Three keys to success for the Cleveland Browns in 2020

1. Mayfield must be ready

Last but certainly not least, Mayfield must be “The Guy” in 2020. He must take the blame for the losses and give praise to the team effort when the team wins.  While that seems unfair, it’s just what your team leader does. Mayfield may only be going into year three as a player, but there is no doubt that he has tremendous leadership qualities.

To this point, Mayfield appears to be 100 percent motivated, even though training camp hasn’t gone as well as some would have hoped. Offensive coordinator/quarterback coach Alex Van Pelt is still working on mechanics with Mayfield and you can tell he is still getting used to the adjustments.

At times the offense has looked like a finely tuned machine, but it has also struggled to complete passes in 7-on-7 versus the second-team squad. Consistency will come with more and more repetitions, but it is unfortunate that there isn’t a preseason this year to help the team gel.

The Stefanski wide zone scheme is extremely quarterback friends and fits the Browns personnel perfectly, so look for everything to be clicking by the first game on September 13th. While there is no doubt this will be a major test year for Mayfield before the decision on his fifth-year option is made, look for Stefanski and Van Pelt to make that decision easy for the front office.

Mayfield will be set for a huge year and eventually be given the keys to the franchise for years to come.