Baker Mayfield: ‘Whatever It Takes to Win’ — Press Conference — Tampa Bay Buccaneers

[0:01] All right, let's get this over with. [0:02] You don't want to talk to me. [0:04] So, Baker, how can you describe what happened? [0:08] O-line taking over the game. [0:09] Defense doing the same thing in these conditions. [0:12] And special teams chase perfect in these conditions. [0:15] It's big time. [0:15] Riley had some big punts, pinning them back deep. [0:17] Just complimentary football. [0:18] Doing whatever it takes in the conditions. [0:20] Everybody's going to play in it. [0:21] So, our guys handle it really, really well. [0:24] Did you ever imagine you'd have fewer pass attempts than last week? [0:28] No, but it's a win, so I'll take it, man. [0:31] You had a nice lead block there, I think, on game play. [0:34] And a little under-curricular. [0:36] Tell me about that play. [0:38] You know, if I'm not going to throw the ball, I've got to get active somehow. [0:40] So, me and Jesse, we're out there playing in the mud. [0:44] So, this is a historic win for your first quarterback. [0:47] It's been 50 years. [0:52] So, what do you think about that? [0:55] It's winning. [0:56] That's what I think about it. [0:56] We won. [0:58] And what do you do in these situations when you said you're just trying to figure out? [1:04] Yeah. [1:05] I mean, getting guys lined up, making sure we're running the right run plays. [1:08] Obviously, ball security in these conditions. [1:10] We had some early ones. [1:12] You know, decided to go to the shotgun and pistol sets. [1:15] It's just easier to receive the snaps instead of it coming back through your hands under center. [1:18] So, going from there and just really trying to manage the game. [1:21] And time management, trying to bleed as much clock as possible. [1:24] Just get everybody on the same page and go from there. [1:25] So, that's my job in these conditions. [1:27] And, listen, I'll do whatever it takes to win. [1:30] That's all that matters to me. [1:31] I figure you had decided late in the week to go without the glove. [1:33] How did you do that? [1:36] Yeah. [1:36] I mean, the three pass attempts felt fine. [1:39] Two fumble snaps. [1:42] You had one that kind of got here. [1:43] You said that's more the weather conditions that you're just talking about. [1:45] Yeah. [1:46] Yeah. [1:46] Not a thumb issue. [1:48] Did you check out any passes at all? [1:50] Did you have any off-checked tour on it? [1:53] No. [1:53] Just handing the ball off. [1:55] Do what I'm told. [1:56] How many times did you check at the line to get into better situations? [2:00] You know, it's a few times. [2:03] But not, you know, a lot of that's built into the canned criteria of first plays called. [2:07] And our coaches do a great job of, you know, the second play that's in there for the alert [2:11] and the can is going to be successful. [2:13] So, they do a good job of formatting it that way. [2:15] And our guys do an even better job of making it happen. [2:18] You guys did two big running days against Dallas. [2:21] You guys did a little lower. [2:23] Yeah. [2:25] It's big time. [2:28] You know, and I think even more so in these conditions where you know you're running it. [2:32] For our guys to just truly take over the game. [2:35] You could tell that they were feeling it. [2:37] I mean, you just want to continue to lean on that. [2:39] I mean, I don't think we had a choice with the weather. [2:40] But they were ready for it. [2:42] Dick, you guys had a great celebration. [2:46] To beat this team at this moment after an 0-4 start, what does it mean for you guys? [2:51] Yeah. [2:51] I mean, it's a long season. [2:52] You know, obviously, you guys have seen in the past where we started out really hot [2:55] and gone through the midseason lull. [2:57] So, it's all about getting hot at the right time and continuing to get better as the season [3:00] goes on since it is a long season. [3:02] So, for us, it's not how we want to start. [3:06] Don't get me wrong. [3:06] But we're continuing to improve and come together as a team and as a unit. [3:10] So, playing more complimentary football and playing for each other, which is good to see. [3:15] You know, when stuff's hitting the fan, guys are coming together and not spreading apart, [3:19] pointing fingers at each other. [3:20] We're trying to figure it out and make it work. [3:22] As you mentioned complimentary, what was it like being on the sidelines and seeing that defense? [3:27] I mean, unbelievable. [3:30] Anzalone, obviously, two of them, big time. [3:33] I know Parrish probably could have had one, too. [3:35] But, I mean, just those guys flying around making plays, it's fun to watch. [3:40] It's fun to watch our defense play to the potential that I know they have [3:43] and continue to do it a couple weeks in a row now. [3:46] Did you have a chance to talk with Stefanski either before or after the game, Victor? [3:50] Nope. [3:50] Could you talk about the leap, especially today, watching maybe your finding holes, stopping and starting, [3:59] and it's as good as it gets? [4:00] Yeah, I mean, I think both those guys, him and Kenny, were extremely patient today. [4:04] You know, seeing, trusting their tracks, being where they're supposed to be at, [4:08] but then if it's not there, being patient and not trying to cut it back every single time, [4:12] trusting these guys to continue to move the line of scrimmage and move those guys up front. [4:15] So, they did an incredible job today. [4:17] So, they're continuing to see the fruits of the labor. [4:20] Now that you guys have climbed back to three and five, [4:22] what's the message right now in the locker room as you guys prepare for Chicago? [4:26] Just got to continue to do the things that we've been getting better at the last couple weeks, [4:30] just continue to do that, lean on that, and just, like I said, it's about taking care of the football. [4:35] When we do that, we play well, we feed off each other. [4:38] So, just got to continue to do that. [4:39] It doesn't matter the stage, the setting, the conditions, just play as a unit. [4:43] Nick, obviously, at some point, you guys have got to get this back. [4:46] You've done it in the past. [4:48] What's your level that you can get that back? [4:54] I'm very confident in it. [4:55] You know, obviously, the last two weeks, we haven't needed it, and today was more condition-based. [4:59] But I'm very confident in the fact that we'll be just fine. [5:02] You know, we've had two really good weeks of practice when it comes to the past game stuff. [5:06] We've been prepared. [5:07] Yeah, whenever we need it, we'll have it. [5:10] Baker, your thoughts on the offensive line performance for today's game? [5:14] Your thoughts on the offensive line performance? [5:16] Incredible. [5:16] I mean, single season, or just a rushing record in a single game record for the Bucs franchise. [5:22] I mean, that's incredible. [5:23] So, to do that, like I said earlier, when the team knows that you're going to be running the ball, [5:27] that's imposing your will on somebody. [5:29] And it's awesome to see. [5:30] I'm happy for those guys. [5:31] Two weeks in a row of big-time ball. [5:33] Thanks, guys.