The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 3-1, and they’ll put that report on the road Thursday evening towards the Atlanta Falcons to kick off Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season.
Which makes this an ideal time to examine in on Baker Mayfield.
By way of 4 video games this season Mayfield has related on 70.5% of his passes for 984 yards and eight touchdowns, towards only a pair of interceptions. These eight passing touchdowns are second within the NFL, behind solely Sam Darnold. Mayfield has additionally posted an Adjusted Web Yards per Try of 6.68, Eleventh-best within the NFL and simply behind Jared Goff, who capped off Week 3 of NFL motion by throwing the league’s model of an ideal sport.
Final week towards the Philadelphia Eagles Mayfield was near-perfect himself, connecting on 30-for-47 passes for 347 yards and a pair of touchdowns. There was rather a lot to like about his sport towards the Eagles however one factor actually stands out: His skill to beat beneath defenders.
Let’s begin along with his second landing of the day, a 15-yard strike to Trey Palmer on a submit route. Palmer is aligned on the precise facet of the offense, and with the Eagles in zone protection, he has a bonus in the direction of the center of the sphere because the cornerback throughout from him is enjoying with exterior leverage. However there’s one downside.
Linebacker Nakobe Dean lurks beneath. The previous Georgia Bulldog is correct within the throwing lane, so Mayfield wants to suit this throw round #17 if he needs to attach with Palmer.
Watch as Mayfield does simply that, staying affected person on the pocket after which throwing the submit route on the actual proper second, becoming the throw round Dean’s outstretched arms and into Palmer for the landing:
This was one thing of a theme on Sunday towards the Eagles. Take this subsequent instance, a slant route thrown to Mike Evans. The receiver is working his route as a part of a slant/flat mixture with working again Rachaad White. Simply earlier than the snap Mayfield sends White briefly movement out of the backfield and to the left, and Dean trails him. That creates a little bit of a window for Evans’ slant route and provides Mayfield a pre-snap indicator that the Eagles are in man protection.
When the play begins Philadelphia is certainly in man protection. Nonetheless, there’s one other potential downside for Mayfield if he needs to throw the slant: Dean’s fellow linebacker, Zack Baun, lurking because the beneath “gap” defender. His job on this Cowl 1 scheme is to assist on any in-breaking routes, akin to slant routes.
Mayfield strikes him just some steps to Baun’s left along with his eyes, away from Evans. The Buccaneers quarterback then rips within the slant path to Evans into an enormous throwing lane, created by the mixture of the pre-snap movement, and Mayfield’s skill to generate much more house along with his eyes by influencing Baun:
The third instance of this theme comes from later within the first half, with Mayfield once more connecting with Evans on a slant route. Tampa Bay has White launch out of the backfield on a swing path to the left facet of the sphere, away from Evans and his slant route. This time it’s Dean who will get influenced, as Mayfield takes the snap and appears in the direction of Dean, and away from Evans’ slant route. That creates an enormous throwing lane because the linebacker slides to his proper, and Mayfield then snaps his eyes again to Evans and throws a strike:
All of this comes down to at least one fundamental thought, which we started the season with after Mayfield’s robust efficiency towards the Washington Commanders again in Week 1: Mayfield is as assured as ever. All of those throws assist illustrate a quarterback who’s supremely confidence within the offense, the gamers round him, and himself.
That confidence is one thing to observe not simply tonight towards the Falcons, however over the remainder of the season.