Former Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield Shines Again in Tampa Bay's Win Over Chicago
Baker Mayfield looks like himself again.
Sunday, the former Heisman winner led the Buccaneers to a 27-17 victory over the Bears to start off the season 2-0. Many people overlooked Mayfield's Bucs this offseason, but the team has clicked in a big way to start the season.
Tampa Bay's starting signal caller has been through the wringer over the first few seasons of his NFL career, but he seems to have found his footing. After bouncing around from the Browns, the Panthers and the Rams, he looks comfortable and confident with the Bucs.
Sunday, Mayfield had one of the best games of his career.
The former Oklahoma quarterback completed 26-of-34 passes for 317 yards, with one touchdown, no interception and no sacks. In addition, he showed off his mobility by adding 19 rushing yards on the ground. It was a near perfect performance for Mayfield, who excelled in both the short game and connecting on deep passes.
“It fires them up knowing that even if a lineman gets beat a little bit we still have a chance,” Mayfield said about his miraculous scrambles to avoid sacks. “Our guys are going to continue to work in the scramble drill aspect. We’re gonna have a lot of big plays when it comes to that.
"I’m pretty dense back there, so it’s quite the load to take down."
For Oklahoma fans, it was puzzling watching his struggles in Cleveland and Carolina after seeing his talent on full display in Norman. He threw for 12,292 yards, 119 touchdowns and just 21 interceptions for the Sooners before being selected No. 1 overall by the Browns. Now entering his sixth NFL season, it certainly seems like Mayfield is drifting back to his old ways.
It's no coincidence that this Tampa Bay team is the most talented team he has played with over the course of his NFL career. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are two of the best pass catchers in the league and Mayfield has both options at his disposal.
Evans benefitted in a big way having Mayfield at the helm, reeling in six catches for 171 yards and one touchdown, while Godwin added five catches for 58 yards too. Through two games, Mayfield has played mistake free football and the Buccaneers are thriving because of it.
Most impressively, Mayfield was nails under pressure. According to Next Gen Stats, the Bears pressured him 17 times without recording a sack, tied for the 6th-most pressures without a sack since the start of last season. Mayfield finished the game 14/17 for 223 yards and a TD under pressure, tied for the most passing yards under pressure in a game over the last four seasons.
“We’re gonna play complimentary football,” Mayfield said. “As an offense, we have to set an extremely high standard for ourselves as a unit. We know the defense is gonna play well, we gotta finish in the red zone.
"We have to set a very high standard, and that’s gonna be the fun part, when all three units set a very high standard and try to match that energy level. It’s gonna be fun to watch.”
Things are trending in the right direction for both Mayfield and the Buccaneers.
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