The Falcons (4-3) are the only team in the division with a winning record.īecause of that, the Bucs are not contemplating a change at quarterback. That’s as best as those can be - if everything clicks at the same time.”Īt 3-4, the Bucs are not out of the NFC South race. We’ve just got to keep chopping at it and get better at it. “Last week it was one thing this week it’s another thing. When we don’t get penalties, we don’t get all of our blocks here and there. When we get all our blocks, we get penalties. It’s got to be clicking on all cylinders. “If it’s not missing a block here and there, then it’s a penalty here or there,” Bowles said. Right tackle Luke Goedeke had three against the Bills as part of an 11-flag night for the Bucs (for 74 yards). That includes 15 false start penalties, second most in the league. The Bucs are the second-most-penalized team in the league with 50 accepted for 357 yards, which ranks third. Mayfield needs more help, and he’s not getting it from teammates who make mistakes. ![]() ![]() 22 against the Falcons (not counting Mayfield scrambles) and 14 on Thursday. In the last three games, all losses, he averaged 40.3 attempts.Įven with Bowles wanting a better run game, the Bucs called only 17 rushing plays Oct. But the more Mayfield has had to toss it around, the worse things have gotten.ĭuring the 3-1 start, Mayfield averaged 31.25 passes per game. That’s one of our mottoes we have in the building, so we need to continue to have that in the building.”įirst-year offensive coordinator Dave Canales has come to the realization that the Bucs aren’t very good at running the ball. You do your job, and accountability breeds responsibility. I don’t doubt what we’re doing scheme-wise. I don’t doubt what we do during the week. Now we’ve just got to put it all together. For us, it’s got to be the same mentality. “You should always be frustrated when you don’t play your best,” Mayfield said. The Bucs completed only one pass for 6 yards in the third quarter, when they totaled just 27 yards. Mayfield and the offense can disappear for long stretches. That means he was 16-for-32 for 151 yards when targeting everyone else. He went 9-for-10 for 86 yards when targeting the running back in the flat. Until a late 17-play, 92-yard scoring drive, in which he was 9-for-15, Mayfield had completed only 16 passes. Thursday’s game broke a streak of four straight games with an interception. He has passed for at least 300 yards only once this season. That’s also true for the Vikings.But how much longer will the Bucs let Mayfield do his?Īfter Thursday night’s 24-18 loss to the Bills, which ended with Mayfield throwing a failed Hail Mary pass, it’s fair to take a deeper dive into Mayfield’s role in the tailspin. That figure would rank dead last in the NFL last season.Īt the risk of sounding like every football coach in the country, the key to any defense is getting the field. In the five games that Mayfield started for the Los Angeles Rams last season, the Rams converted just 22 of their 80 three-point conversions, amounting to a 27.5% conversion rate. The good news for the Vikings? Baker Mayfield isn’t a quarterback who has consistently taken advantage of one-on-one situations. Sending that pressure puts significant stress on the cornerbacks to remain attached to the receivers. Flores dies by his sword, choosing to send pressure on most third downs. The difference in conversion percentage comes down to Flores’ approach on third downs. The struggles were a stark difference from the year prior when the Dolphins led the league in conversion percentage (31.18%). In Flores’ final season in Miami, the Dolphins were a bottom-half third-down defense, allowing conversions on 41% of the third downs. Prepare yourself for a truly frustrating defense, especially on third downs. Here are the keys to victory for the Vikings’ new-look defense. The offense, however, will still have plenty of weapons to support Mayfield, including a duo of wide receivers (Mike Evans and Chris Godwin) capable of changing the game. The Vikings will face journeyman quarterback Baker Mayfield, who replaces future hall of famer Tom Brady. Their first game will feature a potential tune-up for other opponents. The defense also sees new starters across the board. Those changes begin with a significant scheme switch (from zone heavy to blitz and man coverage) with the hire of defensive coordinator Brian Flores. The games officially count, and the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy begins.Īs the Minnesota Vikings open up their season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the focus will be on their defense, which underwent significant changes during the offseason. Remember all those preseason games? The overreactions to undrafted free agents? The training camp clips you fawned over?
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