With the year that Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen and quarterback Baker Mayfield are having, it’s fair to say that each has been at the top of their respective games. Where does that leave them compared with the top quarterback-offensive coach duos in the league?

On The 33rd Team, former NFL executive Jeff Diamond recently went through such an exercise. After years of Tampa Bay and its players going overlooked, there is no denying just how elite of a pairing Coen and Mayfield have formed.

Baker Mayfield and Liam Coen Are Tied At The Hip

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

There is a strong correlation between a quarterback’s success and the team he leads. That is why on Jeff Diamond’s list, nine of the ten pairings he discusses are expected to make the playoffs. Smack dab in the middle are the Bucs, who currently have an 83% chance to make the playoffs and would be the No. 3 seed if the season ended today.

Mayfield is coming off one of his best games of the year which earned him NFC Offensive Player Of The Week and was worth breaking down further. Here is what Diamond had to say about what he has done under the tutelage of Coen, placing the pairing fifth in the NFL.

Like Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield is on his fourth NFL team. He’s finding his greatest career success statistically in Tampa Bay and has led the 8-6 Bucs to four straight wins and the NFC South lead. He’s coming off a four-touchdown pass game in Tampa Bay’s 40-17 win against the Chargers in L.A.

Working with new Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator Liam Coen, Mayfield has achieved career-highs with 32 TD passes and a 104.1 passer rating that ranks sixth in the league. He’s also rushed for 266 yards and three TDs.

He made his first Pro Bowl last season as he led the Bucs to the NFC South title with five wins in the last six games and a dominant wild card victory against the Eagles and has taken his play to a higher level under Coen.

The 39-year-old Coen worked with Sean McVay as Rams OC in 2022 before a stint as Kentucky’s OC in 2023. He has effectively balanced the offense in Tampa Bay from 23rd ranked overall with the worst rushing attack to the No. 3 offense this season with the passing game and much improved rushing attack, and both ranked fourth league-wide.

The only duos ahead of Mayfield and Coen are as follows:

Bills OC Joe Brady and QB Josh Allen – Photo by: USA Today

Fourth: Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold and head coach Kevin O’Connell

Third: Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Monken

Second: Lions quarterback Jared Goff and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson

First: Bills quarterback Josh Allen and offensive coordinator Joe Brady

It’s hard to argue where they sit, as Allen and Jackson are MVP frontrunners and have put up otherworldly production for their teams as they gear up for deep playoff runs. Goff and Darnold have put together careers years and are neck-and-neck in the NFC North as each quarterback has a 12-2 record deep into December.

Having Baker Mayfield Was “A Very Nice Cherry On Top” For Liam Coen

Baker Mayfield has enjoyed the best season of his career this season while operating Liam Coen’s offense. Coen’s wizardry to have them averaging 28.8 points per game has started to put him on the map for NFL head coaching gigs, but for now, he is working to put the finishing touches on a productive year.

Bucs OC Liam Coen – Photo by: USA Today

Taking the job this past offseason after serving as the offensive coordinator at Kentucky, plenty of factors convinced him this was a gig worth taking. He was not going to pass it up, but working with Mayfield again was something he wanted. Collaborating with him has paid off.

“It obviously had a lot to do with it, even though I wanted to be here regardless at that time,” Coen said this week. “This was an opportunity I definitely couldn’t pass up, regardless of the quarterback situation, although that was a very nice cherry on top when it ended up working out that way. Over the last few weeks, even when there are mistakes or things happen, you don’t need to rip him during a game – he’s kind of ticked [off] enough.

“You have enough communication where you let him cool off, talk to other people, and then come back together to collaborate on things. It’s been a great collaboration with him over the last few weeks, really over the whole year. When he plays like he did the other day, when his feet, timing, rhythm, and everything is calm – everything is good – there aren’t many people that can throw it as [well] as him.”

There are not as many quarterbacks who can throw as well as Baker Mayfield when he’s rolling. Thanks to Liam Coen, the offense has been rolling all season with the two of them leading the turnaround.