Mayfield was running out of teammates.
Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield praises depleted WR core after 49ers win with 4 words originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The juggernaut continues to roll on after a 30-19 win over the , but Baker Mayfield is quickly running out of teammates to throw to.
Already without Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Bucky Irving, and Jalen McMillan for the game, Baker then lost Emeka Egbuka to a hamstring injury in the third quarter, which left a bare bones crew for Mayfield to work with.
And work with them he did. Kameron Johnson (64 yards, one touchdown), Sterling Shepard (51 yards), and Tez Johnson (45 yards, one reception) all stepped up, along with tight end Cade Otton (51 yards), to push the Buccaneers to their fifth win of the season.
And Mayfield was nothing but pleased with how the group stood up.
"Obviously, you don't want that [injuries], just communication, our receivers coach B. Mack [Bryan McClendon] getting those guys right throughout the week, you never know what can happen, and those guys stepping up in a huge way," Mayfield said. "Hats off to them for being prepared for not shying away, not flinching when they're in there."
More: How long is Emeka Egbuka out? Buccaneers suffer another WR injury as rookie goes down
Buccaneers genuine NFC contenders
We knew this already, but it was only confirmed after the 49ers' win, who were 4-1 themselves, and the Buccaneers handled their business without a handful of starters on offense, as Baker's MVP push continues to gather momentum.
Now at 5-1, the Buccaneers have now set up a mouth-watering game against the next week in what could be a battle for the NFC's No. 1 seed.
Mayfield has been superb this season, and against the 49ers, he had to count on his depth pieces, and they all came through in what was a crucial win, especially for playoff seeding, with the 49ers thought to be a postseason team.
It was a gutsy win, but all eyes are on Emeka to see the extent of his injury.
More Buccaneers news:
- Tez Johnson and Bo Nix relationship, explained: How former Oregon teammates became adopted brothers | Sporting News
- Buccaneers’ Emeka Egbuka injury update is crushing blow to WR depth chart | Sporting News
- Emeka Egbuka injury update: Latest news on Buccaneers WR's status in Week 6 game | Sporting News
- 49ers' Fred Warner comes down with scary injury in game against Buccaneers | Sporting News
Category: Football
