In the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon, Bucs QB Baker Mayfield had a trick up his sleeve. Per Buccaneers RB Rashaad White, Mayfield told the team at halftime he had figured out the Vikings defensive signals, which he then used to help lead a come-from-behind victory.
"I just remember Bake came in the locker room, literally at halftime, he said, 'I got it. We got all these signals,'" White said,via JoeBucsFan. "We're in there talking as an offense and he's like, 'I know all these signals. If they do this, they're going into Cover 2. If they do this, they're going into Cover 3. Every time I alert this and they do this signal, they're dropping back to this.' And I'm like, 'Wow, that's amazing.' … I was just listening to him and we were listening to him and we just kind of understood."
As a quarterback, it's only natural that Mayfield would pick up on some of the Vikings defensive signals and schemes. It doesn't go nearly as far as, say, the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal, which Mayfield actually used to defend himself on Wednesday.
Baker Mayfield takes shot at Astros for sign-stealing scandal
By stating he grew up a Texas Rangers fan, Mayfield is merely deflecting, and also suggesting that this isn't some major scandal up to par with that of Houston's sign-stealing scandal. For those unfamiliar, Houston's sign stealing included several steps, including a center field camera and loud trash can banging from the clubhouse to signal incoming fastballs. All Mayfield did was pick up on some fmailiar defensive lingo he'd seen in the past. That's not the same thing.
Houston's sign stealing is largely unparalleled in sports, and for good reason. While the Astros World Series wasn't vacated in the end thanks to Rob Manfred, that team will always have an asterisk attached to it.
