Jake Burns has been busy of late, studying different Browns' players to show us what they do best.
Kareem Hunt was one of these. Jake focussed on his ability as a receiver out of the backfield. His analysis speaks for itself, but I noticed a few things:
Several of these (KC Chiefs) plays were run out of 21 and 22 sets, and off play-action. That's what Freddie Kitchens did a lot of last season after he took over the Offense.
Freddie and co were lining Hunt up at WR during camp this preseason, and that seems to be a new dimension added to his game as he enters his third season.
This is very promising, since if Hunt can line up wide and run good WR routes, it can really screw opposing defenses up.
You remember Todd Monken? The Air-Raid guy?
Well, when the Chiefs ran 21 and 22 personnel, opposing defenses had to:
1: CONTAIN Patrick Mahomes.
2: Stay on top of Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce.
3: Figure out how to do that AND stifle actual handoffs to a running back.
I would, if possible, stick with a Big Nickel here instead of a base Defense, but a dime is kinda out of the question.
Hunt was a conventional Running Back (who could catch) with the Chiefs. Hill and Kelce pulled the best coverage people away from the box, and Hunt took short passes deep.
Jake showed one play in which Mahomes bought extra time, and Hunt took his sideline route deep as Patrick scrambled. Mahomes hit him with a bomb.
I have to redundate here that Mahomes and Mayfield are very similar (which is why they were first and second in outside-the-pocket efficiency in 2018).
Anyway, on that play Hunt went for broke instead of looping back around or something because Mahomes is Mahomes, and his scrambles meant he was looking DEEPER than he was "on the blackboard".
To redundate: Most other Quarterbacks in that situation are looking to bail out. Mayfield and Mahomes (and Rodgers) are the opposite. THEY are out for BLOOD when they scramble.
Which seques me into Jake Burns on Mayfield:
Jake isolates several plays in which Baker fled the pocket and made a great play. In every case, except on a condensed field, he looked and threw intermediate or deep.
Even some of the real experts don't seem to realize how rare a talent this is, and how utterly critical it is in the most critical moments.
Over and over and over again, Big Ben has been "sacked"---NOT---and made a huge play to beat the Browns, and maybe the majority of YOU people think it's a fluke...cubed to the third power or something.
But it's not "luck". Not even Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers are like Mahomes, Mayfield, and -gag- Big Ben.
Mayfield and Mahomes are better, because they can deliver accurately and deep running left almost as well as running right, and their effectiveness as runners keep defenders on their heels.
Numberfire, PFF, Madden, and Pro Football Pro Football Outsiders need to figure out how to quantify and measure:
"Making Huge Plays Outside the Pocket After Things Have Broken Down and It's Playground Football Except At the Highest Level and Stuff".
This is a rare trait. Most Hall of Fame Quarterbacks didn't have it.
Try to grok this: Baker Mayfield will execute as well as most Quarterbacks "within a scheme". He will run through his checks and make decisive anticipatory throws on-time.
He'll complete over 65% of his passes for a very high yards per-attempt, and will not get sacked much. He'll never rank below #7 there.
But when things break down, if you have that rare Quarterback who just THRIVES on that stuff? Who is BETTER outside a system than he is inside it?
Do you get this? For every second Baker Mayfield lasts on a given down, it gets WORSE for the Defense. Not better.
For at least 26 other NFL Quarterbacks, the opposite is true. They have receivers running back toward them just to get the ball out of their hands so they can get an easy few yards instead of throwing it away!
Do you understand? If you push one of these rare Quarterbacks into a corner, he is MORE likely to cripple or kill you than he is to throw it away?
Baker Mayfield is Brian Sipe on steroids, and the Kardiak Kidz had nowhere near this much firepower.
This is going to be fun.
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