Sunday's 23-20 win for the Bucs wasn't necessarily a vintage performance by quarterback Baker Mayfield. But it embodied his gritty, never give up, play every play like everything is on the line type of core. It's what Bucs fans have come to love about him.

Mayfield will be the first to tell you that there were mistakes made. Several of  his throws were off point and probably should have been intercepted. The spark came alive in crunch time when it was needed most during a 25-yard touchdown pass to Emeka Egbuka that ended up being the game winning play.

But how did he get it done in between all of that? When things weren't gong his way he relied on his mobility to get the job done. It's become a secret weapon for him at this point in now three seasons with the Bucs. Baker Mayfield's ability to extend plays has been very important and Sunday is another example of it.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

Baker Mayfield won't ever be put in the running quarterback category in the same way that everyone views Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen. But because of that, he can surprise some defenses when he does get off to the races. Mayfield was the leading runner for Tampa Bay on Sunday with 39 yards on five attempts, although his last rush was taking a knee to finish the game.

Baker Mayfield Continues To Get The Job Done

So of the the four meaningful rushes he had, three of them were rushes on third down that got Tampa Bay a first down. His opening run happened in the second quarter on a third-and-2 where Mayfield scampered for five yards, eventually leading to a field goal.

The next was his biggest of the day with a 20-yard run on third-and-six that kept the driving going. It ultimately led to a Bucky Irving receiving touchdown. Baker Mayfield had a 10-yard run at the beginning of the fourth quarter to extend the drive on a third-and-nine, just getting enough to keep the chains moving. Tampa Bay eventually had to punt, but it helped with their time of possession and was another example of Baker's improv leading to moving the ball down the field.

If teams aren't going to account for him, he'll take advantage of it.

"On third downs, when they play man coverage and do a good job of actually guarding it, that means free lanes for me," Mayfield said. "Nobody's accounting for me unless they have a spy, which they didn't. So just trying to take advantage of that. On top of that third-down stuff, I thought the offensive line played unbelievable. Looking at some of the pressures are completely on me, I've got to flip the protection. That's on me."

Baker Mayfield still wants to throw first, but if the lanes open and he can beat the defender to the marker, he's going to do it. And if teams start to keep a spy on him, that's one less player in coverage trying to stop Mike Evans, Egbuka and company. He gave credit to the Falcons' secondary as well, saying their coverage didn't allow for as many deep shots as they wanted.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

"A few of them, I would say, I moved on in the progression too quickly," Mayfield said. "I think I had some of the earlier reads, and if I just did it, took my time, read it out and played it. They did a good job of taking out the deep shots early on. Really trying to see if I was impatient and that's why when I said we were sloppy. I could have taken a lot more check downs and some underneath throws in the beginning to be more efficient instead of going three and out. So, we'll look at it. They did a good job sinking underneath some throws today."

The more his running brings attention, the more it creates opportunities for the rest of the group on offense. The deep shots will come in time as the season goes along.

"I think the faster the game speeds up, the calmer he is," Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said. "He understands what he has to do, and he understands when he has to run. He understands who he has to get to. He can see when DBs are cheating. It's a focus that he can see in the field a lot better and a lot quicker. He's calm."