Baker Mayfield’s ability and willingness to throw passes to anyone who is able to make a play should mean a change in the Cleveland Browns offensive philosophy and how they approach attacking defenses.
Both with Oklahoma and the Cleveland Browns, Baker Mayfield has never cared where he is throwing the ball. If a player is open, he’s going to find them. There was no better example of this in the debut against the New York Jets than when he put a ball on Orson Charles on the sideline, which he was unable to secure.
This represents a huge change in philosophy from Tyrod Taylor. Taylor’s typically averse to throwing the ball in the middle of the field. This may well be due to his lack of velocity on his passes as they are at an increased risk of having a defender make a play on them. Additionally, whether it was the Buffalo Bills or the Cleveland Browns, he tended to focus on specific players to throw the ball to rather than open areas.
Thus far into the season, Taylor’s first look was always Jarvis Landry and the overwhelming amount of targets went to Landry. Mayfield, meanwhile, when he entered the game sprayed the ball all over the field. Landry was still targeted the most, but other players got a substantially higher percentage of them.
The limitations offensively with a quarterback like Taylor go like this — given that Landry is the overwhelming favorite to get his targets, the sense is that the offense is about creating opportunities for Landry to get open and get the ball. That means using other players as dummy routes, rub routes and other types of things to try to get Landry to a particular spot on the field so the play can be made.
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This can work. Kyle Shahahan’s career has been based on a ton of this. Take a stud receiver like he did with Josh Gordon in 2013, Julio Jones with the Falcons, Andre Johnson with the Texans and he comes up with a ton of ways to move those players around and find ways to give them space so they can get the ball and make plays.
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Landry isn’t on the level of those type of players, but there are clearly examples where this thought process can be really effective. Because Mayfield doesn’t care where the ball is going to such a degree, the Browns can still focus on creating openings for Landry, but they have another option, one more fitting.
Instead of figuring out how just to get Landry open in various locations on the field, the offense should be focused on using the players to their strengths to get open and let Mayfield sort it out, which is what he’s done for the past four seasons.
This could mean that Landry will see a drop in targets, which would be wise. That should hopefully mean that other guys are creating opportunities for themselves and Mayfield is letting them make plays. making the offense more dangerous overall. It also doesn’t mean Landry must have a drop in targets. There may be matchups or weeks where Landry’s strengths just keep winning and Mayfield can get him eight or 10 or more receptions in a particular game. That’s just what’s there to be had.
It also might mean that someone like David Njoku, Duke Johnson, Antonio Callaway or Rashard Higgins has a big game. Whatever player is hot or matchup is winning, let Mayfield see it and distribute the football accordingly.
That becomes an offense more in line with what the Los Angeles Rams have with Sean McVay. Rather than worry about getting the ball to Robert Woods, Brandin Cooks, Cooper Kupp or Todd Gurley, he focuses on matchups and creating opportunities.
For anyone who watched Thursday Night Football between the Rams and Minnesota Vikings, McVay came in with a plan to isolate and exploit linebacker Anthony Barr. In one situation, Kupp was set up and beat him badly for a long touchdown while Todd Gurley beat him in the red zone for another touchdown.
In the end, the Rams had three receivers with over 100 yards receiving and four with an explosive play of at least 36 yards. That’s an offense firing on all cylinders in the passing game.
McVay’s philosophy is more about seeing what a team is giving him, attack a particular player or area of the field and just let the players determine where the ball should go. Some of that becomes McVay and then some is his quarterback Jared Goff.
Shanahan’s method has had a ton of success. He went to the Super Bowl with the Falcons for example. Obviously Gordon’s 2013 season was one of the best the league has ever seen. Meanwhile, McVay has taken the league by storm in a lot of ways. Both are young, exciting head coaches that have excellent track records when it comes to offense.
McVay’s particular style seems extremely well suited for Mayfield, given his intelligence and ability to effectively spray the ball around the field. As the season goes along and he gets more confident in his career, the more that can be shifted onto his plate in terms of responsibility. But even in his first game with almost no reps with the first team, he was throwing passes to anyone who was open, including the incredibly unlikely Orson Charles.
It remains to be seen if the Cleveland Browns and specifically Todd Haley will embrace the way Baker Mayfield sprays the ball all over the field, but given the lack of proven star power on the offense, save Jarvis Landry’s very impressive start to the season, it seems the most prudent approach. Whether it’s Haley or someone else, the focus needs to be on finding an offensive philosophy and play caller that fits Mayfield so he can be maximized and carry the franchise like they envisioned when he was selected as the top pick overall.