Getty Images Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns are still in the playoff hunt and the team expects quarterback Baker Mayfield to play his best football over the final five weeks of the season.
Mayfield spoke to the media for the first time since the team’s bye week and acknowledge the expectations set forth from general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski, which are for him to excel down the stretch.
“Anytime you can kind of step back, kind of re-evaluate everything, come back with a fresh mindset and realize where we are right now and just have that one week at a time mentality,” Mayfield told reporters on Wednesday, December 8. “It is what it is so that is where our heads are, and that is where I play my best.”
It hasn’t been an easy season for Mayfield, who has dealt with an avalanche of criticism as he limped from week to week with multiple injuries. Despite dealing with shoulder, foot, knee and groin issues, Mayfield has missed just a single game, gutting through the pain to get on the field for his team. The former first-round pick said the week off helped him “quite a bit.”
“I have not had any major setbacks the past few weeks and then having another week off. Looking forward to keep getting better as the weeks go on,” Mayfield said. “Right now, we are just looking at it as a one-game season at a time. Everything that we can accomplish is still in front of us so if we handle it correctly, that will happen that way. Just have to do so accordingly.”
Mayfield, Browns Get Another Shot at Ravens
The Browns are in must-win mode and get a second straight matchup with the Ravens coming out of the bye week. Baltimore bested the Browns 16-10 before the break, despite four interceptions from Ravens QB Lamar Jackson.
Mayfield played a decent game — completing around 50% of his passes for 247 yards — but failed to come through on a potential game-winning drive late. And as a whole, the offense flipped the turnovers into just a field goal.
“They are a great team. I hit on it after the game when we played them,” Mayfield said. “If we do not capitalize on their mistakes, they are going to capitalize on ours so we have to take care of the ball, we have to do all of the little things right, capitalize on field position and turnovers and just go into it with the mindset that we need to do our job at a very high level.”
Austin Hooper Says Locker Room Has Mayfield’s Back
GettyAustin Hooper of the Cleveland Browns.
This is a crucial stretch not only for the Browns but also for Mayfield’s future. It’s been tough for the team to evaluate him because of injuries and players being in and out of the lineup. However, Mayfield would like to get an extension done soon that will keep him in Cleveland long-term. He’s under contract next season thanks to his fifth-year option being picked up but is running out of time to make the proper impression on a front office and coaching staff that didn’t draft him.
While there have been a few reports of the locker room wavering under Mayfield’s leadership, tight end Austin Hooper said quite the opposite is going on.
“Everyone in this building believes in him,” Hooper said Wednesday. “No matter where you stand with anything, anybody, you can’t ever question Bake’s toughness, and for him to have a week to just heal up alone is huge. We all believe in him. We have believed in him. We’ll continue to believe in him. He’s the leader of our football team, so, I mean, we’re ready to watch him be him.”