'More wins': Mayfield hungry for more in Year 3 with the Bucs

TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers backmost Baker Mayfield whitethorn person completed conscionable 53.1% of his passing attempts successful the play opener against the Atlanta Falcons -- going 2 of 8 successful the archetypal 4th -- but helium inactive delivered erstwhile helium needed to.

His feet ne'er seemed to get settled and the crushed crippled offered him small support, too. In fact, helium was the starring rusher for some teams by the game's end. And the heavy shot transportation was not determination -- helium went 3-for-10 connected passes of 15 oregon much aerial yards -- with the objection of rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka, who spent astir of the crippled not being patrolled by All-Pro information Jessie Bates III.

Still, Mayfield coming disconnected his champion play of is career, stated 1 class that helium wanted to spot improved: "More wins" -- aft accumulating 19 full successful his archetypal 2 seasons with Tampa Bay.

And helium accomplished conscionable that successful the opener, with the Bucs (1-0) present acceptable to sojourn the Houston Texans (0-1) for "Monday Night Football" (7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC).

Mayfield is coming disconnected a play wherever helium accounted for 41 passing touchdowns -- tied for the 2nd astir successful the NFL -- and threw for 4,500 passing yards and completed 71.4% of his passes, which are some 3rd astir successful the league. He's going into Year 3 successful Tampa and was rewarded with a reworked declaration this offseason that gives him $30 cardinal successful guaranteed money successful 2026 -- a twelvemonth that antecedently had nary guarantees.

"Having been successful the discourtesy for a twelvemonth and coming backmost successful the aforesaid strategy finally, I deliberation he's truly taken the bull by the horn, truthful to speak," manager Todd Bowles said successful the leadup to the play opener.

Against the Falcons, Mayfield scrambled 4 times connected 3rd down, picking up 39 yards, including a 20-yard tally successful the 3rd quarter. Then with the crippled connected the line, helium turned to Egbuka connected a first-and-10 with 1:04 to spell and fto it rip 25 yards connected a station way for a touchdown.

"I deliberation the faster the crippled speeds up, the calmer helium is," Bowles said of Mayfield's two-minute drive, sealing the 23-20 victory.

"You saw the dart helium threw to [Egbuka] connected the crippled victor -- I mean, that is an unreal throw," wide receiver Sterling Shepard said of the play, which had conscionable a 24.9% completion probability, according to NFL Next Gen Stats -- the lowest completion probability of the full game.

Offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard was astir impressed with the mode helium sold that play arsenic a quick-hitter to Mike Evans, replicating what they showed earlier successful the crippled to fool the defense.

"[Mayfield's] footwork connected that, adjacent though that was an explosive play -- I deliberation that was connected the 25- oregon 30-yard enactment wherever we threw it from -- helium fundamentally had a quick-game timing connected the play wherever helium threw it to Mike, wherever he's taking a precise flimsy drop," Grizzard said. "Does Mike get the ball? Okay, Bates is nailing down, and each it takes is simply a speedy hitch from him to beryllium capable to get it up to Emeka.

"So having that callback and moving it from the outpouring of past twelvemonth done now, [he] present has that in-game absorption wherever successful the captious moment, he's connected it with his footwork and helium tin get the shot retired to an explosi...