Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield gets big wish granted ahead of Falcons game

In late August, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield proclaimed he wanted first-year offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard on the sideline rather than in the coaches' box for the club's Week 1 game at the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. 

While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Grizzard revealed that he plans to call plays on the sidelines until further notice. 

Why Josh Grizzard is granting Baker Mayfield's wish

"You get instant feedback on how the play goes [and] who’s going to go into the game on the next play — which is huge," Grizzard said about his decision, JoeBucsFan.com shared. "The communication with [fellow offensive assistants] on, 'This guy is out, that guy is out,' to adjust the next play call based on who’s in there. Then, the real-time fixes — if something didn’t go well, those guys are right beside you so you can get the correction done." 

Grizzard served as Tampa Bay's pass game coordinator and "designed" the Buccaneers' third-down offense while working with former offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who left the Bucs to become the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars this past winter. Thus, logic suggests Grizzard is quite familiar with what Mayfield does and doesn't like to execute on game days. 

It's also worth noting that Grizzard was part of the coaching staff that helped Mayfield produce the best regular-season numbers of his career. Per Pro Football Reference, Mayfield finished the 2024 campaign tied for second in the NFL with 41 passing touchdowns. He was third with 4,500 passing yards and fourth among qualified quarterbacks with a 106.8 passer rating. 

How OC standing next to Baker Mayfield could help Buccaneers offense

"If we can be aligned in our thought process, it's only going to help the unit," Grizzard said about spending time with Mayfield on the sidelines during games, according to Buccaneers.com. "If he can have an idea of what we're getting to based on if the runs are hitting, if the passes are hitting, who's in the game, it allows him to have the play call quicker so he can think through what his process is, as well as any potential issues, so he can get us in the best play possible."

As of Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Mayfield tied for 10th among the betting favorites at +2800 odds to win the Most Valuable Player Award for the upcoming regular season. ESPN Bet also had Tampa Bay as a 1.5-point favorite over Atlanta. 

Expectations for the Grizzard-led offense are high even though he'll be a first-time play-caller at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday.