After the Bucs’ first game of the season, Baker Mayfield has found himself under a microscope — and perhaps nowhere more than among Tampa Bay’s own fanbase.

In this week’s Slivon’s Slant, I wanted to take a closer look at why Mayfield is under fire while also sharing exclusive insight from wide receiver Ted Hurst III and center Graham Barton, who I spoke with at the team’s facility this week ahead of Sunday’s game against the Browns.

The Conversation Around Baker Mayfield Has Curiously Shifted, But Why?

Maybe it is just the rumblings I have heard from various friends, family, coworkers at my day job, and the readers and viewers of PewterReport.com and our PewterReportTV YouTube Channel.

Over the past year or so, I have noticed a notable change in tone when quarterback Baker Mayfield is brought up.

After signing with the team in 2023, the fanbase seemed cautiously optimistic about his ability to turn things around with the Bucs. There is no question Mayfield was a bargain that season, taking his game to another level down the stretch and getting Tampa Bay a playoff win.

The 2024 season under offensive coordinator Liam Coen brought even better personal results, even though that year ended with a Wild Card loss to the Commanders. It was hard to find much wrong with Mayfield’s play, as he had a career year with 4,500 passing yards and 41 touchdowns.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and former OC Liam Coen – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Then came 2025, when during the first half of the year, he played like an MVP favorite leading the team to a 6-2 start. What propelled him during that eight-game stretch was his efficiency, throwing 13 touchdowns to just two interceptions. That changed as the losses added up and as Netflix’s Quarterback series showed, he was dealing with injuries and was not playing at 100%. That contributed to his declining play, as he threw 13 touchdowns to nine interceptions over the last nine games.

Looking at his Bucs tenure to this point, he has exceeded even the loftiest expectations in turning his career around.

Yet, it has not felt like enough to some. I understand why, but I think the reaction has gone too far.

Perhaps it is the fact the team has failed to win a playoff game since the 2023 season. Todd Bowles remaining the head coach has not been the most popular decision, to say the least. Wide receiver Mike Evans and inside linebacker Lavonte David leaving this past offseason did not help morale, nor did seeing Mayfield publicly air his grievances about not getting a contract during training camp.

The frustration surrounding Mayfield’s inability to lead the team beyond the first round of the playoffs is warranted, but there is still hope for what this team can be moving forward with him leading the way.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Matt Matera/PR

The idea of Mayfield being a top-10 to top-12 quarterback again is not far-fetched if everything clicks under offensive coordinator Zac Robinson this season.

Finding the right guy is harder than it looks; just look at the Bucs’ track record of drafting first-round quarterbacks since 1976.

It makes more sense why the team decided to lock in what they know rather than venture once again into the unknown. What were the other options for the team in 2027 or 2028? They have too much talent to bottom out completely for a top pick, and the free agent market is often thin at the most important position.

To those who are starting to regularly put Mayfield on blast, pump the brakes – for now.

While recent results have been disappointing, especially his three costly fumbles in a 33-27, season-opening loss at Cincinnati last week, much of his time in Tampa Bay can be seen in a positive light from an objective point of view. There is no sugarcoating his three inexcusable fumbles last week, but it is one game. With Mayfield having thrown only four passes in the preseason, some early-season sloppiness was to be expected as players across the league got back into the rhythm of regular-season football.

Yes, there will be highs and lows with Mayfield’s play. That comes with the territory at this point. I would not count him out just yet, and with his new contract on the books, he will not be going anywhere anytime soon. Let’s revisit this discussion in January.

Ted Hurst III Shares What He Learned From His First NFL Game

Bucs wide receiver Ted Hurst III saw more playing time than expected over the summer with various injuries at the position. That trend continued in his first NFL game, as even with Chris Godwin Jr. and Emeka Egbuka playing, Hurst played 75% of the offensive snaps.

It was not until the fourth quarter that he made an impact with three straight catches for 36 yards, including an impressive snag for his first career catch.

Talking with Pewter Report this week, Tampa Bay’s third-round pick had to adjust to an actual in-game setting.

“There is a whole game sheet,” Hurst said. “The calls they are going to make on third down, first and second down, third-and-long, or whatever. I got a chance to see that, develop, and get ready and prepare myself. I probably knew every call on that game sheet. It gave me the self-confidence to go out there and play fast.”

There is going to be a learning curve when it comes to playing in the system, but Hurst’s ability to make an impact late speaks to staying focused and being patient. So far, he likes how Zac Robinson’s offense caters to the entire passing game.

Bucs WR Ted Hurst – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I stayed in it, stayed ready when my opportunity came and it was in the fourth quarter, kind of late,” Hurst said. “I understood – as long as I’m putting it on film that I can get open. When the opportunity comes, making a play. That is how I looked at it. We’ve got great receivers. It’s a great system; I like the routes we run. It definitely is going to get us open and cause problems against other defenses.”

Entering the league out of Georgia State, he also shared how playing on the road against the Bengals was a completely different atmosphere. The only other game he could compare it to was when the Panthers took on Ole Miss in last year’s season-opener.

“The environment was pretty loud,” Hurst said. “I understand that it’s probably going to be chaotic on every third down, maybe second-and-long. We had an “OK” audience every time at Georgia State, so just kind of adjusting to that being in the huddle hearing the plays.”

That is something Hurst will have to deal with each game, but there will be more cheers this Sunday when the Bucs take on the Browns at Raymond James Stadium.

“That Kansas City game [in the preseason] gave me a smell of what the environment is like,” Hurst said. “The cannon was awesome… preparing for this weekend, big upcoming week for us. I’m definitely ready.”

He will have to be, as in the Browns’ secondary, they have All-Pro cornerback Denzel Ward and established veterans in cornerback Tyson Campbell and safety Grant Delpit. Hurst recognizes the challenge, but he trusts in his coaches and himself to get the job done.

“They’re great players but my coach is going to coach me up. He’s watched film on these players; I’m going to watch film on these players. If I do what I know I can do, go out there and play strong, fast and physical, then there’s no doubt to it.”

Graham Barton Was The Bright Spot Of Bucs Offensive Line In Week 1

Graham Barton had the most difficult test of any Bucs’ offensive lineman this past Sunday. The Bengals showed that they have an improved front seven, but Barton limited Cincinnati’s biggest offseason acquisition — defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. The 6-foot-5, 350-pound Lawrence is an absolute behemoth up front and Barton laughed when I brought up his weight, stating he seems even bigger than that.

Still, the third-year center handled one of the toughest tests he will have all season, preventing ‘Sexy Dexy’ from making much of an impact as Lawrence finished the game without recording a tackle.

Barton’s performance went under the radar considering all the fumbles the offense had, but I picked his brain to get his perspective on how he handled facing Lawrence and former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen.

“I thought we did pretty solid against those two,” Barton said. “Obviously, Ben [Bredeson] and I had a twist that we didn’t get picked up that led to a sack [by Jonathan Allen]. Other than that play, I can’t think of anything. In the run game, [Dexter Lawrence] makes it hard to get up to the linebackers because he eats up the double team. I thought it went pretty decent, some plays could have been better but for a guy of that stature and that prestige. He’s a really good player; we limited his impact on the game.”

This is a critical year for Barton, as the former first-round pick must prove capable of holding down the center position.

Bucs C Graham Barton and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Given his draft pedigree, it is expected that he improves and becomes an above-average player. After a promising performance to start the season, he will have another tough test against the Browns.

“Personnel-wise, they’re a lot different than Cincinnati,” Barton added. “Dexter likes to play in that wide stance, big guy, hands-on right away. [Cleveland] is going to jet up the field and run off the ball. They’re a little more shifty, so a different mindset going into it. They’re great players — we’ve played [Maliek] Collins here before, we all have a lot of respect for him. Mason Graham, young kid who is only getting better and better. Good defensive front, we fully expect them to come out ready to go and we have to be ready to go, too.”

Closing Slant

The focus of this week’s Slivon’s Slant was on the Bucs offense. Seeing them in action for the first time, there were promising signs in how Baker Mayfield distributed the football around and when the run game had the chance to get involved. There is no minimizing the sloppiness that contributed to Tampa Bay starting the year 0-1, but the season is just beginning.

When it comes to Mayfield, I know there are some who do not believe he is the right guy to bring this team to a Super Bowl.

Some believe his three-year, $165 million contract extension was a misfire.

With just one game to go off in this new-look offense, let’s be patient.

The same can be said for wide receiver Ted Hurst III and center Graham Barton, as they are two promising players expected to support and protect Mayfield. A win against the Browns might not mean much from the outside, but it is the kind of confidence booster the team needs before facing some tougher opponents in the coming weeks.

For Mayfield, Hurst, Barton and this new-look offense, the real evaluation has already begun and will be underway for weeks to come.