CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Baker Mayfield flew into Green Bay on Christmas and gifted the Packers their 12th win of the season by throwing a career-high four interceptions.
The Browns limp back to Cleveland below .500 at 7-8 following a 24-22 loss.
Here are our Top Takeaways from Mayfield’s nightmare on Christmas.
1. Another tight game, another blown opportunity. The Browns gave the Packers all they had but it wasn’t enough. They have played 10 games decided by 7 or fewer points this season and have won just four of them.
2. When the dust settles on the season, understands that COVID did not derail 2021 for the Browns. Losses to the Chiefs, Chargers, Steelers, Ravens, Raiders and now Packers did.
3. The great quarterbacks can rally from behind and close games out. Mayfield has a long way to go if he’s going to be great in his career. He’s now 0-4 with the ball in his hands with 2-minutes or less and a chance to take the Browns down the field to win a game this season.
4. The Defense once again did their job. Mayfield and the offense did not. Plain and simple.
5. Flying in on game day and playing without practicing in two weeks after spending it on the COVID list isn’t ideal, and expecting Mayfield to carry the day under those circumstances isn’t fair, but that was the job.
6. Browns fans are well within their rights to have quarterback envy. Aaron Rodgers is everything the Browns need to get to that next level. The cold hard math is that the Browns are elite quarterback play this season away from being Super Bowl contenders. Injuries, COVID or not, Mayfield has failed to deliver in 2021 leaving the front office with little choice but to look for options in the offseason.
7. Packers points on drives started by Mayfield interceptions: 21. Packers points on normal drives started by kicks: 3. Ballgame.
8. A ton of focus will be on the non-holding call on Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas, and understandably so considering he got away with holding twice on the same play, on the final drive but Kevin Stefanski putting the game in Mayfield’s hands to begin with was the biggest mistake. With three timeouts and over 200 yards rushing on the ground, the Browns should have pounded their way down the field on the ground.
9. Mayfield’s mechanics, accuracy and arm strength were off Saturday and contributed to his first three interceptions, which came in the first half. According to ESPN Stats and Information, Mayfield was 2-10 for 40 yards and four interceptions on throws of 10 or more yards downfield. He became the first Browns quarterback to throw four interceptions in a game since Brandon Weeden in 2012.
10. On the first play of the Browns’ second possession, Mayfield looked deep into double coverage for receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones at midfield, which was intercepted by Packers safety Darnell Savage. Replays showed Douglas grabbing Peoples-Jones, which helped create the turnover that gave Green Bay the ball at their own 47 in what was basically a punt, but on first down. Five plays later Rodgers broke Brett Favre’s franchise record for touchdowns with an 11-yard toss to Allen Lazard for a 7-6 lead with 5:13 remaining in the first quarter. Mayfield threw his second interception when he overthrew Jarvis Landry and the ball went right into the arms of Packers corner Chandon Sullivan giving the Packers the ball at their own 24. Rodgers orchestrated a 10-play drive capped by a 9-yard TD to Davante Adams for a 14-6 lead. The third pick set up a short field for Rodgers and Adams to hook up for a second score and a 21-12 lead.
11. Nick Chubb continues to do what Nick Chubb does, yet Stefanski didn’t just keep going to him. Chubb finished with 126 yards and a touchdown, which capped the opening drive of the game from a yard out, on just 17 carries. He pounded away at the Packers ripping off runs of 27, 15 and 13 yards. He added three more catches for 58 yards, including a 40-yard catch-and-run on the opening drive.
12. The reconfigured offensive line saw Joel Bitonio back at left tackle, Michael Dunn at left guard foe Bitonio, Nick Harris at center for J.C. Tretter and Blake Hance at right tackle. Wyatt Teller got to start at right guard. The group did an outstanding job.
13. The ‘go for it on fourth-and-one’ crowd won Saturday. The Packers showed Cleveland’s defense no respect by going for it from their own 34, which they easily converted, on their first possession of the day.
Opponents are 14-22 on fourth down this season against Cleveland. Stefanski also went for it at the same spot later in the opening quarter, which saw Peoples-Jones convert it with a 5-yard catch.
14. Penalties continue to kill the Browns – six more for 38 yards Saturday – and they always seem to come at the worst times.
15. A phantom false start called on Teller actually saved Stefanski from himself. Inexplicably he left the offense on the field to go for it on fourth-and-22 at the Packers 43 with just over 9 minutes remaining.
16. We don’t mean to pick on Peoples-Jones, but for the second straight week the 2020 sixth round pick failed to come down with a catchable deep ball. With the margin of error thinner than a piece of paper, those are plays the Browns absolutely must make.
17. Kicker Chris Naggar picked up where Chase McLaughlin left off by missing his first PAT try wide right forcing Stefanski to chase points. Naggar drilled a 37-yard field goal late in the third quarter to pull the Browns within 24-15. He made his second PAT try as well.
18. This is the point where we’re supposed to tell you the Browns still have a chance to win the AFC North with wins over the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football and home against the Bengals January 9 plus the Ravens lose to the Bengals and Rams and the Chiefs beat the Steelers and Bengals, but we’re just not going to do that. There is no evidence to show that the Browns can pull it off, period.
19. Sorry for the lump of coal. Bah Humbug.
20. Merry Christmas.
