Inside Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield’s Plummeting PFF Scores

While Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield’s grades keep dropping according to Pro Football Focus there are some positives to lean on as well.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has gone through an experience not many do in the NFL.

After being the No. 1 overall pick in 2018 the now Buccaneers quarterback was Rookie of the Year playing for the Cleveland Browns back then, led that franchise to its first playoff win since before he was born in 2020, and was unceremoniously traded not even two years later.

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That trade sparked another move that led to Mayfield being on three NFL rosters in less than one season, and four in less than 12 months.

The fourth was the Bucs’ where he currently resides after having two seasons of dropping quarterback grades according to Pro Football Focus.

After reaching a grade of 81.6 in 2020 Mayfield dropped to 63.6 in 2021 and then to 50.6 in 2022. That last score was 31st in the NFL.

Within that season grade, however, the quarterback had some solid outings earning grades of 60 or better in four of the 12 games he appeared in.

That’s not Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) or Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles) level of quarterbacking, but it’s solid nonetheless.

Still, when things went bad for Mayfield last year he looked every bit the part of a quarterback who joined a new team right at the start of training camp and then another mid-season with little to no time to really get acclimated in both stops.

What he didn’t look like was a healthy and comfortable quarterback like he did in 2020. 

Like Tampa Bay hopes to see in 2023. 

How will new Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales get that Mayfield? 

For starters, he could try and emphasize throws that appeal to Mayfield’s strengths. 

In 2022 those were open underneath throws which the quarterback ranked 14th in the NFL according to PFF grades, and deep passes over the middle where Mayfield earned an 87.2 overall grade, 13 points above league average. 

Deep middle is the only area where Mayfield had a plus differential when compared to the league average, but his -.7 differential in the intermediate middle part of the field and -7.7 in the short middle were the second and third best scores from last season. 

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So, plenty of middle of the field type throws may be coming for the Bucs offense this year. 

Although, that contradicts what the Seattle Seahawks did last season with Canales on staff when they targeted mostly out-breaking routes and avoided the middle of the field with quarterback Geno Smith.

Going back to Mayfield in 2020, however, in that season he targeted the left short and intermediate areas of the field much more than he did any other areas, and with more success.

If Canales and Mayfield can combine to return that left side ability in the passing game while adding center field exploitation to what Seattle did, then Tampa Bay could field a more versatile and effective offense than many expect.

And that might be the first step toward this defense-first Buccaneers team surprising all of they’re doubters in 2023.

Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82

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