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Baker Mayfield: Fire The Cannons

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Mayfield, ... , has now been involved in 12 games where the Browns trailed by a touchdown or less in the last four minutes. He has rallied to win three times — against the Jets in his pro debut, against the Bills in 2019 and against the Bengals last year in a game that ignited his turnaround.
Nevertheless, when the Browns are trailing by one score or less, Mayfield is now 27 of 49 in his career for 367 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions in the last four minutes of games, according to SportRadar’s advanced stats. Five interceptions in 12 games. That’s a quarterback rating of 66.8 with the game on the line. That’s simply not good enough.
 

Mayfield, ... , has now been involved in 12 games where the Browns trailed by a touchdown or less in the last four minutes. He has rallied to win three times — against the Jets in his pro debut, against the Bills in 2019 and against the Bengals last year in a game that ignited his turnaround.
Nevertheless, when the Browns are trailing by one score or less, Mayfield is now 27 of 49 in his career for 367 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions in the last four minutes of games, according to SportRadar’s advanced stats. Five interceptions in 12 games. That’s a quarterback rating of 66.8 with the game on the line. That’s simply not good enough.
Well ain't that a cherry-picked stat.

"Baker got clipped on his heel on Sunday and everyone in the country saw it. I better write an article about his interception woes--that'll get clicks both from Baker haters who agree with me, and the Baker defenders who will angrily click it in order to respond!"
 
Well ain't that a cherry-picked stat.

How would you measure clutch play then?

Mahomes has six victories in games where the Chiefs were trailing by a touchdown or less in the last four minutes. He has two interceptions in such scenarios (both occurred in the same game) and a quarterback rating of 117.2.
Buffalo’s Josh Allen has three comeback victories under the same parameters and a quarterback rating of 92.8. Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson has two comeback wins in five chances in the last four minutes with a quarterback rating of 101.4.
 
How would you measure clutch play then?

Mahomes has six victories in games where the Chiefs were trailing by a touchdown or less in the last four minutes. He has two interceptions in such scenarios (both occurred in the same game) and a quarterback rating of 117.2.
Buffalo’s Josh Allen has three comeback victories under the same parameters and a quarterback rating of 92.8. Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson has two comeback wins in five chances in the last four minutes with a quarterback rating of 101.4.
I think people are too infatuated with "clutch." I also think people are too infatuated with trying to perform statistical analysis in football. Stats rarely equate to a good evaluation of individual players in the sport.

Baker played incredible yesterday. Off the top of my head, there was a single mistake--the throw to Njoku on third down on our second-to-last possession, wher Njoku was running a comeback and Baker underthrew it. I'm sure there were others, but I genuinely can't remember them. That is promising, and a QB who can put up that sort of performance is one I would gladly have lead my team on any Sunday.

Anyone who holds that game-ending turnover against Baker is being disingenuous. It's not his fault. He didn't make a bad throw or not read coverage--something happened that was more-or-less out of his control. It would be like a Bucs fan calling to bench Brady because he threw that interception (when the ball bounced off Leonard Fournette's hands). The QB didn't fuck up and anyone who pretends he did is being dumb.
 
Anyone who holds that game-ending turnover against Baker is being disingenuous. It's not his fault. He didn't make a bad throw or not read coverage--something happened that was more-or-less out of his control. It would be like a Bucs fan calling to bench Brady because he threw that interception (when the ball bounced off Leonard Fournette's hands). The QB didn't fuck up and anyone who pretends he did is being dumb.

Am I being dumb if I think he was trying to do to much on that play when nothing was there? Looked like he was playing hero ball and he forced it into double coverage while under pressure. His man wasn't open.

 
Am I being dumb if I think he was trying to do to much on that play when nothing was there? Looked like he was playing hero ball and he forced it into double coverage while under pressure. His man wasn't open.


It looks like what you want it to look like.

I see a guy evading pressure, stepping up, and deciding to throw the ball out of bounds.

Tony Romo saw the same thing. Mayfield confirmed that’s what he was doing.

But please, don’t let that stop the narrative.
 
It looks like what you want it to look like.

I see a guy evading pressure, stepping up, and deciding to throw the ball out of bounds.

Tony Romo saw the same thing. Mayfield confirmed that’s what he was doing.

But please, don’t let that stop the narrative.
Yeah it's tough to say for certain what he was trying to do. Theres easier passes to make if you're throwing the ball away. If he says he was throwing it away imma take him at his word. To me it kind of looks like he was trying to lead Bryant up field behind the defender on a broken play and got snagged as he was winding back. That would have been a smart heads up play and prolly results in a 20yrd gain.
 
I don't know how anyone watches that play and assume he was actually throwing the ball to Bryant. Unless you just assume Baker is a moron and was willing to force the ball no matter the cost.
 
I don't know how anyone watches that play and assume he was actually throwing the ball to Bryant. Unless you just assume Baker is a moron and was willing to force the ball no matter the cost.
We all agree the hit effected his throw. I believe what Baker has said about throwing it away. But the pass looks like it was meant to go up the sideline and Bryant looks like he reads it and starts up field for it. I do not believe Baker was trying to needle it in at the first down marker. Thats not what i was saying and you're right. That wasn't the intention on that pass
 
I'm the biggest Baker defender out there, and even I agree Mayfield has just simply been poor in the clutch in big games.

It stems back pretty far to his rookie season against Baltimore in W17.
 
I don't know how anyone watches that play and assume he was actually throwing the ball to Bryant. Unless you just assume Baker is a moron and was willing to force the ball no matter the cost.

Jeesh. I just think he was trying too hard and feeling the pressure, from the defense and the moment. That doesn't make Baker a moron. Just mean's he's still got room for improvement.
 
Here is the context of the other 4 INTs

Ravens, 2018
1631544046947848.gif

Had Landry on 2nd Down. Hard to fault him too much for the INT on 4th and 10

Rams, 2019
163154412294786.gif

1st & Goal from the 4.5 yard line and Freddie dials up 4 straight passes. Only one where he had something was Landry on 3rd

Seahawks, 2019
163154423794787.gif

Not a great throw but I think this one is more on Hilliard

Steelers, 2019
1631544317392080.gif

A very bad pass
 
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I think criticism on the last play is up in the air........he gets hit, it is tough to decipher the result.

I would lean throwing it away.....but who knows.

To me, the plays that were far more open to criticism are the ones late, like to Njoku on 3rd down.

Baker just has to make a better throw than he did......no excuses.

He gets a sandlot play chance, with one of our most athletic players vs. one of their least athletic and he throws the ball in to the ground.

I'm not saying that is an easy throw but, worst case, a QB just has to throw a jump ball there and rely on their guy. Float it in the air and let Njoku rip it away. Not even giving him a chance was just a really poor miss.
 
Am I being dumb if I think he was trying to do to much on that play when nothing was there? Looked like he was playing hero ball and he forced it into double coverage while under pressure. His man wasn't open.

Honestly?

Kinda.

I think it's clear he was trying to throw the ball away, got clipped and lost all velocity.

If you want to say it's the QB's job to feel pressure and to know that's going to happen, go for it--but that's a pretty thin criticism there.
 
Here is the context of the other 4 INTs

Rams, 2019
Seahawks, 2019
Steelers, 2019

Man! I forget how terrible those 2019 uniforms were--
 

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