3 reasons the Buccaneers will go over their projected win total in 2023

Baker Mayfield is good enough to win with

When the Rams brought in Baker Mayfield last year, he essentially hopped off the plane and was forced into action during prime time. Sean McVay showed the utmost faith in a former number one overall pick when he trusted him in such a quick manner.

Believe it or not, Mayfield is indeed a reason the Bucs are going to win more than they're expected to, this year. He hardly had an offensive arsenal to work with last year in Los Angeles, but still performed far better than expected considering the circumstances.

Let's go back to when Mayfield was drafted, too, for a minute. There was a reason he was drafted number one. Take Pro Football Focus grades for what they're worth to you, but Mayfield did boast the two highest single-season grades they had ever given out up to that point.

He was extremely accurate on deep throws, which is something Mike Evans would kill for here in Tampa. He's always been a fiery competitor and wants to win. Cleveland didn't work out, but mostly because that entire offense was a giant cluster to begin with. They ran heavily and didn't try to feature their best players. Take David Njoku, for example. Just last year, it felt like they finally figured out how to use him correctly.

Mayfield has always been a winner. He's always been "that dude," but has had a couple of tough years. He's only three years removed from a 26 touchdown, eight interception season along with a respectable 95.9 quarterback rating. Give Mayfield these weapons in Tampa, and he'll be just fine.