Getty Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Baker Mayfield has had a rough go to start the season, and the one-time MVP darkhorse is now the target of massive criticism on a national scale.
Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan was the latest to pile on the Cleveland Browns quarter back on Monday, ripping into Mayfield after the team’s 20-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams while on ESPN’s “Get Up.”
“I don’t get it. I’d love to be an offensive coordinator here. I have Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Nick Chubb and there’s Baker Mayfield. Yeah, I know he’s overrated as hell.” Ryan stated.
Ryan expanded further on the comment:
“Absolutely. Look, I bought into the dang hype. I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah!’ But not to the point where everyone’s saying he’s going to be the league MVP … What’s he doing right, Greenie? Here’s a guy right now that’s a one-read guy, and then he’s going to improvise. He’s gotta realize that you are one of the slowest guys on that field when you take off with it. The ball’s not coming out in rhythm. He’s staring down guys, and you’re not that accurate down the field.”
Mayfield had another uneven performance, completing just 50 percent of his passes for 195 yards, one touchdown and one interception, which ended the game on a desperation fourth-down heave.
For the season, Mayfield has thrown for 805 yards, 3 touchdowns and 5 interceptions and is completing his passes at just a 56.9% clip.
What hurts Mayfield is that he’s coming off a rookie season where he was spectacular. In just 13 starts, he passed for a rookie record 27 touchdowns, collected 3,725 passing yards and helped the Browns finish 7-8-1, winning five of their final seven games.
Freddie Kitchens Takes Firm Stance on Play-Calling Duties
Despite a very lackluster performance on Sunday night, don’t expect to have anyone other than Freddie Kitchens to be calling the offensive plays for the Cleveland Browns.
A day after some of Kitchens’ decisions were questioned late in a 20-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Browns skipper spoke to the media and made it clear he has no intentions of giving up his play-calling duties.
“That’s not even being considered,” Kitchens told reporters on Monday.
Kitchens, like Mayfield, was the target of widespread criticism after the game for some head-scratching calls, which included a tough goal-line situation to close out the game and a draw play on a fourth-and-long.
Us: “How can the NFL coaching get any worse today?”
Freddie Kitchens: “Hold my beer.”
“It just didn’t work. It was a bad call,” Kitchens said. “We’re trying to win the game and we’re on their side of the field. Bad call.”
Odell Beckham: Browns Trying to ‘Find Identity’
Odell Beckham finished with a team-high six catches for 56 yards but was not discouraged after the loss.
“We’re going against the team that was just in the Super Bowl last year,” Beckham said. “We’re going against a team that’s very experienced and knows how to play this game. Not to say we don’t, but it’s a grit-game early in the season. You never accept any loss, but that’s a good, hard lesson to learn early in the season that will help us later in the season when we have tougher games like that.”
The Browns have a tough stretch ahead with the Ravens, Seahawks and 49ers. Baltimore is up this Sunday for the Browns first test against an AFC North rival.
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