Baker Mayfield Keeps Making Last-Minute Magic for the Bucs

2 weeks ago

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If your favorite NFL team needs a game-winning drive in the final moments, how many quarterbacks would you rather have right now than Baker Mayfield?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are now 3-0, thanks to late-game heroics from Mayfield in each of their victories.

Sunday’s version against the New York Jets required a high level of mental toughness, as the Bucs squandered a 23-6 lead in the fourth quarter, falling behind 27-26 on a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown with less than two minutes remaining.

Just like he’s done every week so far this season, Mayfield locked in and responded, leading the Bucs on a seven-play, 48-yard drive to set up kicker Chase McLaughlin for a 36-yard field goal at the buzzer for the win.

Mayfield made big throws throughout the game, but once again, some of the most important plays he made in this game came from his underrated running ability:

Mayfield and the Bucs won this game despite missing three of their five starters along the offensive line, and the two starters that were in the lineup, weren’t playing their normal starting positions (center Graham Barton at left tackle, left guard Ben Bredeson at center). Star wide receiver Chris Godwin was also still out, as was starting defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, who suffered a season-ending injury last week. Team captain Mike Evans was one of three players who left Sunday’s game and didn’t return.

“It is much of the same, resilient group, we stick together,” Mayfield said after the game about his team’s ability to come through in the clutch. “The whole team, when one part of it, one phase of it is a little bit down, others [have] to pick it up and be there for you. That’s what this team is all about, we support each other no matter what. It is a resilient, mentally tough group.”

After the game, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was asked to quantify his confidence level when Mayfield takes the field needing to engineer a game-winning drive in the final moments.

“One thousand percent,” Bowles said. “It’s been like that since he got here.”

In Week 1, Mayfield found rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka for the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute left to beat the Atlanta Falcons 23-20 on the road. In Week 2, it was running back Rachaad White powering his way into the end zone with just six seconds left to give Tampa Bay another road win, this time in front of a national audience to beat the Houston Texans last Monday night.

This run of late comeback wins for the Bucs has been one for the history books:

Despite all the injuries and adversity the Bucs have faced to start their 2025 campaign, they’ve emerged from the first three weeks with a perfect record, and a two-game lead on the rest of the NFC South.

It remains to be seen how long Evans will be out with his hamstring injury, but Godwin and All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs are both expected back in the starting lineup for Tampa Bay’s Week 4 home matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Last year, those Eagles only lost one game by more than three points, when the Bucs beat them by 17.

It’s unlikely they’ll be able to put up another three-score victory against the defending Super Bowl champs next week, given the skeleton crew they’re still working with at key positions. But if that game comes down the wire, and the Bucs need a game-winning drive in the final moments, they’ll have no problem trusting Mayfield and company to deliver yet again.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Sep 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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2 weeks ago

20 2 minutes read