Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers are perfect pairing as they defy expectations in their revival

Editor's note: Follow along for live updates and highlights from the Ravens-Titans game in London by clicking here.

Baker Mayfield is apparently doing all the right things to win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Winning would be at the top of the list. The Bucs (3-1) head into Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions with a grip on first place in the NFC South – which was hardly a given in this first season on the other side of Tom Brady.

Mayfield, who has gone from the first pick in the draft to a journeyman with his fourth team in 16 months, is helping the Bucs' bottom line with sharp decisions, timely throws and ball security.

Then there’s his moxie, as Bucs coach Todd Bowles has described it. The brash quarterback, voted by teammates this week as a captain, has also won over the locker room with his in-your-face persona.

“It was the first game when he stiff-armed somebody and then he was talking trash,” Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. said of the moment he was sold on Mayfield. “I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. That’s my type of quarterback right there!’ “

Maybe that was the extra ingredient needed for following in the footsteps of Brady, whose dominant personality (and track record and performance) was the center of the Bucs' universe for three seasons. Mayfield, with so much to prove in trying to revive his career, might be just the guy for the job.

Of course, he had to win the starting role first. In training camp, he beat out third-year pro Kyle Trask and since then has been growing in his comfort level with the scheme triggered by first-year coordinator Dave Canales.

It’s very much a work in progress. The Bucs' offense, ranked 22^nd in the league for yards, isn’t blowing anyone away. Yet Tampa Bay scored a season-high 26 points when last in action during a Week 4 triumph at New Orleans that seized the division lead, and by some measures Mayfield is off to the best start of his six-year pro career.

Efficiency has been the ticket. Mayfield, with a 7-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio, is ranked eighth in the league with a 101.5 passer rating. He has been even more impressive in some defined situations. He has the NFL’s top ratings while under pressure (116.0) and on third downs (140.7).

No, he hasn’t turned into Patrick Mahomes. But for a Bucs offense trying to find its way (and logging nearly 30 rushing attempts per game), Mayfield has delivered some building blocks – including by avoiding negative plays. Mayfield has demonstrated an ability to go off-script to make plays, but he’s also protected the football well.

As Canales put it this week, Mayfield is “playing to win the situation while we’re learning stuff.”

Mayfield felt a certain vibe about the Bucs as he searched for a fresh start. The Browns, who drafted him No. 1 overall in 2018 and made the playoffs with him in 2020, traded him to Carolina in 2022. After the Panthers cut him, the Rams claimed him off waivers and used him as an emergency measure after Matthew Stafford went down. The Bucs signed him to a modest, one-year, $4 million contract and gave him a chance.

The seeds for his relationship with Bowles were planted when Mayfield came out of Oklahoma. Of course, it’s gone to another level now.

“Coming in here, they’ve always said from the beginning to just be myself and be the best version,” Mayfield said during a mid-week news conference. “When you allow people to be confident in that and believe that’s more than enough to have success, good things will happen.”

As Winfield alluded to, when Mayfield is being himself, things can get a bit dicey. The Bucs have protected him well, allowing the fewest quarterback hits (11) in the league and tied for the fewest sacks (4). Yet that protection extends beyond pass-blocking because Mayfield, being himself, has a tendency to mix it up with opponents.

Tristan Wirfs, the star left tackle, told reporters that it’s part of his job after every play to look for Mayfield and come to his aid – or remove him from the scene – if the trash-talking gets out of hand.

“He’s my handler?” Mayfield said when told of Wirfs’ comments. “Self-proclaimed handler?

“He’s definitely got his money’s worth now. Sometimes, it’s Luke (Goedeke, the right tackle). It’s definitely Luke a lot more than I thought it was gonna be. But yeah, there’s definitely the team aspect. We’re all looking out for each other.”

Which sounds like it could be a very good fit indeed.

The “other” Kelce

Big brother Jason Kelce is poised to achieve a milestone on Sunday when the Eagles visit the Jets. The 14^th-year veteran center is slated to set a franchise record with his 145^th consecutive start, surpassing the 144-game streak established by former Philadelphia offensive tackle Jon Runyan.

Kelce, 35, has the NFL’s second-longest active streak of starts in the league after the 149-game meter for Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Jake Matthews.

The most impressive aspect of Kelce’s streak?

“The consistency and the high level of play,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “I mean, this game, obviously there is a ton of wear and tear on these guys’ bodies, and the fact that he’s done it for so long so consistently at a very high level, man, it’s a special thing.”

Kelce’s resume includes five first-team All-Pro selections and six Pro Bowl bids.

“Consistency as a player, consistency with his health,” Sirianni added. “That takes a lot of work, too, just making sure he’s ready to go each and every week. So, hats off to him, hats off to our trainers and staff that help him do that. Just really impressive.”

While Jason’s brother, Travis, has generated so much buzz lately flowing from his connection to Taylor Swift, the often anonymous offensive lineman had been a subject of conversation this week in Philadelphia for a pure football reason.

Kelce was seen have animated sideline discussions with Sirianni and offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland during the Eagles’ victory at the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Kelce was frustrated by Philadelphia’s continuing problems in the red zone, which included three drives that stalled inside the 20 – twice at the 8-yard line and once at 16 – that resulted in Jake Elliott field goals.

“Sometimes, I go over the top in explaining myself because I know that we all love each other,” Kelce explained to 94 WIP Sports Radio. “I need to do a better job, especially in a public setting, in a more respectful way and in a way that a leader should probably handle that.”

Elliott, by the way, leads the NFL in scoring with 59 points. He’s converted on 16 of 17 field goals, leading the league in treys and attempts.

“We’re not 5-0 without Jake Elliott,” Kelce said. “But it’s not good when your kicker’s kicking the ball that many times. We need to get into the end zone.”

Surely, the Eagles are listening to the concerns of the grizzled vet.

Just don’t expect the Swifties to make a big deal of the issues – or Kelce’s milestone.

Quick slants

With Deshaun Watson still unable to return from a shoulder injury that has sidelined him since Week 4, P.J. Walker will get the nod at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. Walker will be the third quarterback to start for Cleveland this season and the 36^th since the franchise was reborn in 1999. … 49ers tight end George Kittle was fined $13,659 for wearing (and flashing) a T-shirt under his uniform on Sunday that read “(expletive) Dallas!” Here’s a hunch: No doubt, he’d do it again.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers are perfect pair as they defy expectations