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Baker Mayfield has picked up where Tom Brady left off as Bucs QB

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Published  September 18, 2024 6:23pm EDT
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
FOX 13 News

TAMPA, Fla. - Baker Mayfield is off to one of the best starts in the NFL among quarterbacks.

He's got the Tampa Bay Buccaneers undefeated and has the second-highest quarterback rating in the league. He's thrown 33 touchdowns since putting on a Bucs jersey, the third most in the NFL. For Baker, coming to the Bucs has been the right choice.

"For me, this is what I wanted," Mayfield said. "This is the group that [I wanted]. Taking a chance to come here, understanding the pieces that I had and the potential that this group could have. For me, there [were] a lot of low moments last year, so it could have even been better. It's never about the individual stats anyway, it's just about trying to find ways to win. It's been awesome so far."

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 15: Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs with the ball against the Detroit Lions during the third quarter at Ford Field on September 15, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Ima

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Through the first two games, it couldn't have been much better. His five touchdown passes are tied for the most in the league with the Saints' Derek Carr. If he tosses two more against Denver, he'll pass Tom Brady's start through the first three games, but for Baker it's not about individual stats. He wants a Super Bowl ring and he believes he can get there with this team.

"2-0 is 2-0," Mayfield said. "[There is] a lot of ball left. We know last year we started out 3-1 and hit the opposite turn. This is a group with a lot of the same pieces [where] we’ve been through this before together. Your standard is your standard – you have to meet that every single day and each game. Just hit the reset button and it doesn’t matter what the outside noise is. We expected to be playing well at this point and we expect to continue to play well."

When Baker Mayfield signed with the Bucs, he made it clear he wasn't going to try to be Tom Brady. He hasn't, but he's done it his way by keeping the team loose. On a recent podcast with former Rays and Cleveland Guardians pitcher Corey Kluber, Baker said, "He [Brady] had everybody dialed in [and it was a] high-strung environment. So I think everybody was pretty stressed out."

TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 8: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates after a play during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders at Raymond James Stadium on September 8, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo

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Mayfield's approach is different, but it's a winning one as well.

"I’m not going to try to put Tom’s shoes on – that’s not how I do things," Mayfield said. "Obviously, Tom did it his way and was unbelievably successful with it. A lot of that – just being my authentic self and the best version of me – is [that] this place allowed me to do that. Any time you’re having more success than they did in 2022, you’re going to have more fun. It’s different, and it’s always different year-to-year, and there’s a ton of new faces, anyway. [There was] a lot of change within 2022 to 2023. I’m just trying to be the best version of myself."

TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 8: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders at Raymond James Stadium on September 8, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Ima

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Baker's moxie and his gritty style fits well with this team.

"Baker is like the epitome of a Buccaneer, for example," Bucs cornerback Zyon McCollum said. "He's a guy that has the energy. He's always a really good leader, but he plays with a certain swag that just spills off on everybody else. When I see him and he pops out a run, it makes me want to go out there and just fly through a brick wall. So having him as our quarterback and our leader, we have the right person sailing the ship."

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