The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are flying high this season despite a wave of injuries testing their depth. After suffering a tough loss to the Detroit Lions last week, quarterback Baker Mayfield is determined to bounce back, and he’s made it clear just how little love he has for the division-rival New Orleans Saints.
But Mayfield’s bold words didn’t go unchecked. Saints All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis fired back with a powerful response of his own, sending a clear message ahead of their highly anticipated showdown on Sunday.
Demario Davis Fires Back At Baker Mayfield
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are heading to New Orleans on Sunday, and Mayfield isn’t holding back his feelings toward their division rivals.
“It has not exactly been clean play from their part when we play them,” Mayfield said of the Saints on Wednesday. “It is a physical game; it is what it is. You expect it [from a] division rival. … Yeah, not much else to say besides for the fact that I do not like them.”
While it’s unclear which incidents Mayfield was referring to, Davis had a strong yet composed response. He made it clear that he’s not interested in pregame trash talk and is rather focused on making his statement on the field.
“I don’t have the context of what he said … but the game is played between the white lines,” Davis said. “You can trash talk with your game, too, but I’m for all the smoke. The pregame talk ain’t where it’s at.”
He continued: “Ain’t no words need to be said. And so we’ll get to the game on Sunday and play. I don’t think words will do anything for me or for him or anybody else…I love trash talk. But trash talk ain’t going to do nothing, for nobody before the game. It’s only going to do something for you in the game.”
Demario Davis responds to Baker Mayfield’s comments about playing the #Saints and shares thoughts on trash talk:
“I don’t have the context of what he said … but the game is played between the white lines.”
Added, “You can trash talk with your game, too, but I’m for all the… pic.twitter.com/4A9w2ZYmkv
— NOF (@nofnetwork) October 23, 2025
Davis’ response was measured but unmistakably confident, challenging Mayfield to back up his talk with his play.
And the challenge won’t be easy for Mayfield. The Buccaneers have been hit hard by injuries, losing star receiver Mike Evans for the season with a broken collarbone, while Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving are also set to miss Sunday’s matchup.
However, Mayfield has managed to keep Tampa Bay’s offense afloat despite the setbacks. They currently rank 19th in PFSN’s Offensive Impact metric, while the Saints’ defense sits at 25th in Defensive Impact, setting the stage for a fiery divisional clash.
