By Ruth Caguias and Jim Williams – Capital Sports Network
In Week 3, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield once again delivered in crunch time, engineering a last-minute drive to secure a 29-27 victory over the New York Jets and push the Bucs to their first 3-0 start since 2004. This time, it happened in front of a roaring sellout crowd at Raymond James Stadium, where Mayfield cemented his growing reputation as the NFL’s new king of the two-minute drill.
MUST READS
Cool Under Pressure
Mayfield has now led game-winning drives in all three contests to open the 2025 season. In Week 1, he found rookie Emeka Egbuka with 59 seconds left to edge the Falcons 23-20. In Week 2, he orchestrated an 11-play march capped by Rachaad White’s go-ahead touchdown with six seconds remaining to stun the Texans. And in Week 3, after Jets defender Will McDonald returned a blocked field goal for a go-ahead score with 1:49 left, Mayfield calmly guided the Bucs into field goal range, setting up Chase McLaughlin’s game-winner as time expired.
Bucs win on a last-second field goal! pic.twitter.com/zcm43dJTEG
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025
Mayfield finished Sunday’s game completing 19-of-29 passes (65.6%) for 233 yards and a touchdown, with zero interceptions, earning a 101.7 passer rating. He also added 44 rushing yards on four carries. Through three weeks, Mayfield has thrown six touchdowns without a single pick—joining Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen as the only quarterbacks with five or more TDs and zero interceptions as of Sunday’s 1:00 p.m. slate.
Statistically, Mayfield is among the NFL’s elite early in the season. He’s one of just two quarterbacks (alongside Daniel Jones) to post a passer rating of 98.0 or higher in all three games. Dating back to 2024, Mayfield has recorded eight consecutive games with a passer rating above 93.0—the longest active streak in the league.
He Is The Closer
During Tampa Bay’s final possession against the Jets, Mayfield completed two clutch passes for 47 yards and posted a 93.8 passer rating. Since joining the Buccaneers, he leads the NFL in passer rating (101.6), passing yards (571), and is tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns (five) in the final two minutes of regulation (minimum 50 attempts).
And he’s done it all behind a patchwork offensive line and without his top two receivers. Next week, Mayfield and the Bucs face their stiffest test yet as the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles come to town. But if the first three weeks are any indication, Mayfield’s clutch gene is alive and well—and Tampa Bay is riding it all the way to the top.
