FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons safety Jessie Bates III is the team’s expert on Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield.
The two former AFC North rivals will match wits again when the Falcons (3-3) face the Bucs (3-2) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Bates, formerly of the Bengals, and Mayfield, formerly of the Browns, played against each other seven times in the Battle of Ohio, and Mayfield had a 6-1 mark. Bates didn’t play in the second meeting of the 2021 season.
“I think Baker is doing a good job of managing the game,” Bates said. “They really want to run it, but when Baker is put in those positions to throw the ball, he’s doing a really good job of getting the ball to (receivers) Mike Evans and Chris Godwin as well.”
Mayfield beat out former Florida quarterback Kyle Trask for the starting job in the Bucs’ post-Tom Brady era.
“The other big thing that he’s doing is using his feet more than he ever has,” Bates said. “He’s starting to get outside of the pocket, being a little bit more mobile than he has before in years past.”
Mayfield is running a lot of bootlegs to get outside of the pocket, and he’s taking off when no one is open.
Mayfield has 25 rushes for 67 yards.
“I think he’s an instinctive runner,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. “Sometimes things happen on a keeper or a boot, or whatever you want to call it. Guys get out of the pocket, the same thing when you watch Jake Plummer do it … guys like that. It’s part of the keeper game, if guys can extend the run. Some of it is getting out of the pocket, and he’s a good athlete.
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