Unlike the previous three years with Tom Brady at the helm, expectations were awfully low for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers heading into the 2023 season.

Even with Brady leading the offense, the Bucs finished a disappointing 8-9 on the year. It was enough to win the hapless NFC South, but they wound up getting crushed by the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Round anyway.

Tom Brady looks on (left). Baker Mayfield looking on before game (right).

Tampa signed journeyman Baker Mayfield to a one-year deal in free agency, but nobody could have expected the 2018 first overall pick to have a career year. Sure enough, Mayfield has played his best football with the Buccaneers, and he has them on the verge of an NFC South division title.

On top of that, Buccaneers superstar offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs outlined an interesting difference regarding his relationships with Brady and Mayfield during an interview with Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times:

“I had a relationship with Tom, but it wasn’t like the relationship I have with Bake. It’s just different. It’s hard to explain, you know? Tom was like more of a — not a coach — but as a 21-year-old kid seeing Tom Brady (in 2020), that’s how I looked at him. I’m not going to go out and have beers with Tom, you know? So it’s just a little bit different in that regard.”

Mayfield can put a cherry on top of his career year by clinching the Buccaneers their third straight division crown with a win over New Orleans on Sunday.