Lavonte David reveals what Baker Mayfield brings Buccaneers after latest comeback victory

As Ira Kaufman noted for the JoeBucsFan website, quarterback Baker Mayfield guided the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a comeback victory for the fourth time in five games as Tampa Bay notched a last-second 38-35 win at the Seattle Seahawks (3-2) on Sunday afternoon. 

Following the contest, Buccaneers veteran linebacker Lavonte David spoke with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated about what Mayfield has offered the club that improved to 4-1 on the season via the win at Seattle's Lumen Field. 

Why Lavonte David wants to play hard for Baker Mayfield

"He brings swagger," David said about Mayfield. "It’s a certain type of attitude. It’s his passion and will to win. It shows. It gets everyone turned up. Me being a defensive player, I definitely want to play hard for guys like that." 

Mayfield has emerged as a legitimate Most Valuable Player Award candidate and as one of the league's top clutch-time performers. Against Seattle, he completed 29-of-33 pass attempts for 379 yards with two touchdowns, the last of which resulted in Tampa Bay tying the game with 1:08 remaining in regulation. 

According to Pro Football Reference, Mayfield entered Monday ranked ninth in the NFL among qualified players with a 75.4 adjusted QBR, ninth with a 104.4 passer rating, fourth with 1,283 passing yards and tied for third with 10 touchdowns through the air on the season. As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Mayfield tied for fourth among the betting favorites at +1200 odds to claim the MVP Award for the campaign. 

Lavonte David reflects on game-changing play

With under a minute to play in the fourth quarter, David reacted quickly to intercept a Sam Darnold pass that deflected off the helmet of Tampa Bay's Logan Hall. Chase McLaughlin then kicked a walk-off field goal as time expired. 

"I had to lock in," David said about the pick. "It hit my teammate’s helmet — somebody got pressure on the QB, and it hit someone’s helmet. I knew the ball was coming in my zone because I had eyes on the QB. I tracked it with my eyes. There were moments where I didn’t come down with those, but I’m happy I came down with that one."

Tampa Bay next hosts the San Francisco 49ers (4-1) this coming Sunday. On Monday, ESPN BET had the Buccaneers as 2.5-point favorites for that matchup.