[ad_1]
MINNEAPOLIS – Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr. left the field together following Sunday’s 14-7 victory over the Vikings, and that’s when Mayfield could have possessed the stray pass at the end of the game.
There was a lot going on for Mayfield, especially for Beckham, who only caught 2 of 7 targets for 27 yards and expressed frustration at this deep incompleteness in the Browns’ third and 5 of 33 with 1:08 to go.
If they had connected, Beckham likely would have scored and the Vikings wouldn’t have had the chance to take back the pitch and make things tense. As it stands, they led the Browns 26 with 3 seconds left, and the defense had to come back strong.
Beckham, who was open much of the afternoon or in favorable one-on-one clashes, got behind his man and was wide open on the deep throw to the right side, but he looked to inside for the ball and he got outside and runs.
He turned to try to catch it, but he fell incomplete, as did five others in the afternoon, including several deep shots. Both players reacted with frustration after another misfire.
“I said to Odell this – the shot played late on the third down, I didn’t communicate well enough what type of ball I’m trying to throw at him,” Mayfield said after the game. “He did a great job winning, so he’s looking for speed, and it’s up to me not to have communicated that. This is one of those things where if I communicated it, and we said at the start of the year that it’s better to let it say than not be said – and so you saw it there. , because that’s the kind of dagger you need to have on offense to put it away. ”
He compared it to last week’s missed shot against tight end Harrison Bryant on the wide center who “sailed over him, so these are things I’m not really happy with,” Mayfield said. “But our defense is playing well enough right now to save me from this. I must be better. It’s very simple and there isn’t much else I can say. ”
Mayfield appeared to indicate that he would have told Beckham he would make a save if he opened up, which is why the ball failed.
Communication between the two is imperative, as last season Beckham tore up his ACL on a pass they weren’t on the same page on in Cincinnati, and he was pulled. Beckham was injured while trying to make the tackle.
On Sunday, Mayfield couldn’t touch the ocean from the beach, having completed just 15 of 33 (45%) for 155 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions for a 59.5 rating.
“If I think poor performance is going to cut it off, it doesn’t,” Mayfield said. “Then I’ll be fine. Luckily we can lean on these guys [on defense] and throw the ball when we need it. ”
Mayfield attributed some of his woes to his lack of pace in a game where racing was the order of the day. The Browns rushed for 184 yards, including 100 by Nick Chubb and 69 by Kareem Hunt.
“I just didn’t catch the pace,” he said. “There are a lot of easy throws out there that I think I missed and situationally you start running the ball and you don’t have a few throws for a while and you just get out of that rhythm so I have to do a good job of taking advantage of my opportunities and staying on track. ”
Approaching, Mayfield’s 73.8 completion percentage was the fifth highest in the NFL and the third highest by a Brown in the first three weeks of a season in club history.
“I pride myself on being extremely precise, and today I don’t know what it was,” he said.
What’s unfortunate for Mayfield and Beckham is that it brings up the issue of the chemistry between the two, even though Mayfield was also on the sidelines with tight end Austin Hooper, who caught 1 of 5 targets for 11. meters.
Beckham’s 27 yards were the sixth time the duo have connected for 29 yards or less – about once every four games. In Beckham’s 59 games in New York before joining the Browns, this only happened twice.
But the two have worked hard over the past few months to be on the same page, so it could have been one of those days for Mayfield, and not a problem in between.
–
Get the latest Browns merchandise: Here is where you can order Cleveland Browns gear online including jerseys, t-shirts, hoodies, hats and more.
More Browns Blanket
Browns defense ramps up again to give Kevin Stefanski a 14-7 win over Vikings on return to Minnesota
Is the Browns’ defense officially real after stopping the Vikings? – Scott Patsko
Baker Mayfield couldn’t hit Odell Beckham Jr. or nearly anyone else, but the defense and running game carried the Browns: Mary Kay Cabot
Why this game is a big, huge, huge win for the Browns – Terry Pluto
How the Browns’ defense led Cleveland to a 14-7 victory over the Vikings in Minnesota: Ellis L. Williams
Baker Mayfield’s performance against the Vikings in week 4 (poll)
Defense takes Cleveland Browns to 14-7 win over Minnesota Vikings: see social media reaction to game
[ad_2]
Source link