Cleveland Browns: What’s wrong with Baker Mayfield and how to fix it
By Joel W. Cade
The Cleveland Browns finally have their franchise quarterback. The only problem is that he still needs to figure out the NFL game.
The Cleveland Browns have their man. There is no doubt about it. But he is still a rookie. He is still adjusting to the NFL game.
This past week the NFL caught up to Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. He had put together a few good games. But there was finally enough tape on Mayfield for other teams to put together an effective game plan against him. The result was Mayfield’s worst outing as a professional.
The NFL is about adjusting. Mayfield came into the game playing his style of game. His style was consistent with his style in college. It was effective for a couple of weeks. But NFL defensive coordinators will study tape and figure out how to stop it. Now Mayfield needs to counter punch. He needs to see his tendencies on tape and make adjustments.
Mayfield’s approach is consistent with the Air Raid style offense he played at the University of Oklahoma. It was not a “pure” Air Raid offense nor was it the Air Raid in its original form. Instead, he played in an Air Raid scheme that incorporated pro style concepts and schemes. But at the core, the philosophy was still Air Raid.
The Los Angeles Chargers saw these tendencies on tape. They created a game plan to remove the deep option from the play. Their plan was to force Mayfield to check the ball down to underneath receivers and dump off routes. They combined this approach with a contain rush that took away the scrambling options Mayfield uses to create time for downfield throws. It worked effectively.
For Mayfield to succeed moving forward he needs to become more of a point guard quarterback instead of a scrambler. Scrambling is not Baker’s game as he lacks the speed to be successful at it. Instead, he should play to his strengths. He is an extremely accurate passer with a quick release.
Let’s examine each point to get at the heart of the adjustments Mayfield will need to make.