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Westside Steve

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I think our defensive guys knew how beaten down Myles is by this virus and played accordingly! Glad for him that Myles got the late game 1/2 sack credit. He looked like he was near the end of a long Marathon from beginning to end, but just kept trying his best. The rest of the team picked it up for him.🏆

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3 hours ago, nickers said:

This team just feels legit to me... Gotta love how these Browns play... scrappy fuckers... I love it!...

Actually they are fun to watch !    Now back on primetime again.   

GO BROWNS,  11-4 next Sunday, oh yeah.......baby !

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8 hours ago, TexasAg1969 said:

I think our defensive guys knew how beaten down Myles is by this virus and played accordingly! Glad for him that Myles got the late game 1/2 sack credit. He looked like he was near the end of a long Marathon from beginning to end, but just kept trying his best. The rest of the team picked it up for him.🏆

Maybe, but the Offense our D faced was NYG's... and it was a weakened NYG Offense at that.

 

We beat another bad team that we should have  beaten... but at least this time we beat then easily.

 

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24 minutes ago, Tour2ma said:

Maybe, but the Offense our D faced was NYG's... and it was a weakened NYG Offense at that.

 

We beat another bad team that we should have  beaten... but at least this time we beat then easily.

 

That was actually the best play at QB I had seen with the few Giants games I saw. Colt played decently but receivers betrayed him with stone hands.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I know we have a Pluto thread and many Baker threads, but I thought this deserved it's own thread,

It's that good of a read.

Since I could see it I copied entire article in case you can't, but please try the link first. Give Terry the clicks he deserves for this gem.

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2021/01/what-do-we-now-know-about-baker-mayfield-that-we-didnt-16-games-ago-terrys-talkin-browns.html

========================================================================================================================

What do we now know about Baker Mayfield that we didn’t 16 games ago? – Terry’s Talkin’ Browns

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer - CLEVELAND, Ohio

 

At the start of the season, the questions about Baker Mayfield were constant.

Is he “the guy”?

Is he a franchise quarterback?

Is he overrated, too small and destined to be mediocre?

That was 16 games ago. So what can be said about Mayfield now?

Most quarterbacks are prisoners of their last game. No other position leads to wilder mood swings than the quarterback. So what have we learned?

 

A LOT OF BAD HABITS

The new Browns front office and coaching staff decided to challenge Mayfield to make some significant changes from losing weight to new footwork to a new mental approach to the game.

Knowing Kevin Stefanski was Mayfield’s fourth head coach in three years, the Andrew Berry front office and Stefanski preached patience. They also broke the season down into the first eight games and the last eight games as a way to measure progress.

A year ago, coach Freddie Kitchens owed his job to Mayfield. He knew it. The team knew it. Mayfield knew it. Kitchens set up a throw-first offense around Mayfield. Browns fans know the story. The team lacked discipline. The record was 6-10. Mayfield threw 21 interceptions, second-most in the NFL. He ranked near the bottom of most passing categories.

There were a lot of bad habits to break.

WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN

Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt began preaching the gospel of the running game and don’t make turnovers.

Early in the season, running backs Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb were stars of the offense. Mayfield went from the fearless gunslinger looking to make big plays to the boring “game manager,” helping the rushing attack with a few passes. There were some rocky games. There were reasons to wonder if Mayfield was going to adapt.

In the past, Mayfield was told to just shake off an interception. Don’t sweat it. You’ll get the next one. This coaching staff had a different approach.

“We call them giveaways,” said Van Pelt. “We don’t want to give the defense anything. ... You get what you emphasize. We talk a lot about making great decisions and being OK with an incompletion.”

Then Van Pelt explained how “there’s always a guy open.” And who is that?

“The tuba player,” said Van Pelt. “If anything bad happens, the tuba player in the second row of the stands is always open. So we can just throw it away to him.”

Baker Mayfield celebrates after winning the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and clinching a playoff spot. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

 

THE MIDSEASON REPORT

In his first eight games, Mayfield had completed 61.4 percent of his passes, 15 TDs vs. seven interceptions. His QB rating was 90.9. The Browns were pleased with his progress, but thought so much more was coming.

The team had a 5-3 record at the bye week. Only twice in those first eight games did the coaches ask Mayfield to throw more than 30 passes in a game.

First, the Browns were de-programming Mayfield from some of his less-disciplined passes and overall approach the game. The next step was turning him into a winning NFL quarterback, and that was built on a relationship between Stefanski, Van Pelt and Mayfield.

Baker Mayfield talks with head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt in the second half of the season-opening loss to Baltimore.John Kuntz, cleveland.com

 

IT TAKES TRUST

After playing for Hue Jackson, Gregg Williams, Kitchens and finally Stefanski – it had to be overwhelming. His confidence had to be shaken at times.

“The relationship (between Mayfield and the coaches) takes time,” said Van Pelt. “The more open he is to coaching, the more we coaches are open to his ideas. ... If there is constant communication, (that produces) constant trust.”

Van Pelt discussed this point after 14 games. “Baker is really on the same page as the coaching staff,” he said. “He is performing at a high level.”

The coaches were allowing Mayfield to throw more often in the final eight games. He went from averaging 28 passes a game in the first games to 33 passes in the final eight.

“It’s trusting these guys around me,” said Mayfield. “It’s trusting the guys up front, going through my progressions and just delivering the ball and letting them make the plays.“

 

THE TOTAL GAME

Mayfield was learning to see the entire game, much like a coach. He worked hard to praise others. That was clear after the Browns beat the Giants 20-6 to raise their record to 10-4.

“Our guys are making a ton of plays,” Mayfield said. “Our protection continues to be great, and these guys continue to make plays for us. That is why the confidence is so high and I don’t have to do anything else. It is these guys doing their jobs.”

Then Mayfield said something very revealing: “I didn’t realize how hard it was to win in the league.”

In the second half of the season, the Browns were 6-2 to finish with an 11-5 record. That was their best record since 1994, earning their first trip to the playoffs since 2002. In those final eight games, Mayfield threw 11 TD passes compared to one interception. He completed 64 percent of his passes and had a rating of 100.1.

“We are a completely different team than we were early on – obviously, for the better,” Mayfield said. “We have learned a lot about ourselves scheme-wise, personnel-wise and what we need to do to have success.”

That goes for everyone in an orange helmet, especially the quarterback.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield calls a play in the huddle in the first half, December 20, 2020, at MetLife Stadium.John Kuntz, cleveland.com

 

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT MAYFIELD?

1. He is coachable. He was challenged by Stefanski and Van Pelt to make some major changes. He had to go through some rough early games where he wasn’t comfortable with the new system. But he stayed with it.

2. He is durable: Mayfield has made 45 consecutive starts and has never missed a game to injury.

3. He learned how to win games and not worry about his passing stats.

4. He learned to hate interceptions. He threw only eight this season, down from 21.

5. The Browns surrounded him with a stronger offensive line. They have a power running game and solid receivers. But the QB is the key to making it work, especially if he works within the system. He is willing to do it.

6. The Browns were 11-5 and made the playoffs with him as a quarterback. That becomes the floor for his future. He is a winning quarterback. A playoff-caliber quarterback. A durable quarterback.

7. Finally, he is maturing as a quarterback and a person. He should be even better in 2021, finally having the same coaching staff for more than a year. The Browns have him under contract control for two more seasons, and they can begin to think long-term. But for now, the easy decision will come in March when they can pick up his option for the 2022 season.

 

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3 hours ago, Comeonman said:

Great read. Baker is a team player and is extremely talented, no matter what is said about him in the future😎. Not enough credit can be given to Stef and AVP

Bill Callahan is a D Line genius. Even down to the pro equivalent of a college walk-on in Hance. Amazing that this line which was missing key players plus one playing hurt, that they could keep Baker from even one sack by a team that has excelled at it this season.

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D line? ;)

 

Like Baker before last nite in lockr room, Callahan has yet to meet Hance yet. Same is the case for Stef.

Berry signed Hance off the Jets PS a week ago Saturday as insurance is an OTbecause Callahan had already tested positive.

 

One thing I did not know... Hance is an OT.

 

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3 hours ago, Tour2ma said:

D line? ;)

 

Like Baker before last nite in lockr room, Callahan has yet to meet Hance yet. Same is the case for Stef.

Berry signed Hance off the Jets PS a week ago Saturday as insurance is an OTbecause Callahan had already tested positive.

 

One thing I did not know... Hance is an OT.

 

I did not realize the timing of it all. Interesting.

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On 1/10/2021 at 1:41 PM, Tour2ma said:

I know we have a Pluto thread and many Baker threads, but I thought this deserved it's own thread,

It's that good of a read.

Since I could see it I copied entire article in case you can't, but please try the link first. Give Terry the clicks he deserves for this gem.

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2021/01/what-do-we-now-know-about-baker-mayfield-that-we-didnt-16-games-ago-terrys-talkin-browns.html

========================================================================================================================

What do we now know about Baker Mayfield that we didn’t 16 games ago? – Terry’s Talkin’ Browns

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer - CLEVELAND, Ohio

 

At the start of the season, the questions about Baker Mayfield were constant.

Is he “the guy”?

Is he a franchise quarterback?

Is he overrated, too small and destined to be mediocre?

That was 16 games ago. So what can be said about Mayfield now?

Most quarterbacks are prisoners of their last game. No other position leads to wilder mood swings than the quarterback. So what have we learned?

 

A LOT OF BAD HABITS

The new Browns front office and coaching staff decided to challenge Mayfield to make some significant changes from losing weight to new footwork to a new mental approach to the game.

Knowing Kevin Stefanski was Mayfield’s fourth head coach in three years, the Andrew Berry front office and Stefanski preached patience. They also broke the season down into the first eight games and the last eight games as a way to measure progress.

A year ago, coach Freddie Kitchens owed his job to Mayfield. He knew it. The team knew it. Mayfield knew it. Kitchens set up a throw-first offense around Mayfield. Browns fans know the story. The team lacked discipline. The record was 6-10. Mayfield threw 21 interceptions, second-most in the NFL. He ranked near the bottom of most passing categories.

There were a lot of bad habits to break.

WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN

Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt began preaching the gospel of the running game and don’t make turnovers.

Early in the season, running backs Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb were stars of the offense. Mayfield went from the fearless gunslinger looking to make big plays to the boring “game manager,” helping the rushing attack with a few passes. There were some rocky games. There were reasons to wonder if Mayfield was going to adapt.

In the past, Mayfield was told to just shake off an interception. Don’t sweat it. You’ll get the next one. This coaching staff had a different approach.

“We call them giveaways,” said Van Pelt. “We don’t want to give the defense anything. ... You get what you emphasize. We talk a lot about making great decisions and being OK with an incompletion.”

Then Van Pelt explained how “there’s always a guy open.” And who is that?

“The tuba player,” said Van Pelt. “If anything bad happens, the tuba player in the second row of the stands is always open. So we can just throw it away to him.”

Baker Mayfield celebrates after winning the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and clinching a playoff spot. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

 

THE MIDSEASON REPORT

In his first eight games, Mayfield had completed 61.4 percent of his passes, 15 TDs vs. seven interceptions. His QB rating was 90.9. The Browns were pleased with his progress, but thought so much more was coming.

The team had a 5-3 record at the bye week. Only twice in those first eight games did the coaches ask Mayfield to throw more than 30 passes in a game.

First, the Browns were de-programming Mayfield from some of his less-disciplined passes and overall approach the game. The next step was turning him into a winning NFL quarterback, and that was built on a relationship between Stefanski, Van Pelt and Mayfield.

Baker Mayfield talks with head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt in the second half of the season-opening loss to Baltimore.John Kuntz, cleveland.com

 

IT TAKES TRUST

After playing for Hue Jackson, Gregg Williams, Kitchens and finally Stefanski – it had to be overwhelming. His confidence had to be shaken at times.

“The relationship (between Mayfield and the coaches) takes time,” said Van Pelt. “The more open he is to coaching, the more we coaches are open to his ideas. ... If there is constant communication, (that produces) constant trust.”

Van Pelt discussed this point after 14 games. “Baker is really on the same page as the coaching staff,” he said. “He is performing at a high level.”

The coaches were allowing Mayfield to throw more often in the final eight games. He went from averaging 28 passes a game in the first games to 33 passes in the final eight.

“It’s trusting these guys around me,” said Mayfield. “It’s trusting the guys up front, going through my progressions and just delivering the ball and letting them make the plays.“

 

THE TOTAL GAME

Mayfield was learning to see the entire game, much like a coach. He worked hard to praise others. That was clear after the Browns beat the Giants 20-6 to raise their record to 10-4.

“Our guys are making a ton of plays,” Mayfield said. “Our protection continues to be great, and these guys continue to make plays for us. That is why the confidence is so high and I don’t have to do anything else. It is these guys doing their jobs.”

Then Mayfield said something very revealing: “I didn’t realize how hard it was to win in the league.”

In the second half of the season, the Browns were 6-2 to finish with an 11-5 record. That was their best record since 1994, earning their first trip to the playoffs since 2002. In those final eight games, Mayfield threw 11 TD passes compared to one interception. He completed 64 percent of his passes and had a rating of 100.1.

“We are a completely different team than we were early on – obviously, for the better,” Mayfield said. “We have learned a lot about ourselves scheme-wise, personnel-wise and what we need to do to have success.”

That goes for everyone in an orange helmet, especially the quarterback.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield calls a play in the huddle in the first half, December 20, 2020, at MetLife Stadium.John Kuntz, cleveland.com

 

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT MAYFIELD?

1. He is coachable. He was challenged by Stefanski and Van Pelt to make some major changes. He had to go through some rough early games where he wasn’t comfortable with the new system. But he stayed with it.

2. He is durable: Mayfield has made 45 consecutive starts and has never missed a game to injury.

3. He learned how to win games and not worry about his passing stats.

4. He learned to hate interceptions. He threw only eight this season, down from 21.

5. The Browns surrounded him with a stronger offensive line. They have a power running game and solid receivers. But the QB is the key to making it work, especially if he works within the system. He is willing to do it.

6. The Browns were 11-5 and made the playoffs with him as a quarterback. That becomes the floor for his future. He is a winning quarterback. A playoff-caliber quarterback. A durable quarterback.

7. Finally, he is maturing as a quarterback and a person. He should be even better in 2021, finally having the same coaching staff for more than a year. The Browns have him under contract control for two more seasons, and they can begin to think long-term. But for now, the easy decision will come in March when they can pick up his option for the 2022 season.

 

he is our guy no matter what happens in kc this weekend....he's a very good qb...it just took the right coaching staff to find out....

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On 12/21/2020 at 11:46 AM, nickers said:

This team just feels legit to me... Gotta love how these Browns play... scrappy fuckers... I love it!...

12 hours ago, Westside Steve said:

Hmmmm...

Anyone ever seen nickers and Terry at the same time?

 

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On 1/12/2021 at 9:41 AM, Tour2ma said:

Yup...

If it wasn't already, then I'm pretty sure Baker's 5th-year option pick up is a lock after Sunday.

Joining a program coming off 0-16 football that remained winless (0-1-1) and sporting a 14-0 deficit (only to erase it and lead Cleveland to it's first win) - was a sneak preview of what Baker is capable of.  All he did the rest of his rookie year was throw an NFL record of 27 TD passes for a rookie QB to help a previous bottom feeder finish 7-8-1.  That WOULD have been good enough for Rookie of the Year IF Saquan Barkley didn't play in the largest market for an award determined by a popular vote.

Unfortunately, the soph slump invited critics concerning Baker's talent and questions about his maturity on a franchise with a fanbase well trained for the "Here we go again." However, an incredible job was done by the new FO last offseason with hiring the right HC and upgrading the personnel all over this team.  This is EVERYTHING we've always wanted around a young QB. Year #3 still had lessons to be learned by Baker and some of them the hard way like WILL YOU PLEASE  SECURE THE FREAKIN FOOTBALL? 

All young QBs have things to learn; while their staffs have things to learn about them.  Big reasons why continuity of HC, OC and QB Coaches are a necessity.  This post season features 3 different QBs in Baker's draft class.  2 of them, have had continuity in their coaching staffs guiding them.    If anyone has looked at the job Buffalo has done with Josh Allen - he's thrown 37 TD passes to just 10 INTs.  They tweaked some bad habits so that he could dominate NFL competition far better than he was ever able to at the college level with all that untapped arm talent.  He's also dangerous on the scramble.  Unfortunately, Lamar Jackson has a way of making the field look double-wide and the opposing defense like it's only using 8 defenders.  Both of these teams have learned to utilize the blessings their young QBs bring and tweak what they need to.  It's like they have a 2 year head start on Baker.  That said, Baker and the Browns are still in the playoffs just like those 2 guys.  1 game at a time!

This week we face a QB, that was drafted in 2017.  Like Tom Brady, Mahomes didn't start in his rookie year.  Unlike Tom Brady, he went to an offensive minded HC that developed Brett Favre in GB and Donovan McNabb in Philly.  Andy Reid already heard the nonsense about QBs from unconventional offenses about Favre at So Miss before he drafted McNabb 2nd overall in 99 out of Syracuse.  This was a great situation for Patrick Mahomes.  He got to witness Alex Smith leading KC to the playoffs under Andy Reid's guidance.  Above all, that was a playoff roster that welcomed his 1st start 1 year later.  There was a little bit less to improve in KC's setting.  That said, it's unbelievable how much he improved everything.  Next thing we know the same fans that wanted Andy Reid gone in Philly were suddenly asking "WHY DID WE GIVE UP ON THAT FUCKING GUY?"   Just add alcohol and you understand why Philly used to have jail cells and a court room in Veteran's Stadium.

No matter what happens this weekend, I'm very proud of this team and the entire coaching staff for all they are accomplishing in spite of adversity from the onset.  Dom gummit, we get to watch our team in ANOTHER playoff game this weekend.  Every damn one of you DESERVES this!  

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On 10/19/2018 at 12:38 PM, mjp28 said:

Some people just have a natural gift for written communication to get a good response from the readers. And he just has the right persoality and demeanor for the job which all the good ones make look so effortless.

Glad our WSS puts them up here.

From October 2018 and I still enjoy reading and sharing thoughts on Mr Pluto.

Thanks again Steve aka WSS.  ;)

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
22 hours ago, Westside Steve said:

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz and Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield talk after a 2020 game. Should the fall of Wentz be a warning sign about Mayfield? John Kuntz, cleveland.com

Should the BROWNS fans worry ?  Maybe not.  (read the article)

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