Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield will be feeling every bit of the pressure this season, as he looks to prove to the NFL that he was worth being taken 1st overall in 2018. Despite a stellar, record-setting rookie campaign, in which Mayfield slung a rookie-record 27 touchdowns, he floundered as a sophomore, throwing 21 interceptions and only 22 touchdowns. His completion percentage dropped 4 points, and his QBR dropped over a dozen points. Thrown into a leadership role just 3 games into his rookie season, Mayfield has been both the hero and the failure of the Browns squad over the last 30 games.
Yes, he was a walk-on at Oklahoma. Yes, he won the Heisman Trophy. But can he take the Browns to the playoffs for the first time since 2002? Only time will tell, and time will be harder than ever on Mayfield. If Cleveland misses the playoffs again, Mayfield’s job could be, and should be, in jeopardy.
Here are 5 things Mayfield needs to do this season to make the leap into a successful and trustworthy franchise quarterback:
Limit the interceptions
Without a doubt, Mayfield has to limit his turnovers. In two seasons, he has thrown 35 interceptions. Compare that to other quarterbacks from the 2018 draft class, like Lamar Jackson, who has thrown just 9 picks in two seasons, or Josh Allen, who has thrown 21. If you watched any Browns games last season, you know that at least a dozen of Mayfield’s interceptions came as a result of his receivers tipping passes. That excuse only goes so far, though. Tom Brady, the best quarterback of our lifetime, has never thrown more than 14 picks in a single season. Last season, he threw 8. The greatest franchise quarterbacks don’t turn the ball over. Mayfield has to follow suit.
Utilize the receiving corps
Bleacher Report ranked the Cleveland Browns in the top-10 league-wide for best receiving units. With weapons like Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper, and Kareem Hunt, there’s no excuse for Mayfield to have lower than 25 touchdown passes this season. Yes, it’s looking like new head coach Kevin Stefanski will be paying more attention to the run game, for good reason, in this year’s playbook. But, with an offense that hits juggernaut status in every Madden simulation, the passing game should be thriving. You don’t line-up two of the best pass-catchers in the game just to have them snag 10 total touchdowns over 16 games. Mayfield has to connect with them, especially if the run-game needs to be bailed out.
Win games
Since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999, they have won more than 10 games just once. It will not be the end of Mayfield’s career if the team only wins 9 games this season, but there is little room for error. They have to put up a winning record. .500 is not a good enough expectation now. If Mayfield’s stats don’t add up like fans want, there’s a good chance they will be excused if the Browns make the playoffs. The AFC North will once again be a tough division to win, especially with the Ravens coming into training camp with all of their weapons from last season. But the Bengals are rebuilding, and the Steelers are not the same team they once were. A 9-7 record in a tough AFC North could be enough to secure a Wild Card spot. The fans want 13-3 or 12-4, but they will settle for 9-7. With only 2 winning seasons since 1999, Mayfield could use a winning campaign to breathe new life into his career.
After the 2018 season, when he put up Rookie of the Year-worthy numbers, the football world was ready to take the torch from Tom Brady and pass it off to Baker Mayfield. Whatever torch got passed was quickly snuffed last December. In 2020, everyone will be watching Mayfield under a microscope. The former walk-on is no longer an underdog, and only time will tell if he is the answer to Cleveland’s 56-year football championship drought.
