BEREA, Ohio -- From penalties to turnovers and missed assignments, the Cleveland Browns have been plagued with self-inflicted mistakes that have cost them dearly over the first four games of the 2018 regular season.
However, after losing last Sunday to the Oakland Raiders, 45-42, in overtime by surrendering a 14-point lead during the second half, quarterback Baker Mayfield is confident the team is almost there as it pertains to fixing the mistakes ahead of this week’s AFC North Division game against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium.
“We are very close,” Mayfield said. “It just so happens that some of those little errors cost us the ball on my part. We are very close on it. That is the positive outlook on it. Obviously, disappointing to lose when we can fix a couple of things and come out with a win. It did not turn out that way, so we have to get it fixed.”
Mayfield lost a pair of fumbles and threw two interceptions in his first NFL start.
Mayfield’s first three turnovers, the fumbles and one interception, resulted in touchdowns for the Raiders, while the fourth one brought to an end the fourth quarter and forced overtime, where Oakland kicker Matt connected on a 29-yard field goal with 1:46 to play in the extra session to seal the victory.
“Obviously, the most important thing is taking care of the ball,” Mayfield said. “No matter if it is communication or decision-making, the most important thing is the football and making sure that we give our team the most opportunities to win, chances to score and put ourselves into a good position.”
On the second drive of the game, the Browns faced a second-and-eight from their own 25-yard line, Mayfield fired a short throw to the left side of the field for rookie wide receiver Antonio Callaway, but the first-year pass catcher slipped while coming out of his break and the Raiders corralled the turnover.
After catching the deflection off of Callaway’s hands, Raiders cornerback Gareon Conley, a native of Massillon, Ohio, and one-time Ohio State Buckeyes standout, raced down the sideline and leapt his way across the goal line for a touchdown.
Then, late in the game, Mayfield and the Browns faced a first-and-10 from Oakland’s 49-yard line and decided to take a chance deep down the field. However, Mayfield and Callaway were unable to connect on the pass, and Raiders defensive back Reggie Nelson corralled the interception.
“I think that communication is very important with that and just the little details,” Mayfield said. “I keep harping on that, but that is the most important thing. We have to be fundamentally sound because we have all of the talent. We just have to do our job.”
Mayfield’s confidence in the Browns’ ability to overcome their mistakes comes from what he has seen in meetings and on the practice field.
“When you fine tune the details, everybody realizes what we are trying to accomplish, where the ball needs to go,” Mayfield said.
“A receiver, even if he might not be getting the ball, might run his route in a way to get somebody open. It is stuff like that we are trying to get accomplished, and I think we are heading in the right direction.”
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