CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has not had the kind of start to the 2019 regular season that he was expecting, but those who know the second-year signal-caller best, there is not any reason for concern.
The Browns are confident Mayfield will rebound from his inconsistent level of production and get the offense going in the right direction and stay near or at the top of the AFC North Division standings.
“I always look forward to Sundays,” Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said. “Like I said before, I am not worried about Baker. Baker is going to get right. I go back to the first game. He was… No, I am not going back to the first game. I am not worried about Baker. He is going to be fine.”
There was plenty of hype surrounding the Browns heading into 2019 because of the offseason acquisition of Pro Bowl receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and the successes Mayfield, running back Nick Chubb and defensive end Myles Garrett had in 2018.
With that hype comes the scrutiny and spotlight on the problems being encountered by the offense over the first three weeks of the season, which has led to the Browns a 1-2 record heading into Sunday’s AFC North Division opener against the Baltimore Ravens in Maryland.
Although the Browns have been blocking out the outside noise, they have fired back at former NFL coach Rex Ryan for his comments about Mayfield’s play, where he called the second-year signal-caller a “one-read” quarterback who was “overrated as hell.”
“I think he is a guy that has been good in the pocket, but he is also a guy that has been elite when he does escape,” Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken said Thursday. “A guy with that kind of ability and trying to make a play at times ends up escaping and getting outside the pocket trying to make a play.”
With Kitchens calling the plays as interim offensive coordinator for the second half of the 2018 season, Mayfield completed 180 of his 263 attempts (68.4 percent) for 2,254 yards and 19 touchdowns against eight interceptions, but it has been a struggle for him thus far in 2019.
Three games into his second NFL season, Mayfield has completed 62 of his 109 attempts (56.9 percent) for 805 yards with three touchdowns, five interceptions, 14 20-yard throws and one 40-yard pass, all while taking 11 sacks for 81 lost yards.
Over 17 career games played, including 16 straight starts, Mayfield has completed 372 of his 595 attempts (62.5 percent) for 4,530 yards and 30 touchdowns against 19 interceptions.
But rather than letting Mayfield shoulder all of the responsibility for the offense’s struggles, the Browns are sharing the burden and looking for solutions together.
“Everybody feels responsible for the loss,” Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry said after Thursday’s practice.
“We are a team. One person should not be able to take blame or feel like it is solely on them. It is something about the characteristics about the guys that we have in here to put that onus on themselves and that responsibility.”
WATCH | Jim Donovan and Dave "Dino" DeNatale preview Sunday's matchup between the Browns and the Ravens on Thursday's Donovan & Dino