Every throw graded: Ultimate scouting report of Browns' Baker Mayfield

Mayfield’s tough-guy persona in the public limelight is not just for show. It certainly translates to the field. He is more than willing to hang in the pocket and take a shot while throwing, well-evidenced by the clutch play seen above. As a runner, he will put his head down and barrel into defenders to get the yardage necessary for a first down. Mayfield is definitely a gamer.

WORST GAME: Week 1 vs. Titans (39.6 grade)

The Browns’ opener was a sign of things to come. Finally kicking off the season after months of hype, Cleveland lost 43-13 at home -- a result that can be pinned on Mayfield.

Mayfield played decently until the fourth quarter, when he made a handful of costly mistakes and cratered. Playing too conservatively early in the game, he took three sacks (one of them a safety) -- all plays in which he had options to throw. Wide receiver Odell Beckham ran superb routes, but Mayfield struggled to get him the ball.

Entering the fourth quarter, Cleveland trailed by only nine points, but it was sunk by three Mayfield interceptions --  two in the first five minutes. The first one was a terrible play by Mayfield. The Titans show a Cover-2, but they rotate into a Cover-3 as the safety to the right side drops down. Aiming for Beckham, Mayfield fails to notice it, and throws the ball to Kevin Byard.

MOST UNDERRATED GAME BY BOX SCORE: Week 13 vs. Bengals 

A quick peek at Mayfield’s box score versus the Bengals (11-for-24, 192 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, 38.9 passer rating) may lead you to believe he played terribly. But Mayfield actually played one of his best games of the season, keeping Cleveland’s faint playoff hopes alive. I scored him with a grade of 68.3, his second best of the season.

Mayfield had two interceptions that were unlucky – one was ripped from tight end David Njoku and the other, a slightly high throw, bounced around like a pinball before being picked off.

Beyond those two tough-luck plays, Mayfield put together a highlight reel of big-time throws down the field. Several fell incomplete. That was another major theme throughout the season for Mayfield, who consistently made tight-window throws along the sideline that just barely fell incomplete. 

Check out this throw to Landry. Mayfield rolls out and launches while on the move and under pressure, placing the ball accurately to a fast-moving target in a tight window. Landry juggles the ball and it falls incomplete. Trust me: Mayfield often was victimized by mishaps like this.

MOST OVERRATED GAME BY BOX SCORE: Week 12 vs. Dolphins

Mayfield’s box score in a 41-24 win over the Dolphins (24-for-34, 327 yards) was easily his best of the season. He posted a season-best 118.1 passer rating and tied a season-high with three touchdown passes. I gave him a rock-solid 61.1 grade for the game –- but that was just the sixth-best grade he earned. And this grade came against an atrocious Miami defense.

On the positive side, Mayfield had three elite throws in which he landed the ball precisely outside of the numbers while on the move. Landry hauled in two of those; Beckham the other. Mayfield also showcased his excellent mobility throughout the game.

Conversely, Mayfield did have a few overly conservative plays, taking easier options underneath when better ones were available farther downfield. He also missed on easy throws underneath, including this quick-hitter to Beckham that was intercepted.

BEST PLAY

Mayfield displayed three of his best traits on this play against Pittsburgh -– his use of the pump-fake, the ability to throw under pressure, and deep touch. First, watch him eliminate the oncoming rusher using a pump-fake into the flat, buying him extra time and space. Mayfield often successfully used this move. Then he confidently maintains his cool under the pressure of two oncoming defenders, keeping his eyes downfield and stepping into the throw while accepting that he may take a big hit. Finally, look at the touch. The ball drops right in there. Mayfield is one of the best in the game at dropping the deep ball right in the bucket.

WORST PLAY

The Browns ran a ton of screen plays under head coach Freddie Kitchens, but it clearly is a play Mayfield hasn't mastered. He's much better on deep passes. 

Mayfield would often place his screen passes in a slightly awkward spot for receivers, typically too high. This forces the receiver to take more time gathering the ball and turning to run, limiting yardage after the catch. This play is not necessarily an example of Mayfield’s inaccuracy as a screen passer, but nonetheless, it is a screen play that he flubs. 

The outside linebacker to Mayfield’s right comes in unblocked, clogging the lane for him to get the ball to Nick Chubb. It is also possible that Chubb ran the wrong route. Regardless, Mayfield should toss this ball in the dirt and move on. Instead, he tries to get the ball to Chubb and it flutters in the air, as Ravens linebacker L.J. Fort dives in for the pick. Luckily for Cleveland, the play was overturned and ruled incomplete.

Q&A: Is Mayfield’s interception total legitimate?

Perhaps my most glaring takeaway from watching Mayfield’s film was how unlucky he was in the interception department. Many different factors worked against Mayfield in this area. Sometimes an interception was completely not his fault. A receiver would break off his route after the ball was released, or a pass would be flat-out dropped and fly into the hands of a defender.

Watch here as Landry makes a business decision, stopping his slant route to avoid the oncoming hit. Mayfield puts the ball where it needs to be for Landry to catch it. The action that makes this a pick happens with the ball already in the air.

On this 4^th-and-4 play (Cleveland’s last chance to win the game), Mayfield takes immediate pressure and needs to give somebody a chance to make a play. He notices wide receiver Damion Ratley breaking outside. Mayfield puts the ball toward the sideline in a good spot for Ratley to get it, but after the throw, Ratley curiously moves behind  his defender. Because of Ratley’s mishap, the pass is intercepted.

Mayfield also had quite a few interceptions on slightly inaccurate passes. Sure, you could blame these picks on Mayfield for missing in the first place, but the bottom line is that what happens after the ball reaches the catch point is sometimes pure luck. 

This interception against Cincinnati is a perfect example of that. Does Mayfield throw this a bit behind David Njoku, making the catch slightly more difficult? Sure. But it still hits Njoku, a 6-foot-4 tight end who was drafted to make these kinds of catches, right on the hands. Nick Vigil rips the ball from Njoku in a tussle on the ground. There is nothing Mayfield can do about that.

I would bet the house on Mayfield seeing a big decline in his interception total in 2020.

What impact did Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham have on Mayfield? 

Landry and Beckham provided Cleveland with a mixed bag of results. On the positive side, they were on the receiving end for many of Mayfield’s best moments. Each star made plenty of highlight-reel catches. On the negative side, the chemistry between the two receivers and their quarterback was highly inconsistent. Seventeen of Mayfield’s 21 interceptions came on passes intended for one of the two (Landry nine, Beckham eight).

Beckham had a down season by his standards. His career-low of 64.7 yards per game was largely his own fault. He pulled in a much lower rate of contested balls than the world became accustomed to seeing him haul in as a Giant.

Did Freddie Kitchens hold Mayfield back?

I am excited to see what Mayfield will do without Kitchens, especially if Beckham sticks around. Kitchens, fired in the offseason, did a poor job making the most of his offensive talent. He was too reliant on a screen game that was not effective and ill-suited to the skills of his quarterback. His passing concepts were regularly unproductive, often leaving Mayfield with few options. Kitchens would often send Beckham and Landry on simple vertical routes at the same time, clogging the field and limiting options, rather than allowing them to win as route-runners in the intermediate range.

With a talented, young quarterback and the addition of one of the greatest receivers in history, the Browns scored 24 points fewer than they did in 2018. Mayfield and the Browns will benefit greatly from Kitchens’ exodus.

What are Mayfield’s greatest strengths? 

After digging through Mayfield’s 2019 season, I am bullish on his potential. He should continue on the path he set for himself in 2018, and become a top-10 quarterback with MVP potential.

Mayfield knows how to manage his position effectively. Inside of the pocket, he has a good sense of the rush and is willing to step up and deliver under pressure. When things break down, he will get out on the move and make big plays when mobile.

From a football IQ standpoint, Mayfield has what it takes to be successful. He rarely misses an open read. Additionally, he is outstanding at manipulating defenders. He uses the pump fake as well as anybody and will hold defenders with his eyes to open windows.

Mayfield can improve on the simple underneath throws and intermediate throws over the middle, but he makes the difficult throws as well as anybody. He shows off his arm on deep passes when he's on the move.

Mayfield has exceptional ability to anticipate where the ball should be located and drop it on the target. He has the accuracy to improvise and execute a back-shoulder throw. When on the move, Mayfield consistently hits targets that are breaking toward the sideline under tight coverage. This is also where his pump-fake becomes deadly.

So tone down the Baker-bashing. When one looks beyond the numbers and examines the film, we find the same QB who had a terrific rookie season.