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Coach Todd Bowles is really aiming high for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season, and he's got his eyes set on that Lombardi Trophy. He recently rallied his team, making it clear that they shouldn't just be thinking about winning the division title, but they should be gunning for the Super Bowl itself.
But getting to the Super Bowl is no walk in the park. It takes more than just a talented roster, and that's where the new QB, Baker Mayfield, steps in. Coach Bowles gave him some straightforward advice: "Bake, you run the show. It's your team. You get to be the eyes and the ears. Give them the ball, let them go. That's what they get paid for... make smart decisions, get us in the right set and we can go."
Mayfield signed a one-year contract in March 2023 and wasted no time bringing his A-game to Tampa Bay. Sure, he had a bit of a rocky start in the first week, but he bounced back with a game-winning touchdown in a nail-biting 20-17 victory. By Week 2, he was on fire, hitting a career-high 76% of his es and racking up 317 yards and another touchdown.
Mayfield can shoulder the team's load
But the real magic happened in Week 15 when Mayfield faced off against the Packers. He pulled off the near-impossible: a perfect er rating, completing 22 of 28 es for 381 yards and 4 TDs. Not only did this stellar performance crush the Packers 34-20, but it also earned him the NFC Offensive Player of the Week title. With career-high stats of 28 TDs, 4,044 ing yards, and a slick 64.3% completion rate, it's hard not to wonder if Mayfield is the key to leading the Bucs to a Super Bowl victory.
However, there might be a hiccup in the plan. The Buccaneers' edge rusher, Randy Gregory, has been MIA at training camp. NFL insider Rick Stroud tweeted about Gregory's absence from voluntary offseason workouts, raising some concerns about the team's rush.
It seems like there's a lot riding on Mayfield's shoulders this season, and with Bowles setting such high expectations, there's no room for slacking off. But if Mayfield can keep up his impressive performance and if Gregory can get back on track, the Buccaneers might just have a shot at making Bowles' Super Bowl dream a reality.