Baker Mayfield Pinpoints Moment He Realized Buccaneers Would Be 'Pretty Damn Good'
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have proven to be one of the surprises early in the 2023 NFL season. The team is off to a 3-1 start while holding command of the NFC South with road wins against the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints.
The national media and the average fan may be looking at the Buccaneers as overachievers but there is at least one party that is not the least bit shocked about how the franchise is faring under second-year head coach Todd Bowles. That happens to be new starting quarterback Baker Mayfield, who signed a prove-it contract with the team over the offseason.
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It didn't take long after joining Tampa Bay for Mayfield to realize that the Buccaneers had a chance to turn some heads while flying well under the radar. During a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show ahead of his duties as the Guest Picker on College GameDay, Mayfield detailed the exact moment when he started to feel like the team could exceed expectations.
“Early on in OTAs when we were starting to compete with each other I realized the talent that we really had and then mandatory minicamp came around and it was my first time seeing Lavonte David play in person, how he was shooting the gaps," Mayfield said to McAfee. 'And I was like, ‘S--t, we’re gonna be pretty damn good.'”
The heart and soul of the franchise for the last ten years, All-Pro linebacker Lavonte David has been underrated throughout the entirety of his career. His leadership skills and consistent play between the lines speak for themselves. That also includes his loyalty to the Buccaneers as David signed a one-year deal with the team over the offseason rather than jumping ship.
Mayfield has stepped up as a key figure on the offense as David is to the defense and both players are pushing the Buccaneers to continue moving in the right direction. Tampa Bay will have another opportunity to keep opening eyes around the league when Detroit travels to Raymond James Stadium this weekend.
Stick with BucsGameday and the Locked On Bucs podcast for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2023 season
