For National Football League fans who reside around the globe, the 2025 gridiron season has felt like it had been a long time coming but now that it is here, we have again seen a few incredible blowouts, some top and quite phenomenal individual moments of magic and a slight tendency for far tighter games on a points front than you would normally expect at this stage of the season.
For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers it is already looking like it could be a great year for the franchise as we are already 5-1 in our NFC South campaign and star quarterback Baker Mayfield continues to lead the side to victories, despite the fact that we keep losing key players on our roster to injuries. In last Sunday’s clash with the San Francisco 49ers we were down to our Nos 5-8 wide receivers, yet Mayfield picked them out for a pair of touchdown passes to players who had never even caught one before that had led to a score.
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The 30-19 victory in those circumstances was better than playing blackjack online with friends and coming away with the prize pot, and is in some ways exactly what fans are now beginning to expect from the side as Mayfield has taken another step in his career given the challenges that we have faced. Kameron Johnson’s 34 yard touchdown catch was his first career reception, and Tez Johnson’s 45 yard touchdown reception was only his sixth catch of the season so far for the rookie. Despite those injuries, stepping up in the way that players have has taken us to 5-1 for the sixth time in our franchise history, and even though we did have lofty expectations over the summer, we are arguably exceeding those and our current run of form is showing no signs of slowing down either.
You cannot get past the names that are missing right now though, as it epitomises just how well we are doing and just how tight a bond has been fostered and is being shared amongst those in the locker room. For the 49ers we were without our three leading receivers from 2024. Mike Evans’ hamstring injury saw him miss his third straight game, Chris Godwin Jnr was out with a fibula problem having only just returned after his prior serious ankle injury. Jalen McMillan has not been seen since his pre season neck injury, and running back Bucky Irving was out for the second straight game. Even sensational rookie Emeka Egbuka who had become our No 1 receiver injured his hamstring in the second half of the tie.
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Putting all of this into some context would even be the general demeanour of 61 year old head coach Todd Bowles. Quiet, mild mannered and with a calm external facade would be how many in the game would describe him and he has lived up to that so far when it comes to the plethora of injury issues we have suffered, remaining stoic, centred and focused on the challenge of each game. But even Mayfield’s performances so far are pushing him to breaking point, and he is beginning to show some very happy emotions indeed.
Who knew Bowles could scream so loud as he recounted the third quarter, our territory, third and 14 moment of pure Mayfield solo running as he avoided the blitz and broke the pocket.
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“First impressions was, go down and tuck the ball away, you’re gonna get killed. Then he broke out of the pocket, okay slide, slide, slide. Then he goes to the left oh my God he’s getting ready to get killed. This guy’s crazy. I think he’s gonna make it. GREAT, GREAT, GREAT JOB BAKER!”
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