Ineligible Man Downfield: Quick-fire takes on Browns-Ravens
The team, though, should be validated by its performance.
Ravens 47, Browns 42
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Baker Mayfield absolutely delivered. 343 yards. Two touchdowns. Five rushes for 23 yards and a touchdown. Big plays and poise when his team needed it.
All of this amassed to arguably the best performance of Baker Mayfield’s career.
Mayfield surely would want his one pick back. It was his first since Week 7 against the Bengals and the type of rushed, almost cocky throw that he’s cut out of his diet (with an assist from Kevin Stefanski of course) the last several weeks. It’s the type of throw he just doesn’t have the arm talent to make, even if he thinks he does.
But look how Mayfield responded. He didn’t come back out after the Ravens went up by two touchdowns and try and force it. Mayfield didn’t go out and try to be Millennial Brett Farve or Dollar General Russell Wilson. He went out and was himself.
Time and time again, he was poised in the pocket, slid up it when he needed to and made the throws he needed to. His touchdown to Rashard Higgins, for instance, saw Mayfield handle the Ravens’ pressure perfectly to give himself enough time to find a wide-open Higgins on 4&4. Watch him move — he’s under control and delivers a dart:
And look at this touchdown run too. It’s third and goal. The Browns need a touchdown to at least tie the game. Baltimore blitzes and, while the pocket holds it won’t for long. He looks left and goes as far as to cock his arm back to try and force one into a well-covered Jarvis Landry. Instead of forcing it — something he might have done earlier this year — he bolts right and makes something out of nothing.
(The celebration — mimicking Jackson’s from earlier in the night — was also a nice touch of petty.)
Without Mayfield, the Browns do not come back from two touchdowns down and almost win it. Without Mayfield, the Browns do not come this close to beating a team that crushed them in Week 1 and has beaten Cleveland eight out of the last 11 times. And with this Mayfield, the Browns should feel optimistic about what’s to come. This is the guy the team thought it had in 2018 and looked like it had lost over the last season-plus. — Chris Manning
The defense needs an overhaul. The Baltimore Ravens came into this game leaking oil and sputtering their way to the finish line. Lamar Jackson had barely resembled his MVP form of last season as defenses began forcing him into more and more throwing situations and exposing offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s inability to adjust. And then they strolled into First Energy Stadium.
Lamar made mincemeat of a Browns defense that is going to need something of an overhaul if they want to make anything resembling a deep playoff run in 2020. Lamar is special with his legs, and even in something of a down year, he’s continued to make grown men look like children trying to run after him. But this felt different, as the Browns over-pursued time and time again, giving Lamar wide-open running lanes for him to do what he does best. The linebacking core in particular was brutal, with Mack Wilson over-running tackle attempts or whiffing completely and BJ Goodson missing a tackle on Mark Andrews on the Ravens’ final drive that turned what should’ve been a three-yard gain into a much bigger one.
Without Denzel Ward and Ronnie Harrison, the Browns are completely devoid of playmakers on the backend. Myles Garrett had a quiet night, but Olivier Vernon did what he could to pick up that slack. Still, the linebackers and secondary were helpless to tackle anyone at the second level or force any key turnovers. The Browns needs to make a concerted effort to both draft and sign defensive players that are above replacement level heading into 2021. —Jordan Zirm
Who we are
Chris Manning: Site Manager at Fear the Sword, co-host of the Locked on Cavs podcast, words at places like Cleveland Magazine and Forbes. On Twitter @cwmwrites
Jordan Zirm: Social editor at @TheCheckdown. Formerly of ESPN Cleveland. Words at B/R, SB Nation and UPROXX. Host of The Rebuild podcast. On Twitter @clevezirm
Alex Hooper: Contributor at Fantasy Sports Insight. Former Cleveland Baseball Club beat writer for 92.3 the Fan (WKRK), and contributor at Sports Illustrated, Let’s Go Tribe, and the News-Herald. On Twitter @lexhooper.
Photos: Getty