Baker Mayfield Wins Games, Drives Onlookers Mad Along the Way
The Cleveland Browns won their eighth game of the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars in no small part due to the passing proficiency of quarterback Baker Mayfield, but the combination of outstanding throws and a few wide open misses drove onlookers to the brink of insanity.
On the whole, Mayfield played well, making any number of tremendous passes including the two touchdown passes he completed to Jarvis Landry and Austin Hooper. He made some key completions on third down to KhaDarel Hodge and got out of bad situations near his own goal line such as with a picture perfect pass that threaded the needle to Jarvis Landry.
He also missed two wide open passes, both of which proved costly. In a game where the Browns won by 2, stopping a 2-point conversion to clinch, Mayfield failed to connect with a wide open Rashard Higgins in the end zone. Two defenders followed the corner route and left Higgins all alone in the end zone and Mayfield seemingly thought the defensive lineman in the way and then overthrew him. The Browns settled for a field goal. Those three to four points didn't cost the Browns a win but they could have.
It's the same situation as with the Philadelphia Eagles where Mayfield missed a pair of passes in the red zone that should've gone for touchdowns. The Browns went for it on fourth down, fell short. The defense rectified the situation with a Sione Takitaki pick six, but those are the plays Mayfield can't miss.
Late in the game, the Browns had inches to go on third down and Mayfield rolled to his right and threw a pass behind a wide open pass to Kareem Hunt. The Browns fell short on 4th down and turned the ball over on downs.
Despite throwing for 258 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 8.9 yards per attempt, which all impressive marks it's impossible to ignore the misses that wouldn't be more open against air.
Mayfield has played pretty well over the last four games, despite issues including the weather and there is plenty of reason to be optimistic about where he's going.
The problem for Mayfield is that the great play and the misses are inextricably linked. You can't separate Mayfield from the bad plays anymore than you can ignore the great ones.
Games like this one are a rollercoaster ride with enough peaks and valleys, twists and turns to cause motion sickness. In the course of two drives, he can go from great to completely inept to totally redeeming himself with every emotion that goes along with it as the Browns come away with 10 points.
He provides plenty of evidence for those who want to believe he can be the answer at quarterback as well as being a downright awful quarterback that the Browns need to upgrade immediately.
The truth, for now, is somewhere in the middle, but so long as the Browns continue to win, it's far easier to stomach the misses in hope that he can continue showing flashes of brilliance while eliminating the misses on the easy ones. It's hardly ideal for stress levels, anyone with a heart condition or a sensitive stomach, but the one reaction everyone can find comfort.
"They won."
