For the first time since 2014, the Panthers will face the Cleveland Browns – but things are a little different this time around.
Normally, the Browns have been the laughingstock of the NFL, but that’s not the case this season. While they’re just barely alive in the wild card hunt, things look to finally be trending up for a team that has had nothing but downward spirals for two decades.
Indeed, this is a team that features plenty of young talent. The defense, led by young studs including Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward – not playing on Sunday due to a concussion, Larry Ogunjobi, Genard Avery, Joe Schobert, and Jabrill Peppers has been one of the league’s better units. The offense, since its freedom from Hue Jackson, has looked a lot better with guys like Nick Chubb, Antonio Callaway, David Njoku, Duke Johnson, Jarvis Landry, and Rashard Higgins contributing in some way.
Incredibly, however, the new face of the Browns franchise is a face fans have longed for forever. Rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield, the first pick of the draft out of Oklahoma, has made it his goal to end the Browns’ infamous quarterback curse, and if his rookie season is of any indication, he just might pull it off. In just over nine games, Mayfield has thrown for 2,639 yards, 18 scores and 10 interceptions for a 91.1 passer rating. In his last four games, Mayfield has completed 71.8% of his passes for 1,168 yards, 10 TD and 4 interceptions for a 111.8 passer rating.
I’m not a fan of using raw stats, but when is the last time we’ve seen a Browns quarterback with numbers that good? It’s been a long time coming, but for the first time ever for many Browns fans, they have real, actual quarterback play.
Last week against the Texans, Mayfield threw one touchdown against three interceptions, but even then, it was a game filled with impressive throws from the rookie – throws the Panthers need to keep in mind if they want to keep their season alive. So with that said, let’s look at Baker Mayfield’s tape.
Early in the second half, Mayfield threw two 76-yard passes to Antonio Callaway on the same drive. The first was negated by a holding penalty, and the second stopped one yard short of the end zone before Callaway fumbled it to the Texans. Both were impressive throws, but the one that counted impressed me just a little more.
As Jadeveon Clowney – second from the right – creates interior pressure, Mayfield makes his move.
He steps up and keeps his feet active. His first read, directed to the left of the field, is not open, so he progresses through his reads…
…before he lofts a bomb to Callaway…
…and even though Callaway turns the ball over, it’s still a perfect pass.
All in all, it’s an impressive throw from the rookie.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Browns still trail by a couple of scores – but Mayfield’s willingness to push the ball downfield in spite of his first half mistakes was great to see, as it shows he is not afraid to rip it for higher rewards even in those situations.
The pocket crumbles on this play, so Mayfield scrambles out to buy some time.
One thing that’s been notable from Mayfield, aside from his mobility, is just how accurate he’s been outside of the pocket. He’s made loads of impressive plays outside of the pocket this season, and did so again on this throw to Jarvis Landry…
…placed into a tight window on the sideline for the first down.
Can’t throw it any better than that.
Finally, we go to Mayfield’s sole touchdown of the game. The game was essentially decided by this point, but Mayfield should be applauded for not giving up and trying to finish this game on a good note.
J.J. Watt creates edge pressure from the near side, but Mayfield steps up…
…and evades it.
He’s then able to buy time and make another spectacular tight window throw, this time to Higgins for the touchdown.
The Texans defense did a fantastic job of baiting Mayfield into picks by disrupting his reads, but here comes the problem for the Panthers – their defense is not nearly as talented or as well-coached as the Texans, plus they’re on the road at Cleveland – the home team generally has the advantage of audibling and communicating better at the line of scrimmage.
To conclude, Baker Mayfield at his best is dangerous. He has rookie issues, but his pocket movement, accuracy on the run, and consistency in Freddie Kitchens’ offense have yielded great results. Time will tell if he can become a great quarterback, but the Browns appear to have nailed the QB position – for once.
If the Panthers defense continues their lackluster play even with Ron Rivera at the helm, they could be in for a long day against an offense that’s caught fire the last month.
