On Football: Baker Mayfield's success in Tampa Bay has turned him into a coach-builder

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Baker Mayfield revived his career in Tampa Bay and became a coach-builder in the process.

Mayfield’s success with the Buccaneers in 2023 helped Dave Canales become head coach of the Carolina Panthers after just one season as an offensive coordinator. Mayfield has played even better under Liam Coen, who will be among the top candidates for coaching vacancies this offseason.

The Buccaneers (9-7) need a victory over the Saints (5-11) on Sunday to clinch their fourth straight NFC South title. With Mayfield and the offense playing at a high level, Tampa Bay has an opportunity to extend its season deep into January. The Buccaneers advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs last season before losing at Detroit.

At some point, Coen will get an opportunity to interview with other teams. The Jets, Saints and Bears are looking for new coaches with more openings to come next week.

Coen is focused on the task in front of him with the Bucs.

“That was one of the best Sundays I’ve had in a long time, man,” Coen said Thursday about a 48-14 victory over the Panthers. “And I wasn’t thinking about anything else besides this. So really, at the end of the day, that stuff can wait a long time if it’s the right thing. And for us to keep moving forward doing the right things, we can wait a long time on that one.”

Last year, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson had several interviews but decided to return to Detroit instead of accepting a head coach position. He’ll be a hot candidate again this cycle.

Coen could follow a similar path, talk to a few teams, gain valuable interview experience and stay another year in Tampa Bay if the right situation isn’t available.

“Yeah, I do believe I’m ready to do so. I don’t think you’re ever truly fully ready, but yeah, that is a dream,” Coen said of his coaching aspirations. “Does that need to happen when I’m 39 years old and having probably the most fun of my life coaching and working and being here? No, that doesn’t mean that needs to occur right now. But yeah, that is the goal. That is absolutely the goal. But like I said before, that goal can hold off for a while here and continue to do what we’re doing. That would be pretty special.”

Mayfield threw for 4,044 yards with 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for a 94.6 passer rating in 2023. The Buccaneers had the 23rd-ranked offense in total yards, 17th in passing and last in rushing. They averaged 20.5 points per game.

This season, Mayfield has 4,279 yards passing, 39 TDs, 15 interceptions and a 107.6 passer rating. His 71.7 completion percentage is tied with Jared Goff for fifth-best in a single season. The Buccaneers are third in total offense, third in passing and fourth in rushing. They’re scoring 29.7 points per game.

“Great offensive coordinators always dial things up to the strengths of their players, and that’s what Liam has done,” Mayfield said. “He’s had to adjust on the fly. We were looking at this thing being in a lot of ’11′ personnel early in the year and then adjusting and seeing how this run game is growing. ... That package has just continued to grow. The great ones adjust, and Liam has done just that.”

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles is on the verge of winning his third division title in three seasons with three different offensive coordinators. He fired Byron Leftwich following the 2022 season, just two years after the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl with Tom Brady. Canales came in from Seattle and brought out the best in Mayfield, who bounced around from the Browns to the Panthers to the Rams in 2022.

Coen spent 2023 as Kentucky’s offensive coordinator after serving in that role under Sean McVay with the Rams when Mayfield started four games for Los Angeles.

“It’s really attention to detail,” Bowles said about what Coen does best. “I think it all starts with the run game — how can we run it off of this? How can we throw it off of this? What did we do last week? What do we see? What do they see? And kind of putting it together that way so with the coaches collaborating upstairs and then giving it to the players and feeding it downstairs and Baker executing it all on the field — the camaraderie and the coordination with those guys, the chemistry of seeing it the same way has been very good.”

It all starts with Mayfield, the former No. 1 overall pick discarded by Cleveland when the Browns made a regretful trade for Deshaun Watson. His success turned Canales into a head coach and could do the same for Coen.

First, they have important business together in Tampa Bay. Everything else can wait.

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