Latest news with #BakerMayfield
Time of India
a day ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Top five NFL teams that might surprise everyone this season
Top five NFL teams that might surprise everyone this season (Image Via X) Training camp videos of deep passes to open practice have flooded social media this week. These clips spark hope that big plays are on the way when the NFL season starts in early September. We're looking at five teams that could make serious progress in their big‑play game in 2025. Some had deep threats last year, others changed coaches or added new weapons. All five have a real shot to be more explosive this year. Let's dive into why these teams stand out and who to watch when camp opens this July. Kansas City Chiefs : Patrick Mahomes and Xavier Worthy On July 17, at the Kansas City Chiefs' offseason workouts in Kansas City, quarterback Patrick Mahomes declared the team will 'test the defenses down the field' after a dip in their deep‑ball game. The Kansas City Chiefs added fast rookies like Xavier Worthy, the Combine's fastest 40‑yard sprinter, and veteran Jaylon Moore at left tackle to give Mahomes more protection. With these moves, Kansas City Chiefs aims to bounce back from a 2024 season that lacked long throws and explosive plays. Tampa Bay Buccaneers : Baker Mayfield, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka In June, quarterback Baker Mayfield spoke in Tampa about boosting explosive plays downfield this season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranked second in yards after catch but 29th in average air yards. Now with Chris Godwin returning from injury and rookie Emeka Egbuka joining the roster, Tampa Bay Buccaneers hope to stretch defenses more. If Baker Mayfield can launch deeper throws protected by Tristan Wirfs, even early-season, the Bucs might show off a more dynamic offense. Atlanta Falcons : Michael Penix Jr., Drake London, Darnell Mooney During May OTAs in Atlanta, quarterback coach T.J. Yates praised rookie Michael Penix Jr. for his aggressive arm and field vision. Penix Jr. led the team with a 10.2 average air yards per attempt in the final three 2024 games. With deep threats like Drake London and Darnell Mooney, plus more play-action work, Atlanta Falcons could lean on explosive passes more often this year. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, Coach Ben Johnson In July, at Chicago Bears mini‑camp in Chicago, new coach Ben Johnson said, 'I like big plays' and rejected sneak plays like the Tush Push. With rookie QB Caleb Williams, who showed creativity in college, plus upgraded receivers and revamped line, the Chicago Bears aim to transform from last‑place offense into a big‑play threat. Las Vegas Raiders: Geno Smith, Chip Kelly, Pete Carroll When training camp opens in late July in Nevada, the Las Vegas Raiders will debut new coach Pete Carroll alongside coordinator Chip Kelly and veteran QB Geno Smith, known for deep passing. After a stagnant offense in 2024, Las Vegas hopes Geno Smith's big arm and Carroll's leadership will bring more vertical plays in 2025. Also Read: How To Stream The 2025 NFL Flag Championships Live: Dates, Tv Channels, And Stream Info Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Fox News
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
2025 NFL Odds: Which QB Will Lead NFL In Interceptions?
A quarterback's worst nightmare often comes in the form of a pass caught by the other team. Last NFL season, Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield led the NFL with 16 of those nightmares. Which QB will lead the league in interceptions this upcoming season? Let's see the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of July 21. Most regular-season interceptions thrown Sam Darnold: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Matt Stafford: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)J.J. McCarthy: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Cam Ward: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Baker Mayfield: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Trevor Lawrence: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)Michael Penix Jr.: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)Jordan Love: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)Drake Maye: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)Dak Prescott: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)Brock Purdy: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total) The five quarterbacks tied atop the oddsboard are each at different phases of their careers. Sam Darnold had the best season of his career last year in Minnesota, throwing for 35 touchdowns and 12 picks. However, his Vikings flamed out in a 27-9 loss to Matt Stafford's Rams in the wild-card round, and Darnold is now the starter in Seattle, his fifth team in eight seasons. Stafford is a Super Bowl-winning QB entering his 17th season after throwing for 20 TDs and eight picks last season. Only four times in his career has he thrown fewer than 10 interceptions in a single season, and the previous three occasions took place in seasons when he played fewer than 10 games. J.J. McCarthy is the QB that will replace Darnold in Minnesota after missing his rookie season due to a torn meniscus. During his final season at Michigan, he threw for 22 TDs and four picks. Cam Ward was the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and will take over the quarterback reins in Tennessee. In his final season at Miami (FL), he threw 39 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. The last rookie and No. 1 pick to lead the league in picks was Trevor Lawrence in 2021 (17). As for Mayfield, as a starter, he's been somewhat of a turnover machine during his career. In seven professional seasons, he's thrown at least 10 interceptions five times. And in one of the seasons when he didn't reach 10 picks, he only started 10 games for two teams, amassing eight picks. Mayfield has thrown 26 interceptions over the past two seasons. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Fox Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 NFL Odds: Which QB Will Lead NFL In Interceptions?
A quarterback's worst nightmare often comes in the form of a pass caught by the other team. Last NFL season, Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield led the NFL with 16 of those nightmares. Which QB will lead the league in interceptions this upcoming season? Let's see the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of July 21. Most regular-season interceptions thrown Sam Darnold: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total) Matt Stafford: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total) J.J. McCarthy: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total) Cam Ward: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total) Baker Mayfield: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total) Trevor Lawrence: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total) Michael Penix Jr.: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total) Jordan Love: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total) Drake Maye: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total) Dak Prescott: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total) Brock Purdy: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total) The five quarterbacks tied atop the oddsboard are each at different phases of their careers. Sam Darnold had the best season of his career last year in Minnesota, throwing for 35 touchdowns and 12 picks. However, his Vikings flamed out in a 27-9 loss to Matt Stafford's Rams in the wild-card round, and Darnold is now the starter in Seattle, his fifth team in eight seasons. Stafford is a Super Bowl-winning QB entering his 17th season after throwing for 20 TDs and eight picks last season. Only four times in his career has he thrown fewer than 10 interceptions in a single season, and the previous three occasions took place in seasons when he played fewer than 10 games. J.J. McCarthy is the QB that will replace Darnold in Minnesota after missing his rookie season due to a torn meniscus. During his final season at Michigan, he threw for 22 TDs and four picks. Cam Ward was the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and will take over the quarterback reins in Tennessee. In his final season at Miami (FL), he threw 39 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. The last rookie and No. 1 pick to lead the league in picks was Trevor Lawrence in 2021 (17). As for Mayfield, as a starter, he's been somewhat of a turnover machine during his career. In seven professional seasons, he's thrown at least 10 interceptions five times. And in one of the seasons when he didn't reach 10 picks, he only started 10 games for two teams, amassing eight picks. Mayfield has thrown 26 interceptions over the past two seasons. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
NFL offseason power rankings: No. 8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers ready to take the next step
Two teams beat the Detroit Lions in the regular season in 2024. One was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they did so in Detroit. There was another 15-2 team in the NFL last season. The Kansas City Chiefs won 15 of their first 16 games, but in one of those 15 wins the Buccaneers took them to overtime at Arrowhead Stadium. Had Bucs head coach Todd Bowles not made the mistake of going for the extra point and overtime with 27 seconds left, Tampa Bay might have been the only team in the NFL to win at Detroit and Kansas City last season. The Lions and Chiefs were 29-3 in all other games. There have been nine 15-win teams in NFL history, and the Bucs came very close to beating two of them last season. On the road. The Buccaneers weren't close to a 15-win team but were pretty good. They won the NFC South. Five of their seven losses (and a playoff loss) came by seven points or less, and the other two came against the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos, both of which were playoff teams. Tampa Bay's season wasn't celebrated much because it played in a bad division, it lost seven games and was knocked off on a last-second field goal by the Washington Commanders in a wild-card playoff game, But there was plenty to be excited about in Tampa Bay going forward. "There is a lot to be proud of," quarterback Baker Mayfield said after the playoff loss, via AP. "In this moment, that's hard to see, but there's a lot of young guys that are going to be on this roster next [season] that had to step up and did in a big way. That should build confidence for those guys, knowing that who they are as players and as men in adversity situations, to be able to step up like they did." [Get more Bucs news: Tampa team feed] The next step is becoming more consistent. That's the path to entering the NFL's elite. "We've got to play not even better football at the end, but we've got to have killer instinct," Bowles said. "We've got to try to blow people out and try to win the division instead of it going down to the last week." The fact that Bowles would speak in the offseason about winning the division before the last week of the season speaks to the Buccaneers' mindset and expectations going into the season. Squeezing out a division title in a bad NFC South isn't good enough anymore. They are good enough to be one of those teams that clinches a division title a few weeks before the season ends and then focuses on improving its seed. It just hasn't happened yet. Maybe this is the season. The rest of the NFC South has plenty of questions. The Saints and Panthers were among the bottom four teams in this offseason ranking. The Falcons could contend in the division but are no guarantee to improve after going 8-9. Tampa Bay has an absolutely loaded offense, led by Mayfield and bolstered by a very good 2024 draft class, and there are reasons to believe the defense can carry over an improvement from late last season. Tampa's defense doesn't need to be great when its offense is coming off a 502-point season and should be even better. Tampa Bay was among the NFL's elite teams when Tom Brady was there. Then the Bucs struck gold in resuscitating Mayfield's career; he has been excellent the past two seasons. Maybe this is the season the Bucs get back to that level they were at in the Brady era. Offseason grade When the Buccaneers went on the clock with the 19th overall draft pick, defense was their biggest need and there were plenty of good players available on that side of the ball. Instead, Tampa Bay went with the best player available and took Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka. It wasn't a need, but it might give the Bucs the best receiving group in the NFL. Tampa Bay addressed its biggest need in the second and third rounds by picking cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish. Tampa Bay made it a priority to bring back franchise icons Chris Godwin and Lavonte David, and both of them signed extensions. That didn't leave much money for additions. The Buccaneers had only one big outside free agent (unless you're a fan of punter Riley Dixon), and it was an interesting one. They paid pass rusher Haason Reddick $14 million over one year after his disastrous season with the Jets. Reddick had double-digit sacks each season from 2020-23 before posting just one last season in New York after a long holdout. If Reddick, who will turn 31 in September, is anywhere near double digit sacks this season it will be a huge boost to the Bucs' defense. Grade: B Quarterback report It's scary to lose an offensive coordinator like Liam Coen to a head-coaching job. Coen did a great job with Tampa Bay's offense last season. But that happened a year earlier to the Bucs with Dave Canales and they were fine. Baker Mayfield has become the type of quarterback who gets his offensive coordinators promoted to bigger jobs. Mayfield is coming off a 4,500-yard, 41-touchdown season with a career best 106.8 passer rating. He had never been above 95.9. The Buccaneers promoted Josh Grizzard, who was Tampa Bay's pass game coordinator last season, so there should be some continuity in the offense. Mayfield believes his offense can get even better. He wants more passing downfield. The Buccaneers' site pointed out that while Tampa Bay was sixth in the NFL in yards per attempt last season at 7.9, the team's average air yards attempt ranked 29th at 6.8. The Bucs were great at yards after catch, but Mayfield says there's more to unlock. "We're trying to get some more explosive [plays] in," Mayfield said, via the team's site. "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." BetMGM odds breakdown From Yahoo's Ben Fawkes: 'There's nothing particularly flashy about the Bucs, who are favored in 12 games this season, including their final six. Drafting Emeka Egbuka in Round 1 should help complement the future Hall of Famer Mike Evans, and TE Cade Otton emerged as a legit target last season, in part due to injuries. The pass rush isn't anything to write home about, but the good news for Tampa Bay is that it finds itself playing again this year in the NFC South. Tampa Bay is favored in all six divisional games and is the clear -110 favorite to win the division at BetMGM. The Bucs also benefit from likely playing only two cold-weather games all season, but star tackle Tristan Wirfs will miss the start of the season." Yahoo's fantasy take From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: "The Buccaneers can't be that worried about Chris Godwin's return from ankle surgery — they gave him a three-year deal in March, after all. But the team also isn't guaranteeing that Godwin will be ready to play Week 1. The Yahoo draft market has kept Godwin in the Top 80, which might be optimistic given the crowding in this passing game — Mike Evans is still here, Emeka Egbuka was drafted in the first round and Jalen McMillan had moments in his rookie season. It's also worth noting that Godwin has not been a dynamic touchdown scorer with Baker Mayfield, spiking a modest seven times over their 24 games together. Unless the draft price comes down, I'll be avoiding Godwin in August." Stat to remember The Buccaneers' defense wasn't a mystery last season. It was good against the run and below average against the pass. Therefore, opponents just passed on them all season. Tampa Bay faced the second most pass attempts in the NFL last season and was 30th in rush attempts faced. You wouldn't want to run against Bucs mountainous defensive tackle Vita Vea either. Injuries to cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. also invited teams to pass more against the Bucs. Teams will attack the Bucs again that way to start this season. If one or both of rookie cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish can emerge as productive players right away, that would help tremendously. Even though the Buccaneers were not great against the pass last season, even in per-play numbers and efficiency metrics, the defense got much better in the final third of the season. From Weeks 12-18, Tampa Bay was third in the NFL in EPA (expected points added) allowed, just ahead of Philadelphia and Denver. The Bucs were fourth in success rate allowed. Their pass defense was fourth and seventh in EPA and success rate allowed in that stretch, and the NFL's best in EPA per rush allowed by a wide margin. If Tampa Bay can come anywhere close to carrying over that defensive effectiveness to this season, it would pair well with an offense that has a very high ceiling. Burning question Could the Buccaneers have the NFL's best offense? Here is a list of Buccaneers offensive players who have either played at a Pro Bowl level, have had stretches of stellar play or are young and have the upside to be among the best at their position: QB Baker Mayfield, RB Bucky Irving, WRs Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka, TE Cade Otton (he had a 25-258-3 line over three games last season when needed and his role increased), OT Tristan Wirfs, C Graham Barton. That's eight blue-chip or potential blue-chip players on one offense, with other solid backups like RB Rachaad White and WR Jalen McMillan and above-average offensive linemen across the board (Pro Football Focus has Tampa Bay ranked as the No. 6 offensive line in the NFL, and Sharp Football has the Bucs at No. 4). Tampa Bay's rushing and passing offense was top six in EPA (expected points added) and success rate metrics last season, third in yards gained and fourth in points scored. It isn't too much of a stretch to imagine the Bucs having the best offense in the league this season. There are roadblocks. Wirfs' knee injury is a big concern; he's one of the best tackles in the NFL and will likely miss at least the first four games on the PUP list, according to ESPN. Losing offensive coordinator Liam Coen to the Jaguars' head coaching job can't be ignored. Coen was fantastic last season. There are other very good offenses like the Ravens or Lions who are better bets to lead the NFL in most offensive categories. But Tampa Bay is only a top five offense again, that's pretty good. Best-case scenario The Buccaneers have an edge the Eagles, Lions, Rams, 49ers and other NFC contenders don't have. Tampa Bay plays in the worst division in the conference. If the Falcons (who haven't had a winning season since 2017) are just average again, the Buccaneers could win the division by a few games. And if the other divisions beat themselves up, it's not outrageous to believe the Bucs could backdoor their way into a No. 1 seed. Baker Mayfield had a circuitous route to being a top-10 quarterback, but that's his level now. The offense should be one of the NFL's best, as long as left tackle Tristan Wirfs returns and is healthy. Tampa's defense wasn't terrible last season and if it can creep up just a bit after a big improvement down the stretch, the Buccaneers will be dangerous. It would sneak up on a lot of people, but we might look up in the second half of the season and realize the Bucs are Super Bowl contenders. Nightmare scenario Every year we underrate the loss of good coordinators. While it seems like the transition from Liam Coen to Josh Grizzard should be seamless, Coen was one of the NFL's best coordinators last season and Grizzard has never run an offense before. Maybe the downgrade will be a big problem. Also, Mike Evans won't be racking up 1,000-yard seasons forever, Chris Godwin is coming off a serious ankle injury and Emeka Egbuka is an unproven rookie. Perhaps the Bucs' offense won't be as good as it looks on paper, especially if elite left tackle Tristan Wirfs never gets right, and the defense is far from elite. Tampa Bay lost seven regular-season games and went one-and-done in the playoffs; perhaps it's just a bad division merchant. And it's not like the Falcons don't feel good about their chances of improving and passing the Bucs. The crystal ball says I'm high on the Buccaneers. Offensive success is fairly predictable from year to year, and the Bucs' offense was very good last season. With Chris Godwin back in the lineup, Emeka Egbuka on board and Bucky Irving being the RB1 from the beginning of the season on, Tampa Bay should be even better on offense. Todd Bowles is a good defensive coach and there is some talent on that side, so the strides made there late last season could stick. I'm not buying the Falcons taking much of a jump this season, and that would leave the Buccaneers as the best team in the division by a wide margin. I don't think Tampa Bay will be the NFC's No. 1 seed, but if the division is as soft as I think it might be, the Bucs have a shot at it. I'm likely far more bullish on the Buccaneers than the consensus, but that's OK. This team is about to level up to being a contender.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
John Mateer builds game by watching OU football greats Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray
ATLANTA — John Mateer didn't grow up rooting much for a specific school. But OU football's new starting quarterback, who grew up in the Dallas area, watched and rooted for specific quarterbacks. Former TCU star Trevone Boykin, who starred for the Horned Frogs from 2012-15, was at the top of that list. There are plenty of others, though. 'Lamar (Jackson), Baker (Mayfield), Kyler (Murray),' Mateer said Wednesday at SEC media days. 'There's a lot. Max Duggan, I liked him a little bit because some people said I was a little like him, just the way he plays — so tough. There's more but there's a lot. I like to take little things from everybody's game.' There are plenty of standout names on that list, but certainly Mayfield and Murray are the two that stand out most to OU fans. More: OU football announces details for Meet the Sooners Day The quarterback duo, who won back-to-back Heisman trophies — Mayfield in 2017, Murray in 2018 — are two of the best quarterbacks in Sooners' history. So what did Mateer take from each? First up, Mayfield, who threw for 4,627 yards and 43 touchdowns in 2017. 'I think Baker's toughness is just something that every quarterback needs to have,' Mateer said. 'I feel like if you're not giving everything you have then why should your other teammates when you're supposed to be the leader. So you've got to do it and he's so good. I go back and watch highlights because they're just fun to watch.' And what has Mateer taken from watching Murray, who threw for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns and ran for 1,001 yards and 12 scores in his Heisman season? 'When Kyler played I just felt like he was running,' Mateer said. 'He was outrunning everybody every play and I'd love to do that. I'm not quite that fast, but something like that would be awesome.' Mateer showed plenty of quickness last season, when he ran for 826 yards and 15 scores to go along with 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns through the air. More: Why OU football GM Jim Nagy says Sooners have NFL player at 'every position' Ryan Aber covers OU athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Ryan? He can be reached at raber@ or on Twitter at @RyAber. Sign up for the OU Sooners newsletter to access more OU coverage. Support Ryan's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What John Mateer learned from OU legends Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray
