So it’s come to this.
After yet another cataclysmic performance, this time on Monday Night Football at the hands of the undefeated 49ers, Baker Mayfield found himself in an all too familiar position: trying to rally the Cleveland Browns after an embarrassing performance.
His follow-up? A 22-37, 249 yard, 1 TD, 3 INT showing against the Seattle Seahawks.
The prevailing narrative, as frequently propagated by the Mayfield apologists who largely inhabit Northeast Ohio goes like this: “The guy we’re seeing right now…this ain’t Baker. Freddie Kitchens is a horrible rookie head coach who is in over his head and has no business running the team AND calling plays. The offensive line is a nightmare—Baker is running for his life. Things will get better once Antonio Callaway and Rashard Higgins come back, and this is the tough part of the schedule.”
There’s truth in all of that. But as we’ve said many times on this website, matters such as poor line play, substandard coaching and injuries (or in Calllaway’s case, suspension) are all occupational hazards of the quarterback position. The truly great signal-callers transcend the shortcomings around them, turning water into wine on Sundays more often than not.
Unless you frequent HHSR, you were probably sold a bill of goods on Baker Mayfield. Going back to our 2018 NFL Mark Draft podcast, yours truly went deep on why Mayfield, while talented, was everything a team SHOULD NOT want in a franchise QB:
Sidebar: 2018 Mark Draft Podcast (46:00 mark)
The Browns selected the Oklahoma product with the #1 overall pick (against our wishes) and proceeded to enjoy Mayfield slinging a rookie-record 27 touchdown passes last year in only 14 games. All seemed good, especially when the Browns brought in explosive weapons Odell Beckham Jr and Kareem Hunt to pair with Higgins, Callaway, Nick Chubb and Jarvis Landry. Yet Baker’s trademark bravado was the only thing that surpassed the runaway hype train that would become the Cleveland Browns. Actually, it fueled it.
Teams take on the personality of their leaders in most sports. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are workmanlike in their approach; hence, the Patriots follow suit. So is it any coincidence that Baker, who has literally made a living off running his mouth (peep his slew of endorsements) ahead of any real accomplishments in the NFL and the Browns as a whole seemed equally unprepared in the season opener versus Tennessee? Baker threw three picks in the fourth quarter; the Browns racked up 18 penalties, the most by the team in 68 years.
By spending the offseason shooting commercials, trashing opposing players, getting into Twitter spats with media members, dragging teammates for their contract disputes, hyping his own team’s expectations and welcoming any labels of “distractions”, Baker Mayfield showed the world — and more importantly, his team — where his attention lied. It seems he did this in lieu of actual preparation, at the expense of his green head coach, whom he basically got hired in the first place.
The irony here is Baker not bringing his A game in support of his guy, Kitchens, juxtaposed to his relationship with former Browns coach Hue Jackson last season. Jackson was run out of town by Browns brass (and fans) and Baker himself. Mayfield stupidly held a grudge against Jackson for joining the division rival Cincinnati Bengals after he was fired by the Browns. Off the record, the belief is Jackson not giving Baker the starting job at the beginning of the season is what set off the 24-year-old.
Heaven forbid Jackson teach the young QB some humility—it’s not like he needs it or anything. But why would he still even be upset with Jackson after the way former offensive coordinator Todd Haley sabotaged Tyrod Taylor in order to get him the starting job?
Sidebar: HHSR Podcast: Sept. 22, 2018 (17:45 mark)
Nope. Baker Mayfield’s swag, at best, blurs the lines of confidence and arrogance. In reality, for as much as it ignites a starved fan base, it serves as an albatross for his team.
Take the 49ers game. The idea of exacting revenge against Baker for his 2017 flag plant in college had Nick Bosa foaming at the mouth. Richard Sherman was so annoyed with Baker’s antics in general, he fabricated a story about the Cleveland quarterback snubbing him during pregame handshakes. Both men went off on the Browns, which raises an interesting point.
By now, it doesn’t matter if Baker did something real or fictitious to piss off an opponent. People just don’t like him regardless, and they’ll find added motivation to ensure he receives his comeuppance. He’s put an unnecessary target on the Browns, a team that desperately doesn’t need any more hurdles.
The other common narrative surrounding Mayfield’s play in 2019 is “This isn’t the Baker we know,” or, “He’s regressed this year.” Believers are quick to remind people of his play in 2018, but those people are burying their head in the sand on who Baker has been as a professional quarterback. The turnover issue, Mayfield’s most noticeable of many, isn’t some new bugaboo. He fumbled the ball on his third snap in the NFL—you don’t remember because the Browns recovered it. He threw a red zone interception in his first game—you don’t remember because Jets safety Doug Middleton dropped the ball. He had four turnovers, including a pick 6 in his first NFL start—you don’t remember because the Browns still should’ve won the game if not for abysmal officiating.
The reckless decision-making, the carelessness with the ball, the inconsistent accuracy—this is who Baker Mayfield has ALWAYS been.
In fact if you remove the two games against the Bengals last season, the NFL’s worst pass defense by yardage in 2018, Baker’s career numbers are as follows:
- 60.5% completions for 4,499 yards, 25 touchdown passes, 25 interceptions, 10 fumbles, 41 sacks and an average passer rating of 82.4.
- In other words, 60.5% completions for 225 yards, 1.4 TDs, 1.4 INTs, 0.55 fumbles and 2.3 sacks per game.
- Still another way: 1.4 TDs and 1.95 turnovers per game.
- He is 8-11 as a starter.
Mayfield has never really beaten a good team, or even a good defense, as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Entering play Sunday, he led the league in INTs and was last in completion percentage. He has more picks than any quarterback since receiving the starting job. He now has 29 turnovers in 19 starts. This would be unacceptable from any quarterback, but because Baker shotguns beers at baseball games, some put him in a class with Pat Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.
Everyone rushed to credit Mayfield with “turning around the Browns”, when in actuality the team was already turned around before he ever broke his first huddle.
Sidebar: Which is why the Tyrod Taylor-led Browns would’ve started 2-0 last year if not for incompetent special teams play.
Now the league has tape on him, which requires more focus to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, and Baker is failing miserable. It’s only more disappointing when you consider everything the Browns have done to empower him. While it may be presumptuous to say Baker was the cause of each of these moves, it’s interesting that the firing of Hue Jackson, the hiring of Freddie Kitchens, the trade for (his friend) OBJ, the trade of Duke Johnson and the resigning of Greg Robinson were ostensibly all moves that aligned with Baker’s wishes. He’s the most powerful man in the organization, so much so that Cleveland media fears him, and all it took was a few good games against football’s bottom-feeders.
Although he has talent, Baker Mayfield doesn’t appear to have any special qualities, other than his super ability to make people around the NFL despise him. Perhaps the rookie TD record was bound to fall based off the era we’re now in. And maybe he’s just the product of kid genius Lincoln Riley. Things will surely get better as the schedule lightens up though and people will undoubtedly get sucked back in.
Time is still on Baker Mayfield’s side, unless of course this is who he is. That possibility is certainty still on the table; the possibility that this isn’t who he is though is dwindling.