I'm bored and stuck inside, so I'm re-watching all 21 of Mayfield's interceptions from 2019. Here's Week 1.
WEEK 1 V. TITANS
INT Number 1: 2nd and 14 from the Browns 45. Trailing by 9 with 14:37 to go in the 4th Q.
Formation: Shotgun 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB
-2 WR to the left (Ratley wide, Landry slot)
-1 TE to the left (Njoku) just off the line
-1 WR (Beckham) wide right
-1 RB (Chubb) in the backfield.
Routes:
-Ratley wide left runs a straight go route. Not open.
-Landry slot left runs open down the seam, but decides to curl back towards the left sideline rather than continuing up the seam or curling right towards the middle of the field. This brought the underneath coverage back into play. Not open.
-Njoku inside left runs a flat. Open, but would have been a minimal gain of 1-3 yards.
-Beckham wide right runs a deep post. Open as he makes his break.
Titans rush 4 and drop 7. Chubb stays in, picks up the Titans' zone blitz and Mayfield has a nice pocket. To his credit Mayfield doesn't stare down Beckham. He actually looks middle towards Landry first and then comes back to the post on the right. Unfortunately, Baker didn't see the underneath zone coverage on the right side and that is the defender that made the interception. That said, even with the coverage misread, a great throw would have beat the zone and been completed for a first down. It's a tight window, but a great throw still gets the job done.
Verdict: Mayfield's fault. Inaccurate throw.
INT Number 2: 3rd and 4 from the Browns 31. Trailing by 16 with 11:38 to go in the 4th Q.
Formation: Shotgun 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB
2 WR to the left (Ratley wide, Landry slot)
1 TE to the left (Njoku) tight on the line
1 WR (Beckham) wide right
1 RB (Chubb) in the backfield.
Routes:
-Ratley wide left runs a straight go route. Not open.
-Landry left slot runs a quick out. CB Ryan has blanket coverage. Not open.
-Njoku tight left runs open up the seam, but curls back into the zone coverage. Not open.
-Beckham wide right runs a 10 yard out route. Open. The ball needs to go here on time and on target for the first down.
Titans rush 4 and drop 7. Chubb stays in, picks up the Titans' zone blitz and Mayfield again has a nice pocket. Baker stares down Landry the entire way and tries to force him the ball. The throw is accurate, but Ryan has perfect coverage and he's able to make a play on the ball in front of Landry. This pass should have never been thrown. Beckham was open on the other side on the 10 yard out and the ball needed to go there.
Verdict: Mayfield's fault. Bad decision.
INT Number 3: 1st and 10 from the Browns 30. Trailing by 23 with 3:11 to go in the 4th Q.
Formation: Shotgun 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB
2 WR to the left (Ratley wide, Landry slot), 1 TE to the left (Njoku) tight on the line and 1 WR (Beckham) wide right. 1 RB (Chubb) in the backfield.
Routes:
-Ratley wide left runs a quick in route. Open.
-Landry left slot runs a quick in route. Open.
-Njoku tight left runs up the seam. Not open.
-Beckham wide right runs a curl. Not open
-Chubb releases late out of the backfield to the right. Open.
Titans rush 4 and drop 7. Mayfield gets rid of the ball quickly before any pressure arrives. The throw to Landry is high and wide, but the irony here is that it appears Landry tipping the ball is what caused it to actually get intercepted. If Landry doesn't touch the ball, it's just an incomplete pass and not a pick 6. Can't fault Baker's decision to throw to Landry because it's the shortest throw and he's open, but if Mayfield had waited a beat longer he could have hit Chubb out of the backfield with no defenders anywhere around him.
Verdict: Mayfield's fault. Inaccurate throw, but this should have just been an incomplete pass.