After fully taking first place in the NFC South in Week 14, Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers don't exactly get to take things easy in Week 15, as they have a one-way ticket to Los Angeles to face off against the Chargers.
A tough task for any team? You bet, but especially for said team's quarterback, as Mayfield will be throwing to a defense headlined by Derwin James, who is having himself a season for LA this year.
Asked about that challenge, Mayfield noted that the Chargers play very, very hard, and they will have to plan accordingly.
“They play really, really hard. Obviously, they have great players. I think Derwin James is playing some of the best ball of his career right now,” Mayfield told reporters. “They're using him really well, and obviously, the guys up front – they have some stars up there. I think the secondary as a whole is playing really well, not letting a lot of things behind them. They're obviously coached well, they fly to the ball, keep things in front of them, fly and play for each other.”
Touching on James further, Mayfield complemented his game specifically, as he's the sort of Kyle Hamilton-style safety who can do a little bit of everything on the field.
“I would think so, yeah. They want him down there on the ball. He's a very versatile player in that kind of Kyle Hamilton-hybrid safety that can do pretty much everything for them in that aspect. Yeah, he's a vital piece to their defense.”
Will the Buccaneers pull out the win in Week 15? Only time will tell, but needless to say, Mayfield will have to keep an eye on number 3 at all times to avoid landing on SportsCenter after the game.
Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. (3) gestures against the Baltimore Ravens in the first half at SoFi Stadium.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Baker Mayfield is impressed by the Chargers' entire secondary
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Expanding out his gaze, Mayfield had kind words to say about the entire Chargers' secondary, as they can catch up on a team quickly if they aren't playing A+ football.
“Normally, you have your guys that, every once and a while, they might need a breather, not really on third downs but early downs when they come out, you're like, ‘Okay, we can take a shot down field,' but that's not the case when you play these guys. They have guys that they can rotate in and feel really good about it. They do a good job of mixing some of the fronts that they use and getting one-on-one matchups. We just have to be on our Ps and Qs up front.”
Sitting pretty with the third-best turnover differential in the NFL at 11, the Chargers have been stealing possessions from opposing teams all season. Considering Mayfield has already thrown 13 picks in 13 games so far this season, that fact does deserve special attention from the Heisman winner.