Perfect description
“Us kind of getting game-planned and getting worn down a little bit,” Otton began of what he learned from last year. “You know, I think we all just want to make sure none of that happens this year. We want to start fast. We want to finish strong.
“I think early in the season we were able to have a lot of fourth quarter wins, and you know, sometimes that’s not just sustainable.
“So we we want to do our part to to be ready to win early and often. Not every game has to be close. We need to separate ourselves and blow some games out early and find a way to win late.”
The MIRAGE of 2025
Game 1 - 3 point win, Falcons miss tying FG
Game 2 - 1 point win, Mayfield late TD drive
Game 3 - 2 point win, was a blowout but had to kick a late FG to win
Game 4 - LOSS
Game 5 - 3 point win, lasts second FG
Game 6 - Blowout (injured 49ers)
Once they started to play tougher, motivated teams and there was plenty of film out came the RBs and TEs especially late.
We lost close game back half and won them from half when Baker was healthy.
That Texans win really fucked our seasons with a few key players
We lost close game back half and won them from half when Baker was healthy.
That Texans win really fucked our seasons with a few key players
Again, the team’s two best wins of the season came after the Texans game and Mayfield’s injury. Why he was able to play so well vs. SF & Seattle while injured, while missing other top players, but play so poorly down the stretch - after getting Evans, Godwin, Irving, Wirfs, & Goedeke back?
Mayfield threw 11 interceptions last season. Nine of those came in the last eight games. Players aren’t static. They have up’s and down’s. Baker Mayfield had his up’s even when he was injured and missing major contributors on offense, and he gets credit for that. Then, Baker Mayfield had his down’s after getting those major contributors back, and he gets the blame for that. I’m pretty sure he would tell you the same thing.
There doesn’t always have to be an outside excuse for poor play. Sometimes, dudes simply don’t play well. Baker Mayfield simply didn’t play well the last half of the season.
Mayfield threw 11 interceptions last season. Nine of those came in the last eight games. Players aren’t static. They have up’s and down’s. Baker Mayfield had his up’s even when he was injured and missing major contributors on offense, and he gets credit for that. Then, Baker Mayfield had his down’s after getting those major contributors back, and he gets the blame for that. I’m pretty sure he would tell you the same thing.
"I'm telling you, Baker was going through a lot," David said. "Baker had a lot of injuries that you didn't expect a quarterback to play through. He had the oblique injury, he had the shoulder injury, he had a lot of things -- like ankle injury, knee injury -- he had a lot of stuff he was going through. The season's over now, I can talk about it, but he had a lot of stuff that he was going through and he was really trying to push and really trying to be the player that we needed him to be.”
Also, the wear of the season caught up to him. Which isn’t an indictment on his ability so much as it’s a fact. Boxers look more crisp at the beginning of a match than they do in the later rounds. Go watch the Rocky series.
There doesn’t always have to be an outside excuse for poor play. Sometimes, dudes simply don’t play well. Baker Mayfield simply didn’t play well the last half of the season.
Everything you post is dishonest so you only exist by creating straw men like the one in bold.
Its not excusing Mayfield's play to highlight other contributing factors. Its providing CONTEXT.
The point of Otton's comment is that they were never playing very well, they just overcame it early. That was in large part due to Mayfield, but not exclusively. That success evaporated as they played better team and even prepared teams (game planning) and injuries piled up.
Even the most uninformed or inexperienced NFL fan should still be able to see that an NFL season is an evolutionary process. Teams put film up as the season goes on, good and bad. Winning teams are capable of ADAPTING their play. Bad teams are not.
So here is the easy comparison:
Kyle Pitts was a big part of the game plan for the Falcons in week 1, so was Bijon Robinson receiving, but the Bucs still beat them.
Same in the week 15 loss, but BOTH contributing even MORE. Robinson running and Pitts 3TDs
Mayfield has a chance to seal that week 15 game and throws and interception so he is DEFINITELY part of that loss BUT he's also sacked 5 times and still throws 2 TDs. The Falcons went even more to Pitts because of LB crew was a nearly dead LVD and 2 practice squa guys. We were alos down to Izien who is a 5 foot guy, against 6 6' Pitts. The Bucs ultimately lose because a backup, Vildor, makes a terrible play on a relatively straight forward zone defense.
So that LOSS is not all Mayfield, right? There are other contributing factors?
In Game 1 Mayfield is only sacked ONCE and throws 3 TDS one being a late TD throw to take the lead. We still only win because Falcons miss a FG (Otton's point)
So, in our two games against the Falcons, Mayfield is the hero of WK1 victory and then NOT the goat of the week 15 loss, he plays okay UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Yet, in Biggs (and Badabing?) world . . . that week 15 loss is defining of Mayfield.
That is why you need your stramwan. Its your position that is indefensible OTHERWISE. Its your position that ignores the context thats why you have to reframe the context as an "excuse." To ignore it.
*
It is your position that ignores the context thats why you have to reframe the context as an "excuse." To ignore it. Mayfield is not evendefined by his 20255 . .. he is the defined ONLY by the late games of 2025.
LMAO
*
That is why you need your straman. It is your position that is indefensible OTHERWISE
“Us kind of getting game-planned
Cade, with all due respect, are you going to mention how nice of a guy that your HC is?
And, besides, it's just some communication issues. We'll get it squared away soon.
Let's see Cade
We are sitting at 5-1, in prime time, down 14-0 to the Detroit Lions, ball at midfield after a missed field goal. We can close the GAP...ah no, you somehow have an INT fully credited to you to kill any momentum. The offense never recovered after that play for the entire season.
Then last fast forwarded, the Rams prime time game, down 7-0, coming off 2 straight losses. We can right the ship! Oh no, you somehow get another INT fully credited to you but this one is for a pick Six essentially ended the game in the first quarter.
And somehow being a fringe top 20 tight end in the league, you get a new contract with us.
It's been the motto under Todd Bowles....MID
The anger at Otton. LOL.
And somehow being a fringe top 20 tight end in the league, you get a new contract with us. . . .
Didnt he get paid roughly as a "fringe top 20?" He's basically a very good BLOCKING tight end (top 5-10 as a pass blocker) who can also catch the ball in a competent offense
Anyway, the Bucs are going into the 2026 season with new draft picks, value free agents and light at CB, so where and who were they going to get to replace Otton? Teams have to have TEs.
By the way, did you think the 2025 Bucs were better than the 2025 Rams? 2025 Lions? (Otton's point)
Interesting take by JQ, particularly for those who think PFF stats are "objective" lol
https://www.pewterreport.com/cade-ottons-polarizing-play/
By the way, did you think the 2025 Bucs were better than the 2025 Rams? 2025 Lions? (Otton's point)
No, i thought the Rams and Lions were better team and feel the same about 2026. how about you?
It is the HC job to motivate players down the stretch. We gave credit to Bowles rallying his troops in 2024 and 2025 but now we have to cast the blame on him. Yes players played poorly down the stretch but it is a HC to find out why and fix it before the season ends.
Bowles seems like the type were he needs someone else to run the HC position while he focuses on the defense.
It is the HC job to motivate players down the stretch. We gave credit to Bowles rallying his troops in 2024 and 2025 but now we have to cast the blame on him. Yes players played poorly down the stretch but it is a HC to find out why and fix it before the season ends.
Bowles seems like the type were he needs someone else to run the HC position while he focuses on the defense.
i dont know how the players and fans dont get fired up when they hear that low energy "YEEEEAAAAH" in the locker room after our wins.
but it is a HC to find out why and fix it before the season ends.
its the HC responsibility if it does not get fixed, but what was the "fix"to get Vildor you to his basic, routine job on 3rd and 28 or whatever it was against the Falcons? Or to get Nick Jackson to be a basic NFL linebacker as rookie UFA
My point is that HCs get credit and blame for player execution, it doesn't mean they deserve it either way. Some of it is talent or lack of talent. some of that is depth or lack of depth
Bowles is responsible either way.
We lost close game back half and won them from half when Baker was healthy.
That Texans win really fucked our seasons with a few key players
Again, the team’s two best wins of the season came after the Texans game and Mayfield’s injury. Why he was able to play so well vs. SF & Seattle while injured, while missing other top players, but play so poorly down the stretch - after getting Evans, Godwin, Irving, Wirfs, & Goedeke back?
Mayfield threw 11 interceptions last season. Nine of those came in the last eight games. Players aren’t static. They have up’s and down’s. Baker Mayfield had his up’s even when he was injured and missing major contributors on offense, and he gets credit for that. Then, Baker Mayfield had his down’s after getting those major contributors back, and he gets the blame for that. I’m pretty sure he would tell you the same thing.
There doesn’t always have to be an outside excuse for poor play. Sometimes, dudes simply don’t play well. Baker Mayfield simply didn’t play well the last half of the season.
Yeah that cuts both ways. Jordan can play with the flu and have his career defining flu game but that doesn't mean he's playing at the same level he would if healthy.
Same can be said of any injury. It's all just statistical likelihoods.
What you've created is causation without correlation.
In no world, despite Baker playing through the injury and winning games, would we prefer Baker to have these injuries vs NOT have them.
And just because he won a few more games, gutting it out through the injury, doesn't mean it didn't affect him. It also doesn't mean the injuries didn't get worse over time. It also doesn't mean he didn't get different added injuries. It also doesn't mean that the psychological affect of the injuries didn't make him play worse over time.
I've had similar things happen to me. I sprain my ankle and I play through it and play well. The next few weeks I play worse... Then I get in my own head. Maybe I shouldn't shoot. Maybe I shouldn't drive. Then I'm in a funk... But I played lights out right after the injury so why could that possibly be an excuse?
You're looking at this binary but accusing me of being binary when we ALL KNOW players play better healthy.
And none of this takes into account the injury that actually limited his velocity and caused him to second guess throws thus leading to less accuracy and more picks
