Cleveland Browns: Should Baker Mayfield’s fifth-year option be picked up?

The Cleveland Browns are a playoff team and Baker Mayfield has helped lead the way.

In just his third NFL season, Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has seen two head-coaching changes and is playing in his third different offensive system in as many years. It can be said that “third time’s the charm” and, in his situation, the phrase must be true because Cleveland currently holds a record of 9-3 and is on the cusp of the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2002.

During that time frame, the Browns have managed to clinch only three winning seasons. Now, with first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski at the helm, the team has transformed into a competitive run-first squad.

Both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt have the opportunity to become the first pair of running back teammates to each cross the century mark since Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams accomplished the feat while sharing the backfield for the Carolina Panthers in 2009.

However, Mayfield’s development under Stefanski has given the Browns a reason to be optimistic. The quarterback’s play has been much improved since struggling through a sophomore “slump” last season with since-fired rookie head coach Freddie Kitchens calling the shots.

Now, the former first-overall draft pick is emerging as one of the 2020 season’s best quarterbacks down the stretch run of the regular season.

Baker Mayfield’s fifth-year option should be picked up by the Cleveland Browns.

Behind the improved play of the Browns offensive line this season, Mayfield and his compliments have managed to thrive during games. This season, he’s taken fewer hits and seen both his pressure rating and sack numbers decline.

As a result, Mayfield has played with more confidence this season and increased his ball-security when passing downfield. After 13 weeks, he’s projected to finish the season with a career-low nine interceptions and a career-high passer rating of 97.9.

The two major strengths of Mayfield’s improved game this season pertain to red-zone production and his high-success rate on play-action passes.

Currently, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has the Browns’ quarterback graded as the league’s fifth-best passer from inside the 20-yard-line. His grade of 82.9 trails only Kirk Cousins (92.1), Aaron Rodgers (90.7), Russell Wilson (90.2), and Derek Carr (89.5).

Also, an example of Mayfield’s success using play-action can be shown from the Browns Week 13 win over the Tennessee Titans. During the game, the former Heisman winner managed to throw three touchdown passes and garner a passer-rating of 158.3 on throws out of play action. Both figures were tops in the league and were complemented by a 90.9 percent completion rate that ranked second during the week’s slate of games.

Perhaps, the most interesting stat line released regarding Mayfield’s play this season is that the Browns quarterback (3.0) currently ranks just ahead of potential MVP candidate Russell Wilson (2.9) in touchdown/interception ratio.

Both quarterbacks are almost identical in the figure, as well as in yards-per-completion, first-down-per-attempt percentage, and share an equal quarterback-rating of 70.5.

So why at this point do writers, analysts, and fans alike continue to suggest that Baker Mayfield is nothing more than a “game-manager”? Because, from the looks of it, his play has evolved to be on par with another considered to be amongst the top-three quarterbacks in the NFL.