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Baker Mayfield: Cleveland Browns' success 'boils down to me doing my job'

Rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield says the Cleveland Browns' success on offense "boils down to me doing my job."
Credit: Ken Blaze
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Browns had two consecutive wins at FirstEnergy Stadium heading into last Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but breakdowns in all three phases of play led to a reversal of fortunes in short order.

The Chargers (4-2) got 132 yards and three rushing touchdowns from running back Melvin Gordon, and two passing scores from quarterback Philip Rivers to wide receiver Tyrell Williams, who gained 118 yards on three receptions, on the way to a 38-14 win over the Browns (2-3-1).

“I would not exactly say that we were soul searching,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said during his weekly press conference Wednesday. “I just think that we need to do our job. All of that will reveal itself. Yeah, any loss like that hurts. That is the worst loss that I have ever had.

“You have to push forward and just have to do your job, and you will find out what this team is made of. It is never about the week before or if you win or lose -- it is how you react from it. Coming off of a loss, we will really see what this team is made of.”

Credit: Scott Galvin
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws the ball under pressure from Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tavon Young (25) during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.

Mayfield does not grade his game film on a curve, and the self-proclaimed “biggest critic” of his own play had plenty of things he wanted to fix coming out of last Sunday’s loss.

After putting the onus for the loss to the Chargers on his shoulders, Mayfield turned his focus to getting the ball out quicker and into places where the skill players can make plays while preparing for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

“I am hard on myself, but it is not ‘the world is ending’ mentality,” Mayfield said. “I revert back to life lessons for me. It does not have to be just about football.

“I can rely on these players that I have in this locker room. I do not have to do it by myself. It is not about that. I can rely on them, push them and let them know that I am going to do my job better and that we are going to make strides forward.”

Credit: Scott Galvin
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.

Despite suffering an ankle injury in the first quarter and a relentless pass rush that resulted in five sacks for the Chargers, Mayfield played the entire game and completed 22 of his 46 attempts for 238 yards and one touchdown, a late fourth-quarter throw to tight end David Njoku, against two interceptions.

Limited in his ability to escape the pocket, Mayfield rushed for just eight yards on two carries.

“I think it is a lot of getting back to the fundamentals, making sure that I do great on my progression reads, and then, on the shots that we are taking, if they are not there, getting off of them quick and getting the ball out,” Mayfield said.

“It goes back to getting it into the playmakers’ hands. I talked about that. Now, it is time to actually do it, getting it into their hands and letting them work.”

Credit: Ken Blaze
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) calls a play during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.

Mayfield is confident that improved execution will help the Browns start faster offensively against the Buccaneers than what they showed against the Chargers.

“I think that if I just do my job and I get the ball out of my hands and I do the things that I have been preaching about, then that takes care of itself,” Mayfield said. “Getting the ball into the playmakers’ hands and letting them make plays, it frees up a lot of things.

“What it boils down to is me doing my job.”

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