CLEVELAND, Ohio — Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield didn’t sugarcoat his performance following the team’s loss to the Detroit Lions.
Mayfield, who has been on a hot streak this season, faced one of his more challenging games versus Detroit as he threw several uncharacteristically high passes.
When asked about those high throws, Mayfield didn’t hesitate to shoulder the blame.
“Just some misses. I think a couple of them, maybe not being on time, trying to force it and it ends up being higher than I wanted to,” Mayfield admitted. “And (I) just got to be accurate, and I think it was just one of those days. Wasn’t perfect. And in those games, you got to be closer to perfect than it was.”
What stands out in Mayfield’s analysis isn’t just the acknowledgment of his technical issues, but his understanding that in tight games against quality opponents like the Lions, the margin for error shrinks dramatically.
The quarterback’s willingness to face his shortcomings head-on speaks volumes about his leadership style.
The conversation turned even more direct when discussing the team’s struggles on third down, where the Bucs converted just 25% of their attempts.
Mayfield didn’t deflect or make excuses about Detroit’s defensive schemes, though he did acknowledge their effectiveness.
“They did a good job mixing up when they were showing man coverage, and dropping out into some zone stuff,” Mayfield said. “Then just on top of that, we just got to, as a skill group, execute better. And that falls on my shoulder. So a lot of that’s on me and (I) just got to be able to execute in third.”
That phrase—“a lot of that’s on me”—encapsulates Mayfield’s approach to leadership.
While many quarterbacks might spread the blame or focus on what the defense did well, Mayfield puts the responsibility squarely on himself first.
Perhaps most insightful was Mayfield’s explanation of his process for bouncing back from a subpar performance.
With another game rapidly approaching against division rival New Orleans, his ability to quickly diagnose and correct issues becomes crucial.
“I think you look at it for me, I look at it schematically. What did they do to disrupt what we were trying to get done? And then, where did we go wrong when we had things dialed up? And so for me, just execution, efficiency, finding more completions, trust in our guys,” Mayfield said.
This methodical approach to self-improvement reveals the analytical side of Mayfield’s game that fans don’t always see behind the fiery on-field persona.
He’s not just reacting emotionally to a loss; he’s processing it technically, looking for specific adjustments rather than wholesale changes to his approach.
As the Buccaneers prepare to face the Saints in a crucial divisional matchup, Mayfield’s accountability and process-oriented mindset could be exactly what the team needs to get back on track.
His honest self-assessment provides a window into the quarterback’s mentality as he works to rebound from disappointment.
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