Cleveland Browns: 3 goals for Baker Mayfield in 2020

Goal No. 2: Throwing 13 or fewer interceptions

The second goal for Baker Mayfield for 2020 for the Cleveland Browns is throwing 13 or fewer interceptions. Mayfield threw the second-most interceptions in the league last season with 21, and only the near-literal walking pick-six, James Winston, threw more.

Going forward for Mayfield, he needs to turn it over less. The Browns should be able to run the ball about as well as anybody, and Mayfield should be able to get the ball out of his hands very quickly in this Stefanski/Van Pelt offense. That should lead to less turnover-worthy throws as a result.

So why 13 interceptions or fewer?

In Mayfield’s significantly better rookie year when he did not have Beckham (albeit a Beckham that was dealing with a tough sports hernia injury) or later on, Hunt, let alone Hooper, Mayfield threw 14 picks in 13 starts.

Now that still was a bit high, but for a player that also set the NFL record for touchdown passes for a rookie that season with 27, one could absolutely live with that.

It’s clear as crystal, though, that Mayfield is going to thread the needle at times. That’s totally fine, and he has the arm talent to do so periodically throughout games. That’s understandable, and that shouldn’t be necessarily handicapped.

Even so, with the Cleveland Browns shaping up to be much better around him and with their running game, he won’t need to force the issue nearly as much. The dude has that gunslinger-type mentality, to an extent, and that will continue to show, but one would just like him to pick his battles at times.

Lastly, the third goal for Mayfield has to do with him still making his presence felt game-to-game.