Baker Mayfield confirms that he learned Vikings' defensive signals; Bucs QB doesn't think he cheated

Mayfield found an advantage over Brian Flores

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense got off to a slow start in their Week 1 meeting with the Minnesota Vikings, but this unit led by Baker Mayfield ultimately got it together and scored a 20-17 upset victory. What changed for Tampa Bay in the middle of the game? Well, apparently Mayfield figured out new Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

During an interview on the Buccaneers Radio Network, Bucs running back Rachaad White said Mayfield figured out Minnesota's scheme by halftime (H/T JoeBucsFan.com). Mayfield himself acknowledged on Wednesday that he figured out the Vikings' signals, which allowed him and Tampa's offense to have success in the second half. 

"Quite a bit," Mayfield said when asked how much of an advantage knowing Minnesota's signals gave the Buccaneers offense, via the Tampa Bay Times. Mayfield doesn't consider his actions to be an act of cheating, in case you were wondering. 

"Listen, I know we're in Tampa but I'm a Texas Rangers fan, not a Houston Astros fan," he said. "So we're not going to go there."

White was initially the one to shed light on Mayfield's actions. 

"I just remember Bake came in the locker room, literally at halftime, he said, 'I got it. We got all these signals.' We're in there talking as an offense and he's like, 'I know all these signals. If they do this, they're going into Cover-2. If they do this, they're going into Cover-3. Every time I alert this and they do this signal, they're dropping back to this.' And I'm like, 'Wow, that's amazing.' … I was just listening to him and we were listening to him and we just kind of understood."

The Bucs got possession to kick off the second half, and Mayfield led a 16-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a Trey Palmer touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Mayfield captained a 10-play, 38-yard drive that ended with a 57-yard Chase McLaughlin field goal -- which ultimately ended up being the game-winning points. 

Mayfield finished having completed 21 of 34 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns, and snapped his nine-game road losing streak. His competitive spirit was on full display, and his recognition of Minnesota's calls contributed to the Buccaneers being 1-0.