[ad_1]
BEREA, Ohio – The peculiar voice begins to rise in the background, gently emanating from Myles Garrett's eclectic playlist.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = ""I paid my dues …""data-reactid =" 17 ">"I paid my dues …"
Sitting in front of his locker, the Cleveland Brown defense team peeks at his iPhone to check the song, then focuses on the issue again.
A question that he knew was coming. A question about Baker Mayfield and the moment he believed.
"Do you mean, in person?" Garrett said with a smile. "Or on television, when did I see him hold his crotch?"
Quarterback Baker Brown Mayfield (6) and goalkeeper Damarious Randall were all smiling after Cleveland's 28-16 win over Atlanta. (Getty Images)
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "" … Many times … "" Data-reactid = "41"> "… Many times … "
<p class = "canvas-atom web-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "As it continues, the tenor bravery of Freddie Mercury "We are the champions" of the Queen – perhaps, she foreshadows better days to come, or just a random coincidence of an algorithm derived from Apple. "data-reactid =" 42 "> Freddie Mercury continues his momentum. This brings us to the crescendo defining "We are the champions" of Queen – perhaps, omen of better days ahead, or simply a random coincidence of an algorithm derived from Apple.
"It was when I knew he was different, man. He had something of his own, "said Garrett, detailing the precise moment when he knew that Mayfield was a special player: Oklahoma Oklahoma's famous Oklahoma pound grab and the" F "directive. you "on the touchline of Kansas almost a year ago today.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = ""… but I went through …""data-reactid =" 44 ">"… but I went through …"
"I'm not a talker myself," admitted Garrett, the first round robin of the 2017 Browns, "but I think I can put myself in anyone's place. But he's ready to let you know. "
Mayfield's teammates were convinced of his talent for a long time. But in the months following the drafting of the No. 1 quarterback recruited by the organization in late April, they ended up believing the player, but even more so to the man.
It is exactly as advertised: an aggressive and aggressive competitor who energizes a meeting room – or an entire stadium – simply by his presence. His bravado is an acquired taste for some. And Mayfield knows it.
"I mean, he's a … when you have to play it," Garrett added simply with a smile. "Even in practice, sometimes, I want to cut it by the throat. He speaks with everyone.
But Mayfield is not limited to an arrogant guy who plays with an advantage. Stories abound in the locker room of the type of person that he is: The sensitive guy with a big heart. The family-oriented guy who does his best to make his teammates feel like parents. The bad loser who despises being considered the second choice. And the firepower that inspires those around it to play with more force.
It was clear Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, when Mayfield scored 12 yards for 12 yards, 165 touchdowns, two touchdowns and no interception to give Cleveland a 14-10 lead in the first half, en route to a win at two figures. There have been a lot of throws against the Falcons, but nothing more impressive than the 28-yard touchdown he gave receiver Rashard Higgins after rolling to his right and throwing the ball to the end zone.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "" He had a loot on himself. And the way he comes to work, we just know he had it", Said Higgins, one of Mayfield's closest confidants." We do not consider him a rookie, we consider him a veteran who will lead the team to victory. "Data-reactid = "51"> "It was fun and how he gets to work, we know just he had it", Said Higgins, one of Mayfield's closest confidants." We do not consider him a rookie. We consider him a veteran who will lead the team to victory. "
Mayfield is everything you expect, but not what you might think.
That's why he's here, leading this team, at this point.
Chaos has once again arrived in Cleveland, this time in the form of "internal discord" within the coaching staff that has become so detrimental, the team owner, Jimmy Haslam, felt that he had no choice but to send back their fourth coach in six years and an offensive coordinator. nine months of work.
Here, no regime is safe, an organization that apparently causes dysfunction in its corridors. However, with regard to these Browns in reconstruction, a current of optimism settles in this community. And more precisely, this cloakroom.
In the midst of questions about their four consecutive defeats against Atlanta and the amazing reversal of Hue Jackson and his assistant, Todd Haley, the same day, only one word was offered as proof of the positive results to come.
Baker.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield shares a moment with his counterpart Matt Ryan after Sunday's game in Cleveland. (Getty Images)
<h2 class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "The boastful badass"data-reactid =" 82 ">The boastful badass
Verbal beards are delivered without notice, but veteran offensive lineman Joel Bitonio always knows they will come.
Mayfield's mouth moves incessantly, spitting a never-ending stream of trashy speeches punctuated by occasional explosives directed against his opponent. It is designed to irritate and perhaps inspire.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "" It makes a statement like "Hey, we're going you kick your ass. "And we have to be like," Okay, let's go and do it. "We can not turn around anymore," said Bitonio, shrugging his shoulders. . "It's really cool. It gives you Something. "" Data-reactid = "85"> "He makes a statement like," Hey, we're going to kick your ass. "And we must be like," All right, let's go and do it. We can not turn back anymore, "said Bitonio, shrugging his shoulders as he laughed. "It's really cool. It gives you Something. "
The dividing line between vanity and self-confidence is slim, and Mayfield walks the tightrope every day. According to the audience, he is virulent. Other times, sassy. Opposing players may hate him between white lines, but that does not make him any more in love with his teammates.
It is their source of energy. He is their fuel.
"It's as if the defenders already had that advantage," said Garrett, tied with Von Miller and J.J. Watt for the third highest number of sacks (nine), said earlier last week. "We are doing everything to break them. And a lot of offensives do not have that.
"Dez Bryant l 'a. Steve Smith had it. It's like a fire to beat you, but also break you. And [Mayfield] in a way of that. "
Mayfield's college career, decorated with gaudy numbers and honors from the Heisman Trophy, is worthy of what he is at the base: a former walker who challenged the doubters at every turn.
He remains an outsider unable to get rid of the chip he still wears on his shoulders. And in some ways it makes it tailor-made for Cleveland. Mayfield has been chosen for times like this, where the odds seem insurmountable and the Browns hopeless.
Throughout his studies he was successful when others doubted it, was at his best when he was underestimated. He flourished under scrutiny – though much of it was caused by his own questionable conduct (ie, his arrest in 2017 for public intoxication, disorderly conduct, runaway and resistance to arrest). . The spotlight followed him to Cleveland, where HBO's "Hard Knocks" cameras followed each of his movements as he served as reinforcement for veteran Tyrod Taylor.
Mayfield admitted that last year had been "a kind of roller coaster", but his teammates considered it the soothing force in the eye of the cyclone, the fiery instigator whose energy Unbridled and unshakable self-confidence supported everyone around him.
He is 23 years old and accused of resurrecting an oppressed franchise. And Mayfield would not want it otherwise.
Asked to relay the quarterback's message following the shootings at Jackson and Haley, Higgins said, "He wanted us to stay together as a unit. Keep playing hard, like us. Do not worry about distractions because they will go there, but it's up to us to see how we are going to handle things. "
<h2 class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "The attentive teammate "data-reactid =" 100 ">The attentive teammate
Mayfield rushed into the kitchen, making sure everything was in order before his guests arrived.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "The intimate setting – his house, located about 20 to a few minutes from the Browns practice center – was deliberately chosen – for once the timing was out of the question, but for them, the offensive linemen, beginners and substitutes, who cover his ass every week. And even though he was not responsible for preparing dinner, he was determined to make this evening a special event. It was Mayfield's way of looking after his guys. "data-reactid =" 102 "> The intimate setting – his home, located about 20 minutes from the Browns' practice center – was deliberately chosen – for once, the moment was not about him It was for them, the offensive linemen, beginners and substitutes, who cover his ass every week. And even though he was not responsible for preparing dinner, he was determined to make this evening a special event. It was Mayfield's way of looking after his guys.
Thus, between two plates of food and waves of laughter, the rookie quarter opened the bottles of wine and made sure their belly was full.
"He's taking care of us," Bitonio said about their dinner a few days ago. Each offensive lineman was invited, he noted, and seven were able to join Mayfield and his fiancée, Emily Wilkinson.
"I had already been eliminated by quarterbacks," added the left guard, who is in his fifth season in Cleveland. "But I never really invited them to come home to prepare food."
An invitation to a home-cooked meal may not seem like much, but Mayfield's gesture was noted in the locker room. "He likes his guys," Garrett said. "Especially the o-line. These are his boys. He shows respect and that's how it should be.
This locker room has never seen anyone like Mayfield, either on the ground or anywhere else. And the link between him and his teammates is paramount. Especially now.
The hopes of an entire city rest on the shoulders of its 6-foot-1 frame, and the events of recent weeks have not changed its expectations. Nor did they shake the rookie's resolution.
"If I'm down on this, I do not think I would be the man of work," said Mayfield, who scored Sunday's 28-16 win over Atlanta, leading all rookie quarterbacks with 252 , 6 yards passing.
<h2 class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "The savior of "the factory of sadness" "data-reactid =" 110 ">The savior of "the factory of sadness"
After every game, no matter the outcome, Higgins and his quarterback can be found together.
They meet either at Mayfield or in a local restaurant, often surrounded by their loved ones. It's their chance to "get our mind out of the game," said Higgins. But some days, especially in recent days, it's hard for Mayfield to break away from the final scores.
"I have come to see me and say," Man, I'm tired of losing. I have never lost so much in college, "said Higgins. "He told me things like that. But he never showed it.
Exorcising a losing culture is easier said than done. Jackson opened the door on Oct. 29, with Haley, after going to 3-36-1. From training camp on, there were signs that Jackson's way of doing things annoyed his entourage. In addition to the obvious tension between Jackson and Haley, Jarvis Landry's memorable and complacent speech in which he blamed his teammates for failing to train.
"That's when guys had days off that did not deserve them or go with them," Landry said of his epic speech. "But it was the culture here. It was normal
"If you practice for two days, you get a third day off. And I thought it was bull … sorry, he said, apologizing quickly for the accursed word, and that's why I said what I said, as I said.
He then smiled.
"My mother is not proud of it. She's mad at me, "said Landry. "But that's the only way. I am a passionate person. "
This innate love of the game connects him to Mayfield. Their refusal to retreat from a challenge is what unites them in their quest to turn the Browns into legitimate contenders for the playoffs.
Cleveland, now 3-6-1, is far from being considered a functional and well-managed organization. Some decent Mayfield games will not make up for years of disastrous draws and poor hires. But there is something to be optimistic about Berea.
With Mayfield, the game is never dead. With Mayfield at the helm, the Browns still believe that they have a chance.
Baker Mayfield has built a solid reputation of concern for his offensive linemen. (Getty Images)
<p class = "canvas-atom web-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Bitonio sympathizes with the fans who watched as a division – Rival quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger, Andy Dalton and Joe Flacco have invaded their stadiums and have won victories for years, but the Browns finally have a quarterback, he said. he can come in and become this guy, that people can come together and just know that it's about a guy who has the potential to be our strategist, our Coherent factor, the face of the Browns, the face of the city – it's pretty cool to see. "" data-reactid = "142"> Bitonio sympathized with the fans who watched as rival quarterbacks, Ben Roethlisberger, Andy Dalton and Joe Flacco invaded his stadium and won for years, but the Browns finally a counterweight to the quarter, he said: "For him to come in and be that guy, people can come together and just know that he's a guy who has the potential to # 39; be our strategist, our constant factor, the face of the Browns, the face of the city – it's pretty cool to see. "
Even though the season started with Taylor under center, everyone in the locker room knew that Baker was the immediate future. "You know it's going to be the face of the franchise for, hopefully, the next 10 or 15 years. And having that kind of bragging with him, it was cool to be part of it. You know this guy will go to the next step. "
Like Garrett, Higgins highlighted when he knew Mayfield was ready for the NFL: Thursday night's victory over the Jets when the rookie replaced a wounded Taylor to lead the Browns to a win. "Tyrod is hurting. Baker entered. The crowd became wild, "Higgins said.
The receiver paused. His lips opened wide in a cheese smile.
<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "" I tell you that it's something about him, the choice of fifth round 2016 said, not aware that a few days later, Mayfield would lead the Browns to a convincing victory over Matt Ryan's Falcons. "He's a playmaker. That's all. It's a baller. And we respect the players around him. If he plays, he can play. "" Data-reactid = "146"> "I tell you, it's something that concerns him," said the fifth-round pick of 2016, unaware that a few days later, Mayfield would lead the Browns to a convincing victory over Matt Ryan's Falcons. "He's a playmaker. That's all. It's a baller. And we respect the players around him. If he plays, he can play.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Before leaving the locker room almost empty, Higgins made the Praise from his new general manager. "data-reactid =" 147 "> Before leaving the cloakroom almost empty, Higgins praised his new general manager.
"John Dorsey did a good job," he said. "I can tell you that."
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "More from Yahoo Sports:
• Whole teams penalized after a wild fight in college football
• Report: rockets stir Carmelo status
• Davidson lost despite record 789 rushing yards
• Kevin Iole: Is Yair Rodriguez's KO the biggest of all time?
"data-reactid =" 149 ">More from Yahoo Sports:
• Whole teams penalized after a wild fight in college football
• Report: rockets stir Carmelo status
• Davidson lost despite record 789 rushing yards
• Kevin Iole: Is Yair Rodriguez's KO the biggest of all time?
Source link
