Scout's Takes: Why Mayfield, Smith-Schuster are struggling

Former NFL scout Matt Williamson writes about the league from an X's and O's perspective. In his weekly column, he explains why five players who performed well in 2018 have slipped this season.

Baker Mayfield, Browns quarterback

Cleveland's offense is in major disarray. The Browns are 25th in the NFL in points per game (18.4), and first-year head coach Freddie Kitchens, the Browns' running back coach at this time last season, seems to be in over his head. 

What's especially interesting is how teams defense the Browns. Mayfield excelled in college and last season as a rookie when a play broke down or when he threw from outside the pocket. This season, teams are scheming ways to keep him in the pocket, where the 6-foot-1 Mayfield struggles to see the field because of all the big bodies in front of him. Making the issue even worse is that it's painfully obvious Mayfield doesn't trust his offensive line, which is among the worst in the league. Sometimes he see "ghosts" -- that's scout's-speak for perceiving pressure when it's not really there.

All these issues have led to turnovers. Mayfield already has eight picks this season -- he had 14 in the 13 games he started in 2018. In his past six games, he has 11 picks. Not good.  Accuracy is Mayfield’s best trait, but in 2019, he is completing just 55.9% of his attempts. Mayfield has recorded QBR numbers at or below 32.7 in three of his five games this season, including an embarrassing 4.2 mark in the 31-3 loss to the 49ers on Monday Night. (50 is considered average.)

It's not helping that Mayfield and Odell Beckham apparently have no on-field rapport. With the exception of a spectacular 89-yard touchdown pass in Week 1, he has been a non-factor (22 receptions for 246 yards and no touchdowns). Kitchens is trying a lot of gimmicky tactics to get Beckham involved, but with his amazing skill set, it is troubling that Mayfield and the head coach can’t get their superstar receiver the ball in a more conventional manner. If things don't get better against Seattle's 14th-ranked defense Sunday, this could get really ugly.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers wide receiver

Speaking of disaster areas, the Steelers' 29th-ranked offense is abysmal. And now Jaylen Samuels, an excellent receiving back, and wide receiver James Washington are out with injuries. That means even more pressure will be heaped on Smith-Schuster, who is sure to be followed by the Chargers' Casey Hayward, one of the league's top corners, in Week 6 in Los Angeles. 

Smith-Schuster deserves some blame for Pittsburgh’s struggles in the passing game. With No. 1 wide receiver Antonio Brown gone, he has found out it's much tougher to be Batman than Robin.

The game plan against the Steelers is simple: Do everything possible to keep Smith-Schuster from beating you by crowding him at the line of scrimmage. Then force a non-Ben Roethlisberger quarterback to beat you over the top with weapons other than Smith-Schuster. The third-year wide receiver has two touchdowns, but he's struggling to get separation against defenders.

Smith-Schuster is physically impressive at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds and is a powerful mover, but he doesn’t rival Brown, whose explosion out of his breaks and ability to get quick separation are unrivaled. 

O.J. Howard, Buccaneers tight end

Many thought this would be a huge breakout season for Howard, who had 34 catches for 565 yards as a rookie last season. But he's mostly been missing in action (11 catches for 141 yards) in a passing game that emphasizes deep throwing, mainly to wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. 

Some of the lack of production isn’t Howard’s fault. The Buccaneers' questionable offensive line needs all the help it can get to sustain blocks for Jameis Winston, so Howard often doesn't run routes. But Howard's blocking has also fallen off dramatically -- he looks less enthusiastic. 

The 19th overall pick in the 2017 draft isn't running his routes as well as he did last season either. Through five games, Howard has been targeted only 13 times, perhaps unsurprising because head coach Bruce Arians is notorious for not using his tight ends in the passing attack. But the Bucs sure could use an option beyond Godwin and Evans, who have been targeted 81 times combined. 

Von Miller, Broncos outside linebacker

With Vic Fangio taking over as head coach, many expected the Broncos' defense to excel in 2019 and for Miller to have a Khalil Mack-like impact from the start. That hasn’t been the case. Miller, who has 100 career sacks, has just two and now is subject of trade rumors for a Broncos team that may switch to rebuilding mode.

In a Week 5 win against the Chargers, Denver’s defense finally delivered. But that came against a Los Angeles offensive line that clearly is among the worst in the NFL. The Broncos (1-4) haven't faced an especially good offense yet in 2019.

To be fair, Fangio -- who was defensive coordinator for the Bears' monster defense last season -- doesn’t have the proper pieces in place on his defense. General manager John Elway decided to concentrate on offense this off-season rather than go after the style of player Fangio needs. Notably, the coach wants highly athletic, every-down linebackers that Denver doesn’t have.

So why isn't Miller playing up to his usual Hall of Fame-like standards? 

Physically, Miller doesn't look much different than in years past. He is twitchy and explosive, with a rare bend from the edge. But he just hasn't gotten home against protections rolled his direction. His inability to get off blocks in the run game is more worrisome and might be a sign of things to come as he ages.

Miller is unquestionably a great player, but he doesn't play the same style as Mack, who is more powerful and stouter. The loss of Bradley Chubb, out for the season with a partial ACL tear, doesn't help Miller’s cause. Without question, every blocking scheme Denver faces will be built on taking Miller out of the equation. This might go down as a transitional year in his outstanding career.

Leighton Vander Esch, Cowboys linebacker  

Vander Esch, a second-year player, stands out with his great size and speed (4.65 in 40 at combine). But he has taken a bit of a step back, especially defending against the inside run. Dating to last season's playoffs, when the Rams' CJ Anderson bludgeoned Dallas for 123 yards, the Cowboys have been highly susceptible to a downhill running attack. Boy, did we see it in Week 5 against the Packers' Aaron Jones (107 yards rushing, four TDs).  

As is all the rage in today’s NFL, Dallas’ speedy defense is built to play in space more than it is to clog up running lanes. Vander Esch isn’t making as many big plays in coverage or in pursuit either. He's still a special player, so perhaps my concerns are a blip on the radar. Let's keep an eye on him.