Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield Makes NFL History in Comeback Win
There are few superlatives left for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and we’re just 5 games into the 2025 NFL regular season.
Nothing seems to do justice to what Mayfield is doing week in and week out anymore, as evidenced by a 38-35 road win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5. The Buccaneers improved to 4-1 and it was Mayfield’s fourth game-winning, fourth quarter drive of the season.
As if that wasn’t enough, Mayfield’s performance against the Seahawks made history after he went 29-of-33 passing for 379 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions to go with 14 carries for 41 yards.
Baker Mayfield is the first QB ever to have 375+ Pass Yards and fewer than 5 incompletions in a regular season game,” NFL on CBS wrote on its official X account on October 5.
Mayfield actually got 2 shots at winning the game against the Seahawks and delivered both times. First, he engineered a 5-play, 78-yard drive capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Shepard to tie the score at 35-35 with 1:08 left in the fourth quarter.
Just moments later, following a Lavonte David interception, Mayfield drove the Buccaneers a mere 14 yards to set Chase McLaughlin up for a 39-yard field goal as time expired.
“For Baker Mayfield, this marked just the fourth game in NFL history of 375 passing yards on 85% (he actually completed 87.9%) on his throws,” ESPN’s Jenna Laine wrote on her official X account. “He joins Justin Herbert (2023), Lamar Jackson (2021) and Tom Brady (2009) as the only other players to accomplish it.”
Mayfield Hasn’t Won Against Other Elite QBs
There’s little to deny now when the conversation comes to the NFL’s elite quarterbacks and Mayfield’s name comes up — which is the direction things have been headed since he took over as Tampa Bay’s starter in 2023.
A little closer look might tell us something different. Of the 9 quarterbacks ahead of him on ESPN’s annual preseason position list — Mayfield was at No. 10 — he’s only faced one of them in head-to-head competition and lost, 31-25, in Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Universal Praise for Mayfield After Fourth Comeback
Social media was one place people seemed to be universally behind Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.
“Can you even imagine being a Browns fan and watching Baker Mayfield do this every week?” X user His Dirkness wrote on October 5 .”They had a Top 5 QB in their laps along with the makings of a top 5 defense and threw it all away because Odell Beckham’s dad made a mixtape.”
“Baker Mayfield went 29-for-33 today — that’s the second-best completion percentage for a Bucs QB with 20+ pass attempts,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote. It’s 87.9 percent, and Vinny Testaverde had a 22/25 88 percent game in a 1992 win over the Packers.
“Is it a hot take to say Baker Mayfield should be the leader in the MVP race?” Sooner Scoop’s George Stoia III wrote on his official X account. “He has led four game-winning drives in five games. He’s thrown 10 touchdowns and only one interception. He’s been incredible!”
Taylor Decker injury update from Detroit Lions is bad news after Giovanni Manu struggles
The Detroit Lions were without left tackle Taylor Decker in the Week 5 win over the Cincinnati Bengals and it appears there's a chance he won't be back next week.
Decker was downgraded to doubtful on Saturday because of his shoulder injury and was later ruled out for the contest on Sunday afternoon, which led to Giovanni Manu getting the start at left tackle for Detroit.
Manu quickly reminded everyone of why Decker is so important, as he struggled in what was the first start of his NFL career. To be fair, it was a tough spot for the second-year tackle, but that doesn't change the fact that Detroit has a problem.
After the game, head coach Dan Campbell said he wasn't sure the team would get Decker back for the Week 6 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs.
"We'll see," Campbell said of Decker's status for next week, according to Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News. "We're gonna look at everything here."
Campbell listed veteran Dan Skipper and practice squad tackle Devin Cochran as possible options, along with Manu.
Not exactly an ideal group of options for a Lions team that has to face two talented pass-rushers in defensive tackle Chris Jones and edge rusher George Karlaftis next week.
Decker has been dealing with the injury since early on in the season, but it is unrelated to his offseason shoulder surgery.
Campbell will likely provide another update on Decker on Monday and the Lions will release their first Week 6 injury report on Wednesday, so we'll know more by then, at the latest.
