Baker Mayfield and coach get put on blast despite win

Baker Mayfield and Kevin Stefanski both came under fire after the Cleveland Browns struggled to secure a win over the Detroit Lions in Week 11

It was not the prettiest of efforts, but the Cleveland Browns found a way to emerge victorious against the Detroit Lions.

The Browns needed a victory on Sunday to stay afloat in the AFC standings and got just that. Cleveland escaped with the win 13-10, sending Detroit to 0-9-1 on the season.

Winning cures all in the NFL, but this doesn’t feel like a winning Sunday evening despite what we all witnessed Sunday afternoon. Cleveland won in ugly fashion and there’s still a ton of answers

Despite winning, quarterback Baker Mayfield and head coach Kevin Stefanski are yet again under the fire of criticism, and rightfully so.

I will yet again preface what I am about to say with the notion that I’m a huge fan of Mayfield and Stefanski. With that said, they can and will be criticized for poor play and coaching. That does not mean I or any other fan that wants better for this team are suddenly “haters.”

So let’s start with No. 6. On Sunday, Baker played despite a combination of shoulder, knee, and heel injuries he’s been battling through. He finished the game 15-29 for 176 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. The picks were bad, no matter which way you spin it.

Mayfield also had a ton of errant throws and was getting bailed out by penalties committed by the Lions. If he is that banged up to the point where he cannot perform to the highest of his abilities, then is it time to bench him? FanSided’s John Buhler thinks so.

Baker was so disgruntled after the game due to how he played that he stormed off the field and did not partake in the team media session.

The question of the benching of Mayfield gets us to Mr. Stefanski.

The 2020 NFL Coach of the Year is having one hell of a sophomore slump. Cleveland is 6-5 through the first 11 games of the 2021 campaign, a year removed from finishing 11-5 in the regular season.

So should Stefanski look to bench Baker for at least this next week against the Ravens ahead of the bye week? It would absolutely make sense as Cleveland can have Case Keenum step in again and let Mayfield sit out next week and then the following week is the bye where he can continue to recuperate.

In retrospect, as hindsight is always 20/20, Mayfield shouldn’t have played against the winless Lions. Keenum is a good enough backup to beat that team, especially with the return of Nick Chubb.

Speaking of Chubb, he returned in typical fashion, rushing for 130 yards on 22 carries while also catching two passes for 14 yards and a touchdown. For as good of a game as that was, it could and should have been better.

Stefanski yet again got away from the run game and even went with Demetric Felton, who also returned from the COVID-19/reserves list, over D’Ernest Johnson, who has done a great job when his number was called. But the coach has been questionable with his play-calling all season long. He abandons the run far too often and sometimes that hurts the team, especially when it is paired with poor play from Mayfield.

Alicia de Artola, another contributor for FanSided, thinks Stefanski should be on the hot seat due to the decision to play Mayfield despite the injuries.

I think it is a little too early to discuss Stefanski and the hot seat, but he does have to do better coaching games and calling plays. He needs to make sure that his players are being held accountable when they commit and eye-rolling amount of penalties from week to week.

Stefanski needs to let the running backs cook, especially if Baker is on the field, that way it puts him in situations where he won’t be getting banged up. The combination of Chubb, Johnson, Felton, and soon a returning Kareem Hunt can get this team to the playoffs. Mayfield doesn’t have to play at an elite level, but he does have to play better, but if he isn’t healthy enough to play, Stefanski needs to sit him.

There are six games remaining in the season and as of right now, Cleveland remains in the thick of things. With that said, they need to continue to figure out ways to win games, and it all starts next Sunday on Sunday Night Football when the Browns travel to Baltimore for a pivotal AFC North clash with the Ravens.

We will see what the reigning Coach of the Year has up his sleeve to ensure this season doesn’t escape even further from expectations.