Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay offense exploded Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. It wasn’t just Mayfield who put on a clinic.

Both Mayfield and Darnold, the No. 1 and No. 3 overall selections from the 2018 draft, lit it up from the quarterback position.

Both passers have redeemed themselves from early-season struggles by landing with new teams and taking their new opportunities by storm. Yesterday’s game was billed as a rivalry showdown between a pair of up-and-coming teams in the NFC, and a pair of veteran quarterbacks who rebuilt their career’s from the ground up.

It lived up to the hype, and then some. Darnold and Mayfield both played like they had something to prove on Sunday.

Just check out the box scores.

Mayfield completed 29 out of 33 pass attempts, for 379 yards and two touchdowns. He didn’t turn the ball over, and led the team on a game-tying drive in the fourth quarter before setting the team up for a game-winning field goal as time expired.

On the other side of the ball, Darnold was also electric. He completed 28 of 34 pass attempts for 341 yards and four touchdown passes.

However, at the end of the day, one of the passers made a crucial mistake that cost his team the game. Darnold, in a 35-35 tie, threw an interception that set Tampa Bay up to win the game.

It’s only fair to say Mayfield outdueled his rival from their days in Carolina. While both quarterbacks played impressive games, Darnold made the mistake and Mayfield did not.

At this point, it is fair to start considering Mayfield for MVP contention. After having the best season of his career in 2024, he has followed it up with an even better start to the 2025 season. Yesterday’s win should give him another set of highlights, and another big win to add to the resume.