18th, 2026 at 2:26 am
Y’all can pump Baker Mayfield up and come up with all these meaningless stats all y’all want. Baker is not a Superbowl quarterback the bucs will not win or go to a Superbowl with Baker Mayfield. He chokes in big games all the time and he’s 1-9 in prime time games that’s not a franchise quarterback. So when the schedule comes out you can pencil in loses in all the games that’s played at night. Thursday night, Monday night, and Sunday night games all will be loses so that’s 3 losses right there. It’s time to move on from Baker Mayfield after this year because it will be the same results and the defense will get the blame and it would be because Baker is hurt lol watch and see.
January 18th, 2026 at 2:44 am
And then the leagues best qb, Allen, turns the ball over 4 times and looses the game. So what, it happens. Turns out Baker ISNT the only qb that makes mistakes. Get over your hate for the guy. We all remember how he spanked those good defenses when he was healthy this year. We all remember how he was playing so well he was the obvious MVP. Head and shoulders better than all the other quarterbacks and that was with backups on the line and receivers. If you don’t hate Baker you know what we got at the quarterback position. If you hate him no amount of proof will change your mind because it’s personal with you haters. We all know if the team can stay healthy and we get a good OC and the line protects Baker there is no stopping him and no stopping this team with him at quarterback.
January 18th, 2026 at 2:46 am
First pick of the draft, since this is a wash year, should be a Guard….2nd pick, C, move Barton to LG
January 18th, 2026 at 2:54 am
Olaivavega Loane (G) first, Parker Brailsford (C) second…..
January 18th, 2026 at 2:58 am
oneill, we’ll never win a superbowl with todd you idiot!! but go ahead and keep blaming Baker
3rd and 28 bih
January 18th, 2026 at 3:07 am
RB Jonah Coleman 3rd….since todd loves to turtle and go conservative…
There i did it
1st Loane
2nd Brailsford
3rd Coleman
4th and the rest dont care
January 18th, 2026 at 4:15 am
Anyone who plays for this “head coach” is automatically a loser.
Go Ronde Barber. Preach on.
3rd and 28.
Cooper Kupp.
January 18th, 2026 at 4:43 am
Well, I called the first two right… Harrball to Giants, and Stefanski to the ATL. Both total ‘no-brainers’ all the way around, no matter how you look at it!!!! MAN, that is great hire by Atlanta. Harrball has a pretty stacked roster with THREE ‘high-end’ EDGE-Rushers (if he can get Carter’s head on right), & Nabers and Skatteboohoo on Offense. AND, the number 5-overall Pick in the draft. Need to keep and re-sign WanDale for Dart. I wanted to make them one of my sleepers last season, but couldn’t do it after seeing their schedule. They’ll definitely be one of this year, depending on what they do in this upcoming draft, AND whether or not IF they can extend WanDale. I would definitely NOT draft a WR that high, in this year’s draft… IF they’re going to (and failed to work-out an extension with WanDale), then I would TRADE BACK. Especially, if someone’s wanting to jump up there for QB2 or something. Stefanski’s got a few toys now, too!!!! They could really use a solid #2 alongside of Drake London… Re-sign Pitts (can ‘franchise tag’ him if they need to), and Bijan. Petter LOOK-OUT. He had some really STRONG DEFENSES Cleveland, too!!!! We’re in BIG-trouble. And, we HAD our coach. But, they let him go. Hey, WE GOT Baker & Bowles, and LICKT.
January 18th, 2026 at 5:06 am
Just more meaningless, empty stats. GREAT QB’s WIN. At least, A LOT MORE than they LOSE. Period. End of Story. And, if we’re having to rely on BAKER’s ‘scrambling ability’ then we are in TROUBLE. What do Baker, Lamar, Herbert, and Patrick ALL have in common (actually, the ONLY ‘thing’ they have in common)… They are all BEAT THE HELL UP.
If I were the Chiefs next season (if they get off to a horrible start), I would consider SITTING Patrick for the entire season to try to help preserve his career. I mean, just watching him PLAY over the past two seasons HURTS ME. You can just see it in his face and entire body… HE is in some SERIOUS PAIN. He’s just played soooo much high-level/high-leverage FOOTBALL already, throughout his career. He’s coming up on his age 31 season, and could use all the rest he can get. There’s an awfully good chance he’s NOT cleared to play anywhere even close to Week-1 next season anyway!? And, you’re going to want to be VERY VERY cautious to begin with. So, there’s definitely a real chance. They’ve got to get Herbert an O-Line, or they’re WASTING HIM. Absolutely, ruining him.
January 18th, 2026 at 5:14 am
I like Baker but I wouldn’t give him a raise this season.
January 18th, 2026 at 5:16 am
We have a buncha aging beat up players, alongside of a buncha mediocre at best younger guys, who just also happen to pretty banged up. Our Roster is really struggling now, and BADDDDD. We have ZERO ‘high-level’ young FREAK ATHLETES on this roster. I guess, EE and Kancey is about as good as it gets FOR US. And, NOBODY’s calling either one of them a “FREAK.” Or, with very high ceilings. Just ‘potential’ Pro-Bowl ALTERNATES, at best maybe. We’re in TROUBLE.
January 18th, 2026 at 5:22 am
Still very happy Baker is our QB. Let him get healthy and get more help for him. Unsure about a full raise. I think Brady always took a cut so there was money to build around him; Patriots and Bucs.
Bucblind II – Absolutely agreed. After last night’s game, we may hear more fans going after Josh too. A lot of their fans want their coach fired.
January 18th, 2026 at 5:29 am
Bokeh Says: “I like Baker but I wouldn’t give him a raise this season.”
Oh, Hail Noooo… There is ZERO reason to be in ANY type of hurry to extend HIM. He’s not going to regardless, since his agent has already said publicly, that there will be NO DISCOUNTS. Which is totally fine by ME. Let someone else Frickin’ DO-IT then. It doesn’t mean that WE have to. I have a pretty strong feeling that Good Ol’ Bake Bake will be VERY disappointed again. I don’t care what kind of ‘numbers’ he puts up next year, HE IS NOT getting anywhere NEAR 5-years/$300-MIL+. It just ain’t happenin. I would consider a 2yr/$60 with $30-MIL Guatanteed as a “BRIDGE” if we had to, depending on who the next GM and HC is and whatever THEIR timeline/plans would be. But, there is NO RUSH whatsoever, on BAKER. There’s still plentyyyyy of time left and A LOT to happen, before having to make any rash decisions on HIM. There’s a really high chance of this being Baker’s final season in Tampa Bay! VERY HIGH.
January 18th, 2026 at 5:37 am
You cannot put Baker anywhere even close to being in the same class as Josh Allen (everyone else already KNOWS THAT, which makes it PATHETIC that I even have to say it), BUT it’s the same problems that Josh has always had, and he just canNOT seam to get past it… TURNOVERS. He knows it too! It’s just they STILL ask and expect just waaaayyy too much out of him! I mean, he can’t always be SUPERMAN every fricking time. Because, it just cannot work that way. It will ALWAYS catch up with you EVERY TIME. But, HE STILL has to learn how to protect the damn ball.
January 18th, 2026 at 6:01 am
MelvinJunior, I don’t know where you glean your information from. Josh Allen’s last 6 playoff games before last night he had zero turnovers in all 6 of those games. Last night he wins in overtime if his receiver doesn’t have a perfect pass ripped from his hands on his way to the ground.
January 18th, 2026 at 6:38 am
Maybe he wouldn’t have had to run so much if he hit the open receivers and improved his ball placement. Just a reminder, Joe: QBs who play with M1K3 tend to look better than they actually are.