Tampa Bay is off to a 3-1 start, well ahead of expectations in the first season post-Tom Brady, and Baker Mayfield is a big reason.
If most of the football world had written off the Bucs after Tom Brady's retirement, at least as many had given up on Mayfield, who was on his fourth team in less than a year when he signed with Tampa Bay in March. This was a one-year, $4 million contract — what they call a prove-it deal, making less than some NFL backups.. He's thrown for seven touchdowns against only two interceptions, and he's won over a new team in this first month.
Like Brady, Mayfield is self-deprecating even in victory. Asked Sunday if he was offended that opposing defenses weren't accounting for his running ability, leaving him lanes to run for yardage and first downs, he was blunt. When Mayfield signed with the Bucs, the best reasonable scenario was for him to get back to the form he showed in his best season in Cleveland, in 2020 when he went 11-5, throwing for 26 touchdowns against only eight interceptions. Through four games, he has the exact same 7-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio as he did in 2020, and he has thrown for more yards and is completing 69.6% of his passes, compared to 62.6% in 2020.
"He played a heck of a ballgame," Bowles said after Sunday's win."Baker is tough. He fits in here. He understands this offense very well. The guys love to play for him. He works for us."
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