Baker Mayfield makes Peter King eat his words as Bucs roll to surprising 2-0 start
Albeit a small sample size, Baker Mayfield is exceeding expectations as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting quarterback. Two weeks into the season, Mayfield has led the Bucs to an undefeated start, completing 69.1% of his passes for 490 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Mayfield's two victories at the helm of Tampa Bay's offense already match the two wins NFL writer Peter King predicted the Buccaneers would have for the entirety of the 2023 season.
"If you look up Peter’s history on me, that’s probably why,” Mayfield said about King's prediction after Sunday's 27-17 win over the Chicago Bears. “Yeah, he’s all right.”
“I don’t really care what he thinks,” Mayfield added. “He doesn’t play. We’re going to keep it in-house."
In King's defense, he gave Mayfield and the Bucs their flowers in Monday's “Football Morning in America” column, mocking himself and others who envisioned a rebuilding season for Tampa Bay.
King was far from the lone person to write off the Bucs following Tom Brady's retirement this past offseason. Predicted to wallow in the cellars of the NFC South, Tampa Bay has flipped the script on their doubters by beginning the season as one of six 2-0 teams in the conference.
Pegged as a prime landing spot for projected No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, Mayfield's play thus far has silenced concerns under center for the Bucs. After a 317-yard passing performance against the Bears, the former Heisman trophy winner is trending toward revitalizing his career and solidifying himself as a viable starting quarterback.
According to ESPN, Mayfield owns the 10th-best QBR (66.4) in the NFL this season, outproducing perennial MVP candidates such as Josh Allen (59.0) and Lamar Jackson (54.2).
It has been a storybook beginning to the season for Mayfield and Tampa Bay. However, we will have a far better read on what type of team this Buccaneers squad is over the upcoming month of play. All five of their next games will be against a division rival or a team with a winning record from last season.
Tampa Bay begins their tough stretch of play next Monday night when they face off with the reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.
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