Unlikely Matchup Advantage
September 24th, 2026
Does Bucs QB Baker Mayfield have Vikings DC Brian Flores figured out?
On paper, Joe doesn’t know how many sober people are putting money down on the Bucs to win Sunday.
The Bucs had one of the worst losses Joe has ever witnessed by puking all over themselves to the Browns. The Browns! The friggin’ Browns! The worst-team-in-the-league Browns! The worst quarterback in the league.
The gall!
If you had to write a script on how to choke like a dog and lose to the Browns, KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles (foreword by Zac Robinson) authored this book. They should win a Pulitzer for non-fiction.
Joe only wishes it was a piece of fiction. But it was real as hell, alright.
So look at Sunday’s coordinators matchups. On one hand you have Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores. On the other hand you have Bowles and Robinson.
Based on how both teams have played this season, where is your money going?
But before you click “Place Bet” on your HardRock Bet app, check this out, Todd Furhman breath:
Baker Mayfield is 2-0 against a Flores-led defense. Yes, really.
In Mayfield’s second season in the NFL, playing for the Browns, Mayfield was 24 of 34 for 327 yards, three touchdowns and a pick in a 41-24 Browns win in Cleveland when Flores was the Dolphins’ head coach.
Then in 2023, in Mayfield’s first game as a Bucs quarterback, Mayfield was 21 of 34 for 173 yards and threw two touchdowns without a pick on the road in Minnesota to open the season.
Flores is hailed as a blitzing fool who drives quarterbacks batty. It seems Mayfield has a read on Flores’ blitzes.
The trick is unlike some defensive coaches who are glazed for their exotic blitzes, at least more often than not Flores backs up his glossing with results, not tired fables.
September 24th, 2026 at 4:52 am
Still betting Vikings
September 24th, 2026 at 4:54 am
IOL
September 24th, 2026 at 5:45 am
Tired fables should be the title of todd’s autobiography.
September 24th, 2026 at 5:50 am
lol, it’s a Viking win for sure. Every time the joes post something like this the Bucs lose
September 24th, 2026 at 5:52 am
Sports sometimes reflects culture. DEI was all the rage in a previous admin but it dying a long death. The Glazers are big believers in it and it is reflected in their hiring and retention of proven losers and newbie coaches that have never been in any leadership/coordinator role. Sad, but true so, we languish through yet another losing season. Winning the NFC South can hardly be viewed as a great accomplishment.
September 24th, 2026 at 6:14 am
Maybe next year there won’t be so much hype about how great the Bucs will play, how new coaches will turn it all around etc. Reality is always better no matter how hard it is to accept.
September 24th, 2026 at 6:30 am
Been a fan since 1976. I hope the Bucs lose by 50. The owners, coaches, GM, and players all deserve it. Blow it up!
September 24th, 2026 at 6:41 am
Well this is about the same wishlist piece as Joe’s all time great last week titled will the Bucs run up the score on the browns.
September 24th, 2026 at 7:33 am
Brian Flores is licking his chops. Bucs 0 Minnesota a lot of digits. Fire Todd Bowles already for gods sake.
September 24th, 2026 at 7:35 am
Funny stuff Joe. Min for the win. This team is poorly coached and has been for several years now since BA left…..F across the board.
September 24th, 2026 at 7:41 am
Betting Vikings I can’t believe they are only favored by 1.5 points. This will be a slaughter with the way the Bucs been playing.
September 24th, 2026 at 7:48 am
Joe … ‘The worst team in the league, Browns! The worst quarterback in the league, Browns!’
IF the worst team in the league beats your team, are they still the worst team in the league? And IF the worst QB in the league beats your QB, is he still the worst QB in the league?
Inquiring minds wonder about contradictions like that.
September 24th, 2026 at 7:55 am
“The trick here is, unlike some defensive coaches who are glazed for their exotic blitzes, at least more often than not Flores backs up his glossing with results, not tired fables.”
This matchup does not play in our favor, go look at Jordan Love & Caleb Williams against this defense. Then look at how Mayfield has been reacting to pressure, Flores is going to bombard this offense with every blitz in the book. Holding the ball isn’t the thing to do this Sunday.
September 24th, 2026 at 7:55 am
Exotic blitzes? Nah. Just drop into coverage and let your front four beat our pass protection inside. Maybe use a 5th guy.
September 24th, 2026 at 8:03 am
Bet big on the Vikings. They are about to burn the pirate ship down.
We are a rudderless ship with no captain to navigate the sea.
Our cannons have no more powder or cannon balls to defend ourselves.
Bowles has the team in a death spiral. 2026 is a dumpster fire.
Just 15 more losses until he’s gone.
September 24th, 2026 at 8:08 am
Well, Mayfield was 3-0 against the Bengals until he wasn’t.
That said, I believe I saw a stat where Mayfield has been extremely successful against the blitz so far this season.
Stats are stats and mean nothing once the ball is kicked off.
We shall soon see …
September 24th, 2026 at 8:10 am
People bet the Bucs to win? Wow… P.T. Barnum was correct Joe.
Go Bucs!
September 24th, 2026 at 8:11 am
Maybe Baker has had success in the past against Flores, but I just don’t see Zack the sack coordinating this attack. They look like those electric football players we tried to play with as kids. It’s just guys running around in circles waiting to fall over on their own. Maybe if we have a major earthquake or two at RayJay Sunday they’ll just vibrate into the end zone.
September 24th, 2026 at 8:14 am
Flores took it to a superior OC in Ben Johnson last weekend, Zac and this CLOWN QB have no chance
September 24th, 2026 at 8:18 am
BTW, I’ve had fifteen beers and a handful of ludes to go with my morning bottle of whiskey and I’m still gonna bet Vikings if I can figure out which one of these double images is the real one.
September 24th, 2026 at 8:42 am
I guess a quick passing offense with multiple hot reads is out of the question. Running game won’t stand a chance. Top 5 offensive line is a joke. The three interior guys get blown up consistently. Wirfs is having his worst year. We get out coached every week. We have better players on defense but the same old scheme. Stand on your spot and watch the receiver run to the open area. Don’t move until he catches the ball. Brilliant. It’s not a zone defense, it’s a stand on your spot defense.
Baker and the offensive line are killing any chances for winning. Bad blocking, untimely penalties and missed assignments regularly kill every drive. Running backs and receivers are missing their assignments too. This is an undisciplined, poorly coached unit. All the talent is wasted. They play like they practice. Walk through like zombies. Where is this great new aggression we heard all about?
Where is the new QB coach anyway? Baker looks lost. He is not seeing open guys and trying to do too much with his legs. Throw the ball. Throw it away if needed. Sideways screens aren’t cutting it. Get a back out in front like the 49ers do with CMC. Give Baker an easy outlet. They give him nothing easy to beat the rush. This will be a bad mistake against the Vikings.
Zac better have a game plan for this defense. Running the same old same old will be a disaster. We are beating ourselves in these games so far. We’re not that far away, but do we have the discipline to cut down the constant mistakes? Bowles is right that it is on the players because he won’t do anything different. If the Bucs are going to succeed this year the players have to do it themselves. Nothing great will come from this coaching staff.
September 24th, 2026 at 8:52 am
Maybe we can start Daniel’s and draft a qb in first round
September 24th, 2026 at 8:52 am
I think the Bucs will lose, as well, but I will never root against them.
September 24th, 2026 at 9:30 am
Yes. But Mayfield isn’t the problem. Irving isn’t the problem. Goedeke isn’t the problem.
It’s the other 8 slobs that are getting us beat on every play. Every Quarter. Every game.
If we can replace those 8 with real NFL players- we’d be doing great!
September 24th, 2026 at 9:33 am
Two games isn’t much of a sample size. Our OL has sucked in pass blocking against the Ben-Gals and lowly Browns. Flores has a bunch of savages for pass rushers against our impotent OL. It will be a long day unless the defense gets some turnovers.
September 24th, 2026 at 9:49 am
Joe stay in the present. Presently the o line is not pass blocking well. THe Vikings are putting a lot of pressure on O lines and doing extremely well. With that in mind Sunday does not look good. In fact it could be a long day for the offense. Yes presently we have hope!!!, the o line will play well. or improve. However the past 2 games don’t suggest that. This year thus far the o line is definately a disappointment. My question is why can’t we do what other teams are doing to us. Have the qb get rid of the ball quickly short intermediate passes 7 to 10, . It was very effective for Clevland and Cinn. That may help the struggling o line. Please limit or get rid of passes behind the line of scrimage. Opposing teams are dialed in on that one. If the Bucs try those against Minn, it will be a long long day. Can someboby please tell me where our receivers have gone, they seemed to have disappeared.
September 24th, 2026 at 9:50 am
Won’t be touching this game. Fishy line. One of those games where everyone says Bucs suck 0-2… less than a FG for Minny!? Then Bucs win.
Bengals are 2-0. Bucs didn’t even play well, 2 less fumbles and Bucs won that game.
I’m still in the Baker, Bowles, Robinson suck camp but any given Sunday, blind squirrels, etc.
September 24th, 2026 at 10:26 am
all the previous stats are meaningless, just like the “Bowles never loses the first games” and “Baker always beats the Bengals” Bucs are going to sht their pants again. Basically it just gets worse all season then we go on Glazer watch.
September 24th, 2026 at 11:21 am
Wouldn’t bet this game either direction. Maybe the over and under but not the outcome.
September 24th, 2026 at 11:42 am
Baker didn’t have Zack the Hack calling plays in those games.
September 24th, 2026 at 11:49 am
I’ll take the Bucs in this game. And people always laugh at spreads but Vegas books are filled with professionals, they don’t go by emotion, they go by their research. They are not in the business to lose money
September 24th, 2026 at 12:13 pm
Flores succeeds with exotic blitzing because he also believes in pass rushers “rushing” off the edge.
September 24th, 2026 at 12:18 pm
I’m not watching, and couldn’t care less because the Bucs really suc and no one in the organization seems to give two about it all
September 24th, 2026 at 1:02 pm
0-3.
September 24th, 2026 at 1:18 pm
“Bejeezusbelt Says:
September 24th, 2026 at 12:13 pm
Flores succeeds with exotic blitzing because he also believes in pass rushers “rushing” off the edge.”
You’re making things up, Flores Blitzes to do the same things we intend to do with blitzes, also if he was that high on “pass rushers rushing” he wouldn’t be blitzing 70% of the time like he has the last 2 games.
The way to beat that, is to do to what teams have been doing to us with quick reads and counting on YAC to counter the rush.
September 24th, 2026 at 1:53 pm
History matters? Sure, but there’s also something called the law of averages.
Todd Bowles was undefeated on opening day… until he wasn’t.
Based on how this team has been playing so far, I’d say the only history that matters is recent history: and we’re 0-2 in that span.
September 24th, 2026 at 4:17 pm
I picked up the vikings defense in fantasy 🤷♂️. Sorry I hate to say it, and honestly I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see a dub. If we can’t even beat the Browns, idk man. This is just bad.