CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The good news is the Browns beat the Texans 31-21 and quarterback Baker Mayfield seems to have avoided a serious injury to his left shoulder.
The bad news is they may have lost their most dependable receiver and leader in Jarvis Landry after Landry suffered an MCL injury on the second play of the game and did not return ending his streak of consecutive games with at least two catches at 111, the fourth-longest streak in NFL history.
Landry caught a 9-yard pass from Mayfield on the second play of the day when he went down and did not return. He'll undergo an MRI Monday.
“You do not ever want to lose Jarvis Landry from your football team,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Hopefully, he is back real soon. He is another leader on this football team. I think he was on his way to having a good day. We will just see what the MRI looks like in the morning.”
Mayfield got drilled by Texans safety Justin Reid, who intercepted his pass to Anthony Schwartz, while trying to make the tackle and prevent a big return with 9:35 left in the second quarter.
“The quarterback has to turn the ball back [inside],” Stefanski said. “He can tackle. He can get the guy to the ground. It is unfortunate. Baker is an extremely competitive person as you all know. We do not want him to get hurt obviously, but then he was right back out there leading this team.”
Mayfield stayed on the ground bent over in obvious pain for a few minutes before walking off with trainers.
“Obviously, not an ideal situation,” Mayfield said. “Trying to force him back inside. I think he realized it was me standing right there so he put his head down and ran right after me. It kind of popped in and out, but I will be good. Nothing too serious.”
Following a brief stop at the medical tent, Mayfield went to the locker room for further examination.
Minutes later Mayfield ran out of the tunnel to the sideline where he quickly grabbed his helmet. This might not have been the first time he’s played through such an injury.
“I think a few times. I do not know,” Mayfield said. “It is my left, though. God gave me two.”
Mayfield would not allow pain to deny him.
“I was feeling it a lot – thanks for asking,” Mayfield responded to laughter when asked about dealing with the pain. “It was alright. Played the rest of the game, didn’t we?”
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett praised Mayfield’s toughness, comparing him to Brett Favre.
“I think he was just playing up for the cameras,” Garrett joked. “He kind of rolled his shoulder a little bit and rubbed some dirt on it and went back out there. The guy is tough. Honestly, wouldn’t say carbon copy, but he is like Brett Favre 2.0, with less picks though.
“Stuff just rolls off his back. He doesn’t let the last play affect him whether it’s good or bad, touchdown or interception. He just rolls with the punches. He always keeps on coming. He always stays the same and e love that from him because he always brings that intensity that we expect from him.”
Mayfield appreciated the compliment from the All-Pro and 2017 No. 1 overall pick.
“I am not doing it for any gratification or anything. I put in the work during the week and come out on Sundays because I truly love this game,” Mayfield said. “Blessed to play it as a job. It is just one of those things. You are just going to have to grit things out, and I am not the only one dealing with injuries – by no means is that the case. Everybody is fighting through something. The healthiest you are the whole year is when you show up for camp. After that, it is all downhill. I am going to tough it out because these guys are, as well. I am not getting hit every play so when I do, let’s just go. Let’s roll with it.”
After returning, Mayfield, who started the day with nine straight completions, completed his final 10 passes of the afternoon and ran for a touchdown.
“He was really sharp,” Stefanski said. “Versus this defense and the zone that they play, you have to be disciplined with your reads, and you have to be accurate with your throws. I thought he did a nice job.”
Following the game Mayfield seemed more concerned about Landry than himself.
“You never want to lose a player in the caliber of Jarvis but even more so the leadership he brings,” Mayfield said. “When things are not going well, the stuff that he can say to the guys and is just another voice who we have to lean on. It sucks, but hopefully, it is not too serious and we will move on.”
