Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield receives NSFW message from NBA superstar
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were in a dogfight with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in what was an intriguing matchup between two very talented, but very injured 4-1 football teams.
When it was all said and done, the Buccaneers prevailed at home behind their star quarterback, Baker Mayfield. And as each week passes, Mayfield continues to earn praise and respect from different football fans around the world.
From one superstar to another
It appears as though Baker's supporters extend just beyond the realm of football, though, as legendary NBA superstar, Kevin Durant felt compelled to chime in with a NSFW reaction during the game.
Based on the timing of Durant's tweet, it isn't hard to figure out why Durant decided to express his respect for Mayfield.
Baker Mayfield, at it again
In the third quarter, a gritty drive led by Mac Jones resulted in the fourth field goal of the game by kicker, Eddy Pineiro, which allowed the 49ers to close the gap to one point on the Buccaneers, then trailing by a score of 20-19.
To make matters worse for Tampa Bay, star rookie WR Emeka Egbuka had just been ruled out for the remainder of the game with a hamstring injury. As a result of sudden Egbuka's departure, the Bucs were all of a sudden without each of their top four wide receivers, as Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan were all unavailable with various injuries.
However, if we've learned anything from watching the Buccaneers play football this season, it's that adversity is like fuel for their quarterback, Baker Mayfield. And it didn't take long for Baker to provide a major jolt to his offense.
With 4:21 remaining in the 3rd quarter, and the Buccaneers facing a 3rd-and-14, the Bucs' QB did what he's done so many times already this season, and took matters into his own hands. Or legs, rather.
Mayfield somehow evaded a barrage of 49ers defenders, and with just a glimmer of daylight in sight, managed to squeeze his way between them before finding some space in the open field. But with more defenders yet to come, Baker lowered his shoulder and imposed his will in order to dive beyond the marker to provide his team with a much-needed fresh set of downs.
Naturally, the impressive scramble made it's way around social media just moments after it happened, with fans all around the world, including Kevin Durant, taking some time to express their respect for Mayfield's will and determination.
Durant's respect for Mayfield is all the more genuine when you consider the fact that Durant is a University of Texas alumni, and his Longhorns faced off against Mayfield's Sooners on Saturday in the annual Red River Rivalry matchup.
Maybe if Texas had lost that football game the day prior, KD wouldn't have been so eager to shower a former Sooner with so much praise. Or maybe he would have regardless? We'll never know. But one we do know is that Baker Mayfield appears to have earned himself another supporter in the form of future NBA Hall-of-Famer, Kevin Durant.
Dez Bryant Calls for Firing of Cowboys Coach on Sunday
The Dallas Cowboys continue to be a mess. While they have one of the best offenses in the league, led by quarterback Dak Prescott, their defense hasn't really kept up.
Dallas entered their Week 6 game against the Carolina Panthers ranked dead last in total defense, and it showed as they lost 30-27 despite Prescott throwing three touchdowns without being intercepted.
Even Cowboys legend Michael Irvin was stunned to see how bad the Cowboys' defense is, saying during the game that he has "never seen an NFL defense with so many people running WIDE OPEN!!!!"
For more context on just how poor Dallas' defense is, it is the only team in the NFL to score 30 points per game but also allow the same amount of points, per Cowboys insider Ed Werder.
After the Cowboys' latest loss, former Dallas star Dez Bryant expressed his belief that someone from the team is getting fired. The three-time Pro Bowler made the prediction following reports that team owner Jerry Jones refused to speak to the media.
"Somebody [expletive] getting fired!" Bryant wrote on X.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer stands on the field before an NFL game.Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
It's worth noting that there have been plenty of talks about the job of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, with fans and experts alike calling for the Cowboys to fire him as they continue to struggle under his guidance.
"IF POSSIBLE, THE DALLAS COWBOY DEFENSE LOOKS WORSE THAN EVER. JERRY SHOULD GO DOWN AND FIRE EBERFLUS RIGHT NOW. THIS IS JUST SO EXCRUCIATINGLY EMBARRASSING," popular sports commentator Skip Bayless said on Sunday.
It remains to be seen what Jones and the Cowboys will do, but at 2-3-1 following six weeks of pro football, the team might really need to make some changes if they want to return to the postseason.
