Baker Mayfield may not have made the best first impression in his Bucs regular season debut as the offense got off to a frustratingly slow start. But by the end of Sunday’s 20-17 victory over the Vikings, he had the NFL world buzzing.
That story continued into the week, thanks in large part to Minnesota cornerback Byron Murphy Jr.’s stiff arm on the run in the second half. and the included “Mic Up” audio.
That’s an angry person 😡🖐️ pic.twitter.com/YWokLu0APa
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 11, 2023
The scramble prompted people to immediately call for Baker Mayfield to be included in this week’s “Angry Run” segment on NFL Network. Good morning football. Not only was the Bucs’ starting quarterback included in this segment Tuesday morning, he also emerged as the winner of the “Angry Run” crown. Kyle Brandt of GMFB received the award.
Scepter returns to Tampa Bay 😡🪄
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 12, 2023
This is the second consecutive season that the Bucks have won the Angry Lands scepter. Running back Rathard White was acquired. His impressive performance against the Seahawks in Germany last November was highly praised.
Baker Mayfield has guts and his Bucks teammates love it too
Bucks QB Baker Mayfield – Photo courtesy of USA Today
As much as there is negativity surrounding Baker Mayfield in recent years and during his various outings around the league, no one can question the former Heisman Trophy winner’s demeanor. Ta.
He played with grit and swagger, beating the stiff arm of cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. on a short run and then showing it off with a “pull your weight” message to the Vikings corner.
Even after things didn’t go very well early on, Mayfield and the Tampa Bay offense stayed the course and got the job done in a tough environment.
“Baker has guts,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said. “He’s tough. Guys stayed behind him. The great thing is when he had a problem, he didn’t turn it over. He was defending us. [a rest]kept them in the game.
“He kept getting out, but he couldn’t turn the ball over. He stuck with it. It was a gutsy run at the end and the offense won. The receivers showed up, too. It was a great team win.”
Mayfield made some big plays late in the game that helped Tampa Bay win. In addition to the run that won Angry Lands’ scepter, he also converted a key fourth-and-1 attempt with a quarterback sneak that ended up being the game-clinching drive. Then a scramble occurred again in the 4th quarter. There he absorbed contact, got a crucial third-down conversion and kept the game-clinching drive alive.
Bucks WR Chris Godwin – Photo courtesy of USA Today
And finally, when the Bucs needed another first down to stop the game, Mayfield hit a throw to Chris Godwin near the sideline. What a great catch Godwin made. to move the chains and end Tampa Bay’s upset win at Minnesota.
The overall performance wasn’t gritty, but that wasn’t necessarily the case for Mayfield and the Bucs. In his first start in the red, white and pewter, the former Browns, Panthers and Rams signalman gave it his all, worked his tail off and helped his new team escape with a big win to start the new season. Now, when they return home and host the Bears, they’ll have a chance to go 2-0.
No one knows what will happen during Baker Mayfield’s tenure across Tampa Bay, but his performance in the final 30-32 minutes Sunday should buy him goodwill from the fan base, and it’s No doubt he will be loved even more by his teammates.
