Baker Mayfield is not always perfect, but he is getting results for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The three-time defending NFC South champions are having a strong start again, with Mayfield leading the team. The 29-year-old quarterback has turned his career around since taking over for Tom Brady in Tampa Bay.
As he heads into Sunday’s home game against rookie QB Bo Nix and the struggling Denver Broncos, Mayfield is looking to achieve his eighth win in the last nine regular-season games.
With a passer rating of 129.1, Mayfield has the second highest rating in the NFL after two games. He has thrown 33 touchdown passes since joining the Buccaneers last season, which is the third most in the league during that time.
“For me, this is what I wanted. This is the group that (I wanted). Taking a chance to come here, understanding the pieces that I had and the potential that this group could have,” Mayfield said.
He has moved around from Cleveland to Carolina to the Los Angeles Rams before signing a one-year deal with Tampa Bay after Brady retired.
“There were a lot of low moments last year, so it could have even been better,” Mayfield added. “It’s never about the individual stats anyway, it’s just about trying to find ways to win. It’s been awesome so far.”
Coach Todd Bowles is not surprised by Mayfield’s performance. He signed a three-year, $100 million contract after leading the Bucs to the divisional round of last season’s playoffs and has managed the pressure of following in Brady’s footsteps well.
“The biggest thing he did was not try to be Tom, and the biggest thing we did was not want him to be Tom. The schemes have changed since Tom was here, the players have changed since Tom was here. Baker is his own guy,” Bowles said.
