Baker Mayfield put on a clinic in Week Five against the Seattle Seahawks with surgical precision. From threading the needle and manipulating coverage with his eyes, to moving the launch point, Mayfield had a prolific outing at Lumen Field. He completed 29-of-33 passes (87.9%) for 379 yards and two touchdowns, with zero interceptions, earning a 134.7 passer rating. His 87.9 completion percentage was the highest by any quarterback in a game this season, and the second highest of his career behind only his 90.5 completion percentage (19-of-21) on 9/19/21. Per CBS, Mayfield is the first quarterback in NFL history with 375-plus passing yards and fewer than five incompletions in a regular season game. Mayfield showcased his arm talent and ability to layer the football to all areas of the field. While he is known for his moxie and competitive disposition on the field, Mayfield is silencing the doubters on his mastery of the system, arm talent and capability of carving up defenses.
"I think it definitely does [get overlooked] because you [hear] the sound bites, you see the way he plays the game, the demeanor he has…But everything behind the scenes – in the meeting room, whether it's in the quarterback room or meeting with the O-line and talking to every position – he's very cerebral and understands exactly how we're trying to attack the defense, understands why we're changing plays," said Offenisve Coordinator Josh Grizzard. "He watches a ton of tape, whether it's from the blitz side of it, the coverage structure, what [defensive backs] are out there. You see the way he talks and presents himself, but behind the scenes it's all football IQ and studying and getting himself in a really good position to put other guys in position as well."
Here is a look at some of his most notable plays against Seattle:
20-Yard Touchdown Pass to Emeka Egbuka, Third Quarter
Out of a three-by-one set, Emeka Egbuka lined up on the outside on the right side of the formation. Mayfield delivered a bracket-beater, where the safety did not have enough depth. Egbuka ran a post route and within the 30-yard range, Mayfield hit a laser to Egbuka, who gained inside leverage on the release. He layered the football to No. 2 at the back of the end zone to put the Buccaneers in the driver's seat.
57-Yard Bomb to Emeka Egbuka from Third-and-13, Third Quarter
This play displayed Mayfield's football IQ. He manipulated the safety by looking to the right and once the Seahawks defensive back took the bait, he moved and ripped the ball to Egbuka downfield with a 57-yard bomb. Egbuka hit a double move at the stem to generate separation and gain outside leverage. With Egbuka isolated, Mayfield let it rip and delivered a dime to the rookie receiver. This play set up Rachaad White's one-yard touchdown rush a couple plays later to give Tampa Bay a 28-21 lead.
11-Yard Touchdown Pass to Sterling Shepard, Fourth Quarter
This play is one of the greatest throws you will ever see a quarterback make. Initially, there was no one open on the play. Egbuka was doubled on the initial read, so Mayfield backed up and rolled to the left to create additional time. Sterling Shepard had the fade route and continued working back inside. Right as he broke inside, the ball was already at his chest. That pass is extremely challenging for a right-handed quarterback to make, throwing across the chest. Mayfield was also on the move as he made it, so he did not have a stationary base and threw off-platform, separating his upper and lower body to get enough velocity while he went airborne. Most just see the result but the mechanics and difficulty of that play are worth noting. That singular moment encapsulated the sensational play of Mayfield on the road.
