TAMPA, Fla. -- Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield made what looked like an impossible escape on a third-and-14 play Sunday -- dodging three San Francisco 49ers defenders trying to corral him -- before picking up 15 yards and a first down on a scramble.
Then, Mayfield hit a diving Tez Johnson for a spectacular 45-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field, with chants of "M-V-P! M-V-P!" erupting.
Mayfield tried to temper expectations after Tampa Bay's 30-19 victory, which propelled the Bucs to not only a 5-1 record but the top of the NFC following the Detroit Lions' loss.
"It's Week 6," Mayfield said. "So, got a big one next week. It's awesome to have support, don't get me wrong. But we're just getting started."
Mayfield shook off a comparison to Michael Vick faster than he raced to the San Francisco 44-yard line to pick up the first down.
"No, that's the first time I've ever heard that, and hopefully, it's the last," Mayfield said. "I can't do what Mike Vick ever did."
Then, he critiqued Johnson's end-zone-tumbling celebration.
"No. I mean, if I weighed 142 pounds, I'd probably be able to fly, too," Mayfield said. "I haven't weighed that since probably sixth grade."
But teammates and coaches were serious about praising the 2018 No. 1 pick who is playing the best ball of his career. Mayfield finished Sunday's game with just one starting skill player on offense in tight end Cade Otton, with rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka leaving the game because of a hamstring injury.
Mayfield didn't have Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Jr. or Jalen McMillan, and he was without starting right guard Cody Mauch and right tackle Luke Goedeke. The team also lost Luke Haggard, who stepped in for Mauch, because of a shoulder injury. And Mayfield was down to his fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth receivers, with Tez Johnson and Kameron Johnson both recording the first touchdowns of their NFL careers. Mayfield was steadfast in his belief in them, saying, "I truly, genuinely trust the guys that are in there. ... They're ready."
Former Oklahoma teammate Sterling Shepard, who joined Mayfield in Tampa last year, admitted he got swept up in the moment with Mayfield's scramble.
"It was unreal. And you know what? I caught myself watching a little too much. I should have [gone] to go block somebody," Shepard said. "I'm just so proud of him in the way that he's playing."
Coach Todd Bowles added: "I mean, I was in disbelief just like everybody else. It happens every other week or so, and he makes those type of plays and you pray he does not get hurt or anything happens to him. He has a knack, he has a knack that you can't teach or coach, and it was an unbelievable play."
Left tackle Tristan Wirfs said he felt bad about getting Mayfield hit on the play but was amazed.
"I was like, 'Holy crap,'" Wirfs said. "And then [to] watch him go pick up 15 yards and stretch for a first down. ... To watch Baker go to work every week is incredible. We love him to death."
Shepard said it's even more meaningful because of Mayfield's journey. The Bucs were his fourth team in a year -- he was traded by the Cleveland Browns to the Carolina Panthers, released and then had a brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams while Matthew Stafford was out before signing with Tampa Bay on a one-year, prove-it deal in 2023.
Mayfield led the Bucs to back-to-back division titles in his first two seasons, and he has had back-to-back career-best seasons, including throwing for 41 touchdown passes last year. But he's eyeing something more this year, as are his teammates.
"It means a lot," Shepard said. "He was bouncing around a bit there -- he couldn't really find a home. And that just shows you [what can happen] when somebody believes in you and has confidence in you -- that gives you confidence on game day, and he's playing with a bunch of confidence. We all believe in him, and I'm just happy for his situation here. I'm looking forward to all the special things that he's going to do this season."