5 Reasons Baker Mayfield will be 2021 NFL Most Valuable Player
By Colin Damms
4. The best O-Line in football
Mayfield went from throwing 21 interceptions in the 2019 season to just 8 interceptions in the 2020 season. This can be attributed to a number of adjustments and improvements, but the most important one is the elite play of the dudes up front on the offensive line.
Newcomers Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills were excellent at the tackle positions, trusty veterans Joel Bitonio and JC Tretter remained remarkable at guard and center respectively, and low key trade acquisition Wyatt Teller was a revelation at right guard.
Another nice improvement aiding Mayfield was the decrease of sacks from 2019 to 2020, which went down from 40 to 26, and the drastic decrease pressure allowed. It is well documented how poor Mayfield has been when pressured heavily, and Andrew Berry did well to address the problem. Hiring Bill Callahan as O-line coach and investing in new starters and depth pieces has paid dividends for the team, and elevated Mayfield’s play.
Expect good things to continue with a year of chemistry building and familiarization with the playbook under their belts. They were already probably the best offensive line in the NFL last year during their trial by fire, a year later with the same personnel should be no different at the very least.