So far, so good: Mayfield and the defense rule the day

According to plan

Week #1 in the Bucs’ NFL Schedule has come and gone. Down at One Buc, Jason Licht and the boys were probably firing up the cigars and bathing in the upset victory over our old Norris Division rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. Why not? It’s only one single favorable outcome. Yet, be it only one game so far, it’s just what the boss had in mind when the organization made the call to camp Mayfield this past off-season. The Bucs are betting that in Dave Canales’s offense Baker Mayfield can be a better quarterback than he has shown so far over most of his career. Shorter passes and Mayfield on the move, backed up by a stout run game — (a work still in progress) — might just be the perfect recipe for Mayfield finally coming into his own, or it could be just another good game from a player that, in the long run, is flawed and inconsistent.

The reason for the season

The plan, ah yes, that wonderfully unspoken plan that was fitted just for Baker Mayfield this season. It’s why Mayfield was handled like the starter after the first pre-season game and formally named the starter. It’s why there really was no competition. Mayfield was going to be the starter in Minnesota regardless of any mitigating factors, mainly Kyle Trask. That’s all history now as we move forward with the regular season. Licht, Bowles, and Canales apparently shared this vision of how to best get more out of the former Browns’ number-one overall pick. More than three other offensive coordinators were able to. It remains to be seen because it takes more than one or even five games to be able to make any statement on whether a player has changed. It truly takes a season to change a narrative. Even then, there’s always the question, can they do it again(for a second season?)

Fingers crossed

It’s no secret that I’ve not been a fan of the former Sooner. As long as the Bucs are winning, he has my full support. He’s scrappy, and he’s got an attitude and a sense of humor to go along with it. He’s intense on the field, and it’s not hard to get behind a guy like that when they are winning football games. My fingers are crossed that the plan keeps on working. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if Mayfield finally found his spot in the sun here in Tampa. And, if warranted, signed to a longer deal at season’s end. I honestly don’t believe that all will come to be, but if it does because Mayfield turns it all around, I’m a supporter, no doubt. So far, so good, as the Bears come to Dale Mabry for the home opener. Go, Mayfield, Go Bucs!!

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