Bucs QB Baker Mayfield Calls Monday Night time Playoff Recreation vs. Eagles a 'Blessing' – Buccaneers.com

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drew the Monday evening slot in Tremendous Wild Card Weekend, taking over the Philadelphia Eagles, which implies whichever crew wins can have a shorter week to arrange for the Divisional Spherical than its eventual opponent. The Buccaneers or Eagles will cross that bridge after they come to it, however for now they’ll get pleasure from the advantages of an extended week earlier than their recreation. One Buccaneer particularly is pleased about that.
Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield suffered a painful harm to his ribs on the finish of the Week 17 recreation towards New Orleans, then damage his ankle whereas being sacked by the Panthers in Week 18. Each are points Mayfield has to beat earlier than the following recreation, and on daily basis helps.
“Yeah, I bought just a little ankle harm fairly early within the recreation. It is a type of issues [where] because the week goes on, it’s going to really feel higher and higher. I will get some good rehab and work executed on it and see the way it goes. Fortunately, the blessing is we play on Monday evening, so an additional day of relaxation and restoration for me.”
Mayfield performed all of the remaining offensive snap after hurting his ankle on Sunday in Charlotte, however he didn’t participate within the portion of the Bucs’ “bonus” follow on Wednesday that was open to the media. The Bucs will maintain a walk-through on Thursday and full-speed practices on Friday and Saturday and Mayfield will attempt to make regular progress all through the week as he did earlier than the Panthers recreation. That week, he was deemed a non-participant on Wednesday, took half in Thursday’s follow in a restricted style and was full-go on Friday.
Mayfield mentioned that his ribs are persevering with to get better, although he used the phrase “slowly.” He famous that he did not take any “impactful” pictures on the realm in Charlotte, although he was sacked 3 times and transformed one third-and-one with a plunge instantly into the large Derrick Brown. He and the Bucs know that the Eagles have a loaded defensive entrance that has produced 113 sacks during the last two seasons, and that protecting these defenders away from the quarterback might be essential.
“The very best factor about their protection is their entrance,” mentioned Mayfield. “They’ve had a variety of studs there for a very long time they usually simply maintain reloading them. It is one thing that we’ve got to concentrate on – and we positively are. For me, it is doing every thing I have to do bodily to prepare for the sport and going from there. Ensuring we’re all on the identical web page, gameplanning-wise to the place once we get these reside reps, we’re able to roll.”
The Bucs had one in every of their lowest offensive outputs within the 9-0 win over Carolina, and it is truthful to credit score the Panthers’ fourth-ranked protection. It is also truthful to surprise if Mayfield’s accidents restricted his effectiveness to some extent. Nevertheless, Mayfield mentioned the principle subject with regard to getting again to the kind of offense that had two very productive outings in wins over Inexperienced Bay and Jacksonville is doing higher on the performs that ought to create higher down-and-distance conditions. As an example, on a third-down deep shot to Mike Evans within the first quarter, which was damaged up when the wind induced it to falter on the finish, operating again Chase Edmonds was large open operating down the suitable seam for what may have been a simple first down.
“For me, it goes again to how can we simply transfer the chains?” mentioned Mayfield. “When we’ve got our pictures, take them, however keep forward of the chains – particularly towards a crew like this that has an ideal entrance. They’re aggressive and it permits the secondary to play aggressively, as effectively. Staying forward of the chains, for me, which is taking the straightforward completions – which I positively want to enhance on from the previous couple of weeks. We’ll go from there.”
These missed alternatives led to a gradual begin on offense for the second week in a row. Finally, the Buccaneers did sufficient to enrich a dominant defensive efficiency and get the win, most notably on a clock-killing drive on the finish through which Rachaad White ran eight instances and produced a pair of first downs. The Bucs will want that form of manufacturing on Monday evening towards the Eagles.
“Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve bought to take the straightforward completions early on, maintain us forward of the chains, get us going,” mentioned Mayfield. “Between the Saints recreation and the Carolina recreation, their fronts are actually good towards the frenzy. We ran the ball once we wanted to with six minutes left within the recreation. That is big-time. We have simply bought to get going early and begin quick, the place we are able to combine up our totally different performs.”
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