Berea, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Baker Mayfield hasn’t looked like himself so far in 2019.
The pinpoint accuracy displayed at the end of 2018 has vanished. He’s not nearly as surefooted and comfortable within the pocket as he was. The elusiveness outside the pocket and playmaking ability hasn’t been there either.
The Browns aren’t winning or playing well outside of the four quarters in Baltimore this season and it starts with Mayfield.
“Obviously, I am not happy that I am not picking up with the same success that we ended off with, but that is a part of the game,” Mayfield said Wednesday.
Unfortunately, when the Browns need Mayfield to be his best – inside the red zone – he’s been his worst.
Through 5 games this year Mayfield has completed just 6 of 24 passes or 25% of them with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions inside the 20. Inside the 10 he’s just 3 of 14 or 21.43% with the 3 completions going for scores and 2 interceptions.
Compare that to his numbers in 2018 – in the red zone: 35 of 54 or 64.81% with 20 touchdowns and no interceptions. Inside the 10 Mayfield completed 15 of 25 passes or 60% with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions.
“When you start talking about that, you can’t just say it is just the quarterback,” head coach Freddie Kitchens said. “Everybody is involved.”
Overall the Browns have scored on 14 of their 16 trips into the red zone this season – 8 touchdowns and 6 field goals. They’ve turned it over twice.
“We were more efficient last year, but that was last year. You do not pick up where you left off,” Kitchens said. “Our guys are committed to getting better. This is not a finished product in any stretch of imagination – red zone, short yardage, third-down or anything. It is not a finished product. We are going to continue to get better.”
Mayfield’s overall numbers aren’t much better and the Browns are 25th in scoring, averaging 18.4 points per game.
Among 32 quarterbacks who have thrown at least 75 passes, Mayfield is tied for 27th with just 4 touchdowns, is ranked 31st in with a 55.9% completion percentage and 68.5 rating and he is dead last with the 8 interceptions.
“I just think it is a lack of execution on offense,” Mayfield said. “I think it is just about everyone doing their job. Not worrying about chemistry this or all of the outside noise, it is just about doing your job and knowing we have the guys in this locker room that we believe in. That is why everyone was brought here, and now just go and do it.”
The offensive line has received plenty of criticism through 5 games. Mayfield has been sacked 16 times, including 4 times in Monday night’s 31-3 loss at San Francisco, and opponents have registered 25 more QB hits and the 49ers had a season-high 8 of them.
“They definitely beat us up Monday night, for sure. They got the better of us on a few plays and they were pressuring, and we have to be better,” left guard Joel Bitonio said. “It’s never one position’s fault at all times, but in San Fran we have to improve from that, that’s not our standard of play. We want to be better than that as a group.”
Running back Nick Chubb, who is averaging 5.2 yards per carry and has a team-high 4 touchdowns, isn’t worried about his quarterback’s sophomore slump because the problems are wide-ranging.
“Baker, he’s competitive, man. He has a fire inside him that’s always burning and very intense,” Chubb said. “We all know that he’s going to start playing a lot better. He’s going to get back to where what we know he is. Right now, I think everyone’s kind of not doing their best. It’s going to take all of us to try a little harder and do a little more. Look at ourselves in the mirror and do a little more.
“It’s not just one person. It’s not just Bake. We can help him in every area.”
The slow start for Mayfield and the Browns offense hasn’t shaken his confidence.
“I think he is fine confidence wise. I do not think you have to worry about that,” Kitchens said. “Success breeds more confidence, and we always want more confidence.”
So, what is the solution to everything that is ailing Mayfield and the offense?
Apparently, everyone and everything.
“Everybody around the quarterback needs to play better, everybody around the quarterback needs to coach better and the quarterback needs to play better,” Kitchens said.
Therein lies the biggest concern for Mayfield, Kitchens and the Browns – it’s not just one detail or one area that needs improvement – it’s everything.
“It comes back to everybody doing their job,” Mayfield said. “It is as simple as that. It is why it is not one area or thing you can pinpoint. That is why there is no finger pointing going on here. Everybody here is to blame, and they know that. That is why you got a bunch of guys that are going to come together, and we are going to ride out together and fix the issue, fix the problems we can, eliminate mistakes and do your job.”
Despite the talent, hype and expectations, the first 5 weeks of the season have been a sobering reality check.
“It has been a good wake-up call for us to realize that it does not matter who we are playing, we have to play our game,” Mayfield said. “We have to give them our best shot. It is time to stop worrying about exactly what they are doing and do our job first and be able to adapt on the fly. We have to execute our job first and foremost.”
