Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay has been really good with 248 YPG and a league leading 15 passing TDs this season. He has shown the ability to be a great leader and he has shown the ability, as always, to play with great heart and grit. Since arriving in Tampa he has put up 43 passing TDs with a 66% completion rate and just 15 ints. He has been very good.
It was insane to me how quickly the Browns gave up on Baker. With a season where he was banged up and had some injury problems, along with a then 28 year old whiny Odell Beckham there was a lot of stuff going on in Cleveland at the time. He was smart and accurate with 26 TD passes with a 5.3% TD pct in 2020 – he also was able to put up 263 YDs and 3 passing TDs facing perennial powerhouse, Pittsburgh in 2021 in the playoffs, and helping to beat the Bengals 6 times in his 8 games against them. And then Cleveland went and shelled out a king’s ransom for DeShaun Watson.
Yet they keep believing in the 6-3 QB, let alone the fact that Watson has not been anything remotely close to his former self, when he was playing in Houston. He’s been nothing more than a huge disappointment in Cleveland, with 19 passing TDs and just 60% completion in his 18 games. The 29 yr old QB was looking like he was going to be a huge star in the league for many years from what we saw from him on the field from 2017 to 2020. But anybody who is saying that he’s been even a fraction of how good he was, as he showed them at this point, is completely lying to themselves, he’s been awful.
The Browns pulling the plug as quickly as they did on Mayfield was still a very weird move to me. He was the 1st overall pick in 2018, coming out of OKlahoma with great accuracy, and the ability to fight. He broke rookie records with Cleveland with 27 TD passes, he then led the Browns to their 1st playoff win since before the original team had left Cleveland. Then led a win against the hated AFC North rivals Steelers. One year later – traded for a bag of cheese puffs.
I expected the Bucs to go defense heavy in this year’s draft, instead they brought in some Oline help and some offensive weaponry, and 4th rd pick RB Bucky Irving has been more than acceptable. They legit look as if they are giving Baker the weapons to run this offense.
Simply put.
They believe in him and I like their NFL Playoff odds.
And they should.
His performance in the playoffs last year was awesome – he played like a madman, making big throws and tough plays when needed. I am happy for Baker, he deserves the opportunity he was given. Baker is still himself with his emotion and swag – but a more mature version these days. He’s a guy who loves the game and his team.
Tampa has a gritty QB who doesn’t quit.
I have a feeling Cleveland would like to go back in time and change that decision.