Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is playing arguably the best football of his career, and the Ravens (4-2) have won four in a row after an 0-2 start.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Todd Bowles could barely contain his laughter when asked to share his thoughts on Baker Mayfield’s mobility and ability to run.
The usually stoic Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach broke down when a caller suggested his quarterback might not be as elusive as Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, Washington’s Jayden Daniels or Buffalo’s Josh Allen, but he is still capable of making game-changing plays on the go.
“He’s fourth, let’s just say, behind those three guys,” Bowles said, still smiling. “He’s mobile enough to get the yards we need.
“You don’t have to be a fast quarterback to be a mobile quarterback,” the coach added. “He understands when he has to run, and he’s good at it.”
Mayfield, who faces Jackson and the AFC North-leading Ravens on Monday night, agrees he will never be mistaken for being one of the best runners at his position.
But that didn’t stop him from moving away from the pocket when necessary while helping the Bucs (4-2) get off to a hot start that has his team tied for the top spot in the NFC South.
“There’s no way I would put myself in that category with those guys. It amazes me when you can see some of these guys on tape. Lamar, Jayden, Josh, the things they can do, extend plays, just the vision they have, it’s a gift from God that they have,” Mayfield said. “I’ll do what I can, but it’s not at this level.”
Jackson, double MVP, is arguably playing the best football of his career, and the Ravens (4-2) I won four times in a row after a 0-2 start.
Mayfield threw for 1,489 yards and a league-leading 15 touchdowns. Baltimore leads the NFL in rushing and total offense, with Jackson passing for 1,529 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushing for 403 yards and two more scores.
The quarterbacks have known each other since they both won the Heisman Trophy in college, with Jackson receiving the award in 2016 and Mayfield winning it the following season.
Mayfield was the first pick in the 2018 draft. Jackson entered the NFL the same year as the last selection in the first round.
The Ravens star said there was no extra motivation against a quarterback in his draft class Monday night.
“No, I just want to win. I go there and watch every game the same way. (Mayfield) is a tremendous quarterback, he’s been since college, since I’ve known him – even going back to the Heisman,” Jackson said.
“You could say we had a bit of a relationship from there. But outside of football, I don’t really hang out with the other quarterbacks. … I love his game. From what I see, he’s still the same person,” Jackson added. “From afar, he’s still the same Boulanger.”
What statistic
Jackson is 22-1 against NFC opponents, including 2-0 against Tampa Bay. This is the best mark by a quarterback against an opposing conference in NFL history.
“It’s probably because we see each other (from time to time), so it’s hard to plan our game,” Jackson said. “(It’s) a little bit of everything.”
Don’t forget it
A third Heisman winner, running back Derrick Henry (2015), was a significant factor in Baltimore’s success with a league-leading 704 yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
“It’s always fun to see these guys. You film a few days in the offseason, you see them, you catch up with them, and then you just watch them and obviously try to support them during the season when you’re not playing them,” Mayfield said of Jackson and Henry.
“Obviously, bringing in Derrick is just a huge addition for them. I mean, he’s a monster,” Mayfield added. “Our team has to know what to expect but we just have to respond and find a way to win.”
How’s that for consistency?
The Ravens lead the NFL with 1,232 rushing yards this season and have rushed for at least 150 yards and scored a rushing touchdown in every game.
They enter Monday night 168 yards behind to become the fourth team since 1980 to begin a season with at least 1,400 yards in their first seven games.
The others are the 1984 Chicago Bears (1,508), the 2006 Atlanta Falcons (1,476) and the 2019 Ravens (1,429).
Henry has run for at least one touchdown in every game this season. With a rushing TD against the Bucs, he would become the first player since Emmitt Smith in 1994 to score on the ground in each of his team’s first seven games.
Take pressure off the defense
The Bucs, after a 51-point outing in New Orleansare one of the most successful teams in the NFL. They are averaging 29.7 points per game, up from 20.4 last season.
This makes Bowles’ job as a defensive play caller a little easier.
“It really helps. If you can get a lead and make someone one-dimensional, the gym bag is open,” Bowles said. “You can kind of reach in and pull out whatever you want to pull out. These guys start flying and playing and you can see the results.
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AP freelancer Todd Karpovich in Owings Mills, Md., contributed to this report.
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