Buccaneers' Chris Godwin gets real on developing Baker Mayfield partnership
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin , who's coming off 11 catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns last week against the New Orleans Saints, sat down with The Insiders Mike Garafolo and Judy Battista to talk all things Bucs football, but a big portion of the conversation centered around his relationship with Baker Mayfield .
"[Godwin and Mayfield's] second year working together. We've gone through some highs and some lows in terms of what each other are looking for. Both of us, we're very smart players. We're just trying to win. We have a good connection going that goes with a lot of hard work and time put in. I'm excited about where we are, but I know there's a lot more in store for us."
Godwin is on track for a career-best season. Through six games, he already has 43 catches for 511 yards and five touchdowns on 53 targets. At this rate, he's projected for 122 catches, 1,448 yards and 14 touchdowns, all season-bests by a longshot.
The 28-year-old Buccaneers' receiver is in the final year of his contract after signing a three-year, $60M contract extension in 2022.
Godwin, Mayfield partnership blossoming for Buccaneers
The Buccaneers' 4-2 start will soon be tested with a brutal stretch of games. Up next in Week 7 is a home game against the Baltimore Ravens, followed by a rematch against the Atlanta Falcons, who took them down in Week 5, 36-30.
Tampa Bay then plays back-to-back games against last year's Super Bowl teams: a Week 9 road contest against the Kansas City Chiefs and a home game against the San Francisco 49ers.
There are nine teams in the NFC with two or three losses. At the top of the division are the 5-0 Minnesota Vikings and 4-1 Detroit Lions. There's not a lot of room for error. Only seven teams qualify for the NFL postseason per conference.
Mayfield has 1,489 passing yards through six games with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. His 62.1 QB rating is in a tie for 12th and his 109.4 passer rating is second-best.
Last week, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman praised Mayfield as a teammate during their Dudes on Dudes podcast.
"He's the ultimate teammate," the pair said. "Quarterback's aren't really like this... He's a guy that wants to see you be an absolute dawg, cheering you on. He'll get in the trenches with you."
The Bucs have an offensive DVOA ranked 10th and their defense is ranked 11th. This could be a special season for the franchise. This Buccaneers' team stomped the Philadelphia Eagles in last year's Wild Card round, 32-9.
That wasn't a fluke, as this season has been proving.
