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Cleveland Browns: Overreactions to Week 4 vs Vikings

By Nick Swanson

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - OCTOBER 03: Kareem Hunt #27 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates a touchdown during the second quarter in the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 03, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - OCTOBER 03: Kareem Hunt #27 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates a touchdown during the second quarter in the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 03, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /
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Cleveland Browns
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – OCTOBER 03: Everson Griffen #97 of the Minnesota Vikings sacks Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 03, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /

First Overreaction – Baker Mayfield needs to get it together ASAP

The Cleveland Browns offense did not look good for the most part on Sunday and that’s putting it lightly. The run game was solid as it always is but the passing game was where it really hurt. Baker Mayfield looked awful and inaccurate as he managed to consistently sail passes six feet over his receivers’ heads.

If you didn’t watch the game and you were just box score scouting, it’s understandable that you don’t know how bad Mayfield truly was. He finished the game with a 59.5 passer rating and 15.6 QBR, both of which are not good. Completing 15 of 33 passes, around only a 45.5 percent completion percentage, for 155 yards is serviceable when looking at just the numbers. The Browns need a quarterback that’s more than “serviceable” if they hope to make the playoffs.

Mayfield was sacked three times against a not-great Vikings pass rush and couldn’t complete a pass under pressure even if it was to save his life. He reverted back to the old Baker where he locks in on Odell Beckham Jr and tries to force the ball to him at every possible opportunity. Mayfield targeted, or in reality, sent seven passes in the vaguely general direction of, OBJ throughout the game and only managed to put two of them in his hands.

The passing game was non-existent early and never managed to develop as the game progressed. Luckily enough for Mayfield, the Browns won the game. Had the team not had two of the best running backs in the NFL, he would be getting ripped to shreds even worse than he already is. Mayfield showed flashes of his rookie self, which is not a good thing in this case, against the Chiefs and we saw it again against the Minnesota Vikings.

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