Sparks fly for Browns as Odell Beckham Jr, Baker Mayfield find chemistry
In Odell Beckham Jr’s first game back since 2020 due to a knee injury, he and Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield finally had good chemistry.
It’s been the biggest issue for the Cleveland Browns and their fans since Odell Beckham arrived in Cleveland back in 2019. He and his quarterback, Baker Mayfield, have had issues gelling and getting on the same page.
OBJ still made the big play for the Browns, but often times, the connection between he and Mayfield just looked off. Mayfield would get under duress and look to force the ball to his most talented playmaker on the outside, and unfortunately, it just didn’t work.
Time and again, the Browns offense would stumble and drives come to an abrupt halt because of this disconnects between the two star players. This led to frustration on the sidelines, and even rumors that Odell Beckham was telling teams to trade for him before games.
On Sunday, however, in his first game back from surgery to repair a torn ACL he suffered in Week 7 of the 2020 season, Beckham appeared to be on the same page with his quarterback. While he didn’t have any spectacular catches that made any jaws drop, he played a really solid game, hauling in five passes for 77 yards.
Every pass that went his way looked fresh, and didn’t look forced. It appeared the two players both knew what they needed to do, and executed their roles perfectly. When a play was needed to be made, Odell Beckham was the first guy Mayfield would turn to, but instead of forcing it to him when he wasn’t open, he would look towards his other options when necessary.
This shows several things that should make Browns fans excited. For one, it shows that the team has made the right moves with their coaching staff. Mayfield and OBJ had their issues under two previous coaching staffs, and now that they are on the field together under Stefanski, they appear to be in sync.
It also shows that both Beckham and Mayfield have made huge strides in their development and have obviously taken the time to work together on some things during Beckham’s recovery. Be it on the field or just in film study, the connection between the two isn’t something that just changes overnight, and is something that they’ve worked on to improve together.
If this one game is any indication of what to expect for the remainder of the season, then the rest of the NFL should be put on red alert. The sparks are flying in Cleveland, but it’s not a new dating reality show or anything like that.
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It’s the chemistry between the face of the franchise, Baker Mayfield, and his new (old) man on the outside, Odell Beckham Jr.