Bucs’ Baker Mayfield changing Peter King’s opinion, national narrative

TAMPA — Baker Mayfield has the Bucs off to a 2-0 start and is playing well individually. The quarterback has completed 69.1% of his passes for 490 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a passer rating of 104.4.

It’s still early in the season, but the two wins are as many as longtime NFL writer Peter King predicted the Bucs would have all season.

Mayfield on Sunday was asked about King’s 2-15 prediction for the Bucs.

“If you look up Peter’s history on me, that’s probably why,” Mayfield said. “Yeah, he’s all right.”

“I don’t really care what he thinks,” Mayfield continued. “He doesn’t play. We’re going to keep it in-house. Our guys are motivated. That’s kind of been the narrative the whole time — low expectations for this team. But inside our locker room, we have extremely high standards, so they’re going continue to grow.”

Actually, King gave the Bucs some love in his “Football Morning in America” column for NBC on Monday.

“Baker Mayfield is on fire, as is Tampa Bay,” King wrote. “What a great start for Mayfield, playing for his fourth team in the last 21 months. No quarterback is his peer through two weeks on third downs (20 of 23 for 201 yards and three touchdowns). So much for geniuses like me who thought the Bucs would be in for a total rebuild this year.”

In fact, King went further, naming Mayfield one of his Offensive Players of the Week.

“Football’s a funny game,” King wrote. “Go figure, after stints with Cleveland, Carolina and the Rams over the past two years, that Mayfield would be the hottest quarterback in the league out of the gate in 2023. He’s a 69% passer through two games and turnover-free, after Tampa’s 27-17 home-opening win over the Bears.”

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