TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield doesn’t appear to be playing at the MVP form he showed earlier in the season, but he isn’t making any excuses for his dip in performance.
“It’s the middle of the season in the NFL,” Mayfield stated. “Nobody feels good. It’s not an excuse. As a professional, you do everything you can to try and get as close to 100% and go from there.”
Despite dealing with an oblique injury and a leg issue in previous weeks, Mayfield was not listed on Wednesday’s injury report. While he hasn’t been scrambling as much, he attributes it partly to opponents’ defensive schemes.
“First, I think schematically, starting in Detroit, they started with the spy defense on third downs,” he explained. “For me, not feeling like I was able to get up to full speed scrambling to throw, which is what I try and do every time.”
After an opening touchdown drive on Sunday against the Patriots, the Buccaneers’ offense stalled. The team ultimately lost 28-23, with a late score making the game look closer than it was.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles stated that the recent lack of deep shots is not due to Mayfield’s physical condition.
“I don’t think it affects his throwing,” Bowles said. “Obviously, the lineman getting shuffled in and out kind of hurts a lot of things we want to do. Obviously, as good as [wide receiver] Emeka Egbuka is, they start paying more attention to him and you start breaking things down. We’ve just got to find different ways to get big plays down the field.”
LISTEN: Legendary USF Announcer Jim Louk Discusses Stepping Away From Football On The Rock Stops Here
Injury Updates and Bills Preview
There was promising news as both running back Bucky Irving and wide receiver Chris Godwin were back practicing, albeit in a limited capacity. Their return could be a major boost for Tampa Bay heading into Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills. However, Bowles cautioned that Wednesday was only a walk-through and he needs to see them do more throughout the week before clearing them to play.
Speaking of the Bills, they are coming off a bad loss to the Miami Dolphins. Bowles warned that Josh Allen and the Bills remain a force to be reckoned with.
When asked about his relationship with the opposing quarterback, Mayfield fired a humorous zinger at Allen, “I have to walky-talky top him because he’s so damn tall. In Buffalo, it’s cold and it’s rainy, so even though he’s 6’10”, his hands are small so he better wear gloves.”
READ: Mayfield Slams Bucs’ Attitude After Loss: “We Are Lacking That Killer Instinct”
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
