Bucs Nation
Up until the fourth quarter, everything came up roses for the Buccaneers against the New York Jets in the waning hours of summer.
They forced their first defensive turnovers of the season, including a pick-six, and cruised to a 23-6 lead through three frames, seemingly poised to finally net an “easy” victory after two nail-biters against the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans.
Well, the situation changed very quickly.
Two scoring drives by the Tyrod Taylor-led Jets — interjected only by a Chase McLaughlin field goal — cut the lead to a single score, 26-20, with less than 4 minutes remaining. Baker Mayfield, efficient throughout the day but clearly limited by the team’s several injuries to the offensive line and receivers, went to work on another drive that included more of his now-vintage Houdini acts (including a 33-yard scramble), positioning the team to go up 9 with roughly 2 minutes left.
Then the improbable struck, with the Jets breaking through for a clean kick block and touchdown return that instantly put the Bucs down 1 instead of up 9.
No. 6 quietly watched the sequence from the sidelines, helmet still on and hands on his hips. His reply?
“Two timeouts, field goal,” he noted, following up in the huddle, “What a time to be alive.”
What followed did not stray from what he did the two weeks prior or just last week against the Seattle Seahawks: he put the team on his back.
Two completions, 48 yards, and a non-chalant knee to put McLaughlin in the perfect spot for the game-winner.
Three wins and zero losses, and at that point the buzz started growing — and no, it wasn’t the celebratory avocado tequila, not everyone is Tom Brady. The Bucs might be pretty good, and Mayfield might be a little more than pretty good.
Alright, evocative anecdote that sets the scene, check! Next up, the FACTS.
Baker Mayfield is having an MVP-caliber start to the 2025 season. He and the Bucs are 4-1 and he’s the major reason why (along with rookie star Emeka Egbuka, of course). His start is comparing favorably to recent MVP winners through five games, and there is no reason to believe he can’t keep it going.
Thus far, Mayfield has completed 112 of 172 passes (65.1%) for 1,283 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He’s averaging 7.5 yards per attempt and has added 144 rushing yards on 19 carries.
Here’s how that compares to recent MVP winners through five games:
An MVP award is not determined through 5 games, we all know that, but starting...
