Yes, you can take those comments from pending opponents with a grain of salt, but there is still substance in their statements.
He does get rid of the ball quickly, is far more advanced than most rookies, and can't be intimidated.
Terry Pluto called him "by far" the best quarterback since the "new" Browns era began. That's wrong, because Tim Couch was a terrific quarterback until chronic tendinitis and related injuries wrecked his right arm.
I do think Mayfield is better than Couch, but it bothers me when guys just lump Couch in with the rest of those guys: "By far" is inaccurate and unfair to Couch.
But Pluto is right about this game vs the high-flying ratbirds being the real "beginning" for him as a starter.
That Ravens defense is dominating right now, and they especially like squishing inexperienced quarterbacks like bugs. This is his crucible; his acid test.
The Ravens are stuffing the run so far, but also screwing up quarterbacks. While Nick Chubb showed what he could do vs the Raiders, Baker can't count on much on the ground vs the Ravens.
Fortunately, Todd Haley is kind of an expert on this Ravens defense, and I would expect a solid game-plan...
Looks like Duke Johnson's 2018 coming out party to me! Time for that Lindy Infante "long handoff" passing game vs this defense--and if DeShone Kizer did it, I reckon Baker Mayfield can do it.
Sure, you have to actually play smashmouth a little, and go deep a little early in games, no matter who you are. You have to show that defense that you will attack them everywhere, regardless of the results.
But the Lindy Infante stuff is a huge monkey-wrench for any defense.
Again, somebody please tell Todd Haley to get with his IT people, as none of my advisory texts and emails are reaching him for some reason.
And while you're at it, tell him this:
Run more two-backs with Duke and Chubb. Consider Duke Earnest Byner and Chubb Kevin Mack.
In 2018, nobody wants to run two-backs, but that's a mere fad. For once (since Infante) can a Browns coach LEAD instead of copy?
The Ravens will get in the backfield and disrupt eveything, while man-covering all the receivers.
Except one of the running backs. They CAN'T man up on a running back! Running backs lined up in the backfield (or even in the slot) are always open...IMMEDIATELY.
The best defenses are fast, and are looking for these underneath dinks and dunks, but they have to mostly concede the reception and converge on it to stop it there (sometimes for a net loss).
But in Chubb and Duke, the Browns have two guys who WILL catch that pass, and turn it into a huge play if they make one guy miss (or run him over).
You can't stop everything. The Ravens defense can stuff runs and conventional passes, but they can't prevent Chubb or Duke from catching perfect passes from Mayfield in-stride and with green grass in front of them.
I think Todd Haley will see this for himself, since he's the guy who let Ebineezer Bell become who he became. But Todd isn't quite like Lindy Infante, and his "default" with a two-back might be one running back in the slot and never both backs in the backfield.
Nobody does that! Two running backs actually lining up in the same backfield? And one isn't a big ponderous fullback? Inconceivable!
Well, Brian Sipe was a little like Baker Mayfield. He was actually shorter and smaller, and had a popgun arm, but he "processed" at light speed, was accurate, kept his cool, could improvise and buy time, etc.
Sipe's backs were Gregg and Mike Pruitt. Reggie Rucker, Dave Logan, and Ricky Feature (later Brian Brennan--not sure) were his wide receivers, and this guy named Newsome was his tight end.
No where in here can you find an outside deep threat.
Infante (who stuck around after Rutigliano into the Schottenheimer era) used first the Pruitts and then Byner/Mack in two-backs under Sipe then Kosar.
Lindy NEVER had a true outside deep threat, but he still always had prolific offenses. Gregg Pruitt, and then Earnest Byner, wrought havoc out of the BACKFIELD with their "long handoffs".
But that's out of style in 2018...nevermind.
I'm watching Thursday Night Football. Up 21-3 with time running out in the second half...vs the Colts...the Patriots offense kept attacking.
They only got a field goal, but now it's 24-3 going into the second half.
This is part of this "halftime adjustment" stuff faux experts talk about: This is Lord Insideous's way of saying "adjust to this!"
The Mayfield-led Browns should mirror this:
Don't just kneel and run out the clock at halftime, ever.
Go for the throat, all the time, if you have a quarterback who can pull it off.
Andrew Luck just made it 24-10 early in the second half. If Lord Insideous had pansied out in the first half, it would be 21-10...
Nobody gets it nevermind okbye
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