BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – As he embarks upon his fourth NFL season, Baker Mayfield finds himself in a unique position.
He’s not having to introduce himself to his coaches or teammates.
“Pretty nice,” Mayfield said Thursday. “First time in my career I have had all 11 starters come back, and obviously, some key role players, as well. It is good to know having the same system and everything, but just building that chemistry and the more reps we get, the more experience we have together.”
He's also not learning a new playbook, and with that, new terminology.
Instead, Mayfield has been able to spend the first few days of training camp reviewing and reinforcing what he learned from head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt last year, which for Mayfield is a pretty big deal considering he had to learn three offensive systems in three years.
“We are much further along because everybody is not learning it for the first time and that is the key part,” Mayfield said. “You have to focus on reteaching yourself the fundamentals and the basic details of these concepts. That is where you do not want to take that for granted. You want to teach all of the basics and the fundamentals first off so you can just refresh your memory and hit the ground running.”
For the Browns, who are coming off an 11-5 regular season and their first playoff win since 1994, to get to the next level, they’ll need Mayfield to get to the next level.
Being in Year 2 of a system should help Mayfield not only elevate his game but take ownership of the offense.
“I think it is going to make us even better at our bread-and-butter stuff,” Mayfield said. “I think we have to have a true identity rolling into this year where we can grow as the season goes on. You do not want to peak early. You want to be good, but you want to continue to get better each week. I think that continuity is going to help us with that.”
With the ability to focus on understanding the nuances within Stefanski’s system, Mayfield can take ownership of the offense as a leader and coach up his teammates when needed.
“Yeah, it is continuity, and everybody is saying same system and same people, but you have to emphasize those little details over and over,” Mayfield said. “I am definitely a lot more comfortable to do that this year.”
Mayfield is 24-23, including the playoffs since taking over as the starter in 2018 but last season was a tale of two halves for the 2018 No. 1 overall pick.
Through the first eight games of the season Mayfield completed 61.4% of his passes for 1,514 yards with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Browns were 5-3. Over the final eight he completed 63.8% for 2,049 yards with 11 touchdowns, one interception and the Browns finished 6-2.
“I can play a whole lot better than last year, I know that,” Mayfield said.
One area Mayfield looks to improve his productivity is on third down where he completed 55.2% of his passes for 751 yards with six touchdowns and four picks a year ago.
The focus on situational football is a priority during camp and the preseason for Mayfield.
Another priority, chemistry – most notably with Odell Beckham Jr., who saw his 2020 season cut short after suffering a torn ACL in Week 7.
“When it comes down to the chemistry stuff, every rep matters for us,” Mayfield, who also praised Beckham’s recovery, said. “But then just the terminology and speaking outside the building, not just about football, that goes such a long way when it comes to chemistry and that trust factor. We have made huge strides, and I know he feels the same way.”
The critics point to the Browns’ success – and Mayfield’s – after Beckham went down as evidence that the three-time Pro Bowler isn’t instrumental for the Browns, but the fact is that when Beckham went down, they lost an explosive dimension that Beckham brings to the table.
The Browns could’ve used a big play against the Chiefs, and Beckham could’ve made it.
Mayfield hopes the third year will be the charm with No. 13.
“Year 1, we were definitely just trying to get used to each other. Last year, did not have a full season by any means because of the injury,” Mayfield said.
Mayfield is used to the spotlight, and the microscope that comes with it.
A lot is expected of him, and the Browns in 2021. The hype is hard to miss, even for the players.
“It is way easier said than done, especially when we have the TVs on all of the talk shows are on,” Mayfield said. “It comes down to doing your job first and foremost. If you are not doing your job, then you might be distracted, you might be trying to do too much or you might be listening – good or bad stuff on the outside, you never want to listen to it.
“You never want to get too high and never want to get too low. I think that is something that I have tried to emphasize in my daily routine. I try to stress that with these guys. That is my job to be the leader for these guys and stress that.”
