By: Michael Welsh

Quarterbacks are a touchy subject for Browns fans. After dozens and dozens of signal-callers since 1999, it seemed like Cleveland had finally found their franchise guy with Baker Mayfield in 2018. Truth be told, it has been an absolute roller coaster since Baker took over at quarterback. With a disappointing 2021 season, it may be time for the Browns, who have a Super Bowl contending roster, to look elsewhere for a quarterback. A lot of tough decisions are looming for General Manager Andrew Berry. So what should the Browns do about Baker Mayfield? There are many pros and cons to this situation and no easy answer.

Pros of Keeping Baker Mayfield

The most memorable thing Mayfield has done as the Browns QB takes them to the playoffs and gets their first playoff win since 1994. To make that even more satisfying for Cleveland fans, it was on the road against the hated Pittsburgh Steelers. Baker tossed three touchdowns in that game and continued his impressive stretch of playing like a top ten quarterback in the NFL. Baker also broke the rookie touchdown record in 2018, but that gets harder to talk about as an accomplishment since Justin Herbert broke it a few short years later. Either way, Baker has shown plenty of flashes of being a really good QB in this league. He makes top-tier throws and has a fire about him that draws players closer. The Browns had trouble winning any games before they drafted Baker. Since he has been drafted, they have won more and been relevant overall. That cannot be ignored, But is it enough? For many fans, it is not. At some point, another step has to be taken and many thought that would have happened this year. One pro of keeping Baker is that he is a cheaper option, with the Browns exercising his 5th-year option, and that he could return the best version of himself in 2022. He tore his labrum on his non-throwing shoulder in week two against the Texans and played extremely banged up all season. Many believe that his accuracy was off due to a harness that had to be worn during games. Andrew Berry may think that after Mayfield has surgery and gets back to 100%, then he will play at a higher level.

The cons of keeping Baker Mayfield

Unfortunately for Browns fans, Baker struggles with quite a bit and there are a decent amount of cons to keeping him. As mentioned earlier, he dealt with a torn labrum all season. That may have affected his accuracy, but there is no way to ignore that he made many awful decisions all season and was not fully seeing the field. This has been an issue for Baker since college. A few of his biggest critiques coming into the 2018 draft were field vision and happy feet in the pocket, which he still has in his fourth season. It is very alarming that he hasn’t progressed past those problems. In addition to those things, Baker (and the team as a whole) had an anti-clutch gene all of 2021. As a starter, Baker was 0-5 in potential game-winning drives in 2021. That is the difference between making the playoffs and missing them. Mayfield was also one of the worst QBs in the fourth quarter last season and overall only has 7 game-winning drives in his entire career. The biggest con to keeping Mayfield in 2022 is if this is who he is as a QB, then the Browns are potentially wasting another year of a great roster. This team is built to win now and they need a QB who elevates the play of those around him, not one who needs everything to be perfect for him to succeed. Baker has yet to be consistent in his career and with a record of 30-30 as a starter, the Browns would be committing to mediocrity at this point if they decided to keep him long term.

Where to go from here

There is no clear path on where to go from here. Andrew Berry has many tough decisions to make in the 2022 offseason, and what to do with Baker is at the top of the list. There are a few other QB options they could try to bring in, but they are limited overall. A trade for Derek Carr seems more likely than a trade for Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers. Jimmy Garoppolo is another name that has been mentioned, but he would not be a substantial upgrade. When you look at the potential options, it only makes the decision more difficult. Baker Mayfield will most likely be the starter in 2022, but it will without a doubt be his last chance to prove himself worthy of being a franchise QB. Part of the fanbase has lost patience with the inconsistencies and they understandably want to win now. We can all agree that the Cleveland Browns have endured enough losing in the last twenty years. 2022 will be the biggest year of Baker Mayfield’s career if he is the guy they chose to roll with. Get your popcorn ready.

The post Is Baker Mayfield really the face of the Browns franchise? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

Last season, the Cleveland Browns earned their first playoff appearance since the 2002 campaign and their first postseason win since New Year’s Day in 1995. 

As a result, they went into the 2021 season with plenty of hype. However, it hasn’t worked out like this. The team’s current record is 5-5 and they are in a division where every team has at least 5 wins. 

So, what has gone wrong for a team that many had down as AFC North division winners? Is there still a chance to win it?

Inconsistent Division

The short answer is yes, they can. The AFC North is fast becoming one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL, but no team has managed to get some sort of consistency. Baltimore Ravens fans will certainly tell you that. 

They had a 5-1 start, which included a 46-35 win over the reigning AFC Champions Kansas City Chiefs. The week after beating the Los Angeles Chargers 34-6, a team that many have as a Super Bowl dark horse, they lost 41-17 to division rivals the Cincinnati Bengals. On Thursday night, they lost 22-10 to the Miami Dolphins, who were 2-6 before the game. More worryingly for the Ravens, the Dolphins appeared to show the entire league the blueprint as to how to beat them. 

The Cincinnati Bengals were briefly top of the division just a matter of weeks ago but now sits in 3^rd place. We have seen the excitement of the Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase partnership but have equally seen the defense allow at least 34 points their last two games as they suffered defeats to the Browns and New York Jets.

There was a difficult start made by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite the surprise 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week One, they lost their next three games to go 1-3. However, they have not lost a game since and now sit 5-3-1. Head coach Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season, but they still have to face the Chargers, Ravens twice, the current AFC number one seed in the Tennessee Titans as well as Cleveland.

Cleveland themselves have to also play the Packers on Christmas Day and the rest of their AFC North rivals, but also get to play a 0-8-1 Detroit Lions and an inconsistent Las Vegas Raiders. Their schedule is fairly favourable, but they have to cut out their own erratic performances if they are to succeed.

Sorting Out Their Own Inconsistencies

The Browns have really struggled for consistency this season. They won three straight games after their opening day loss to the Chiefs but have failed to win consecutive games since. 

If a team is to win championships, then they have to win games consistently. Whilst is it more important how you play in January than how you play in October or November, but you have to make sure you play in January past the regular season.

What have the great New England Patriots sides done in the past? Gotten a consistent run of good form down the stretch. This is exactly what the Browns need to do as runs like this help build momentum and confidence in the crucial postseason games.

The Baker Conundrum

Quarterback Baker Mayfield is easily one of the more polarising players in his position. There are some that feel he is the guy. There are others that view him as nothing more than a ”˜game manager’. 

So far in 2021, he has 1,990 yards, 9 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. This has him projected to finish the campaign with just under 3,980 yards but crucially just under 18 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. This would have him at around his career best in terms of yardage but his worst season when it comes to touchdown passes.

His career so far has defined patchy. He had amazing seasons in both the 2018 and 2020 campaigns but has been poor in 2019 and 2021. He will be expecting a good season in 2022 judging by how his time as a pro has gone, but there is no guarantee he will earn his new contract. This ends after the conclusion of the 2022 season, which may see him raise his game. He has to be careful that he doesn’t suffer a further dip in form. 

Quarterbacks such as Jimmy Garoppolo and Tua Tagovailoa may be available that would fit into the game manager role and allow the excellent run game to flourish. He will have plenty of suitors due to being the number one overall pick in 2018 and the two excellent seasons he has had but he will want to succeed in Cleveland. This is clear to see. One thing that hasn’t helped is the broken-down relationship with wide receiver OBJ.

The OBJ Dilemma

Say what you want about Odell Beckham Jr, the dynamic around him and Baker’s relationship cannot have helped things in Cleveland. Throughout Beckham’s time in Ohio, the talk of a lack of chemistry between the pair has been a constant talking point.

There is substance to this, with the fact that the Browns made the playoffs last season with Odell injured. 

The loss of running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt to injury hasn’t helped, despite the best efforts of D’Ernest Johnson. The one-two punch of both backs reduced the need for Baker to throw to ball to. Instead, these injuries have meant Baker has had to throw to ball to. This can be seen by his stats, with Baker projected to throw for career highs in completed passes and his second highest total in attempted passes. 

OBJ’s dad has posted videos on social media of the amount of times Beckham has been open and not received the ball. There is clear frustration from the Odell camp. Now that he has gone, along with the return of Chubb and Hunt, will help ease the tension at the franchise. Should the struggles ease, with such a good plethora of offensive and defensive talent, this should see head coach Kevin Stefanski guide them to another playoff appearance (or two). Should things further unravel, then Baker will be vastly looking over his shoulder at Free Agency and the 2023 draft quarterback prospects.

The post Looking at the Browns Inconsistent 2021 Season appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By Calvin K (Twitter: @Calvin_SGF)

On the surface, the Cleveland Browns appear to have a great opportunity to contend for the AFC title this year. The Browns retained most of their key players from 2020, and they had a very successful offseason, both in free agency and in the draft. This team certainly has an opportunity to make a playoff run, but in this article, I’ll play devil’s advocate and make the case against them. Here are three reasons why the Browns won’t take a step forward in 2021.

1. Quality of Victories

The Browns finished 11-5 in 2020, losing in the divisional round to the Kansas City Chiefs after defeating the Steelers in the Wild Card game. However, five of those victories came against teams with four or fewer wins, and they also had an embarrassing loss to the 2-14 New York Jets. Eight of their victories came by single-digits, and they had three double-digit losses, including two coming by over 30 points.

Granted, the Browns did get some big wins throughout the year, with a win over Indianapolis and narrow victories over Tennessee and Pittsburgh. They also rebounded from their earlier 32-point loss to Baltimore, losing by just five, and they also came within one score of the Chiefs in their divisional-round game. However, most of their wins were extremely close games, and they were in one-possession games against Houston, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, and Cincinnati (twice). They managed to get the job done in those, winning all five, but a little bit of variance in just two of those could’ve completely changed the landscape of last season. A 9-7 (or even 10-6) Browns team would’ve missed the playoffs last season, which leads nicely into my next point: the tough competition in the AFC.

2. Competition

Even if the Browns have a great year, it could still be difficult to take a step forward and reach the championship game in 2021. The AFC had seven teams with records of 11-5 or better last year, which caused the 10-6 Dolphins to miss out on the playoffs despite the postseason expanding to seven teams per conference.

The Browns themselves had to deal with this tough competition last year, playing a grueling game against the Steelers in the Wild Card matchup before facing the juggernaut Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes was injured for nearly half of that game, but Kansas City’s supporting cast was still good enough to hold off the Browns, exemplifying how elite they really are. The Bills, Ravens, Titans, and Colts are also teams that range from very good to dominant, and we can’t forget about the threats posed by the Patriots, Chargers, Dolphins, and Broncos, who will all have a chance to take a major step up this year. It just doesn’t seem feasible that the Browns would be able to defeat a healthy Chiefs team, and even if they could, the Bills’ high-powered offense and improved defense is in a much better position to do so anyway. The tough AFC competition will make a playoff run difficult for Cleveland, and while they could contend with most NFC teams, it isn’t smart to bet on the Browns as anything more than a Super Bowl long shot.

3. Quarterback Play

Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is hardly a bad QB, but it is possible that he won’t be consistent enough to take this team to the top. The Browns have very few weaknesses on their overall roster, but quarterback is such an important position that even a slight disadvantage can derail a Super Bowl chance.

Mayfield certainly displayed plenty of brilliant flashes last season, but his overall body of work was mediocre, at least statistically. His worst stat last year was completion percentage, where he actually finished 30th among qualifying passers. He was also just 18th in passing yards and 15th in passing touchdowns, although those totals can be partially attributed to the run-heavy nature of the Browns’ offense. Mayfield was also 10th in ESPN’s QBR (Total Quarterback Rating), so he’s certainly not a bad player by any means, but he has struggled with decision-making at times. It’s certainly possible Mayfield is able to be a great QB, but his statistics don’t match up with elite passers in the NFL, and that could potentially become a hindrance for Cleveland’s Super Bowl hopes.

Conclusion

All of the reasons given paint an unfavorable picture for the Browns, but we shouldn’t forget the many positives that this team has as well. The Browns made many depth signings to improve their defense, and they added an edge-rushing playmaker in Jadeveon Clowney, who has the physical traits needed to wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines. The NFL draft additions of CB Greg Newsome and LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah will also be vital for this defense, and those two players could both make immediate impacts for the team.

Overall, Cleveland will enter the 2021 season with a very strong roster, and there’s no arguing against the talent that the team possesses. On paper, this team looks like a borderline Super Bowl contender. However, due to the reasons stated above, there are major obstacles standing in the way of a big next step. These obstacles are ones that can be overcome, but even so, the end of the 2021 season may not come with as rosy of a picture as Browns fans hope.

The post Why the Browns May Not Take the Next Step appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Michael Welsh

The NFL career for Baker Mayfield has been somewhat of a rollercoaster. In his 2018 rookie year, he set the rookie record for passing touchdowns with 27 (which has since been broken by Justin Herbert in 2020), and lead the previous winless browns to a 7-8-1 record. Baker made countless impressive throws and looked like anything but a rookie almost all season. After that electric rookie season, the future looked bright for Mayfield.

Expectations skyrocketed in the 2019 off-season when the Browns traded for superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Fan favorite Freddie Kitchens was named the head coach and suddenly, the Browns were being talked about as legitimate Super Bowl Contenders. Hype surrounded Baker Mayfield as he appeared near the top in MVP odds, as many expected him to throw for 40 touchdowns and 4,500 yards. Unfortunately, Cleveland fell well short of expectations and finished 6-10 in 2019. Baker Mayfield was quickly painted as a “one read QB” and became known as a guy who was snarky with reporters and added to the many distractions from the team that year. Baker finished with 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

Anyone who watched every Browns game knew that Baker wasn’t the real problem in 2019. It was the coaching, scheme, lack of preparation, and the offensive line. Some of the blame can be put on Baker, who admitted after the season that some of the players, himself included, thought it would come together a lot easier and they assumed they would be great. You still have to put the work in, and Baker learned that the hard way. Shortly after the season ended, Freddie Kitchens and General Manager John Dorsey were fired, and Cleveland began doing something that they know all too well: looking for a coach.

What looked like a bright future quickly saw the lights go out, and people began to speculate if Baker was the guy to lead the Browns to success. A lot of that was warranted, but some of it became too harsh of a narrative for someone who had a great rookie season not long ago. Plenty of quarterbacks have sophomore slumps, so why immediately write Baker off? The answer is simple… He plays in Cleveland, and with how bad they have been for so long, getting respect from the league and media is very challenging.

In 2020 the Browns hired Kevin Stefanski as the head coach and Andrew Berry as the General Manager. The hires of them were liked around the league, but per usual we just needed to see it to truly know. With the COVID-19 pandemic in full force, Stefanski had his work cut out for him with an unprecedented off-season. One of his biggest tasks was fixing Baker Mayfield. Stefanski and new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt found numerous ways to help Baker, such as changing his footwork and throwing motion. The most promising part of it all is the offense Stefanski wanted to run played to Baker’s strengths so well.

Doubters of Mayfield were silenced after he finished the 2020 season with 26 touchdowns, only 8 interceptions, and a top-10 Pro Football Focus 81.6 grade. He also leads the Browns to their first playoff victory since 1994 and looked impressive in the postseason overall, even in their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round. He looked comfortable in the offense, especially on the back half of the season when he finished with 20 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions from week 7 on. He was playing as well as Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes in the second half of the year and that isn’t a fluke. Baker has had the traits of a great QB for years, he just needed the right coach to unlock them.

So now all of this brings us to 2021. Coming off an 11-5 record and bolstering the defense all off-season, the Super Bowl expectations are real this time around, unlike 2019, and Baker is poised to full break out. What makes it different this time? There are a few things that factor into it.

The most important factor is there isn’t a coaching change. Baker will have the same head coach in back to back years since 2015-2016. Think about that… Baker has faced adversity a lot in his career, but now he finally has stability and an evolving playbook to learn, instead of a completely new one. In addition to that, there was no turnover on any of the coaching staff or the starting offense. They are completely running it back, which is rare in this league. Baker will be very comfortable in 2021.

One of the weaknesses of the Browns offense, particularly in the playoff game against the Chiefs, is that they had little speed and couldn’t stretch the field. This held them back a lot and made it tough to move the ball at times. The good news is, that should be completely different in 2021. Odell Beckham Jr is returning from an ACL tear, and is reportedly looking amazing in his rehab. He is already making cuts and catches that most couldn’t do at this point in his recovery. Comeback Player of the Year is realistic for OBJ and he should thrive now that Mayfield is comfortable and familiar with the offense. In addition to Beckham, the Browns drafted Anthony Schwartz in the 2021 draft. He ran the fastest 40 yard dash time with a 4.25, and is expected to factor in to help stretch the field.

As mentioned earlier, Andrew Berry and company completely overhauled their defense this off-season and are now expected to be in the top 10 of the entire NFL. If they perform as expected, that will help Mayfield with his mindset during games knowing if they can get a big lead, the defense can do their part and hold it. In 2020, that was not the case. The offense would get a big lead and oftentimes let teams catch back up and make it closer than it should have been. 2021 should be much different. Expect the Browns to blow out a few teams.

One of the final factors is that there is an actual off-season instead of just zoom meetings and limited training camp. The COVID-19 pandemic was devastating and challenging in general, and it made it difficult for Baker to learn another new offense mostly virtually without a pre-season. In 2021, there is a normal off-season routine, minicamps, training camp, and pre-season games. This will be huge for Mayfield and the team in general to get all of that work in person.

A stable environment is key for any quarterback to survive in the NFL, and it is honestly not talked about enough how Baker Mayfield has survived multiple head coaches, offensive coordinators, and offensive schemes in his young career. 2020 Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski is the perfect coach for Baker and if things go well, it could be a duo that remains a contender for many years to come. It is very possible for Mayfield to earn a trip to the Pro Bowl with a 35+ touchdown season. He recently appeared as the most popular 2021 MVP bet in the William Hill US sports book, so apparently many people think he will break out as well and it is real, unlike in 2019. In due time, we’ll all know.

The post Why Baker Mayfield will fully breakout In 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Reese Nasser

Baker Mayfield has been one of the most talked-about quarterbacks in football since breakout season in 2015 at the University of Oklahoma. Since being selected with the number one overall pick in 2018 by the Cleveland Browns, Mayfield has been under scrutiny. Many argued that Mayfield was not the right pick and that the Browns should have selected a different quarterback such as Josh Allen or Sam Darnold. 

Now, with three seasons passing since Mayfield was selected by the Browns, the jury is still not out on whether or not he is the guy for the job. He is still one of the more scrutinized players in the NFL and with the recent success that Josh Allen has had with the Buffalo Bills, the selection of Mayfield is being looked at even more. So that begs the question of, is Baker underrated or overrated? Let’s take a look. 

Mayfield has started 47 games for the Cleveland Browns. In those 47 games, he has a record of 24-23. His first two seasons, from a team perspective, were mediocre at best. 

During his rookie season, he had a record of 6-7 in the games that he appeared in. He threw 27 touchdown passes, which was the record until being broken by Los Angeles Chargers rookie Justin Herbert this past season. 

His sophomore season still didn’t jump from a winning standpoint. Cleveland finished with a record of 6-10 and Baker threw 21 interceptions. At this point, many people began to re-open the case against Mayfield and that he might not be the man for the job. At times it seemed as if the NFL game was too fast for him and he wasn’t capable of leading a team. 

The 2020 season saw a different Baker Mayfield. Mayfield has always played with a swagger and as if he has something to prove at all times. At times, in 2019, it didn’t seem like Mayfield was doing this in 2019, but in 2020 he was back to his old ways. He threw for 26 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He also added one more touchdown on the ground. 

He led the Browns to an 11-5 record, their best regular season since 1994. The Browns also made an impact in the playoffs, something they hadn’t been capable of doing in years. A wildcard matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers showed just how big Mayfield could play when it mattered. The Browns beat the Steelers 48-37, which marked their first playoff win since 1994. In this game, Baker threw three touchdowns against a top defensive unit. 

Their season came to an end against the Kansas City Chiefs. The 22-17 loss marked the ending to the Browns season that was their best since 1994.

This was all formulated by Baker Mayfield. He was the QB1 that led the team into battle. But what does this mean for Baker? Is he still underrated or overrated?

I believe that he is underrated, especially when considering how he finished the 2020 season. Would a different quarterback who had a similar season to Mayfield still be seen as overrated? Cleveland has been attempting to address the quarterback position for what feels like an eternity at this point. They have swung and missed on more quarterbacks than you count on two hands and yet they have finally found one. Baker Mayfield has done more than enough to show that he should be the quarterback of the future in Cleveland. He has accomplished too much for the organization in his three years to be seen as overrated. Leading Cleveland to the playoffs should be enough to remove the overrated tag and the stats back this up. 79 touchdowns in just 48 games. An eleven-win season with a team that finished 0-16 just a year prior to him arriving. 

What he has done for their organization has not been spoken about enough. The Browns were considered a bottom-tier franchise by much of the NFL for a long time. And now they are one of the best teams in the league. They have some of the highest odds to win the super bowl and the expectations will be higher than they ever have been for this team. Regardless of how this upcoming season goes for the Browns, Baker will be the one that is scrutinized. Teams live and die by their QB and it will be no different in Cleveland. But even so, this underrated QB1 will have even more to prove in 2021. 

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