Baker Mayfield: Fire The Cannons

[Chris]

Its a complete non story.

He wasn’t aggressive at all towards the fans, just stating facts of what it takes to create a home field advantage.

Yeah, I kind of agree, just don't like the direction this relationship is heading.

 

[Soda]

The snowball is starting. His receivers yelling at him on the sideline, complaining about the fans on Sunday, his wife calling out the fans and now doubling down.

I'm legitimately concerned about the Texas Tech effect happening to the Browns. The Browns didn't take a scholarship or anything, but Baker is clearly mercurial enough to turn on people/coaches if he feels slighted. This slope could get slippery in a hurry if they (he) continue(s) to struggle.

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

Couldnt give a shit less about the fans or Baker’s feelings towards them

there was just a post a few pages ago about our QBs improved play because he has 238 yards per game and a 4/1 TD/int ratio over his last 3 games. That’s what I care about. His improvement is still pretty meh.

If he doesn’t play better I don’t care about his relationship with the fans. I care that he needs to be a better QB

 

[Triplethreat]

Couldnt give a shit less about the fans or Baker’s feelings towards them

there was just a post a few pages ago about our QBs improved play because he has 238 yards per game and a 4/1 TD/int ratio over his last 3 games. That’s what I care about. His improvement is still pretty meh.

If he doesn’t play better I don’t care about his relationship with the fans. I care that he needs to be a better QB

It’s the improvement in spite of horrific circumstantial play calling that should have you feeling better....

Also those 238 4-1 came against 3 VERY good defenses.

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

It’s the improvement in spite of horrific circumstantial play calling that should have you feeling better....

Also those 238 4-1 came against 3 VERY good defenses.

Idk man there are MUCH worse circumstances out there than throwing to Odell and Landry with Chubb and Hunt in the backfield.

the line isn’t good and Freddie looks overmatched, but God damn dude, I never thought I’d see the same arguments we were making when QBs were throwing to the Robiskie’s, Greg Little’s, and MoMass’ of the world when we have 2 pro bowl WRs and the AFC leader in rushing

like when does any of this fall on Mayfield?

 

[Triplethreat]

The Bar being set for this kid is completely ludicrous and something needs to be said. The expectations coming from this board are simply not going to be met, which is MVP level play. Everyone wants him to perform to Russell Wilson’s level or Deshaun Watson. That simply isn’t going to happen under this head coach.

His improvement over the last 3 games has been very good at 238 YPG and a 4-1 TD INT ratio.

For comparisons sake Tom Brady, the greatest QB of all time is averaging 286 YPG and has a 2.8-1 TD-INT ratio this season.

Carson Wentz is averaging 228 YPG and has a 3.75-1 TD-INT ratio.

Watson himself, an MVP candidate is averaging 270 YPG and a 3.6-1 TD-INT ratio.

So anyone saying his improvement is meh or isn’t happy with the direction he is trending is just simply setting expectations way the fuck out of reach of essentially any QB outside of Russell Wilson or Lamar Jackson right now.

It needs to be reeled in, this is a team game and the brunt is getting unleashed on a guy who is playing exceptionally well considering the set of circumstances right now.

 

[AZ_]

The Bar being set for this kid is completely ludicrous and something needs to be said.

Who was setting that bar for him this whole off-season, claiming he was elite and such?

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

Uhh what

no one wants him to be at an MVP level. He has literally been at or below a Josh Allen level. That’s why people are upset.

The expectations are not even close to what you’re making them out to be. If anything he’s been getting a pretty big pass for very poor QB play.

here’s some season long ratings:

completion percentage: 31st of 34 qualifiers. Ahead of Josh Allen, Jameis Winston, and Mariota

QB Rating: 33rd of 34 ahead of Sam Darnold

TD%: 32nd of 34 ahead of Dalton and Flacco

Int%: 32nd of 34, only better than Winston and Darnold

he has been, by many metrics, a bottom 5 QB in the league. With 2 pro bowl receivers and the AFC’s leading rusher. Time to take the kid gloves off and stop pretending people have too high of expectations. They don’t. He’s been really bad

 

[Triplethreat]

Uhh what

no one wants him to be at an MVP level. He has literally been at or below a Josh Allen level. That’s why people are upset.

The expectations are not even close to what you’re making them out to be. If anything he’s been getting a pretty big pass for very poor QB play.

here’s some season long ratings:

completion percentage: 31st of 34 qualifiers. Ahead of Josh Allen, Jameis Winston, and Mariota

QB Rating: 33rd of 34 ahead of Sam Darnold

TD%: 32nd of 34 ahead of Dalton and Flacco

Int%: 32nd of 34, only better than Winston and Darnold

he has been, by many metrics, a bottom 5 QB in the league. With 2 pro bowl receivers and the AFC’s leading rusher. Time to take the kid gloves off and stop pretending people have too high of expectations. They don’t. He’s been really bad

We were specifically talking about encouragement from his last 3 games being way way better than than the rest of the season.

You said he needs to get exponentially better than that even, and with a coach who’s playcalling has been nothing more than incompetent so far.

He’s clearly made adjustments himself and has been working to correct his issues. As a young QB, you aren’t encouraged by that?

I’m not going to argue on the merits of his total season of work, we both agree it was fucking bad. But he’s doing the right things to correct and improve right now.

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

We were specifically talking about encouragement from his last 3 games being way way better than than the rest of the season.

You said he needs to get exponentially better than that even, and with a coach who’s playcalling has been nothing more than incompetent so far.

He’s clearly made adjustments himself and has been working to correct his issues. As a young QB, you aren’t encouraged by that?

I’m not going to argue on the merits of his total season of work, we both agree it was fucking bad. But he’s doing the right things to correct and improve right now.

The improvement is definitely encouraging, it’s just still a ways off from what we saw from him even last year.

I hope he continues to improve on that play is my main point. I’m no where near the point of wanting to start over, but I am at the point where I’ve grown more skeptical about when this turns around.

 

[Triplethreat]

The improvement is definitely encouraging, it’s just still a ways off from what we saw from him even last year.

I hope he continues to improve on that play is my main point. I’m no where near the point of wanting to start over, but I am at the point where I’ve grown more skeptical about when this turns around.

I’ll say this. If Baker can play like he has the last 3 games tomorrow night against another very good defense I think we can be pretty confident he has turned a corner, somewhat of a corner.

He obviously desperately needs to get better in the red zone, and I think he’s been very limited here by play calling and play design inside the 5.

If the Browns win and Baker once again plays relatively turn over free football, they’re looking at a possible 6-6 heading down the stretch after a date with Miami and then in Pittsburgh.

 

[macbdog]

I guess since I don't have a dog in this fight- I was neither onec of those who hitched my wagon to the Baker train early or ignored him hoping he would go away because they hate players that remind one of themselves- but it seems like there were and are multiple factors in Baker's struggles that will not all go away easily.

1. Having OBJ has been a hindrance. I think having this veteran receiver crew has been an issue, because he has felt pressed to feed OBJ instead who he finds open. Maybe its just me, but he was succesful last year because he was egalitarian: it didnt matter who the WRs were, if you were open he would hit you in the hands. The only WR he had to 'force feed' at all was Landry, and that wasn't an issue because Landry runs enough safety valve routes that he would get his regardless. Also, OBJs complete dismissal of OTAs to get into a rhythm woth the offense has shown.

2. The very brashness that fuels him has bit him in the ass. He just wasn't as prepared coming into the year as he thought; whether that was because he didn't put in the work, or is still learning the work required, or what, it's still clear.

3. His maturity level just isn't there yet. Fans love it when he talks like one of us- but he isn't 'one of us'. Hes not a fan, he's the leader. He doesn't just speak for himself. This is what ultimately separates the John Elways from the Jeff Georges. We enjoyed him skewering Hue last year- even though it should have worried us how he turned on his former coach like that. Hue was a bad HC, but did he really do anything to Baker to really warrant what was public humiliation? I don't think so personally. His public bashing of Poop Dick- which should and would never happen with a veteran leader. And his public handling of criticism has been very wanting; he needs to find how you stand up for himself without going on the attack, because all that's doing is feeding a pointless fire- like the current one. For a guy who doesn't like Hue, his interactions with the media are sure getting like them. One question mark of him was good he would handle struggles and criticism... We are seeing that now. He hss to improve here.

3. Defenses have clearly adjusted to him and he hasn't adjusted back. DCs seem to have figured out his blind spots and are exploiting them. Blame here also falls on the coaches, too.

4. The play calling has gotten away from what worked- both due to personnel and expectations. The coaching staff has botched this 'next step'- some of it they can control (scheme, timing, etc) and some they can't (shit tackles, TEs that can't block to help our shit tackles, etc). But its the coach's job to fit his scheme to work with what they got until they can get what they need, and the team hasn't done that.


It's obvious that Baker had regressed and hasn't made the right adjustments as a player and leader. That silver lining is that i think he in the past turned criticism into hard work and I can only hope that holds true. He can weather the storm of a shitty local media and shitty aspects of the local fan base as long as the staff and teammates have his back and maintain good communication with him. His potential is still there, but i think an adjustment of expectations and a 'wiping of the slate' in that regards needs to happen with this team and staff going forward. It can be fixed; he's may not be the ubermensch some see or the pending implosion some lust for, but imo he can be a successful QB and leader even with this current leadership. Pitter patter let's get at'er.

 

[BlessEm]

Gets us.

Josh Rosen.

 

[AZ_]

Josh Rosen.

Ah yes, the QB for whom Mayfield’s excuses don’t apply, despite being dramatically more prevalent.

 

[JDailey23]

What WRs were yelling at Baker? I must have missed it.