Baker Mayfield's stellar play has garnered attention as he leads the Bucs to a 4-1 record after latest win over the Seahawks!
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are currently 4-1 through 5 weeks of football, and one of the main reasons for their outstanding record is their signal caller, Baker Mayfield.
The 30-year-old, who came to Tampa in 2023, is now playing in his third season for the Buccaneers and has completely changed the perception of what the league had of him from the early part of his career.
Off to the best start of his career since the 2020 season, Mayfield is currently one of the frontrunners for the early MVP candidacy, and here we will take a look at why that is.
What has been impressive about Baker Mayfield this season is not only the big stats line he has put up through week 5, but also the way in which he has engineered game-winning drives.
His leadership and chemistry with the likes of rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka have taken the Bucs’ offense to another level. Additionally, Mayfield has also been impressive with his turnover limitations. Last season, he led the league in interceptions with 16 to his name. So far, through 5 games, he has thrown just one pick.
But that ball protection has not come at the cost of airing the ball downfield. He has connected 20 times for gains over 20 yards and 3 times for gains over 40 yards, with his longest pass-play going for 77 yards.
Stats-wise, a look at his numbers proves that he belongs in the conversation of early MVP-favorite. After 5 games, Mayfield ranks fourth in passing yards with 1,283, tied for third with 10 passing touchdowns, near the bottom of the league with just 1 interception, and ninth in passer rating (104.4).
The Buccaneers are also having to deal with multiple key players on the offense being sidelined due to injuries. To start the season, wide receiver Chris Godwin, the team’s dependable number 2, missed the first 3 games of the season as he was still recovering from last season’s injury.
In week 3, WR1 Mike Evans left the field early after suffering from yet another hamstring injury. Evans missed the remainder of that game and has not played since then. Moreover, second-year running back Bucky Irving is also set to miss at least one more week of football due to a shoulder and ankle problem he is dealing with.
Irving was playing exceptionally well as a two-way player with his pass-catching ability from the backfield, but he missed the week 5 game against the Seahawks and could end up missing out on more.
Despite the injuries to key offensive weapons, Mayfield has developed quite the chemistry with the rookie Egbuka, who himself is on pace for the NFL Rookie of the Year Award this season. The duo’s effectiveness on offense has allowed the Buccaneers to win 4 of their 5 games played thus far, and very nearly came back to defeat the Eagles in week 4.
Looking ahead, the Buccaneers still have some tough games in their schedule against the 49ers, Lions, and the Bills in the upcoming 5 weeks. But if Baker Mayfield continues to produce at the elite level he has done till now, he could very well be in line for the MVP at the end of the season.
Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
nfl 
NFL 
