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The difference between Tyrod Taylor and Baker Mayfield’s throws are like night and day, based off of Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry’s recent comments. As Landry joined NFL Insider Ian Rapoport’s podcast titled “Rapsheet and Friends” this week, Landry said that he had to turn up the speed on the JUGS machine at practice to get a better feel for Mayfield’s passes.
While some could take that as a diss towards Cleveland’s new backup quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, it’s really just a significant compliment to the rookie. There’s a reason why Baker Mayfield was the No. 1 overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. The Browns first-stringers on offense are finally able to realize why he was selected so high this year.
It’s rare that Landry drops the ball. While Landry and Mayfield had a pretty reliable connection on the field in the second half of last week’s game, he was surprised to find out that it is a lot tougher to catch a ball from Baker when you’re not used to his velocity. So yes, Landry did blame one of his drops on the amazing speed of Mayfield’s throw. Here’s what Landry said regarding his preparation for Mayfield as the starter this week.
Landry Needs Some Extra Reps:
“I was talking to coach [Todd] Haley this week,” Landry told Rapoport. “I got to turn up the JUGS machine to like eight or nine now, since Baker throws that ball so hard. He threw one to me in the game and I dropped it because I didn’t even know how to put my hands, and before I could make the decision, the ball was on me. So, I just realized it’s a little bit of a different ball, a lot more velocity, so I definitely got to get on the JUGS for that, and catch as many balls from Baker as possible.”
Landry was targeted 15 times in last week’s game against the New York Jets. He finished with eight receptions for 103 yards. Although he didn’t find the end zone at all, we have to mention that he did have the opportunity to show off his throwing skills as well. Remember, the Browns ran the now famous “Philly Special” play and Landry had the honors of throwing a pass to Mayfield to complete the two-point conversion.
It’s doubtful that we see another pass from Landry to Mayfield, but we definitely can count on seeing a lot of Mayfield to Landry heading into week four. Evidently, Landry was Mayfield’s favorite target last Thursday, and the two will most likely connect a ton as the season progresses.