By almost any measure, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' passing attack was one of the best in the NFL in 2024. With Baker Mayfield enjoying a career season with 4,500 yards and 41 touchdown passes and ranking in the league's top five in most passing categories, the Buccaneers were third in the NFL in passing yards per game (250.4) and fifth in yards per pass play (7.46), which factors in sack yardage. That and a much improved run game led to 29.5 points per game, good for fourth in the league.
Mayfield and the Buccaneers averaged 7.89 yards per pass attempt, which was quite good. It was the third best single-season mark in team history and it put the Bucs at 6th in the NFL in that category. It was nearly identical to the 7.85 yards per attempt posted by the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles, for instance.
But how the Buccaneers and, say, the Eagles, got to that similarly strong pass production was not the same. While the Bucs were, as noted sixth in yards gained per pass attempt, they were 29th in average air yards per attempt, at 6.8. That's a measure of how far the ball is being thrown in the air past the line of scrimmage before it reaches its target. The Eagles got the same production per pass but threw it on average 8.0 yards down the field. The Vikings were just a bit better in yards per pass attempt than the Buccaneers, at 7.0, but they threw it 8.9 yards downfield threw the air, on average.
View the best photos from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first day of 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center on June 10, 2025.
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Wide Receiver Tez Johnson #83 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Linebacker Deion Jones #45 and Wide Receiver Tez Johnson #83 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Cornerback Zyon McCollum #27 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Cornerback Jamel Dean #35 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. #31 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Running Back Bucky Irving #7 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 and Quarterbacks Coach Thaddeus Lewis of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Cornerback Benjamin Morrison #21 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard #17 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka #9 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Running Back Josh Williams #37 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Wide Receiver Jalen McMillan #15 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard #17 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka #9 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Running Back Rachaad White #1 and Assistant Tight Ends Coach Jeff Kastl of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Safety Tykee Smith #23 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Safety Rashad Wisdom #38 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Safety Christian Izien #29 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Safety Shilo Sanders #28 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Safety Kaevon Merriweather #26 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Linebacker Deion Jones #45 and Inside Linebackers Coach Mike Caldwell of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Special Teams Coordinator Thomas McGaughey and Guard Ben Bredeson #68 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Run Game Coordinator/Outside Linebackers Coach Larry Foote and Outside Linebacker Yaya Diaby #0 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Linebacker Anthony Walker #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Linebacker Nick Jackson #53 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Wide Receiver Tez Johnson #83 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Wide Receiver Jalen McMillan #15 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Haason Reddick #5 and Run Game Coordinator/Outside Linebackers Coach Larry Foote of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Cornerback Zyon McCollum #27 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Safety Christian Izien #29 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Safety Rashad Wisdom #38 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Safety JJ Roberts #36 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Safety Shilo Sanders #28 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Outside Linebacker Warren Peeples #59 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Outside Linebacker Yaya Diaby #0 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Haason Reddick #5 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Defensive Lineman Calijah Kancey #94 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Defensive Tackle Vita Vea #50 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Defensive Lineman Mike Greene #91 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Defensive Lineman Desmond Watson #56 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 and Wide Receiver Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 and Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard #17 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Head Coach Todd Bowles of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - General Manager Jason Licht during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Guard Ben Bredeson #68, Guard Elijah Klein #79, Offensive Lineman Lorenz Metz #71, Tackle Charlie Heck #77, Center Graham Barton #62, Guard Luke Goedeke #67 and Tackle Garret Greenfield #74 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Guard Luke Goedeke #67 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Running Back Bucky Irving #7 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka #9 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Wide Receiver Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Head Coach Todd Bowles and Wide Receiver Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard #17 and Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka #9 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard #17 and Head Coach Todd Bowles of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard #17 and Head Coach Todd Bowles of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - June 10, 2025 - Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard #17 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In the end, it's the production that matters, so the Buccaneers don't need to apologize for how they got there. We should celebrate how good some of the Bucs' pass-catchers are at gaining yards after the catch, how well some of those passes were schemed up to create YAC opportunities and, on screen plays, where the Bucs' excelled, how good the offensive linemen were at making blocks on the move. Tampa Bay was second only to Detroit in total YAC last year, with 3,830, and its YAC over expected of 498 yards was number one. If the Bucs were to do the exact same thing and get the same production in 2025, nobody would be complaining.
That said, Mayfield and company thinks they can be even more productive if they can take last year's formula and add a little dash of actual downfield explosive plays. He mentioned that as one of the things the offense is working on this offseason and will continue to work on in training camp under the guidance of new Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard.
"We're trying to get some more explosive [plays] in," said Mayfield after minicamp practice on Tuesday. "Obviously, when you look at the stats – I'm not a big stats guy, but we weren't as much down-the-field explosive. We were creating a lot of open, in the middle, and guys getting some YAC."
He's right. In addition to the air yards average noted above, the statistics also show that the Bucs only threw deep (20+ yards downfield in the air) on 7.5% of their passes last year, ranking 28th in the NFL. When they did throw it deep, their success rate was 32.6%, which was good for 21st in the league. The Bucs expected points added (EPA) per dropback on such passes was 0.19 for 20th in the league and their passer rating was 71.9 for 22nd. Mayfield threw five touchdown passes and four interceptions on deep throws.
The Bucs have since added wide receivers Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson in the draft, and they both are capable of producing big plays downfield. Moreover, the increased number of explosive targets in the offense will make it tougher for opposing defenses to focus on Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and try to take away their downfield opportunities. Evans in particular has demonstrated countless times in his career how good he is at winning one-on-one matchups on go balls when he gets the opportunity.
"[We're] working on that, being able to connect on the chemistry we're trying to build right now and just the timing of some of these routes – where the landmarks are and understanding that if it's two-high [safety coverage], one-high [safety coverage], where we're trying to throw the ball. This is the time of year we're working on it. Obviously, you would love to have more down-the-field shots, but any completion is a good one."
