Baker Mayfield briefly dropped again earlier than tucking the ball and barreling ahead.
He zigged to the fitting and zagged to the left, resisting the Detroit Lions’ tackles simply lengthy sufficient to fall into the top zone.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took a 20-16 lead they might not relinquish with 34 seconds to play, avenging their divisional-round playoff loss from eight months earlier as they improved to 2-0.
The collection of occasions that had led to Tampa Bay advancing within the playoffs final season, and outlasting a very good Lions group early on this one, have been sudden.
First, there was Mayfield’s success on the 11-yard quarterback draw. Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis ribbed Mayfield concerning the professional of what he considered as a slimmer, extra athletic body than final yr.
“I stated, ‘Massive Bake final yr wouldn’t have been capable of rating on that,’” Lewis informed Yahoo Sports activities. “However Slim Bake might.’”
Then, there was the passing sport that had demanded sufficient respect from the Lions protection to arrange the draw.
The Lions ready for Mayfield recent off a season opener wherein he had thrown for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns with no interceptions.
Even the Buccaneers, who tackle the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night time Soccer this week, didn’t see this coming 13 months in the past, when late into coaching camp 2023 Mayfield was the league’s final eventual starter nonetheless in a quarterback battle with the season nearing.
The 2018 first general decide’s profession resurgence fascinates groups across the league as they attempt to perceive the newest knowledge level of a famously inexact science. Groups spend ample hours scouting prime gamers, their analyses of quarterbacks arguably probably the most tough as they attempt to venture not solely bodily traits but in addition the processing and decision-making that affect quarterbacks greater than another place.
When prime draft picks flame out, groups are left reeling from the missed dart. When those self same gamers then succeed elsewhere, an entire new stage of questions come up.
As quarterbacks like Mayfield discover later-career stability, Yahoo Sports activities got down to perceive: What can groups be taught from this? How a lot ought to the culpability fall on a participant, and the way a lot the franchise?
At the very least some league voices don’t imagine Mayfield’s resurgence would have are available Cleveland.
“It could be nice to say, as a result of he’s enjoying nicely now,” one NFC govt who scouted Mayfield informed Yahoo Sports activities. “However… I believe that Baker wouldn’t be having the success he has now. Generally gamers want a recent begin or a few recent begins.
“That is his fourth group, so clearly a change of surroundings was essential a number of instances.”
As Baker realized to bounce, the Bucs made it again to the dance
In the course of the pre-draft course of in 2018, expertise evaluators coveted Mayfield’s arm power and his fixed risk of scrambling. They valued his accuracy outdoors the numbers, some additionally praising his means to needle throws into tight home windows.
The Heisman Trophy recipient was productive in school and a winner.
He arrived to a proficient Cleveland Browns offensive unit that includes an upper-echelon offensive line and talent gamers together with Jarvis Landry, Nick Chubb and David Njoku. Mayfield led the Browns to the playoffs with a 2020 season that includes 26 touchdowns to eight interceptions however was largely inconsistent over the course of 4 years. Add in immaturity off the sphere and in his on-field risk-taking calculus, in addition to a torn labrum that hampered his effectiveness in 2021, and the Browns traded Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers in 2022.
“He was frantic within the pocket and that confirmed in his launch as nicely,” the NFC govt stated. “He used to pressure the ball rather a lot, particularly deep balls after which over the deep center, which induced a number of interceptions.
“He’s gotten extra disciplined when it comes to his pocket consciousness and his strengths.”
The chief appears again now and thinks Mayfield has a significantly better deal with on his strengths and weaknesses in 12 months 7 than he did in his first 4 profession years. Improved footwork is arguably his largest bounce.
Mayfield joined Tampa Bay in 2023 after a season break up between the Panthers and the Los Angeles Rams. He’d performed a mixed 10 video games the yr prior, however the twice-relocated quarterback getting back from (non-throwing) shoulder surgical procedure gained simply two of these contests as he handed for 10 touchdowns to eight interceptions and averaged a career-low 180.3 yards per sport.
So he arrived to the Bucs with loads of expertise and a decision to streamline the mixed-bag output. Mayfield and Lewis had an trustworthy dialog about his footwork: Mayfield was shifting at a pace fitter for a school offense than the NFL, the place route ideas can take longer to develop. He wasn’t at all times on beat for the dance essential to cross precisely as a professional.
“When his ft are dangerous, I obtained a saying like, ‘Hey man, I do know you drive a Bronco, however I want you to be clean like a Mercedes proper now,’” Lewis stated. “So he is aware of, ‘OK, I’m shifting a little bit too quick. I’m being a little bit too herky-jerky. Let me clean out my rhythm after which, growth.’”
In Mayfield’s Week 4 matchup, the outcomes once more confirmed. The Buccaneers had studied the Eagles’ defensive tendency to play deep, understanding that brief and intermediate routes ought to open up accordingly. Mayfield launched the ball in 2.22 seconds on common, his 2.44-second common this season the quickest of his profession and the second quickest throughout the league, per Subsequent Gen Stats.
The end result: Mayfield threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns within the first half alone, “Slim Bake” scoring on one other quarterback draw for his third landing because the Buccaneers constructed a 24-0 lead earlier than half in opposition to an Eagles group whom Vegas had favored. The Buccaneers in the end improved to 3-1 with the 33-16 upset.
“Baker’s among the finest twin risk quarterbacks within the league,” Bucs five-time Professional Bowl receiver Mike Evans stated. “He was making performs within the pocket, outdoors the pocket, extending performs.
“It’s actually robust to sport plan for him as a result of he can do every little thing.”
What’s subsequent for Baker Mayfield, Bucs?
The Denver Broncos, arguably, have game-planned most successfully for Mayfield this season.
Denver noticed how depleted the Buccaneers’ offensive line was and exploited the vulnerability, guaranteeing Mayfield couldn’t get snug within the pocket as he absorbed seven sacks and 9 whole hits.
“If you happen to can disrupt his rhythm and the power to get into sync with him and his vast receivers, you stand a very good probability with him,” an AFC scout stated. “As soon as he will get in that zone, then he can advert lib, he begins making the tougher throws and he does them extra incessantly and that is simply his rhythm.
“As soon as he will get going, it’s exhausting to cease him.”
Defenses are certain to problem Mayfield within the coming weeks, the Falcons’ revamped protection coming for him Thursday night time earlier than matchups with the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers file by throughout the span of a month.
However the Buccaneers and evaluators throughout the league imagine that Mayfield has discovered the fitting recipe to proceed acting at the very best stage of his profession.
They don’t suppose his career-high 106.9 passer ranking is a fluke, Mayfield finishing a career-best 70.5% of passes for eight touchdowns and two interceptions along with his two speeding touchdowns the primary month.
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Offense coordinator Liam Cohen’s Sean McVay-style offense caters to Mayfield’s strengths, says one AFC defensive assistant who has coached in a number of of Mayfield’s profession video games. The assistant pointed to the emphasis on the run, play-action passing, boot legs and drop-back passing with development reads.
Mayfield’s making selections that may be described as someplace between safer and smarter, listening to coaches’ imperatives that downfield photographs are an choice however not at all times the choice.
“If you happen to gotta make the proper throw, you’re making the fallacious throw,” Lewis tells Mayfield. “So examine it down, reside to see one other down, perceive first- and second-down decision-making.”
The Buccaneers are reaping the advantages of Mayfield’s private {and professional} progress since he entered the league, and the bets they took signing him in 2023 after which extending him to a mid-market deal forward of a brand new offensive coordinator are paying off.
It’s a win for Tampa and “good for the sport,” the NFC govt stated.
It additionally could by no means have occurred if Mayfield had caught with the Browns, whilst they wrestle by Deshaun Watson’s Twenty eighth-ranked passer ranking whereas Mayfield thrives away from his first residence.
“It’s no completely different than a private life with relationships,” the NFC govt stated. “If you happen to’re relationship anyone, they won’t be the identical individual on this relationship as they’re within the subsequent.”
The Buccaneers know which individual they need Mayfield to be: himself.
He’s not making an attempt to be his predecessor Tom Brady, Mayfield drawing some ire after saying the seven-time Tremendous Bowl champion’s management model left his locker room “high-strung” and “stressed.”
Brady clapped again on final weekend’s Bucs broadcast that he thought successful Tremendous Bowls was enjoyable — and but, the 14-0 benefit the Bucs held over the Eagles as Brady spoke despatched the message: Mayfield’s colourful character can breed successful, too.
He’s now not combating for respect because the beginning quarterback of his personal group — and he’s shifting previous combating for respect throughout the league.
“Final yr he was in a prove-it state of affairs,” Lewis stated. “That is extra of, ‘I’m gonna present it wasn’t a fluke that I belong.’ He’s displaying that he belongs in that prime tier of quarterbacks.
“He is not the place he can finally be, however he is undoubtedly working in direction of that.”
