Tag: Baker Mayfield

Ravens LB Roquan Smith fined for tackle that injured Chris Godwin

The league has reviewed the hit by Smith, deemed it a hip-drop tackle, and issued a $16,833 fine

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were attempting a miracle comeback against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night as quarterback Baker Mayfield connected with wide receiver Chris Godwin on a 21-yard strike late in the fourth quarter. That would become the last reception of Godwin’s season, who suffered a dislocated ankle, which would require surgery to repair.

As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the league has reviewed the hit by Smith, deemed it a hip-drop tackle, and issued a $16,833 fine. The league has been trying to outlaw the hip-drop tackle as it frequently causes very serious injuries where a defender’s full body weight is placed on the lower extremities of the player they are making the tackle on- and oftentimes, the lower limbs are put in precarious positions.

Immediately upon being tackled, it was evident that something was wrong with either the leg or the ankle of the Bucs superstar receiver. He could not get up off the turf and was carted off wearing an air cast on his leg. At the time of the tackle, it did not appear to be anything other than an accident, and with ESPN’s decision not to air the replay during the broadcast, it was difficult to make a determination at that time. However, a hip-drop tackle was easy to spot with the video and multiple angles being readily available now, such as the NFL’s All 22.

In the final year of his contract with the Buccaneers, Godwin was on pace to set career highs in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. His chemistry with Mayfield was at a high in their second year playing together, and his reliability has kept Mayfield near, or at, the top of most quarterback stats through seven games this season.

The Baker Mayfield and ZYN nicotine pouches controversy, explained

Here’s why this is a thing.

This post has been updated with new information.

Baker Mayfield is getting a lot of attention for something he did earlier in the week that was caught by NFL fans on social media.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB was busted by cameras on the sideline of the team’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday as he appeared to take a ZYN nicotine pouch and put in his mouth.

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Why is that a big deal? Because, as ESPN noted years ago, “The NFL does have two rules when it comes to players using smokeless tobacco — don’t do it on the playing field or while conducting television interviews.”

What’s more, ZYN’s owners Swedish Match released this statement to TMZ: “Swedish Match appreciates its loyal consumers and encourages them not to show the product in any situation where someone under 21 years old could see it.”

There you go. No word on whether Mayfield will face discipline or a fine for that.

UPDATE:

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Ravens’ DC Zach Orr brought mayday to Baker Mayfield, Bucs final score is misleading

Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield only padded the final score after Baltimore Ravens DC Zach Orr and his defense let off the gas.

Of course, on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield tried to pad the score against the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens’ lead had inflated to 23 points in the fourth quarter, and defensive back Marlon Humphrey and linebacker Roquan Smith had been reading Mayfield’s mail all game long.


With a sizeable scoring lead, the Bucs needed to rely on the pass, so Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr deployed Smith primarily as a quarterback spy. Thus, Smith could hone in on stopping Mayfield from scrambling while covering check-down options.

Humphrey and safety Kyle Hamilton were frequently used on the back end in Cover 2-man sets. Orr’s plan baited Mayfield into making tight window throws on blurred reads, leading to a few interceptions.

Smith finished with 18 tackles and was involved in nearly every play. Orr’s unit finished with three sacks and two interceptions, and the 31-point allowance doesn’t truly reflect how dominant they were in Tampa.

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Mark Andrews makes history on Monday Night Football

Former Oklahoma star Mark Andrews makes history on Monday Night Football.

Monday night was entertaining for Oklahoma fans who watched Monday Night Football. [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag], Sterling Sheperd, [autotag]Mark Andrews[/autotag], and [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] highlighted the slate.

In Arizona, Murray helped lead the Cardinals to a win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Mayfield and the Buccaneers squad took on Mark and his Ravens squad in Tampa. Andrews got the best of Mayfield as the Ravens triumphed 41-31 in large part to a record-breaking night for Andrews.

Andrews, who shined as a unanimous All-American and the Mackey Award winner at Oklahoma for the nation’s best tight end, has had a terrific pro career. He was a first-team All-Pro in 2021 and has been named a Pro Bowler thrice. On Monday night, he reeled in four catches for 41 yards. Two of his four catches were touchdowns, with the first touchdown cementing him atop the Ravens history books.

https://twitter.com/Ravens/status/1848527797201080805

Andrews passed Todd Heap for the most touchdown receptions in Baltimore Ravens history.

“Incredibly grateful,” Andrews said on breaking the record. “Getting drafted to this incredible organization, I’ve been blessed with incredible teammates, obviously No. 8 (Lamar Jackson) and having that connection. … You got to look back at the guys like Todd Heap and the guys that have done it before you and just be grateful that I’m in this situation.”

Andrews has now hauled in three touchdowns in two games after murmurs that he can no longer be an integral part of the Ravens’ offense. The Ravens look like one of the NFL’s best offenses, and Andrews’ resurgence makes them even more challenging to defend.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield comments on Chris Godwin’s injury

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did more than just lose a football game on Monday, they lost their heart and soul on offense. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did more than just lose a football game on Monday, they lost their heart and soul on offense. The Bucs did their best to fight back into a game that saw them down significantly but it came at a cost.

That cost was Chris Godwin’s ankle, dislocated in the game’s final minute against the Ravens.

Godwin has been on pace for a career year, trending towards 1,447 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. All that was coming alongside Mike Evans, who caught his 100th receiving touchdown on Monday. In their years together, they proved to be a lethal threat in the passing game, and now Baker Mayfield is without them.

Mayfield commented post-game that “It absolutely sucks…Chris (Godwin) deserves better than that. He’s an unbelievable guy, unbelievable teammate.”

The Bucs offense will have its work cut out finding a way to replace his production on the field and his leadership off of it.

5 takeaways from the Bucs brutal loss to the Ravens in Week 7

Here are five key takeaways from the Bucs’ 31-41 loss to the Ravens in Week 7.

A quick 10-0 start for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the Baltimore Ravens sent Raymond James Stadium into a frenzy.

However, 34 unanswered points from Lamar Jackson and the Ravens had fans leaving the stadium at the end of the third quarter. While the Buccaneers may have lost the game, they would go on to lose much more as the game went on.

Here are five key takeaways from the Bucs’ 31-41 loss to the Ravens in Week 7.

Consistently inconsistent

Wins are hard to come by in the NFL and are even more challenging to earn when you do not play consistently, which is precisely what this Buccaneers team lacks. On both sides of the ball, through all seven games, it’s hard to determine which Buccaneers team will show up and how many quarters will last.

Wide receiver depth is a glaring hole

When you have the luxury of superstar wide receivers like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, there should never be a discussion about issues at WR for the Buccaneers. A worst-case scenario for the Bucs happened as the team lost both Evans and Godwin on the same night. While Evans reaggravated a hamstring injury, he should miss minimal time, whereas Godwin will likely be done for the remainder of the season.

You cannot replace receivers the caliber of an Evans or a Godwin, but who on the roster will step up and assert themselves as leaders inside the wide receivers room? Baker Mayfield and Sterling Shepard showed a rekindling of their former college teammate relationship in Week 4; however, that has been routinely non-existent since then, leaving a real issue at wide receiver for the Bucs.

Defense is still an issue

This season, the Buccaneers have needed to play nearly perfect offense more often than not, as their defense has been unable to slow down their opponents. For added context, the Bucs defense even allowed the Detroit Lions to control the clock and generate more offensive yards in a winning effort in Week 2.

Sure, they’ve battled injuries, but it’s a recipe for disaster when you force your offense to play mistake-free, and this was on full display for the Buccaneers against the Ravens. Through seven games, the 4-3 Buccaneers defense has allowed opposing offenses to outgain them four times.

Good problem in the running back room

The good news for the Buccaneers is that Rachaad White showed flashes of why he was the clear-cut starting running back coming into the season. This gives the Bucs an embarrassment of riches in the backfield between White, Bucky Irving, and Sean Tucker, the reigning NFC Offensive Player of the Week. As the Bucs will need to do some serious soul-searching, particularly on offense, with the loss of their top two leading receivers, OC Liam Coen may start leaning on the emerging three-headed monster in the backfield.

It all boils down to coaching

The Buccaneers showed they would not give up when they recovered the onside kick with 3:46 remaining in the game. On a drive that would result in a touchdown and bring the Bucs within 10 points as they trailed 31-41, there were no attempts to get out of bounds or throw toward the sideline to stop the clock— they still had all three timeouts, plus a potential of being ahead of the two-minute warning. The following Ravens series was an attempt to run out the clock, with the Bucs defense forcing a punt.

Todd Bowles kept his starters in the game, which was already out of reach with 1:34 remaining and no timeouts remaining. The result was a gruesome injury to Godwin, and the early expectation is that he will not return for the season as his lower left leg was immediately put in an air cast.

When teams are inconsistent, it comes back to coaching. Ironically, this has been a consistent theme among Bucs fans, with their general distaste for Bowles as the team’s head coach. As the Bucs await to hear the prognosis on Evans’s hamstring injury, it will be a tumultuous finish to the second quarter of the season for a Bucs team who have a gauntlet of the Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Francisco 49ers.

Ravens vs. Buccaneers: Top photos from Baltimore’s 41-31 win on Monday Night Football

We’re looking at the top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 41-31 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night in Week 7

The Ravens started the game down 10-0, then scored 41 unanswered points, jumping out to a massive lead before allowing 21 late points to the Buccaneers in the fourth quarter. Even with the defensive letdown, Baltimore’s performance won’t overshadow Lamar Jackson’s five-touchdown pass performance, as the Ravens moved to 5-2 on the season with a 41-31 win over Tampa at Raymond James Stadium.

Baltimore amassed 508 yards of total offense but had a dominant performance ruined as the defense allowed over 430 yards of offense for Tampa.

With preparation for the Browns in Week 8 set to begin, here’s an instant analysis of the big win on Monday Night Football.

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Is Mike Evans playing today? Injury updates for Bucs WR

Mike Evans remained on the team’s injury report, which was published on Saturday. This time, he received a game-time decision designation.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had Mike Evans this past Sunday against the Saints, but he was limited. He didn’t have his usual workload, and it was noticeable that he wasn’t playing at 100%.

On Monday, Evans will be going for history with his 100th receiving touchdown, but only if he can play, which remains up in the air.

Mike Evans injury update

Mike Evans remained on the team’s injury report, which was published on Saturday. This time, however, he received a game-time decision designation.

Todd Bowles updated the situation, saying, “He tweaked his leg. He didn’t practice today, but he’s getting better. We’ll see how the week goes with him. . .it’s been nagging.”

This likely means that Evans will test it out before the game and the team will determine his status based on how it responds to the work.

Bucs wide receiver depth chart

  • Mike Evans
  • Chris Godwin
  • Jalen McMillan
  • Sterling Shepard
  • Kameron Johnson*
  • Trey Palmer*

Baker Mayfield ribs Mark Andrews ahead of Monday Night Football showdown

Baker Mayfield discussed how relationship with Mark Andrews changes during the NFL season.

When the Baltimore Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face off on “Monday Night Football” this week in the NFL, two former Oklahoma Sooners teammates will step into the spotlight.

Ravens tight end [autotag]Mark Andrews[/autotag] and Buccaneers quarterback [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] both starred at OU together from 2015 to 2017, helping lead the Sooners to three straight Big 12 titles and two trips to the College Football Playoff in three seasons. The duo also helped Oklahoma win the Sugar Bowl following the 2016 season.

Although the two are still great friends, it sounds like they don’t talk much during the NFL season, according to Mayfield.

The former Heisman Trophy winner was asked about his strong friendship with his former favorite target earlier this week in advance of the game, and shared that he doesn’t hear from the former Mackey Award winner much.

“Even though Mark and I are best friends, him and I don’t talk in-season,” Mayfield said. “He’s a weirdo. He can’t exactly, you know, separate friendship and football. So he struggles with that on a year-to-year basis, so there’s a few months at a time when we’re friends again, but for right now, no.”

Mayfield went on to joke with reporters that his best friend not talking to him during the season hurts his feelings.

“It hurts my feelings,” Mayfield said. “Guy was in my wedding, won’t talk to me. It hurts my feelings, just gonna be honest.”

Of course this is all in good fun, as Sooner fans know how much Mayfield likes joking around during press conferences. Both he and Andrews have turned into excellent players at the next level, with the latter finding a home right away in Baltimore and the former having to bounce around a bit before ending up in a great spot in Tampa Bay.

Andrews and Mayfield will face off on Monday night at 7:15 p.m. on ABC and ESPN.

Ravens will face the NFL’s second best offense in back to back weeks

The Buccaneers’ high-octane offense ranks second in a key category—scoring. The Bucs are tied with the Commanders for the league’s top spot in total points scored—178.

If you like scoring points, you have come to the right place. Last week, the Baltimore Ravens beat the Washington Commanders, 30-23, in a match-up of the NFL’s No. 1 (Baltimore) and No. 2 offenses.

And by top offense, we mean average yards gained per game. The Ravens still hold this distinction this week as they prepare to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.

The Buccaneers’ high-octane offense ranks second in a key category—scoring. The Bucs are tied with the Commanders for the league’s top spot in total points scored—178.

However, the Detroit Lions hold the top spot for points per game at 30.2, scoring 151 points in one less game (5). The Ravens’ next opponent is tied with Baltimore’s most recent opponent, averaging 29.7 points per game.

The Ravens are the next team in both tables, with 177 points scored in total and 29.5 ppg. In other words, this sounds like a game where you should take the over.