Baker Mayfield, Browns Offense Take Titans Apart

The Cleveland Browns took apart the Tennessee Titans between the dominant performance of Baker Mayfield and a gameplan that had the offense rolling.

In a game marketed on the power of the team's star running backs, Cleveland Browns quarterback dominated the Tennessee Titans.

Mayfield completed passes to ten different receivers including offensive tackle Kendall Lamm as he took full advantage of a great Kevin Stefanski gameplan that kept the Titans defense off balance for the entire first half.

In all, Mayfield threw for 290 yards and four touchdowns in the first two quarters, largely through forcing the Titans to play in space. Using a significant amount of Mayfield in empty formations, he was able to find open guys all over the field, he didn't miss this week and the Tians were often lost trying to keep pace.

The Browns only ran for 42 first half yards as they saw the Titans line up to take away the running game as teams have often done this season. The offensive line kept Mayfield protected and he was able to make throws to all levels of the field, including a 75-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones.

Coming out of the bye week, the Browns head coach said he thought Baker Mayfield was "ready to ascend". He played reasonably well through three nightmarish weather games and did some great things against the Jacksonville Jaguars but between their record and some missed throws, that became the focus.

This was the culmination of everything that Stefanski had been seeing. Mayfield has been seeing the game at a high level and shown flashes of brilliance. This game put it altogether in a dominant performance against a defensive line that couldn't get pressure and a secondary that wasn't equipped.

Mayfield has been arguably at his best when the team has needed it the most on third down. In this game, he completed six of his first six before a drop ended the streak. And it hasn't been restricted to short yardage either. 3rd-and-12 coming in the third quarter, Mayfield threw a strike that extended a drive that led to a field goal.

Mayfield did a little of everything. Play-action drop backs, rollouts, a quicker passing game and extending plays with his legs. And even with injuries such as Odell Beckham and KhaDarel Hodge, the Browns receiving threats looked more than up to the task.

Rashard Higgins led all receivers with 95 yards on six receptions, including a touchdown on a fade Mayfield placed beautifully in the corner of the end zone. Jarvis Landry provided a lot of underneath passes and a touchdown where he was able to screw the defender into the end zone working to his left, then right catching it near the backline with both feet inbounds.

The tight end position was more of a complementary piece in this game, but became more important later in the half when the Titans backed out of playing so hard against the run. Austin Hooper had a couple of receptions for 24 yards.

The Titans have been doing what a number of teams have been doing to the Browns this season. Load up to try to stop the run and force Mayfield to beat them with his arm. For much of the season, Mayfield has done enough. The Browns win with him, sometimes even because of him, but he wasn't putting it all together.

Against the Titans, in a showdown between teams vying for the playoffs, Mayfield was the best player on the field and made it clear who the better team was on the field, leading the team to 41 points, their ninth win of the season and on the verge of post of punching ticket to the postseason.