TAMPA, Fla. — On the heels of a 20-17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings the place Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was capable of choose up the the Vikings’ hand alerts, Mayfield turned a suggestion that he think about working in authorities intelligence right into a joke on the Houston Astros’ expense.
“Pay attention, I do know I am in Tampa, however I am a Texas Rangers fan, not a Houston Astros fan, so we’re not going to get into that,” Mayfield mentioned Wednesday, referring to the Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing incident.
A Main League Baseball investigation decided that the Astros illegally used a video digicam in heart subject to steal indicators from opposing groups in 2017 and 2018. It resulted within the harshest penalties ever levied on an MLB crew, which included suspending Astros common supervisor Jeff Luhnow and supervisor AJ Hinch for the 2020 season, a $5 million advantageous for the crew and the lack of their first- and second-round draft picks for 2020 and 2021.
Bucs operating again Rachaad White mentioned on Buccaneers Radio Community Monday that at halftime, Mayfield entered the locker room and mentioned, “‘I received it. We received all these alerts.’ We in there speaking as an offense. He is like, ‘I do know all these alerts. In the event that they do that, they going to Cowl 2, they do that, they are going to Cowl 3. Each time I alert this, they drop they usually do that sign, they drop him again to this.’ And I am like, ‘Wow, that is wonderful.’ I imply, I do know sure coverages, however I do not know loads like that.”
Whereas sign-stealing itself just isn’t unlawful in MLB or within the NFL, using digital units to steal indicators is. Mayfield didn’t violate any guidelines by selecting up the Vikings’ indicators.
Mayfield mentioned it helped the offense in its first 12 months below offensive coordinator Dave Canales and seeing new Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores for the primary time.
“When it comes all the way down to that, you are at all times looking for tendencies of the protection. Simply these in-game changes that you simply’re looking for these tendencies, generally it is a little bit totally different than others,” Mayfield mentioned. “It was a chess match there within the first half. Sort of had some stall-out drives. They did a really, excellent job. I am unable to credit score Brian Flores sufficient for a way they had been scheming towards us. It took us a little bit bit to regulate however you attempt to discover each benefit doable to win.”
White mentioned he’d by no means seen something prefer it when requested about it Wednesday.
“Simply how he are available there and simply nonstop he was already on it,” White mentioned. “He was simply on it. … It was simply nice to only see him are available there assured, and be like, ‘I received it. I received it found out.'”