Bucs’ Mayfield calls win over Jets personal, points to Wilks

TAMPA, Fla. — Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield didn’t hold back when asked about the significance of a 29-27 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday.

Mayfield specifically pointed to Steve Wilks, the Jets’ defensive coordinator who cut the QB when he was coach of the Carolina Panthers, as to why it was so special.

“I loved it,” Mayfield said. “And also their D-coordinator was the one that cut me in Carolina.

“Lot of stuff was personal today. Haason Reddick, former Jet … lot of people.”

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Reddick signed with the Bucs in March after a holdout-marred 2024 season with the Jets.

Sunday’s game also saw the Bucs’ Todd Bowles facing the Jets, which fired him in 2018, for the first time as a head coach.

As for Mayfield, he continued to produce wins for Tampa Bay, something he failed to do while still recovering from a shoulder injury in Carolina in 2022. After the Panthers got off to a 1-5 start, Wilks planned to make him the third quarterback behind P.J. Walker and Sam Darnold. When the Panthers told Mayfield he was going to be the No. 3, they offered to waive him if he so chose and he accepted.

On Sunday, Mayfield became the fourth quarterback over the past 30 years to produce a winning drive in each of his team’s first three games of a season, joining Nick Foles (2014, Eagles), Matt Ryan (2015, Falcons) and Ryan Tannehill (2020, Titans), per ESPN Research.

And the Bucs became the fourth team since the 1970 merger to win three straight games with a score in the final minute of the fourth quarter, joining the 1994 Giants, 1998-99 Cardinals and the 2017 Steelers, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

“He’s a natural born leader,” said rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka, who caught a 28-yard Mayfield pass in the fourth quarter that helped set up Chase McLaughlin’s 36-yard winning field goal. “Someone who is willing to die on the field before giving up or shutting down. I think it’s pretty special to have someone like that at the helm of your offense and at the helm of your team, so we’re in good hands.”

Added center/left guard Ben Bredeson: “There’s nobody I’d rather have than Baker right in the two-minute drill at the end.”

The Bucs won with just two of their starting offensive linemen, as All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs is still working his way back from knee surgery and right tackle Luke Goedeke and right guard Cody Mauch were placed on injured reserve last week. And the receiving group remains without Pro Bowler Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan, and saw Mike Evans depart in the fourth quarter Sunday with a hamstring injury.

Cornerback Zyon McCollum said there’s never any panic with Mayfield in difficult moments, even though many have characterized him as “playing with a chip on his shoulder.”

“Knowing him, he does it every single day, every single week,” McCollum said. “As a defense, seeing a guy like Baker go out there … some of the scrambles that he does, some of the runs that he has, the grit that he shows — I have 100% full faith in him and the offense to go out there and get it done in those crucial moments.”