Why the Cleveland Browns’ worst dropped pass percentage is a good thing
By Mike Lukas
The Cleveland Browns receivers have struggled catching passes, but that has a lot to say about how good of an arm Baker Mayfield has.
A recent December tweet from ESPN says the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars are tied for highest percentage of dropped passes with 5.1 percent.
An embarrassing stats category to lead, granted, but that’s actually good news.
Well, relatively speaking it is.
Remember when rookie quarterback and grown kid who actually makes the football hiss when he throws it Baker Mayfield took over the Browns in September?
BrownsWire said 9.8 percent of Mayfield’s passes were being dropped back then, also the highest rate in the league.
Almost one out of every ten balls Baker threw right at his receiver was just…dropped.
That’s a lot of missed first downs and touchdowns that woulda-coulda-shoulda been caught but weren’t.
But then a similar tweet from ESPN in early October shows that the Browns again led the league in percentage of drops, but this time with 7.6 percent.
Then there’s this tweet from ESPN at the end of October that shows the Browns again led the league in percentage of drops, but this time with 6.9 percent.
See what’s happening there?
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- Sept: 9.8%
- Early Oct: 7.6%
- Late Oct: 6.9%
- Nov: unavailable
- Dec: 5.1%
The trend is obvious to even non-nerds: the drops are happening less over time.
The analysis is clear to even non-ballers: the Cleveland Browns are slowly figuring out how to catch Baker Mayfield’s passes. His supersonic, there-before-you-know-it, faster than a Jugs-machine’s-highest-setting, finger stinging, hornet-sounding football passes.
The conclusion is what general manager John Dorsey knew all along:
Buddy boy can throw, everyone else needs to catch.
Interim head coach Gregg Williams calls Mayfield’s arm strength and accuracy “outstanding”, but those skills mean nothing if the balls end up zinging off receivers’ hands like they were toddlers.
The Los Angeles Rams have the fewest percentage of dropped passes with 2.3, so the Browns still have a long way to go.
Hate to point fingers, but there are two Browns players who, despite their eye-popping contributions, could definitely use some extra Jugs time.
Tight end David Njoku is tied for the eighth most dropped passes in the NFL with five. Rookie wide receiver Antonio Callaway is tied for the 14th most dropped passes in the league with four.
Just saying, the Jugs machine is free, fellas, snag a crew and get busy, buddy boys.
Another great time to practice not dropping balls will be against the Cincinnati Bengals, a team that’s ranked 28th against the pass.
Turn those first downs and touchdowns that woulda-coulda-shoulda been caught into catches.
Beat the Bengals by abusing their Hue-infected secondary with receptions that remain receptions that never touch the ground.
Next. Browns top-five receiving seasons since 1999. dark
The Browns may lead the league in dropped passes from Baker right now, but keep in mind it’s not easy learning how to catch cannon balls and thunder.
But they will, they are, and soon the playoffs will be up to the Browns, not on whether two other teams can tie.