DeMeco Ryans knows how dangerous Baker Mayfield is when playing from behind. The plan for the Houston Texans will be to draw a lead so massive that he’s unable to secure a victory from behind like he did last week in Atlanta.
As the Texans prepare for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football, they also prepare to meet Mayfield for the second time in three seasons. The former No. 1 overall pick has a flair for making things interesting when playing from behind.
Last week, he connected with rookie Emeka Egubka with under a minute left against the Atlanta Falcons to secure a 23-20 road win. The last time he was in Houston, Mayfield guided the Buccaneers on two scoring drives, capped off with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Cade Otten to take a 37-33 lead with less than a minute on the clock.
“The thing that sets him apart when I’ve seen him grow as a quarterback is how he escapes the pocket. Whether that’s keeping his eyes downfield to find open receivers or just scrambling to get the first down. He does a really great job. He’s gutsy,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He has everything you want in a quarterback, tough guy.”
While the Texans managed to secure a 39-37 victory back in 2023, plenty has changed since then. Mayfield, who guided Tampa to back-to-back NFC South division titles as the heir apparent to Tom Brady, has blossomed into perhaps the league’s most underrated franchise passer. After being cast away from Cleveland and Carolina, the former Heisman winner has found a home in the Pewter City Area.
Mayfield’s also become one of the league’s most consistent passers, posting back-to-back 4,000-yard passing campaigns with a combined 69 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for over 400 yards and scored another four times on the ground.
‘Gutsy’ #Texans DeMeco Ryans on progression of #Buccaneers Baker Mayfield @KPRC2pic.twitter.com/MEmSoZlk8K
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 11, 2025
“He scrambles to make plays, run and pass. So, you just have to play together,” Ryans said. “That’s what we preach all the time is the rush, staying after it, playing together, and our guys in coverage, we have to make sure we’re plastering and staying in coverage, covering the guys twice because we know he can escape from anywhere.”
Mayfield and the Buccaneers arrive at NRG Stadium for a showdown on ABC at 6:00 p.m. Monday.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans prepared for ‘everything QB’ Baker Mayfield on MNF
