After taking down Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will travel to Detroit to play the Lions at Ford Field. That’s why Baker Mayfield looked for advice from his former Los Angeles Rams teammates, who were knocked out by the Bucs’ upcoming opponents last weekend.
“They said it was the loudest thing they’ve ever heard,” said Mayfield, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “We’ve got to be completely ready for that. It just comes down to everybody knowing exactly what our game plan is — all the calls to and from, because there could be certain times where they can’t hear certain things.”
Mayfield spent a few months with the Rams to replace an injured Matthew Stafford late in 2022, so his relationship with that team is still fresh. And it looks like the most important tip they had for the quarterback has to do with the atmosphere created on the stands rather than something specific to take into account from the opponents’ players.
“They might have to plug and play some of the words. Just everybody doing the mental work to get prepped for that. But it shouldn’t be a surprise for us. It’s going to be a great atmosphere,” Mayfield added.
Mayfield, Goff take the limelight
One of the most interesting storylines ahead of this divisional round game has to do with both quarterbacks. While Mayfield’s first year with the Bucs has exceeded expectations, Jared Goff is getting recognition after being snubbed by the Rams in the past.
Mayfield, 28, has been able to rebuild his reputation after bouncing around different franchises. Selected first overall in 2018, Mayfield had an ugly breakup with the Browns in 2022 before signing for the Panthers, who cut him a few months later.
With Tom Brady retiring for good and limited cap space, the Bucs saw in Mayfield an interesting opportunity available in the open market. The QB went on to post career-highs in passing yards, touchdowns, and completion percentage to take the team up to this stage.
Goff also has a story of redemption, having been traded by the Rams in 2021. By then, the Lions were still one of the weakest teams in the league, and Los Angeles won the Super Bowl only a few months later. It’s safe to say that was tough for the quarterback.
However, destiny held a better situation for him. Dan Campbell eventually turned Detroit around and Goff has played a pivotal role in the Lions’ resurgence, being the leader of an offense that made progress in 2022 before making even more evolution in 2023.
To make things even more poetic, last weekend Goff beat his former team against the quarterback he’s been replaced for to give the Lions their first playoff win in 32 years. Now, football fans are in for a treat as these quarterbacks aim to extend this unforgettable season.
