The Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet in Week 8 with both teams trying to climb out of slow starts, and there’s an extra layer here: Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski and Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield have old baggage from their Cleveland days.
Sunday will be the first time they’ve gone head-to-head since Stefanski landed in Atlanta in January, a matchup that naturally brings the conversation back to how things ended between the two. Mayfield, the former No. 1 overall pick, was dealt by Stefanski less than two years after helping Cleveland reach its first playoff victory since 1994.
Mayfield’s frustration at the time was easy to understand, and his later success in Tampa Bay only sharpened the sense that he had a point. Still, Stefanski hasn’t taken the bait. At his Wednesday press conference, he kept the focus on what Mayfield does on the field.
"He's still a playmaker," Stefanski said of Mayfield. "No play is ever over.
He's just going to constantly make plays down the field. He can run.
He's extremely talented."
The two spent two seasons together in Cleveland from 2020-2021, before Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers in the 2022 offseason. From there, the Browns went all in on Deshaun Watson, a move that is largely considered the worst trade in NFL history.
Mayfield didn’t hide how he felt then, and he made sure Stefanski knew it. After Stefanski was hired by the Falcons, Mayfield took to Twitter with a blunt message.
"Still waiting on a text/call from him after I got shipped off like a piece of garbage," Mayfield wrote. "Can’t wait to see you twice a year, coach."
Stefanski didn’t respond directly to that attack when it happened, but he did make clear that he still viewed Mayfield with respect.
"Baker is someone I have a lot of respect for as a player and as a person," Stefanski said in response to Mayfield's criticisms.
Mayfield has since tried to cool the temperature a bit. In a Super Bowl interview with SI, he said the situation is still there without turning it into a full-blown feud.
"There’s stuff there, but it’s not like it’s beef," Mayfield told SI in a Super Bowl interview. "We’ve worked together, anytime you know somebody, you want to beat them whether it’s a good or bad relationship."
Atlanta enters Sunday looking to get back to .500. If the Falcons beat Tampa Bay and Carolina loses, they would move into first place in the NFC South.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET at Raymond-James Stadium in Tampa.
In Other News...
Jessie Bates Is Closing In On Rare Falcons History
Jessie Bates III keeps finding ways to tilt games in Atlantas favor, and his latest showing against the 49ers was another reminder of how valuable he has become to the Falcons defense. He came away with an interception and then helped finish off the game with a forced fumble, the kind of all-around impact that has made him one of the steadiest playmakers on the roster this season.
The performance also pushed Bates closer to rare NFL history, adding to a career pattern of game-changing outings that has become more common than his Pro Bowl rsum might suggest. He remains one of the leagues better safeties by the numbers as well, sitting near the top of the position group in PFF grading, which only adds to the case that his impact in Atlanta has been bigger than the accolades have shown. [Read more 🡒]
Arthur Blank Just Entered A Debate Falcons Fans Didn't Expect
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Blanks donations are especially notable because they span both sides of the aisle, including a contribution to former Falcons kicker Jay Feely, who is now running as a Republican in Arizona. For Atlanta fans, it is another reminder that Blank tends to follow his own lane, even when it puts him into conversations NFL ownership usually tries to avoid. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Rookies Just Made Divine Deablos Future A Real Question
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Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. have both flashed enough in Deablos place to make the roster conversation more complicated for the front office. With those rookies giving the Falcons production and flexibility, Deablos future in Atlanta looks increasingly uncertain, especially if the team decides its money is better spent elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]