In the two games that Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield has returned to the lineup following his thumb injury, he has thrown for 64 yards total with one touchdown pass. In Sunday’s win over the Falcons he threw for zero yards and no completions. And yet the Bucs have never looked more dominant this season, outscoring their opponents 59-13 in the last two games.

The major credit goes to a running game that has gone for over 500 rushing yards in that span and a defense that has created eight turnovers in that time frame. This has allowed for quarterback to continue to heal his thumb without putting too much pressure on it. And it’s no sweat off of Mayfield’s back, who would rather give up all of his stats for a Bucs victory.

“It’s winning – that’s the way I think about it,” Mayfield said after getting the win despite no completions in the game. We won. [It’s] getting our guys lined up, making sure we are running the right run plays. Obviously, ball security [is crucial] in these conditions – we had some early ones. We decided to go to the shotgun and pistol sets – it’s just easier to receive the snaps instead of it coming back through your hands under center.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

“So, going from there and just trying to manage the game. [It’s] time management and just trying to bleed the clock as much as possible. Just get everybody on the same page and go from there. That’s my job in these conditions and, listen, I will do whatever it takes to win. That’s all that matters to me.”

It’s been exceptional to watch what Tampa Bay has done. But…is it sustainable?

At some point the Bucs are going to have to be able to throw the football. That’s especially true when the next two matchups for Tampa Bay are against high powered offenses in the Bears, followed by the Lions as the Bucs come out of their bye week.

Bucs Confident In Passing Game Based On Looks In Practice

There’s still some questions about the Bucs’ ability to get the passing game going. They’ve failed to push the ball down the field, and anytime they go horizontal with a screen or swing pass, that hasn’t found success either. Ask any Bucs coach or player, though, and they’ll tell you its fixed.

“I’ve seen it in practice,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said as he began to reference why they didn’t throw the ball against Atlanta or Carolina. “The conditions [didn’t require it]…Carolina just got away in the second quarter, and we kind of got ahead. Yesterday, it was kind of impossible to throw, especially early on. In the last part of the ballgame, we had the lead and we really didn’t have to throw the ball. You saw what happened when they threw the football.

But we see it every day in practice, [I am] very confident. I thought Baker [Mayfield] had a great week of practice throwing the football, but we knew what the conditions were going to be. Obviously, as they turned out, it was pretty much a monsoon most of the ballgame, so we didn’t have to throw it. We kind of [grinded] it out, but [I’m] very confident our passing game will be fine.”

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Just two weeks ago Baker Mayfield and Zac Robinson had a “tough conversation” about the passing game. Whatever they might have solved must have come in practice because they haven’t needed to use it in the game.

If the Bucs can continue to pound the rock over and over each game, that would be fantastic. Reality says, though, that eventually they’ll need to throw it to win a game. Hopefully it’ll be ready when it’s called.

“I’m very confident in it,” Mayfield said. “Obviously, the last two weeks we haven’t needed it, and today was more condition-based, but I’m very confident in the fact that we’ll be just fine. We’ve had two really good weeks of practice when it comes to the pass game stuff. We’ve been prepared. Whenever we need it, we’ll have it.