Buccaneers' Luke Goedeke has high praise for Baker Mayfield's clutch play

Baker Mayfield's third touchdown pass of the Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons was arguably his best throw of the contest and a score that helped his Tampa Bay Buccaneers secure a thrilling 23-20 victory.

For a piece published on Wednesday, Ira Kaufman of the JoeBucsFan website noted how Mayfield's performance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium left teammates such as Buccaneers right tackle Luke Goedeke excited about what the club could achieve through early 2026. 

Buccaneers want the ball in Baker Mayfield's hands for clutch situations

"There’s no one I’d rather have with the ball in his hands in that situation than Baker," Goedeke said. "He makes plays happen, whether it’s through the air or with his feet."

The Falcons had just completed an 18-play, 91-yard drive that Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr. capped off with a highlight-reel dive for a touchdown when Tampa Bay got the ball back with roughly two minutes left on the clock. Mayfield responded by quickly taking his offense down the field over just a handful of plays before rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka caught his second touchdown of the game with 59 seconds remaining in regulation.

On Wednesday, ESPN's Dan Graziano pointed out that Tampa Bay moved center Graham Barton over to left tackle as All-Pro Tristan Wirfs remained sidelined amid his ongoing recovery from knee surgery that he needed earlier this summer. Left guard Ben Bredeson moved to the center position, while veteran Michael Jordan featured at left guard. 

This new-look line did well to give Mayfield just enough time to hit Egbuka for the game-winning score. 

Tristan Wirfs impressed by what he saw

"They came out and crushed it," Wirfs said while speaking with Kaufman about how Tampa Bay's offensive line played against Atlanta. "It was awesome to get to watch it. Mike came in and balled. They all played great. Bredeson’s a dog. I hated every second having to watch from the sidelines, but it was nice to see the guys do their thing."

On Wednesday, Scott Smith of the team's website hinted that the Buccaneers "will likely stick with their surprise shuffled lineup from last weekend" for the upcoming "Monday Night Football" matchup at the 0-1 Houston Texans. Assuming Wirfs is unable to go for that contest, he'll look to get ready for Tampa Bay's Week 3 home game versus the New York Jets on Sept. 21.