Conventional wisdom be damned! Yes, people: I think Baker Mayfield has a good chance of winning a Super Bowl.
Tom Brady is gone, and Baker Mayfield has filled his seat, and I think Mayfield could join the ranks of Brady, Rodgers, and Young, all of whom became stars after taking the reins from established quarterbacks.
The only issue is that most people have brushed off Baker as a winning QB. I think they will be surprised by the season’s end.
Let’s look at the numbers. Mayfield has a completion rate of just over 60%. Ok. But he has also thrown for over 16,000 yards in 5 years and missed just ten games as a starter. That breaks down to about 250 yards per game with 102 TDs and 64 INTs (1.5 TDs and .9 INTs per game). Those numbers are not what I would call AMAZING, but there’s a little more to the story.
The Year of Mayfield? (photo courtesy MARCA)
The Bucs’ schedule is full of teams that are rebuilding. Three’s Carolina (twice) with a rookie leading the charge, GB without Rodgers, Falcons (twice) led by Hienicke, Saints (twice) with pivoting Carr, and the Texans. That’s eight games total.
See what I mean about a possible playoff spot? What about the playoffs? Baker is 1-1 in the postseason, so I think it’s a 50/50 shot on that score.
All Mayfield has to do is not lose his starting job, including not running at a 280 lb. lineman trying to convert a 3rd down. That said, the Bucs must work as a team and get into a groove as the season progresses.
That’s how Baker Mayfield gets a ring this year.
