Baker Mayfield Gamble Paid Off
October 25th, 2026
The Bucs started an injured quarterback today and not only did Baker Mayfield not get sacked, he only was hit once.
But it was a brutal hit.
Mayfield got slammed to the turf on Tampa Bay’s opening drive and his healing dislocated thumb hit the turf. (Somebody please work on Bucky Irving’s pass blocking!) Mayfield gestured to the sideline that he was ok.
That was the last time he was hit in the backfield during the 43-13 blowout win at Carolina. Mayfield threw only 12 passes, completing 7 (a Chris Godwin TD pass was called back because of a penalty).
Mayfield’s workload was as light as one could ever expect for a starting QB in the modern era of football.
Joe absolutely didn’t like the gamble of playing Mayfield today. It didn’t seem to make sense. But the Bucs won the roll of the dice. Mayfield left the game in fourth quarter smiling and laughing. He made it through.
Is Mayfield healthy enough to put the team on his back? That’s still unknown, but there’s a good chance the Bucs will find out next week against the 3-4 Falcons at The Licht House.
After the game, Mayfield said it was “unbelievable” to lean on the running game “and the big boys up front.”
October 25th, 2026 at 4:10 pm
Thats the formula
October 25th, 2026 at 4:11 pm
today was must win and they did. so is next week.
October 25th, 2026 at 4:15 pm
And that’s why you try and report and don’t coach. Go Bucs
October 25th, 2026 at 4:15 pm
we won this game from the opening kickoff…
go figure…
who’da thunk…………!!
#CakeWalk
October 25th, 2026 at 4:16 pm
Offense did what it needed to do. Zac called a good game.
But the defense really shined! The guys came together and played like loosing was not an option.
Go Bucs!!
October 25th, 2026 at 4:16 pm
I WANT ALL THE BAKER HATERS TO SHUT THE FK UP!!!!!
No room for you here in this post, STFU!!!!
October 25th, 2026 at 4:18 pm
Number one. Joe Bucs fan is the best hands down. Bucs should pay you just to exist. You keep everything going. On a cruise and took some money from a Panthers fan. Unbelievable job by offensive line. I did not want Mayfield to play but was best outcome unbelievably. Think Bucs set record for rushing yards.
Congratulations to offensive and defensive line. Should have sat Irving earlier. Tucker would have had a 100 plus if he played more.
October 25th, 2026 at 4:19 pm
MAX!! Why.. reading the dumbest crap ever!! MAKES ME LAUGH!!
October 25th, 2026 at 4:19 pm
Ground and pound is the way to go if it’s working. Oline finally showing why they were one of the best in 24.
October 25th, 2026 at 4:26 pm
Gotta fix the tight end…situation…covering and catching.
October 25th, 2026 at 4:26 pm
Bucs win! Fans still angry. News at 11.
October 25th, 2026 at 4:26 pm
It’s ok to play Baker with an injured thumb if you’re not going to pass. If you are, though, sit him until the thumb is 100%.
October 25th, 2026 at 4:30 pm
Imagine, if you will, Todd Bowles returning as head coach next year… because that is exactly what will happen if we win the division, even if it’s a cesspool division.
None of us want that. We’re not going anywhere this year, but if we win the division we can count on the same frustrations again next year.
October 25th, 2026 at 4:32 pm
Baker did what he had to. He can still get touchdowns but I still think offensively calling is not great. Offensive line really shined today.
But truly it was special teams and defense that get the flowers. Zyon 27
having a pro bowl year!
October 25th, 2026 at 4:40 pm
Baker added 64 yds and a TD. That’s worth 165 mil. This can’t be our strategy going forward.
October 25th, 2026 at 4:46 pm
When you know you can run , you run!!! How’s Luke’s calf lol
October 25th, 2026 at 4:47 pm
Guts.
October 25th, 2026 at 4:49 pm
It’s one think to critique. It’s another thing to hate. Hate in your heart makes you a miserable person. It damages your immune system. It can create vascular dysfunction and often leads to mental instability. If you are investing so much emotional life to hating a football coach, you need to step back and think about what your life has become.
October 25th, 2026 at 4:57 pm
j… baker didn’t need to do anything more. if the run game is working as good as it was why do anything else. baker made the throws he needed to, stayed healthy, and it was a good team win. obviously every game won’t be like this so he will throw when he needs to relax and enjoy the dub
October 25th, 2026 at 5:03 pm
HeavyE is experiencing a meltdown somewhere….
October 25th, 2026 at 5:07 pm
BucsNBucks doesn’t like the play calling holy S. O coordinator called a great game. What all the gurus can’t grasp is execution is required for success, not some magic fairy dust where if they run you geniuses say we should’ve passed and if we pass, we should’ve run. Both teams spend hours in the film room the majority of all plays are scouted and recognized, it comes down to did you execute. Our first 3 or 4 games there was confusion on the O line due to New O coordinator and lack of quality preseason reps. The line appears to understand what he wants and hopefully will keep rolling. The next step is to adjust to Def coordinators taking away the run
October 25th, 2026 at 5:12 pm
I’ll also address Rod M the hater, I said it last week Bowles Defense is above avg
and improving, firing him mid season would be a huge mistake
October 25th, 2026 at 5:14 pm
J Says:
October 25th, 2026 at 4:40 pm
Baker added 64 yds and a TD. That’s worth 165 mil. This can’t be our strategy going forward.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The above is the mentality of a typical JBF. As I have said QB’s don’t “win games” football teams do. Today the football team won the game. Baker did just what he was supposed to do and we still have idiots who complain? Joe needs to set an IQ requirement higher than 75 to post here.
October 25th, 2026 at 5:20 pm
Played great today.
October 25th, 2026 at 5:31 pm
After a win, the delusional people appear with their sparkles and rainbows and unicorns… boy oh boy if we can just do this every week, we won’t need to fire Bowles and we can just enjoy winning! Yaaaay!
These are the people that cult leaders target when recruiting.
October 25th, 2026 at 6:20 pm
Saw Vita Vea in coverage again.
October 25th, 2026 at 6:27 pm
Jason Licht & other Bucs were at the Texas vs Ole Miss game yesterday. Could Steve Sarkisian be the next Bucs HC??
October 25th, 2026 at 6:41 pm
The defense has improved almost literally on a weekly basis. When you consider that we are playing with multiple new players on the defense including Bain, Walker, Robinson, Muhammad, Trotter, Anzalone, Scott and you could include in that group, Kancey, who almost missed the entire year in 2025, this defense is playing incredibly well! That’s a lot of new pieces and naturally it takes time to gel as a group. If that’s not t reason for optimism, I don’t know what is. Offensively, maybe we are finding our identity which is to run the ball down the opposition’s collective throats.
October 25th, 2026 at 7:03 pm
Saw Vita Vea in coverage again.
And he did a GREAT JOB too!
October 25th, 2026 at 7:17 pm
“After a win, the delusional people appear with their sparkles and rainbows and unicorns…”
– – – – – – – – –
Skunk, can’t you just enjoy the win? Relax dude.
Nothing is happening to Todd until January. And regardless, its not in your control. Ever heard “only worry about what you can control” and there is little that is in your control.
October 25th, 2026 at 7:25 pm
It was a great win all around. Tough game next week, but hopefully we can go on a roll and string some wins together…
October 25th, 2026 at 7:38 pm
Wasn’t a gamble starting Mayfield. Not. One. Bit. Knuckleheads, who maybe haven’t played alot of football, or else they haven’t given it any reasonable thought, should know that Mayfield was the only choice.
Players said this week’s practices were by far the best of the year. Mayfield wasn’t limited in practice this week-he was a full participant! In fact, I’m sure, he set the tone for alot of what we saw today. If he’d not been ready, he’d have surely known about it in practice.
It’s high time he grabs this bull by the balls. Franchise QB. Despite what detractors try to portray the narrative, our QB is a winner. And the way that entire team played today just cements what I already knew.
Sitting 3 weeks and watching Jalon gave Baker a little reinforcement of perspective he was needing. It was great letting Jalon play the 4th quarter.
Guess what? Our OLine is getting better by the minute. The Defense? How about WOW!! Special teams downright salty.
We’ve got the right team, finally. And we’ve got the right leaders. And that includes Baker, Bowles, and Licht.
October 25th, 2026 at 7:49 pm
would cutting off the tips of the glove on his other fingers improve his grasp and feel when throwing the foot ball?
October 25th, 2026 at 8:13 pm
Amazing. 1-2 games a year you can do nothing wrong.
Carolina just no-showed.
Embarrassing for them.
October 25th, 2026 at 8:21 pm
Good question, Lonnie. But I think the grip question is more about pressure than friction. I think a team from New England experimented with adjusting the pressure of the ball for a better grip. With Baker, it’s a question of restoring the strength in his injured hand.
October 25th, 2026 at 8:30 pm
The Panthers were definitely snake bit. How else do you explain scoring a comeback touchdown and then not only failing on the conversion, but also having it blocked and returned for two points? But there’s more. They were penalized 15 yards on the play, resulting in the Bucs getting great field position on the following kickoff. Halloween came early to Charlotte.
October 25th, 2026 at 9:07 pm
They will never win another game like that the rest of the season. Don’t count on being on the road and getting 4 turnovers. Holding the ball playing keep away. And your qb throwing 11 passes. Sll while blowing the home team out that the game is over by halftime. .
It was a great win but that sh#t ain’t happening again
October 25th, 2026 at 9:24 pm
Lighteningvinny sez
When you know you can run , you run!!! How’s Luke’s calf lol
Lost in all this is that Chukwuma didn’t have hia name called all day. Except in the huddle. Most of the runs were to Wirfs side or wound up there but they weren’t skeered to run toward Mauch and Chuk made some great plays when they did.
Good game for the yungin.
October 25th, 2026 at 9:26 pm
Puhlease. 165 mill hand off guy… yep, makes sence. After all “preseason is worthless Joe”.
October 25th, 2026 at 9:33 pm
MadMax. Holding players accountable is hate ? But I get it this is a different America now days. Accountability is now call hate criticizing players bad play on the field or the court means you hate the player. I grew up different from you and I see why this generation is so tras and why these young people like teenagers and people in their 20s act the way they do. My son who is 19 years old plays football in college right now is different from a lot of kids his age. My son played football from the age of 5 years old and his first year i told him if you suck I’m going to tell you you suck because you don’t have to play sports if you don’t want to. And he was down a little bit and I asked him do you still want to play and he said yes and he waa 5 years old at the time. But then I told him I don’t care how many tackles you miss or you get ran over if you playing your best it will be a good game for you. And I raised him up on doing your best regardless with no excuses. He sucked in basketball and I told him he sucked and we laughed about it. That doesn’t mean I hated my boy because I was honest about the way he played on the field or court and just in life period. So just because I criticize Baker or any other player in the NFL or on the bucs that don’t mean I hate the player. I’ve never talked about Baker personally life I only talk about him on the field.
October 25th, 2026 at 9:44 pm
Skunk Ape you are the people dictators recruit to bust heads. Jeep hating somewhere else.
October 25th, 2026 at 9:53 pm
Onielbuc you go way beyond critiquing and clearly want baker to fail. There Is no get em next time with you.
October 25th, 2026 at 10:06 pm
Marky mark Says:
October 25th, 2026 at 9:44 pm
Skunk Ape you are the people dictators recruit to bust heads. Jeep hating somewhere else.
Tell me where the hate is. Please. I’m happy for the players. So, stating the reality that saving Bowles job would be a disaster is hating? I don’t hate Bowles. I just think he’s a terrible head coach and he’s had more than enough time to prove otherwise. Tell me I’m wrong. If I’m missing something, I’d be happy to hear it.
October 25th, 2026 at 10:07 pm
Marky mark Says:
October 25th, 2026 at 9:44 pm
Tell me where the hate is. Please. I’m happy for the players. So, stating the reality that saving Bowles job would be a disaster is hating? I don’t hate Bowles. I just think he’s a terrible head coach and he’s had more than enough time to prove otherwise. Tell me I’m wrong. If I’m missing something, I’d be happy to hear it.
October 25th, 2026 at 10:10 pm
He only threw 12 passes.
October 25th, 2026 at 10:26 pm
Mark. Saying that he played bad the last half of the season is not beyond its the truth. Saying that the bucs need to draft a quarterback of the future to sit behind Baker who would be 32 years old next year is also not beyond. And I’ve said it on here before as long as Baker have a bucs uniform on I will always root for him to play good. But I have to call it like I see it when Baker played good good i have always give him credit. And when he plays bad I will say he played bad. But I hope we win a superbowl with Baker but the way he’s been playing it don’t look like it’s going to happen but never the less I still want him to play good. I was one of the ones who was saying he’s leading the mvp race last year the first half of the season because he was it was the truth.