Baker Mayfield is back, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally had their quarterback back in the huddle for a divisional win that looked a lot more comfortable than their recent stretch.
Mayfield returned Sunday after sitting out three games with a dislocated throwing thumb, and Tampa Bay rolled past the Carolina Panthers, 43-13. The Bucs kept the workload light in his first game back, asking him to throw just 11 passes. He completed seven of them for 64 yards and a touchdown, finishing with a 70.4 quarterback rating (QBR).
That kind of efficient, limited outing was enough for Tampa Bay on this day, but the bigger picture still isn’t pretty. The Buccaneers went 1-2 with undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels starting in Mayfield’s absence, and even with Sunday’s result, they remain 2-5 and tied for third in the NFC South. They’re still a game and a half behind the first-place Panthers.
The return matters, though, because Tampa Bay needed Mayfield healthy again. At the same time, he’ll need to be sharper than he was before the injury if the Buccaneers are going to climb back into the race. In his first three games, he completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 615 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, and he also lost three fumbles.
For Oklahoma fans, though, this was another reminder of the kind of quarterback Mayfield has been for a long time. He was a legend in Norman, going 33-6 over three seasons and winning the Heisman Trophy in 2017.
Tampa Bay gets another divisional test next week, when it hosts the Atlanta Falcons.
Elsewhere on Sunday, rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels - who spent the 2025 season at Oklahoma - came up with a huge play for Atlanta in its game against San Francisco. Daniels intercepted Brock Purdy in the fourth quarter with the Falcons ahead 26-20, and Atlanta added a field goal a couple minutes later to seal the upset.
Daniels did plenty more than just the one takeaway. He finished with 11 total tackles, nine solo tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup, and he was rewarded with a game ball for the performance.
That big afternoon came only a week after a frightening moment. In last week’s 31-23 loss to the Chicago Bears, Daniels had to be carted off after a neck injury. He was taken to a local hospital, then later returned to the stadium and was cleared to play ahead of Sunday’s game.
Daniels started his college career at Oklahoma State before transferring to Oklahoma ahead of the 2025 season. He was a key part of the Sooners’ defense last year as they reached the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Another former Sooners Heisman winner also helped his team stay unbeaten. Kyler Murray led the Minnesota Vikings to a 16-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts, pushing Minnesota to 6-0 and leaving the Vikings as the NFL’s last undefeated team after the Kansas City Chiefs lost on Sunday Night Football.
Murray’s numbers were modest, but he did exactly what Minnesota needed. He went 14-for-24 for 150 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 39 yards.
Now in his first season with the Vikings after seven years with the Arizona Cardinals, Murray missed two games after suffering a concussion in Week 1. He has since taken back over as Minnesota’s starting quarterback.
Murray was Oklahoma’s starter in 2018, when the Sooners went 11-2 and made the CFP. He won the Heisman Trophy that season.
In Other News...
OU Fans Think Memorial Stadium Could Be Getting A Huge Summer Event
A cryptic post from Oklahomas official athletics accounts has Sooners fans doing the kind of detective work that usually comes with schedule releases and transfer rumors, not summer concert news. The image was vague enough to spark plenty of speculation, but it lined up with other stadium teases circulating around the music world, and Memorial Stadium has long been a venue that can double as more than just a football home.
The most talked-about possibility is a Noah Kahan show next summer, especially with a countdown appearing on his website that has fueled talk of an announcement coming soon. Nothing has been made official yet, but the timing of the post and the pattern behind similar stadium hints have given fans a reason to think one of the biggest summer events in Norman could be on the way. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Finally Has Some Bowl Momentum After A Much Needed Road Win
For a team trying to steady itself in the middle of an SEC stretch, Oklahomas win at Mississippi State offered more than just a number in the standings. The Sooners left Starkville with a 4-3 record and a 2-2 mark in league play, and they did it with a cleaner, more balanced performance than they have consistently shown this season. John Mateer completed 76 percent of his passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns, while the ground game added 184 yards on 41 carries to help control the pace.
Adepoju Adebawore also kept flashing the kind of pass-rush presence Oklahoma has been leaning on. He finished with 1.5 sacks, another strong showing for a defense that needed one on the road. A win like this does not solve everything, but it does give the Sooners something they have been lacking lately: a little momentum, and a clearer path as the season heads deeper into conference play. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Faces A Real Test Up Front In Norman
South Carolina is bringing real momentum into Norman, and that alone makes this matchup worth a closer look for Oklahoma. The Gamecocks have stacked consecutive wins over ranked Florida and Tennessee, while the Sooners are trying to follow their recent victory over Mississippi State with something they have not managed yet this season: back-to-back wins. With both teams looking to keep moving in the right direction, the line play figures to be central to everything that happens Saturday.
For Oklahoma, the immediate concern is up front, where the Sooners are still sorting through an offensive line situation that will be under the microscope against one of the SECs most disruptive young defenders. South Carolina coaches pointed to edge rusher Dylan Stewart as a player who can change the tone of a game, and Oklahomas staff knows that kind of pressure can decide whether a rhythm offense ever gets settled. In a game with momentum on the line for both sides, that front-five battle may end up defining the afternoon. [Read more 🡒]