Expectations surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Year I after Tom Brady were moderate. The retirement of the historic quarterback put an end to a period of three seasons in which the Florida franchise always fought for the championship, achieving it in 2020 after completing a fabulous playoffs. However, the team dynamic went from more to less. Tampa Bay went from winning thirteen games in 2021, plus one in the post-season, to just eight in 2022. The 8-9 record earned the Bucs the chance to win a division that was in decline, but it lowered expectations considerably by 2023. At the controls of the attack in Brady’s place was Baker Mayfield, a former winner of the Heisman Trophy as the best college player of the year and number 1 in the NFL draft whose career had also been in decline recently. Mayfield was the leftover piece once the Cleveland Browns went double-or-nothing in their signing of Deshaun Watson. His trade to the Carolina Panthers turned out to be a disaster personally and he finally ended up playing for the Los Angeles Rams late last season. Mayfield did well enough for Tampa Bay to give him the opportunity to be a starter, but the one-year contract and just four million dollars spoke clearly of the humble expectations I was telling you.
With the regular season just two days away from its conclusion, it is evident that the move has been a success for both parties. The Buccaneers have already tied their winning record from last year, lead the NFC South division and only need one more victory to win it for the third consecutive season. For his part, Mayfield has resurrected his career and is playing the best football the pros have ever seen. In Tampa Bay’s last three games, each ending with a W, Mayfield has thrown eight touchdowns to no interceptions and accumulated a rating of 123.8. He already has his personal record for completed passes in a season and is on track to do the same in passing success percentage, yards, touchdowns and rating. The franchise has already made public its intention to renew him in the offseason, with a contract that will far exceed the current one. Let’s see what Mayfield is doing so well within that offense.
The month and a half the quarterback spent in Los Angeles last year had a very beneficial impact. In Sean McVay’s scheme he recovered a very important part of the game that Mayfield struggled with in his final phase in Cleveland, the need to throw with timing. The quarterback has always stood out in that aspect, but at the same time he is someone who often feels the need to do something more with the ball. This sometimes leads him to harmful situations, because, although he is all honor, he does not have the athletic abilities of a Lamar Jackson or a Josh Allen to create outside the structure of the offense. Mayfield must win from the pocket, with good footwork, anticipating rival defenses and throwing with timing. That’s what we’re seeing more and more in Tampa Bay. The quarterback recovered that essence in the Rams and has transferred it to his new team, where he is led on offense by Dave Canales. The Bucs offensive coordinator trained in Seattle for many years, but spent the last few years under the command of Shane Waldron, a disciple of McVay. In his debut as coordinator Canales is showing the very important ability to know his players and put them in the best position to shine.
Last Sunday Tampa Bay achieved its first victory of the season against Jacksonville over a team with a winning record. The Buccaneers scored on their first six possessions, created a 30-0 deficit by the third quarter and didn’t make a single punt until the final period. Mayfield seemed very comfortable in an offense that is averaging more than thirty points per game in the last month. From the first drive we could see what I explained before, the quarterback throwing with touch and anticipation from the pocket. I explain this third down situation, very representative of Tampa Bay’s attack. Mayfield forms a shotgun, we have a personnel 11, with the running back in the backfield and the tight end completely open as part of a triple route concept on the right side. Look at Mike Evans (yellow circle) isolated on the short side of the field, something they use a lot to provide him with individual situations. In this case, Mayfield’s target will be the team’s other star receiver, Chris Godwin (red circle), who will run the intermediate route of the concept.
2023-12-28 23:26:00
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