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Baker Mayfield displayed strong composure with under 10 seconds left to seal the Tampa Bay Buccaneers road win. Mayfield led the final touchdown drive to win 20-19. He then threw shade at Houston Texans safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson after the Monday Night Football contest.
Mayfield broke off a 15-yard run as his Bucs faced fourth-and-10 with under two minutes to go, helping keep the final Bucs drive alive. And who did he see down the field?
“Yeah, just me and my buddy Chauncey in the open field,” Mayfield said, referencing his old rival from the NFC South last season.
Baker takes a shot at C.J Gardner-Johnson in his postgame presser.
“Yeah, just me and my buddy Chauncey in the open field.”
The head shake and eye roll is *chef’s kiss* pic.twitter.com/HqHXTec3WR
— The Pewter Plank (@ThePewterPlank) September 16, 2025
CJGJ and Mayfield had their battles when the safety played for the New Orleans Saints. But Mayfield earned the one-up on Gardner-Johnson — saying he was able to “get out of that one” and see green grass.
Mayfield even delivered an eye roll and head shake after describing the moment with Gardner-Johnson. Which became one of two notable reactions from Mayfield after the win.
Mayfield clearly has no love lost for the defender. And it’s not just pertaining to the defensive star’s Saints past.
Gardner-Johnson played in the Detroit Lions-Buccaneers 2023 NFL playoffs divisional round contest. Gardner-Johnson became known for saying how the Bucs had great receivers, but threw shade at Mayfield by saying Tampa needed a better QB. Detroit eventually won that contest before falling to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC title game
Mayfield shared another heated moment with the veteran. He took off scrambling even earlier in the fourth quarter and appeared to be hurt. But Mayfield shook off any agony the moment he saw Gardner-Johnson.
Baker Mayfield was literally hurt until CJ Gardner-Johnson started talking trash #TBvsHOU #WeAreTheKrewe
pic.twitter.com/CHfOBdKHp5— Nick Grunewald (@iamnickgrune) September 16, 2025
Mayfield gained 17 yards on that carry. He finished the evening averaging 11 yards a carry (three carries, 33 yards).
The former top overall pick looked even more efficient throwing the ball. Mayfield completed 25-of-38 passes for 215 yards and tossed two touchdowns– one to Emeka Egbuka and the other to Ryan Miller.
Mayfield has now gotten the Bucs to start 2-0 for the third straight season since he’s been with the franchise.
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