In some cases, you may need to preheat the oven before the food is fully baked.
Case in point: the Bucks offense. They needed to warm up for much of the first half before Baker Mayfield connected with Mike Evans for a 28-yard touchdown during a two-minute drill, but things got even hotter in the second half.
After starting the game by completing 3-of-12 passes (25%) for just 12 yards, Mayfield completed 18-of-22 passes (81.8%) for 161 yards and two touchdowns. Finished the match. He hinted in the postgame press conference that it wasn’t the “prettiest start,” but the Bucks beat Minnesota 1-0 to open the 2023 season. They defeated the Vikings 20-17.
Baker Mayfield overcomes early offensive struggles
Bucks head coach Todd Bowles – Photo courtesy of USA Today
After the game, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was impressed with the play of quarterback Baker Mayfield, who overcame early adversity to keep his team in the game and ultimately exit U.S. Bank Stadium with a victory. received.
It wasn’t easy.
“Generally speaking, they gave us a hard time at first,” Bowles said. “They did some things that we had to get used to. Dave, I thought it was an adjustment. [Canales] What was made at half time was great. We started moving the ball a little bit, but we stuck with it. It’s hard to win because they have a bad temper. It’s a tough place to play. ”
In addition to the adjustments Canales made, Mayfield also made adjustments in an offensive chess match with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
“Baker is gutsy and tough,” Bowles added. “The players stayed behind him. The great thing is that even when he had problems, he didn’t turn it over. He kept [us] He didn’t turn the ball over during the game.of [offense] They hung in, they made some plays, and he made a gutsy run at the end. The offensive line worked for him, the receivers played well, and it was a great team win. ”
The most important thing about playing quarterback for Bowles and Canales is protecting the football. Mayfield made it, and the Bucs won the turnover battle 3-0.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles: ‘Bakers are winners’
Digging deeper into Baker Mayfield’s performance, it was his display of toughness and poise on the final two drives late in the game that helped secure the victory.
Bucks QB Baker Mayfield – Photo courtesy of USA Today
In the fourth quarter, with the Bucs trailing 17-17, Mayfield put his arm around Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. for a 5-yard gain. He then connected with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans for 16 and 6 yards, respectively, putting kicker Chase McLaughlin in position for a 57-yard field goal to give Tampa Bay a 20-17 lead.
But to preserve the victory, the Bucs offense needed to run out the clock with just under four minutes left. One of his key plays was a critical third-and-three. With the pocket collapsing around him, Mayfield scrambled toward the right sideline and gained four yards and a first down, taking a big hit from undrafted rookie inside linebacker Ivan Pace in the process. Ta.
But there was one more first down to convert, and the Bucs faced a third-and-10 immediately after the two-minute warning. Undeterred, Mayfield connected with wide receiver Chris Godwin for 11 yards to seal the victory.
As Bowles hinted, that’s why guys rally around Mayfield.
“That was huge for us,” Bowles said. “Leading us to the right plays, Baker in the second half adapted to what they were doing. That was huge for him as well. He was gutsy, tough, played a mentally tough ballgame. The last thing he did was throw to Chris right then and there without flinching. He got hit a few times, but he persevered. Baker is a winner, he’s done this before. The players are all around him. I really love getting together.”
Baker Mayfield helps Bucks win
After the game, Baker Mayfield talked about the different players who were there when it mattered most.
“You can always look back after the game, and in a close game like this, there were some plays here and there that really made the difference,” Mayfield said. “That last play – Chris [Godwin] He caught the ball with just his fingertips. He made an unbelievable catch that sealed the deal. I can’t say enough about the players, just making the next play.
Bucks QB Baker Mayfield – Photo courtesy of USA Today
“It wasn’t a great effort by any means, but we finished the right way. We finished with the ball in our hands and talked about it coming here and that’s what we wanted to do.” Hats off to both the defense and Chase. [McLaughlin] In the same way. 57 yards, that’s pretty impressive”
From his time with the Sooners in college to his time with the Browns, Panthers and Rams in the NFL, Baker Mayfield has learned valuable skills. It’s about quickly moving on from bad plays and allowing the entire game to tell its story. He showed that throughout Sunday afternoon.
“It just happens over time,” Mayfield added. “I’ve been playing quarterback for a long time. The most important play is the next play. For better or worse, when you hum the last game, it affects the outcome of the next game. You can always make up for it. , the game isn’t over until the clock hits zero, and I think that’s where that mentality comes from.”
Bucks look to build on Week 1 win Next Sunday against the Bearsbut what did this victory tell them?
Does it indicate to outsiders that they are not ready to lay down the sword? Can we really win without Tom Brady?
Well, it just goes to show what they’ve been telling themselves in the locker room and in meetings for months.
“This game taught us what we’ve known all along: You can go out and win a ball game,” Bowles said. “Again, if I were paying attention to it, I would actually have something to say, but I don’t.”
