Yes, Baker Mayfield Is Clutch
July 24th, 2026
Critical data.
Joe has read for months now in the comments here that Baker Mayfield is not a clutch quarterback — that he gags in the fourth quarter.
Oh, Joe doesn’t deny that Mayfield has had bad fourth quarters, or that he’s thrown a bad pass in the fourth quarter that helped seal a loss (the Atlanta game on Thursday Night Football springs to mind). But research by the European TV outfit that has NFL television rights, DAZN, suggests folks are all wrong when they claim Mayfield isn’t clutch.
Last year when trailing by one possession in the fourth quarter, Mayfield had a dozen touchdown passes. In fact, only two quarterbacks threw more in the fourth quarter when trailing by one possession: Bo Nix and Caleb Williams.
So when the chips are down and the pressure is up in the fourth quarter, Mayfield last year demonstrated the moment wasn’t too big for him.
Instant Classic 10th Anniversary Ira Kaufman Podcast — Looking Back And Ahead
July 24th, 2026 at 8:59 am
Joe, I think you’ve opened a can of worms. 😏
July 24th, 2026 at 9:04 am
Maybe it’s because the Bucs are always “down” in the 4th…
Which is surprising to me because our HC/DC is such an amazing “guru”.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
July 24th, 2026 at 9:18 am
The “not clutch” is right up there with “Mayfield can’t throw deep.” Last season in ,I think, the Seattle game he threw a pass to Embuka that was 67 yards in the air. Embuka caught it on the 3 and was tackled at the goal line.
Time for the chorus of haters to chime in with their usual dirge.
Instead of giving Mayfield credit for continuing to play with injuries and a 3rd string O line, the Munch Bunch insists on displaying their idiocy. Munch insists that the defense played just fine in the last 8-9 games. They played so fine that Licht overhauled most of last year’s defense in the offseason.
July 24th, 2026 at 9:18 am
Oh, Joe doesn’t deny that Mayfield has had bad fourth quarters, or that he’s thrown a bad pass in the fourth quarter that helped seal a loss (the Atlanta game on Thursday Night Football springs to mind
************************************************************
lol…his 4th quarter turnovers helped seal every loss in DEC lol…case in point ATL & MIA
GO BUCS!!!!
July 24th, 2026 at 9:25 am
Of that 6-2 start, he won 4 of them at the end
July 24th, 2026 at 9:29 am
Aint how you start, its how you finish lol…
GO BUCS!!!!
July 24th, 2026 at 9:31 am
What’s up with those negotiations happening this week, Joe? Sorry, I had to ask.
July 24th, 2026 at 9:31 am
This article is an enjoyable, informative and accurate bit of journalism.
It’s also bait. LOL
Happy Training Camp everyone!
July 24th, 2026 at 9:32 am
*agrees with Gipper 100%
I also remember in a few of those circumstances the defense took the field and gave up a TD the other way in 2-3 plays. Yikes.
There’s a chance the defense is dramatically improved and if the offense is healthy this season will be a lot of fun!
July 24th, 2026 at 9:33 am
Pay the man his $50M per!
July 24th, 2026 at 9:40 am
“Joe has read for months now in the comments here that Baker Mayfield is not a clutch quarterback — that he gags in the fourth quarter.”
Well posting TDs whilst trailing by one possession doesn’t prove the point you’re trying to make.
These aren’t even 4th quarter specific stats, and fwiw he threw 6 TDs to 4 INTs in the 4th qtr threw 16 of 17 games which is as easy as finding out by looking at split charts.
Never mind 7 of his INTs coming while trailing, that for sure isn’t “clutch”, but to his credit(I guess) 18 of his 26 Passing TDs came while we were trailing in general lol
Ya’ll blame it on defense, I’m here to remind you that offensive stagnation was an invisible bully for our team last year.
July 24th, 2026 at 9:44 am
🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂😂🤣😂🤣😂
July 24th, 2026 at 9:45 am
Im not exactly sure why people hate on Baker Mayfield. He’s better than a lot of bucs fans will give him credit for. Mayfield outplayed every contract he’s had in Tampa. I think one of the reasons people don’t think he’s worth what he’s asking for is the fact they are comparing him to other QB contracts. People often say he’s not Burrows so $50+ million is too much. I would counter by saying Burrows deal was signed in 2023. If Joe Borrows was currently negotiating a new deal. He would probably be looking at $65 million/yr. Its not fair to compare a contract signed in 2023 to a contract being negotiated in 2026. The price for QB’s always goes up. As far as being clutch he’s definitely clutch. If your behind in the 4th quarter the QB is going go take more chances. Simply risk versus reward.
July 24th, 2026 at 9:52 am
Remember he has played better than Mahomes for 3 years now and that includes last year with its injury riddled second half of the season. The other half had EVERYBODY in agreement that old Bake was going to be the MVP. If The new OC is any good and the OL stays healthy Baker will dominate again and this will be the 4th year he has out played Mahomes. Just sayin…
July 24th, 2026 at 10:14 am
Hmmm….
Wk 10 vs NE lost by 5
Wk 11 vs BUF lost by 12
Wk 12 vs LA lost by 27
Wk 13 vs ARI won by 3
Wk 14 vs NO lost by 4
Wk 15 vs ATL lost by 1
Wk 16 vs CAR lost by 3
Wk 17 vs MIA lost by 3
Wk 18 vs CAR won by 2
5 losses by 5 points or less and this is what you’re saying is clutch? I keep saying it and its so true, the mediocrity and lower than hell expectations plague the media and fanbase. I stg you people love losing. This QB you love so much can’t outperform 2nd and 3rd string QBs and is part of losing streaks every year. No need to look for anyone better, winning is overrated.
You can’t be clutch and lose 7 out of 9 games. 🤣
July 24th, 2026 at 10:14 am
@ beeeej
“Of that 6-2 start, he won 4 of them at the end”
And after that it all went down the poop hole…
Oh well.
July 24th, 2026 at 10:23 am
@ Bee
Spot on my man.
Bravo.
Perhaps we now know why our beloved ME13 left for greener (or less greener) pastures…
July 24th, 2026 at 10:29 am
Except for the last drives in the last games of the season in the playoffs (the most important drives of those 2 seasons), Baker has been pretty clutch for the most part.
But he’s hasn’t been clutch in the 2 most important drives of his 3-year career here.
Hopefully, that changes.
It’s hard to call someone ‘clutch’ when they’ve thrown 2 INT’s on the 2 last drives of 2 playoff games to end our seasons. 💯
July 24th, 2026 at 10:31 am
Well actually Bee you can be clutch if you are playing beat up because there isn’t another NFL qb on the team and that’s exactly what happened last year. Wrong AGAIN. Baker IS one of the most clutch qb playing. It’s exactly why he has the all-time record for passer rating in the playoffs. That’s the very essence of clutch. But you wouldn’t know that.
July 24th, 2026 at 10:44 am
Who is better that would be available? Get it? Who wants to go back to Brian Griese or Glennon or that moron Jameis?
Licht, you’re an idiot if you don’t get this done.
July 24th, 2026 at 10:44 am
BEE
PREACH!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
July 24th, 2026 at 10:44 am
WBL
PREACH!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
July 24th, 2026 at 10:45 am
MARINE
PREACH!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
July 24th, 2026 at 10:47 am
You absolutely cannot judge Baker Mayfield by only last season. Last year was an outlier for the entire team.
July 24th, 2026 at 10:50 am
@ well
“Baker IS one of the most clutch qb playing. It’s exactly why he has the all-time record for passer rating in the playoffs.”
I’m not sure how old you are so I don’t want to be mean…
But – HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
Oh – Ya!
Baker is SOOOOOOOO “clutch”
OMG that is awesome funny my guy.
July 24th, 2026 at 10:50 am
@ 813
WORD!
July 24th, 2026 at 11:07 am
Nobody was more clutch than Baker, except Todd, during the 2-7 finish. Hey, they won 2 games.
July 24th, 2026 at 11:13 am
6 wins by less than 5 points I would think is more than enough to negate the 5 losses by 5 points or less! Especially on a team with a pos defense and special teams and an offense riddled with injuries all year long. Keep preaching that heresy Bee and bucboi 😂
July 24th, 2026 at 11:18 am
Yes, Baker is clutch. And like every other non-perfect person, you can only be clutch so many times before something bad happens. If he gives us the lead in the 4th quarter, we need to do a better job holding it.
Complimentary football.
July 24th, 2026 at 11:30 am
Baker didn’t get fired from 3 (or is it 4) teams because he is a winner.
Evans didn’t leave because Baker is a winner.
Baker threw 4 game losing INTs in 5 games. The team later redesigned the offense to prevent Baker from losing games. This stat is a joke.
July 24th, 2026 at 11:30 am
>>> Who is better that would be available? Get it? Who wants to go back to Brian Griese or Glennon or that moron Jameis? <<<
Right. What quarterback can go 2-7 down the stretch to choke away a playoff berth? What quarterback is out there who can lose to a dawgshiite Dolphins team with the playoffs on the line?
So Jason Licht is supposed to throw serious money at a 32-year old quarterback who can't stay healthy (or beat the crap Dolphins)? What quarterback is out there who can walk on the field for every game down the stretch and be able to throw the ball pain-free?
Yeah, sure. Mayfield never missed a start. It helps for a quarterback to be physically able to throw the ball. Don't see the Bucs running a wishbone any time soon.
So if Bowles gets bounced, which so many people want to happen, how many top candidates want to hitch their wagon to a broken down 32-year old quarterback?
Who is out there besides Mayfield? The Bucs are closer to the No. 1 overall pick then they are a Super Bowl winner. Pretty confident C.J. Carr or Trinidad Chambliss or Julian Sayin can go 2-7 in the final two months and lose to the crap Dolphins.
Even "that moron Jameis" can do that!
July 24th, 2026 at 11:33 am
Read it and weep haters. This really blows your Narrative that Baker is a choke artist. Go follow the Team that you really pull for. Go Bucs!!
July 24th, 2026 at 11:42 am
This is sarcasm….no ring no clutch. So fire all QBs with no super bowl ring now.
July 24th, 2026 at 11:47 am
Mayfield can improve in 2 main areas-
quicker decision making ( get rid of the ball faster- which could partially be a play calling issue),
and better ball security – less fumbles.
He gets in trouble with sacks and turnovers when he scrambles around looking for receivers – yes, he makes some great plays but more often he takes sacks that kill drives.
July 24th, 2026 at 11:48 am
LOL!
Singlehandedly losing 4 games in a row with the playoffs on the line is literally the opposite of clutch.
Not to mention the fact that in the last 2 playoff games, where he had the ball in his hands with the game on the line and managed to produce 2 turnovers that lost the game.
Mayfield is not clutch when it matters.
July 24th, 2026 at 12:00 pm
So hilarious how you have to be on one side of this fence or the other.
If you want to know the truth, all you have to do is land between the lines of “Baker sucks” crowd and the pom pom group that think he’s amazing and can do no wrong.
If been as critical as anyone when Baker played poorly. But judging him off last season when he never played a single game with his starting oline, lots of 3rd string practice squad types and injuries to Evans, Godwin and EE…all with a in over his head OC..come on now.
Big year for Baker to:
1) stay healthy
2) win a primetime game
3) play consistently
I still have faith the guy can get the job done. But I’m going to let this season play out before making any outrageous claims one on or the other.
July 24th, 2026 at 12:05 pm
@ Rod
It’s about dam time young man!
Where in the he!! have you been?
July 24th, 2026 at 12:07 pm
@ Fan
“If you want to know the truth,”
Oh please.
For once – tell us the “truth” mater Fan!
July 24th, 2026 at 12:18 pm
@ 3.28
“Nobody was more clutch than Baker, except Todd, during the 2-7 finish. Hey, they won 2 games.”
And BOOM goes the dynamite!
BOOM baby!!!!
July 24th, 2026 at 12:25 pm
Our HC has a career losing record
Our QB has a career losing record
Our GM has a career losing record
But let’s keep propping them all up as RoH and clutch. This really does feel like gas lighting fans into thinking we’ve got elite leadership
July 24th, 2026 at 12:25 pm
Munch Says:
“Singlehandedly losing 4 games in a row”
Singlehandedly??????
Seriously??
Bucs were up 10 points on Atlanta in the 4th Quarter. But in Rod’s mind – Baker ‘singlehandedly’ lost that game….. LOL
July 24th, 2026 at 12:27 pm
7
dash
10
Love it.
Live it.
Accept it.
Resistance to the truth is futile.
You will all submit…
July 24th, 2026 at 12:38 pm
@Modhair
You and I are simpatico on the QB situation and WHY… He’s simply NOT as bad as we’ve had for approximately 50 YEARS!
Hey, if better comes along well…… sure, we can take a look. But THIS… this subject is a “COME ON MAN” type of moment!
I’m just not sure why everybody thinks we’ve got better sitting on the bench just waisting away… I’m not picking up what A Lot are putting down DUE TO .. LOTS of bad experience from this teams ability to bring in even “decent” qb’s…. Let me just say it again, …. IN 50 YEARS OF EXISTENCE! Seriously…
He’s WAY better than what some are saying “IN THE BIG PICTURE”
July 24th, 2026 at 12:39 pm
Please pay him so we can stop all of this nonsense.
And No – Trask is never coming back. Ever.
July 24th, 2026 at 12:48 pm
Wow the NFL is a bad state. Baker, Caleb and Bo Nix are your big time comeback QBs huh? Gruden is right – it is dissolving. Name 3 QBs that would be backups on a 1990s playoff team… yep, there’s the list.
July 24th, 2026 at 1:01 pm
@ view
Spot on.
However:
– Caleb > BM
– Nix > BM
Sorry folks.
This is me being gentle and caring towards your fee-fees…
They call it $uicidal empathy these days.
July 24th, 2026 at 1:08 pm
Live and die by the gunslinger..when your good your real good,when your bad? Well you know the rest…Can’t count them out with mayfield! I’ll be watching and rooting bring it on! Go Bucs
July 24th, 2026 at 1:09 pm
Mr. Clutch threw 4th quarter interceptions directly resulting in losses to Atlanta, Carolina and Miami. He also lost a 4th quarter fumble against the Dolphins.
I’m trying to be objective here, so I’ll ask in what world is that considered clutch?
With those performances he should consider himself lucky to maintain his starting role.
At the very least he should apologize to the fan base with the promise to do better.
But not Baker.
He demands a hefty raise and wants to be paid top tier money. And half the Tampa fan base backs him on this.
You can’t make this stuff up.
July 24th, 2026 at 1:16 pm
And all those losses were must win games.
I think these “clutch people” are confusing the clutch with hitting the brakes.
July 24th, 2026 at 1:24 pm
Pickgrin Says:
July 24th, 2026 at 12:25 pm
Munch Says:
“Singlehandedly losing 4 games in a row”
Singlehandedly??????
Seriously??
Bucs were up 10 points on Atlanta in the 4th Quarter. But in Rod’s mind – Baker ‘singlehandedly’ lost that game….. LOL
————
Correct, the Bucs were up by 10 points, and their MVP (week6) QB had the ball in his hands with a chance to put the game away and… throws literally the worst INT I’ve ever seen in my life. Then, on the offenses last series, knowing that if the Bucs punt they lose, he has a guy wide open for a 1st down that puts the game away, a throw any middle school QB can make, and he completely misses it.
And for the record, I did the research, and Winston never threw a 4th quarter INT in a game where the Bucs were up by double digits. So congrats to Baker for doing something Winston never did.
July 24th, 2026 at 1:26 pm
Pickgrin, you hit the nail on the head, old Rod constantly says things that make no sense. This is just one in a long line.
July 24th, 2026 at 1:27 pm
“Big year for Baker to:
1) stay healthy
2) win a primetime game
3) play consistently”
This is what Bee means when he says the bar is in hell. Stay healthy, likely won’t happen even if he cuts back on scrambling or slides more to finish those plays off, the nature in which he navigates the pocket turns Baker into a pressure magnet. Footwork.
Win a primetime game, he’s had about 9 chances with us to do and hasn’t had a win playing after 7pm since 2023. 23 total “late” games in his career, 8-15 as a starter in those games.
Consistently inconsistent, you get highs and lows, barely any stability in between the two extremes.
It’s not like we’re talking about a 20-something yr old 2nd-4th year QB, these would be good goals, we’re talking about a guy going into his 9th season with 120 starts under his belt.
Now if you want to crown him, then crown him but he is who we thought he was and we kept him on the hook or whatever Denny Green said back in the day.
July 24th, 2026 at 1:30 pm
Moron Munch,
Please take your talents to Jacksonville.
July 24th, 2026 at 1:32 pm
“Pickgrin, you hit the nail on the head, old Rod constantly says things that make no sense. This is just one in a long line.”
We were never up by exactly 10 points at any point in that game btw. our largest lead went from 6 to 14, so you’re all not making any sense collectively.
July 24th, 2026 at 1:33 pm
More fun facts about Mr Clutch…
Last year, the Bucs, in 17 games, had exactly 3500 net passing yards (205.8 yards per game).
The last time the Bucs had fewer passing yards was…
2014, when the Bucs had McCown and Glennon starting. However their combined 3297 net yards was in 16 games, which is 206.0 yards per game – so they actually were better at moving the ball through the air than the $55-million dollar man, week 6 MVP himself, Baker Mayfield!
July 24th, 2026 at 1:38 pm
More on Mr. Clutch…
Since coming to the Buccaneers, Baker is 2-11 in prime-time and playoff games.
He’s a regular Tom Brady + Joe Montana for sure!
Wait, my bad, he’s way better than Brady + Montana, and throw in Mahomes and Allen, then times it by a trillion, and they still aren’t as good as Mr Clutch.
July 24th, 2026 at 1:38 pm
Rod stop munching on dummies, really McCown glennon!
July 24th, 2026 at 1:48 pm
Ugh, I really hate these click begging posts. You could literally (there’s your favorite word Rodney) copy and paste the comments from any adjacent post like this and you’ll end up with what we have above. Haters spewing essentially the same “facts” And the other side doing their version of the same. Rinse, repeat.
July 24th, 2026 at 1:52 pm
Everybody knows that games are won/lost by a team, not an individual player. Yet we have idiotic comments like “Baker is 2-11 in prime time and playoff games” as if he is solely responsible for every won/loss outcome. By all means do NOT factor in that Baker has a playoff passer rating of 105.9 or has stats equal or better than QBs widely considered elite.
Maybe a minimum IQ of 90 to enter the comments page would be helpful.
July 24th, 2026 at 2:04 pm
PLawson, Yes, this is why some pitchers in baseball with seemingly mediocre records but noted poor run support, but low eras will win the cy Young over pitchers with better records and higher eras. I’ve always equated it to something along those lines. Of course the NFL doesn’t rank quarterbacks like that.
July 24th, 2026 at 2:04 pm
PLawson Says:
Baker has a playoff passer rating of 105.9 or has stats equal or better than QBs widely considered elite. Maybe a minimum IQ of 90 to enter the comments page would be helpful.
———-
Quoting a broken passer rating stat that is decades out of date is not the sign of a high IQ individual.
July 24th, 2026 at 2:29 pm
Who else do you want to be our QB,,, who would you trade for if it was doable???
1)Allen
2)Mahomes
3)Joe Cool
4)Lamar
5)Herbert
That’s about where my list ends , Stafford is better but only a year or 2 left in his career ,, Not sold yet on Maye or Caleb,, Maybe Dak cause he is pretty good ,,
But overall it’s not who’s clutch , it’s who can we get for the next 5 years ?
Brissett, Stroud, Lawerence???! No Ill stick w what we have
July 24th, 2026 at 2:40 pm
Lightning V with a left hook of common sense! Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!
July 24th, 2026 at 2:44 pm
B!+chn bout something you can’t control over and over = high IQ!
July 24th, 2026 at 2:54 pm
Can’t wait for the season to start so we can watch the naysayers disappear. Hopefully, we get a contract signed before-hand too so we can have a great team for a while. Will be a totally different offense with healthy players.
July 24th, 2026 at 2:58 pm
That’s really deep Steve. Complaining about things you can’t control is the entire basis of being a sports fan. Only 1 of 32 fan bases is happy after the Super Bowl, give or take the gamblers. To call JBF commenters stupid is unreasonable.
July 24th, 2026 at 3:00 pm
If we look at the chart that was provided.
I can at least agree with the following:
Baker is not as good as Bo Nix
Baker is not as good as Caleb Williams
July 24th, 2026 at 3:01 pm
View from 132 Says:
July 24th, 2026 at 12:48 pm
Wow the NFL is a bad state. Baker, Caleb and Bo Nix are your big time comeback QBs huh? Gruden is right – it is dissolving. Name 3 QBs that would be backups on a 1990s playoff team… yep, there’s the list.
I’d say Matt Stafford could be a backup on the 90s team. I’d say Patrick Mahomes I’d say Josh Allen I’d say Patrick Mahomes do you want me to keep going dummy?
July 24th, 2026 at 3:12 pm
The View! Any relations to Whoopi ? that show definitely puts words in people’s mouth And they whine all the time Im not calling anyone stupid.. Im ready to play the cards im dealt with like bowles and mayfield…Crying over spilled milk etc… Its just a game!
July 24th, 2026 at 3:30 pm
Haha. Now we got a dude calling me dummy because he has no reading comprehension and starts listing off QBs no one was talking about and a second dude that watches Whoopi Goldberg’s show.
Great stuff. You two should date.
July 24th, 2026 at 4:20 pm
Before Baker had taken a snap for Tampa, Mumch was putting him down without knowing the truth of what happened in Cleveland. Two Pro Bowls later and a fantastic 2024 season achieved by only 2 other QB’s in the history of the NFL, Munch disappeared and most were happy to see him go. As soon as an injured Baker struggled in the last half of 2025, Munch, resurfaced and restarted his nonsense. Only this time his absurdity reached new levels insisting that the Bucs defense played well in the last 8 games of 2025. Defense and special teams were the biggest part of the problem last year not to mentioned the 3rd string O line that allowed Baker to get assaulted.