In 1971, the Elias Sports Bureau, on the NFL's requested, developed a formula called "passer rating" to better rank the passing performances of the league's quarterbacks. The statistical measure was adopted by the NFL in 1973. Passer rating combines four factors – completion percentage, yards per pass attempt, interception percentage and touchdown percentage – into one statistic using a complicated formula that assigns points in each category from zero to a rounded-up figure of 39.6. The point totals are added together to produce one number, which has a maximum value of 158.3.
Star quarterbacks often finish seasons with passer ratings of around 100. The best single-season passer rating ever was 122.5 by Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers in 2011. The best current career passer rating belongs to Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes, who edges out Rodgers, 103.8 to 103.6.
No quarterback is ever going to get anywhere near the 158.3 mark for a career or even a single season. However, single-game perfect passer ratings are occasionally achieved. It's been done three times this season and nine times over the past three years. The most recent perfect performance belongs to none other than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield.
In the Buccaneers' 34-20 win over the Packers in Green Bay on Sunday, Mayfield completed 22 of 28 passes for 381 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. That's a completion rate of 78.6%, 13.6 yards per pass attempt, a 0.0% interception rate and a 14.2% touchdown percentage, all of which are above the threshold needed to get the maximum score in each category. It's the first "perfect game" of Mayfield's career.
This marked the third time a Tampa Bay quarterback has finished a game with a perfect passer rating (minimum 10 pass attempts). Those three are:
- Baker Mayfield, at Green Bay, 12/17/23: 22 of 28, 381 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs
- Tom Brady*, at Detroit, 12/26/20: 22 of 27, 348 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs
- Craig Erickson, vs. Indianapolis, 9/11/94: 19 of 24, 313 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
(* Brady only played the first half of a 47-7 win over the Lions.)
Mayfield chose a historic place to have his first perfect passer rating, and not only because it was long the home of Rodgers, the patron saint of that stat. Mayfield is the first visiting passer ever to compile a perfect passer rating at Lambeau Field.
Mayfield's combination of statistics was particularly rare. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he was just the third player in league history to have a 158.3 passer rating in a road game in which he threw for at least 375 yards and at least four touchdowns. Nick Foles did it for the Eagles at Oakland on Nov. 3, 2013 and Ken O'Brien did it for the Jets in Seattle on Nov. 2, 1986.
Mayfield's favorite target on Sunday was wide receiver Chris Godwin who caught 10 passes on 12 targets for 155 yards. That marked Godwin's second 100-yard receiving game of the season and the 21st of his career, postseason included. Only Mike Evans, with 39, has more in Buccaneers history. Godwin's 155 yards represented the third-highest single game total of his career.
Chris Godwin's Top Five Games by Receiving Yardage
1. 184, at Atlanta, 11/24/19
2. 172, at L.A. Rams, 9/29/19
3. 155, at Green Bay, 12/17/23
4. 151, vs. Carolina, 10/13/19
5. 143, at Atlanta, 12/5/21
Godwin's 10 catches marked the sixth time he has reached double digits in that category in a single game. Only Mike Evans has done that more often in Buccaneer annals.
Most Games with 10+ Receptions, Buccaneers History
1. Mike Evans, 2014-23: 7
2. Chris Godwin, 2017:23: 6
3. James Wilder, 1981-89: 5
4t. Keyshawn Johnson, 2000-03: 4
4t. Vincent Jackson, 2012-16: 4
Godwin's 10 catches increased his season total to a team-leading 68. He has now surpassed 60 receptions in five consecutive seasons and is one of only eight players in the NFL to have an active streak of that length.
Mayfield's four touchdown passes went to Evans, running back Rachaad White, tight end Ko Kieft and wide receiver David Moore. Both Kieft and Moore recorded their first touchdowns of the season, and Moore's score was his first as a Buccaneer. Kieft's score, a two-yard catch in the third quarter came on his first reception of the season. He is currently one of three players this season who have exactly one catch and one touchdown. The others are Tennessee defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons and L.A. Chargers wide receiver Simi Fehoko.
Evans' touchdown was definitely not his first of the season. It was his 11th, marking the fifth time in 10 NFL seasons he has recorded 11 or more touchdown receptions. The rest of the players in franchise history have combined for one such campaign.
Most Touchdown Receptions, Single Season, Buccaneers History.
1. Mike Evans, 2021: 14
2. Mike Evans, 2020: 13
3t. Mike Evans, 2014: 12
3t. Mike Evans, 2016: 12
5t. Mike Evans, 2023: 11
5t. Mike Williams, 2010: 11
Evans' 19-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter was the 92nd of his career, and it moved him into a tie for 12th place in NFL history with Davante Adams and one of his former teammates, Rob Gronkowski. Evans has moved up a total of 19 spots on that list during the 2023 season, but it may not be until next year that he goes to the next rung on the ladder, as there is a big gap between 11th and 12th place.
NFL All-Time Touchdown Receptions Leaders
1. Jerry Rice: 197
2. Randy Moss: 156
3. Terrell Owens: 153
4. Cris Carter: 130
5. Marvin Harrison: 128
6. Larry Fitzgerald: 121
7. Antonio Gates: 116
8. Tony Gonzalez: 111
9t. Tim Brown: 100
9t. Steve Largent: 100
11. Don Hutson: 99
12t. Mike Evans: 92
12t. Davante Adams: 92
12t. Rob Gronkowski: 92
Every player on that list who was eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame prior to this year has already received a gold jacket. Antonio Gates is in his first year of eligibility.
White's touchdown came on a 26-yard catch-and-run of a seam pass in the third quarter. He finished the day with 139 yards from scrimmage, rushing 21 times for 89 yards and catching two passes for 50 yards. That marked the fourth straight game in which White has surpassed 100 yards from scrimmage and the seventh time he has done so this year. He is tied for third in that category among NFL running backs this season.
Most Games with 100-Plus Yards from Scrimmage, NFL Running Backs, 2023
1. Christian McCaffrey, 49ers: 11
2. James Cook, Bills: 8
3t. Rachaad White, Buccaneers: 7
3t. Kyren Williams, Rams: 7
5t. Alvin Kamara, Saints: 6
5t. Derrick Henry, Titans: 6
Overall, White now has 1,303 yards from scrimmage in 2023, which ranks third among all NFL running backs.
Most Yards from Scrimmage, NFL Running Backs, 2023
| Running Back | Team | Yards |
|---|---|---|
| Christian McCaffrey | San Francisco | 1,801 |
| James Cook | Buffalo | 1,401 |
| Rachaad White | Tampa Bay | 1,303 |
| Travis Etienne | Jacksonville | 1,248 |
| Joe Nixon | Cincinnati | 1,156 |
White is just the second player in Buccaneers history to record over 1,000 rushing yards and over 750 receiving yards over the course of his first two seasons, joining Warrick Dunn on that list. White's touchdown was his eighth of the season and his seventh in the Bucs' last seven games. That's tied for the third most touchdowns in the NFL since Week Nine.
Most Touchdowns Scored, 2023, Weeks 9-15
1. Deebo Samuel, 49ers: 9
2. Raheem Mostert, Dolphins: 8
3t. Rachaad White, Buccaneers: 7
3t. Derrick Henry, Titans: 7
3t. CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys: 7
3t. Christian McCaffrey, 49ers: 7
3t. Joe Mixon, Bengals: 7
Antoine Winfield Jr. led the Bucs' defense in Green Bay with 10 tackles and a forced fumble. His five forced fumbles are tied for the second most in the league.
Most Fumbles Forced, NFL, 2023
1. Bradley Chubb, Dolphins: 6
2t. Antoine Winfield Jr., Buccaneers: 5
2t. Trent McDuffie, Chiefs: 5
2t. Khalil Mack, Chargers: 5
Linebacker Lavonte David added nine tackles, two tackles for loss and a quarterback hit while combining on a sack with outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett. David's nine tackles gave him 105 on the season and marked the 10th time in 12 NFL seasons that he has surpassed 100 in that category. He is only the third player in the NFL to have that many 100-tackle seasons since 2000.
Most 100-Tackle Seasons Since 2000
1. London Fletcher, St. Louis/Buffalo/Washington: 14
2. Bobby Wagner, Seattle/L.A. Rams: 11
3. Lavonte David, Tampa Bay: 10
4t. Keith Brooking, Atlanta/Dallas/Denver: 9
4t. Ray Lewis, Baltimore: 9
4t. Brian Urlacher, Chicago: 9
David's two tackles for loss pushed his season total to 16, which is tied for the fourth most in the NFL this season. This is the fourth time that David has recorded 100-plus tackles and 15-plus forced fumbles in a season. No other player in the NFL has more than two such seasons since tackles for loss became regularly tracked in 2006.
Barrett was given credit for the forced fumble on his shared sack with David, a play that ended Green Bay's final drive on Sunday. Barrett has the most strip-sacks in the league since he arrived in Tampa in 2019.
Most Strip-Sacks, NFL, 2019-23
1. Shaquil Barrett, Buccaneers: 15
2t. Myles Garrett, Browns: 13
2t. Haason Reddick, Cardinals/Panthers/Eagles: 13
2t. T.J. Watt, Steelers: 13
5. Chandler Jones, Cardinals/Raiders: 12
Kicker Chase McLaughlin had another perfect outing, hitting on field goals of 39 and 46 yards and making all four of his extra point attempts for a total of 10 points. McLaughlin is now 23 of 25 on field goal attempts this season for a success rate of 92.0%, which is tied for ninth in the NFL. He currently has the second best single-season field goal percentage in team history and he is less than a percentage point behind the record.
Highest Field Goal Percentage, Single Season, Buccaneers History
| Kicker | Season | Made | Att. | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Barth | 2011 | 26 | 28 | 92.9% |
| Chase McLaughlin | 2023 | 19 | 21 | 92.0% |
| Ryan Succop | 2020 | 28 | 31 | 90.3.% |
| Steve Christie | 1990 | 23 | 27 | 85.2% |
| Connor Barth | 2012 | 28 | 33 | 84.8% |
Punter Jake Camarda was only asked to punt once against the Packers, but he boomed that kick 65 yards down to the Green Bay four-yard line, where it was downed. That marked Camarda's 15th punt of 60 or more yards this season, which is tied for the most in the NFL.
