The Bucs secured a last-minute 3-0 win over the Jets. Just like the last two times, the Bucs’ defense was impressive, and the quarterback Baker Mayfield was all about praising the unit. However, he also took responsibility for the flaws on offense and had one request for the locker room. “I thought first of all, defensively, lights out for us,” the QB said. “We just got to capitalize on being in the red zone and score touchdowns more. I thought the skill group, we as a whole, I missed some throws. We didn’t complete and connect on some of them,” he explained.

“We got to be better at that. I have nightmares about the scrambles we were able to [unclear] in the end zone where it triggered a little early into the third. But we just got to be able to get six instead of field goals, put ourselves in a better position. But obviously we had. A little mix-up on the O-line, and those guys played great,” he said. He isn’t wrong.

The Bucs’ offensive line had a tough outing as it struggled with the run game and failed to give Mayfield a clean pocket. The team was flagged 14 times for 124 yards against the Jets, with the offensive line largely to blame. Every lineman except Tackle Charlie Heck was penalized.

Despite issues with the offensive line, Mayfield showed an impressive fight, completing 19 of his 29 attempts for 233 yards and a touchdown. Not to mention, the team also dealt with injuries. In the fourth quarter, he made passes to Wide Receivers Emeka Egbuka and Sterling Shepard, which helped the Bucs win after the Jets had gained a lead in the third quarter. The 3-0 lead wouldn’t have been possible without the QB. In the final moments, kicker Chase McLaughlin made a 36-yard field goal that sealed the win.

As Mayfield pointed out, the defense showed up big. They gave up only one play over 20 yards and forced multiple turnovers that swung the game. Cornerback Jamel Dean had a 55-yard pick-six, while Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. grabbed another interception. Cornerback Zyon McCollum led with nine tackles, with Safety Tykee Smith having seven.

All in all, it turned out to be good for the Bucs and even more for the QB. After some advice for his teammates, he also took a shot at Jets’ D-coordinator Steve Wilks.

Baker Mayfield used the Jets’ Win to send a message to his former coach

The franchise QB didn’t shy away from calling it personal after meeting Wilks. Wilks served as the Panthers’ interim head coach while Mayfield was on the team in 2022.

Recalling his past stint with the Panthers, Mayfield took a shot at the coach and said, “I loved it, also their D-coordinator (Steve Wilks) was the one who cut me in Carolina.” “A lot of stuff was personal today. Haason Reddick. Former Jet. A lot of people,” Mayfield told the reporters during the press conference.

Mayfield’s underwhelming stint with the Panthers is not unfamiliar to the people.  During his six starts for the Panthers, he threw only six touchdowns with six interceptions. He competed with quarterback Sam Darnold for the starting job. But the Panthers had seemingly begun to lose hope on the QB. He lost the starting job in November, and Wilks, even if not the only one involved, reportedly made the call to release the QB in December after Mayfield’s request (as per Justin Fried of the Jet Press).

This wasn’t the best of Mayfield’s career. He went on to join the Los Angeles Rams and quickly made long strides. And his best time came when he joined the Bucs, becoming their franchise QB. In what looked like a redemption game for Mayfield, the QB clearly put in the effort by preventing Wilks’ defense.

He was clearly the winner today.