Monday, 4 a.m.
They ran. They tackled. They covered.
Most of all, they Baked.
Baker Mayfield,the Bucs rejuvenated quarterback, looked like the best quarterback in the AFC South Sunday, leading the Bucs to a surprisingly easy 26-9 victory against the New Orleans Saints.
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Mayfield, who was a failure in Cleveland, a tragedy in Carolina and mediocre in Los Angeles, was at his best against the Saints. He threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns, two of them as he scrambled for time. He also ran the ball eight times for 31 yards, many of them for needed first downs.
In other words, this is his team now — the Tampa Baker Bucs. It is hard to believe that a month ago (or later), fans were debating whether he or Kyle Trask should start for the Bucs.
He has closed off the debate, however. He has won three of his four starts, and he has been sharp. He has made plays, and he has kept his offense marching forward.
Through four games, he has a quarterback rating of 101.48. He has seven touchdowns and 882 yards. More than that, he has established that his team — like himself — is closer to contending than pretending.
Oh, he had help Sunday. The Bucs ran for 114 yards — enough to keep the Saints honest. Chris Godwin caught eight passes for 114 yards. Antone Winfield had nine tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.
The Bucs were bold. They were efficient. And because of that, they now lead the NFC South.
The Saints started quarterback Derek Carr — the hyped signee at quarterback — and proclaimed him to be healthy. But Carr struggled and threw for only 127 yards. The Saints also returned running back Alvin Kamara, but he ran for just 51 yards (he did catch 13 passes, but only for 33 yards). And the Saints never got into the Bucs’ end zone.
The Bucs are off this week. They play a week from Sunday at Raymond James Stadium against Detroit.