Ever since he planted the Oklahoma flag at midfield at Ohio Stadium, Baker Mayfield has been known as a confident, if not cocky quarterback.
That narrative seems to be shifting of late, though. Mayfield's excellent performance through five weeks has powered a 4-1 start for the Buccaneers and planted him as an early season favorite to win NFL MVP.
Instead of drawing the ire of eager critics, the football populace has largely agreed upon how they now view Mayfield in a positive light. Just don't try to sell Mayfield on it.
"Early on in my career, it was 'cocky, immature.' Now it's 'moxie' and 'he's a dog,'" Mayfield said Wednesday, via ESPN. "Same s---, different day. As long as you play well, they change the narrative, but you've just got to be yourself, and I've always been like that."
Mayfield is undoubtedly playing well. He owns a sparkling 10-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, stands as the only quarterback with eight or more passing TDs and two or fewer INTs in the NFL, and is coming off a season-best showing in Seattle in which he completed 87.9 percent of his passes for 379 yards and two TDs. The fireworks-filled contest opened the eyes of the greater audience to how excellent Mayfield has played to this point and propelled the Bucs QB to the front of the MVP conversation.
"Whatever is being said is a testament to the offense and the group that we have," he said. "Individual accolades and recognition -- you never have it on your own. This is the greatest team sport for a reason, so [I am] always trying to remind myself that and realize I cannot do it without the guys next to me."
Mayfield is correct: Tampa Bay is a legitimate contender through five weeks. Mayfield isn't the only favorite to win an end-of-season award, either; rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka is considered the most likely candidate to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
The Buccaneers have built their brand around explosive offense, opportunistic defense and heart-stopping finishes, grabbing a firm lead in the NFC South and staking their claim to a spot in the NFC title race. They're also doing so with a bit of attitude, the same posture that has emanated from Mayfield for a decade.
Some might see it as playing angry. Mayfield believes it's simply an example of his competitive nature, which was captured by a trash-talking Seahawks fan eager to interact with Mayfield before and after Sunday's thriller at Lumen Field.
"No, I don't," Mayfield said when asked if he needed to be angry to perform at his best. "It's just as a competitor, I enjoy it, and it's something that I think our team as a whole is kind of wound like that."
Whatever it is, the Buccaneers shouldn't change a thing. At 4-1, they've found their secret sauce and hope to continue riding it to another victory Sunday when they host the 4-1 San Francisco 49ers.
