It has been a operating joke in Baker Mayfield’s four-year profession: The hip-thrusting franchise participant with an Everyman’s comedic timing performs persistently higher in TV commercials than on a soccer subject.
Into Week 9, with the locker room’s tumult spilling out into public view and coming off a regressive loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the joke threatened to show into merciless evaluation: Mayfield, a former No. 1 general decide, might entertain for a sport or two, however wasn’t value believing in.
The entrance workplace has not dedicated to Mayfield for the long run, as the Buffalo Bills did with Josh Allen.
His No. 1 extensive receiver, Odell Beckham Jr., was launched final week in a messy cut up in which Beckham’s father posted an 11-minute YouTube video of Mayfield failing to get his son the ball.
Adding insult to harm, Mayfield is gritting via a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
Yet Sunday was proof:
The Cleveland Browns are Baker Mayfield’s workforce.
In a real A.F.C. prove-it sport, the Browns bodily punished the Cincinnati Bengals, 41-16. Mayfield did every little thing he wanted to do to win, passing for 218 yards on 14 of 21 makes an attempt with a pair of landing passes.
All the drama that was seemingly sucking the life out of this franchise evaporated. Just like that.
Cleveland is constructed to frustrate 2021 N.F.L. defenses, that are universally perching two safeties deep to remove the large play. Instead, the Browns function with a mentality out of the 1950s, mashing away with the run. Defenses haven’t any alternative however to respect operating again Nick Chubb, who’s averaging 5.Eight yards per carry, and creep a security into the field.
At which level, Mayfield is greater than able to hitting anybody deep.
The embattled quarterback busted this sport open with a 60-yard landing heave to Donovan Peoples-Jones off play-action early in the second quarter to place Cleveland up, 21-7.
Chubb polished off this win with a 70-yard landing run at the begin of the third quarter. Pulling guard Wyatt Teller worn out one defender, and with a seal right here (from tight finish Harrison Bryant) and a seal there (from left deal with Jedrick Wills Jr.), Chubb was gone.
Peoples-Jones, too, confirmed large potential, catching two of three targets for 86 yards.
On a third-and-9 from Cincinnati’s 29-yard line halfway via the fourth quarter, Peoples-Jones in some way held on to the ball after taking a vicious hit from security Jessie Bates that set the Browns up on the 3-yard line.
After an offensive holding penalty and two rushes for losses, Mayfield knifed an 18-yard landing go to tight finish David Njoku for the sport’s last rating.
Defensively, Cleveland flustered Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, and cornerback Denzel Ward duped the second-year quarterback into an end-zone interception Ward returned 99 yards for a landing.
Coach Kevin Stefanski’s workforce can appear to resemble the Paul Brown squads of the 1950s and 1960s generally. They usually are not going to unfold groups out and throw 40-plus instances a sport, however these Browns will bludgeon defenses with Kareem Hunt or D’Ernest Johnson or Chubb, who says about as a lot as gamers from that period, lined up at operating again.
With their identification established and Beckham gone, Mayfield doesn’t need to reply for why he tended to play higher with out his WR1. After the workforce’s commerce for Beckham in March 2019 sparked hype for what might occur in the Mayfield’s second season, the Browns completed 6-10 that season.
Beckham tore his anterior cruciate ligament seven weeks into 2020 and the Browns’ offense solely improved in his absence, ending with an 11-5 document, one or two performs away from reaching the A.F.C. championship sport.
Beckham’s ridiculous, one-handed catch in opposition to the Dallas Cowboys appears like a lifetime in the past, and he merely by no means match with Mayfield on the subject. Rather than meticulously dissect the subject to make the proper choice, Mayfield had too usually tried to placate Beckham to get him targets.
The mere presence of a star can create unhealthy habits for any quarterback. Early in Brett Favre’s profession, he would chuck it to Sterling Sharpe, which was enjoyable and led to playoff thrills. But he gained self-discipline as a passer (and have become a three-time most beneficial participant) solely after Sharpe retired.
In Detroit, Matthew Stafford tended to be too reckless figuring out he might throw to the Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson. And a 12 months in the past, Deshaun Watson had a profession 12 months in Houston with out DeAndre Hopkins.
Now, with Beckham gone, the Browns have a shot to unlock the better of Mayfield, who serves as a singular supply of vitality for the workforce. This flag-planting, trash-talking unfastened cannon has turned down the turnovers, however has not reworked right into a cookie-cutter quarterback who will say precisely nothing at the podium. Teammates love Mayfield’s hearth, and he and the house crowd feed off one another.
The Browns can contend for a title with Mayfield, and now we all know his workforce believes it.
Jordan Love isn’t fairly prepared.
Jordan Love’s first sport as the Green Bay Packers’ beginning quarterback was an ideal storm.
He began practically each drive backed up close to his personal finish zone. The blitzes from Kansas City’s protection in his face had been relentless. Arrowhead Stadium? Deafening.
The outcome was a 13-7 loss that might find yourself costing the workforce dearly in the race for the N.F.C.’s No. 1 seed in the playoffs. There had been moments of optimism. Love got here alive in the fourth quarter to complete 19 of 34 on his passing makes an attempt for 190 yards, however the Packers struggled to regulate to the second-year quarterback in a hostile surroundings. Green Bay seemed particularly ineffectual on third down, changing simply two of 12 possibilities in opposition to a protection that has been horrendous this season.
Kansas City’s plan on protection was clear: Blitz the life out of Love. Steve Spagnuolo, the Kansas City defensive coordinator, dared Love to make split-second choices. Spagnuolo gained that wager much more usually than he misplaced it, with Love taking seven hits.
Still, the sport offered the Packers’ entrance workplace with its first prolonged take a look at Love outdoors the preseason and scout workforce reps.
Despite doomsday narration from coloration commentator Troy Aikman, Love, a 23-year-old out of Utah State, made some big-time throws — particularly in the fourth quarter. Love drove the Packers from their 4-yard line to Kansas City’s 24, changing on fourth-and-1 alongside the means, earlier than throwing a decide on a 50-50 lob to Davante Adams.
When the Packers obtained the ball again, Love threw his first profession landing go.
With extra heavy strain in his face, Love hung in the pocket to hit Allen Lazard for a 20-yard rating on fourth-and-5.
He clearly has athleticism and a robust arm.
Of course, Love began the sport as a result of Aaron Rodgers examined constructive for coronavirus this week, setting off a media whirlwind regarding his vaccination standing. His absence, and the distraction brought on by his vaccination feedback, had been lower than perfect for a workforce that’s in full Super Bowl-or-Bust mode principally as a result of this could possibly be Rodgers’s last season as a Packer.
The reigning league most beneficial participant might return to the workforce as early as Saturday if he offers two detrimental assessments in a 48-hour span and reveals no signs, which might make him out there in opposition to the Seattle Seahawks.
His return might assist the Packers (7-2) play some catch-up in opposition to the Arizona Cardinals (8-1) and Los Angeles Rams (7-2) in the race for the prime seed.
‘Hero’ quarterbacks obtained actuality checks.
The sight of Dallas Cowboys defensive finish Randy Gregory smashing his helmet into the AT&T Stadium turf certain dusted off 25 years of recollections. So did a vaunted Buffalo Bills offense producing all of two subject objectives. And the Las Vegas Raiders getting scuttled by the Giants protection.
This week additionally served as an open-hand slap to the face of three division-leading groups.
The Cowboys had been demolished by the Denver Broncos, 30-16. And it wasn’t that shut.
The Bills misplaced to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars, 9-6. And it was uglier than the rating implied.
The Raiders fell to the depleted Giants, 23-16. And a season filled with calamities could also be catching up.
All three groups are led by three quarterbacks who seemingly might do no fallacious this season, be it Buffalo’s Josh Allen shucking off 270-pound defensive ends with ease, Dallas’s Dak Prescott main a gifted offense to 34.1 factors per sport via his six begins and Las Vegas’s Derek Carr incomes M.V.P. whispers together with his fourth-quarter heroics. Yet, on Sunday, all three had been terrible.
Allen reverted to his hero ball methods of 2018 with two pricey interceptions. Prescott by no means discovered a rhythm in his first sport again from a calf harm.
Carr threw two interceptions to Giants security Xavier McKinney, one which was returned for a landing.
The implications are worse for the two A.F.C. upsets. The Cowboys’ offense stays able to outscoring anybody, although Denver pounding away for 190 dashing yards factors an indicting highlight on the protection. Odds are that Dallas (6-2) can be OK in the hapless N.F.C. East as Prescott will get more healthy.
It’s extra sophisticated for the Bills and the Raiders. Despite buying and selling their greatest participant (linebacker Von Miller, who was acquired by the Los Angeles Rams final week) for draft picks, the Broncos (5-4) usually are not laying down for anybody. Teddy Bridgewater, like Mayfield, is aware of how one can play off a dominant run sport and that ought to scare the remainder of the A.F.C. West, whose groups are separated by fractions in the standings.
Right when it appeared like the Bills (5-3) had a stranglehold on the A.F.C. East, their offense spontaneously combusted in opposition to one in all the worst groups in the league. Buffalo’s prime receivers couldn’t get separation, the line was embarrassed in the trenches and Allen couldn’t placed on the Superman cape. The most troubling signal? Their nemesis, the New England Patriots (5-4), are only a half-game again in the division and peaking.
Around the N.F.L.
Cardinals 31, 49ers 17: With an opportunity to salvage its season in opposition to injury-riddled Arizona, San Francisco as an alternative depart Sunday showing to be destined for its sixth dropping season in seven years. Through final season, the 49ers are 1-11 enjoying at house in Santa Clara, Calif. Losing to a Cardinals workforce that began Colt McCoy at quarterback and Antoine Wesley at receiver makes the loss look all the worse.
Chargers 27, Eagles 24: For most of Sunday afternoon, it appeared like the Chargers had been about to lose their third straight sport, however Justin Herbert once more proved he’s in the upper-echelon of quarterbacks. With 6 minutes 7 seconds left, Herbert began from his personal 25-yard line and led a 15-play field-goal drive. He’s now the solely participant in N.F.L. historical past to achieve 600 completions in his first 25 begins.
Patriots 24, Panthers 6: Coach Bill Belichick has yet one more New England workforce peaking at the good time. New England ran 39 instances, threw simply 18 instances and had Sam Darnold (three interceptions, 26.Three passer ranking) seeing extra ghosts than ever.
Falcons 27, Saints 25: Only time will inform if Atlanta did the proper factor by passing on a quarterback in the 2021 draft. On Sunday, the 36-year-old veteran Matt Ryan saved the Falcons related. Ryan hit Cordarrelle Patterson for a 64-yard go with a couple of minute left to arrange a game-winning subject objective. This marked Ryan’s 41st profession game-winning drive, passing John Elway and Matthew Stafford for seventh on the career list.
Ravens 34, Vikings 31 (extra time): Lamar Jackson grew to become the first N.F.L. quarterback this season to win three video games after trailing by double-digits, digging the Ravens out of a 17-3, second-quarter gap with each his arm (266 yards, three touchdowns) and his legs (120 yards on 21 carries). The efficiency might give Jackson, the 2019 most beneficial participant, the edge as the front-runner to win this season’s award.
Dolphins 17, Texans 9: Hopefully no person wasted a superbly superb Sunday watching any of this sport between two groups going nowhere.
