Baker Mayfield developing into Cleveland Browns franchise QB

The Learning Year

In Baker Mayfield’s third year, he finally seems to have found a coaching staff that is competent. He has finally had an opportunity to learn the game of football and progress as a quarterback.

This year, Baker has made significant progress in all the areas that he has struggled. As stated earlier he now reads multiple receivers, steps up in the pocket, and is doing a better job of throwing the ball to the open receiver.

Baker has progressed wonderfully this season. Early in the season, it was obvious he didn’t have command of the offense. As such, he was not comfortable with the reads. As he was not comfortable he would often panic and escape the pocket early. But as the weeks progress, he has become more comfortable with the offense.

Now that he is comfortable in the offense, he is more relaxed in the pocket. He has better command of the offense as a whole. Further, he is now reading defenses better than he has before as well. In short, he is becoming a franchise NFL quarterback.

This offense was once described by former Browns head coach Mike Pettine as an offense that minimizes the role of the quarterback. By that, the offense is about running the football. It’s not about putting the quarterback in a position to have to make every play.

This is a perfect style offense for a guy who came from an Air Raid system, had terrible coaching his first two seasons, and needs some time to figure out the NFL. Figuring out the NFL is exactly what Baker is doing.

But there are those who say that the Browns need to move on from Mayfield because the head coach does not trust him with the “whole playbook”. Evidence for this is the run-heavy game plan the last three games in inclement weather.

Those Baker haters might want to watch the 2019 Minnesota Vikings offense. They do almost exactly what the Browns are doing now. With Stefanski at the helm, the Vikings offense ran the ball, ran the ball, and then ran the ball some more. It was not an offense centered around quarterback Kirk Cousins.

But because Cousins didn’t put up gaudy numbers on spread sheets, people claim he is not a good NFL quarterback. The Vikings made the playoffs. That doesn’t happen without good quarterback play. The Vikings were a good team.

The Browns are playing very similar offensively to the 2019 Vikings. Cleveland is in the playoff hunt. That doesn’t happen without good quarterback play.

Baker Mayfield is not a finished product. He is the product of the Cleveland Browns. He has had a lot stacked against him to start his career. Amazingly he has overcome a lot in a very short time in his career.

But instead of watching his development and cheering as he gets progressively better in the areas that don’t show up on a stat sheet, some fans have chosen to complain about what they don’t see. What they don’t see are the stats. What they don’t see is a wide-open passing offense. The Browns will never be a wide-open passing offense running an outside zone scheme.

But by focusing on what they don’t see, these negative Nancy’s are missing the coming of age of a franchise quarterback.