Baker Mayfield Told Bucs He Knew All the Vikings’ Defensive Signals

That would explain Tampa Bay’s offensive turnaround on Sunday in Minnesota.

The Buccaneers opened the post-Tom Brady era with a 20–17 victory over the Vikings last Sunday. Quarterback Baker Mayfield went 21-for-34 for 173 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, and received praise from several teammates, including running back Rachaad White.

White, who was interviewed by the Buccaneers Radio Network on Monday, was asked what sparked the offense after a rough start to the game. White credited Mayfield, who figured out Minnesota’s defensive signals in-game.

“I just remember Bake came in the locker room literally at halftime and said, ‘I got it. We got all these signals,’” White began. “We’re in there talking as an offense and he’s like, ‘I know all these signals. If they do this, they’re going into Cover-2. If they do this, they’re going into Cover-3. Every time I alert this and they do this signal, they’re dropping back to this.’ And I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s amazing.’ … I was just listening to him and we were listening to him and we just kind of understood.”

While it wasn’t a complete offensive performance from start to finish, Sunday’s outcome was the desired one for Tampa Bay, a team that hopes to make the playoffs and exceed expectations as the franchise moves on from Brady.