Baker Mayfield didn't care that Lions defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson attacked him while sitting.
The Buccaneers quarterback responded Wednesday to Gardner Johnson's comments that Tampa's wide receiver group would be a good group “if you give them a good quarterback.”
Mayfield, 28, apparently thought the defenseman hadn't studied the Bucks that closely.
“I don't think he really watched the movie because he mentioned Russell Gage,” Mayfield responded. “You know, we love Russell, but Russell hasn't played a snap for us all year. I'm sure he's off that preseason thing the media was talking about. .”
Gage has been sidelined all year since suffering a season-ending knee injury during a joint practice with the Jets in August.
Even without that goal, Mayfield led the Bucs to a lopsided victory over the Eagles on Monday night, throwing for 337 yards and three touchdowns.
The QB also threw for 4,044 yards during the regular season, the first time in six NFL seasons that he surpassed the 4,000-yard mark in a single season.
Mayfield threw for 28 touchdowns, also a career best, and finished 2023 with a 64.3 completion percentage.
The Bucks are scheduled to play the Lions in the NFC divisional round on Sunday, and Mayfield expressed excitement to play against 26-year-old Gardner-Johnson, who missed the regular season showdown with a torn pectoral muscle.
The Lions won the game on October 15, 20-6.
“He didn't play in our first game, so I'm looking forward to seeing him,” Mayfield said. “I think he's a really good player. He's been that way for a while. He's been an influential guy in every team he's ever been on.
“But yeah, he needs to study film a little more.”
Tampa Bay will be appearing in the divisional round for the third time in the last four years, but the Lions haven't advanced this far in the postseason since 1991, when they reached the conference championship and lost to Washington.
