The Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven't held back in their praise of Baker Mayfield after he led the team to an upset win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1. Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles called Baker Mayfield a “warrior” and compared the quarterback's mentality to that of an offensive lineman. Chris Godwin echoed a similar sentiment.

Mayfield was fine in the Buccaneers' 20-17 win over the Vikings. He completed 61.8% of his pass attempts for 173 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. What impressed Bowles and Godwin the most was the ferocity with which Mayfield played, often looking to gain a few extra yards and the expense of his own well-being.

Mayfield's mentality was highlighted by a five-yard run in which he stiff-armed cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. while he went out of bounds. The short gain encapsulated Mayfield's effort in his Buccaneers debut.

“He turns nothing into something,” Godwin said, via ESPN. “That [was] a big third-down play, and he’s stiff-arming DBs and getting in their face, [and] you’re looking for that kind of competitive edge from your quarterback. I think it gets us fired up, but also helps us understand that he is going to go in there and he’s going to fight.”

The footage later showed that Mayfield was talking trash to Murphy after he pushed him toward the ground. Mayfield's aggression earned the quarterback the honor of being named the “Angry Runs” Week 1 winner on NFL Network's “Good Morning Football.”

Few teams entered the 2023 season with lower expectations than Mayfield and the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has a real opportunity to beat the Chicago Bears in Week 2 and start the year with a 2-0 record.