In 2024, Baker Mayfield has ignited the Buccaneers' offense under the tutelage of first-year Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen, operating at an elite level. Through Week Two, Mayfield ranks second in the NFL with a 129.1 passer rating, while tying for first with five passing touchdowns. The first walk-on ever to win the Heisman Trophy sits atop the quarterback hierarchy, guiding the Bucs to a 2-0 start.
Mayfield opened the 2024 campaign with a league-best quarterback performance, completing 24-of-30 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns, with no interceptions, earning a 146.4 passer rating. In addition to being one of two players in the league to account for four touchdowns in Week One, Mayfield led all quarterbacks in both passer rating and passing touchdowns, tied for the league lead in passing first downs (15), and ranked second in completion percentage (80.0%), fourth in passing yards and fourth in yards per pass attempt (9.6). He was voted the FedEx Air Player of the Week for his contributions on the gridiron. Against the Lions in Motown, Mayfield continued his rise. He used his legs to elude pressure and showcased his vision while on the move.
At Ford Field, Mayfield completed 12 of 19 passes for 185 yards and one passing touchdown, earning a 90.9 passer rating. Additionally, Mayfield ran it in from 11 yards out to record his first rushing touchdown of the season and the eighth of his NFL career. The 11-yard run marked the longest touchdown run of Mayfield's career. Coen dialed up a designed quarterback draw and Mayfield executed it to perfection, crossing the goal line with moxie. His 34 rushing yards in the game are the fifth-most of any game in his NFL career. Prior to the touchdown play, Mayfield scrambled for 11 yards to gain the first down, forcing a missed tackle with a lethal cutback maneuver against Malcolm Rodriguez.
Coen has discovered Mayfield's ability to extend plays by using his legs and keeping his eyes downfield. He briefly worked with Mayfield for five weeks in 2022 when Coen served as the Rams' offensive coordinator and Mayfield took over as the starting quarterback after being signed late in the season. During that time, Coen was exposed to Mayfield's in-depth preparation.
"When I first got with him in '22, what I learned about him was his notetaking, his preparation," said Coen via Bucs Total Access. "He is extremely detailed. He is a highlighter freak, so he has a bag of highlighters of all different colors and when he studies, he highlights things in different colors, and each has a meaning. Those different colors have different meanings to him, and it is how he studies, and it is how he learns. I thought that was very impressive and he watches tape. He is in here early and he leaves late. He watches a lot of tape with the offensive line, so I think the fans should know that his preparation is where you would want a franchise quarterback to be."
Mayfield's dedication and behind-the-scenes commitment to enhancing his craft have fostered growth in Tampa Bay. His arm talent, fiery competitive spirit and quick processing are well documented throughout his tenure, but the preparation has culminated in on-field success.
