Baker Mayfield: The running game is the biggest difference between last year and now

The Buccaneers won the NFC South in 2023 and beat the Eagles in the opener before losing 31-23 in Detroit to end their season.

Last Sunday’s win over the Saints gave the Bucs another division title and they will be matched up against another NFC East team in the leaders in the opener. They won’t face the Lions again if they win, but the question of whether that will be the only difference from last year looms over the team as they head into Sunday.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield shared the part of the offense that makes him believe the team can last longer this time around.

“The biggest difference It is a running gameMayfield said on the team’s website. “When we needed to run the ball to win games, we were able to do that. That’s a physical mentality and everyone is on the same page with it and understands that when you get into a certain situation late in the game when you have to run the clock, we’re able to do that. For me This is the biggest difference in terms of player skill in the passing game. Yes, we communicate a little bit but the biggest difference is the running game.

The Bucs finished last in the league in rushing yards in 2023 while averaging a career-worst 3.4 yards per carry. They added running back Bucky Erving in the draft and now rank third in the league in yards per carry. They have outscored their last eight opponents and gone 6-2 in those games, so a home run against Washington would be a good sign for their chances of going deeper into the postseason.