Mayfifield looks to stay steady amid success
Browns on the cusp of their fifirst playoffff appearance since 2002.
There is always a challenge in the NFL.
Teams and players are either trying to rebound from failure or sustain success.
Baker Mayfifield has been on fifire in December, the Browns ( 10-4) have their best record through 14 games since 1994 and they’re on the doorstep of their fifirst playoffff appearance since 2002.
Mayfifield has established himself as a consistent winner in the NFL, a fifirst since the Browns drafted the starting quarterback No. 1 overall in 2018.
Through it all, Mayfifield is trying to be the authentic leader he believes the Browns need.
In August, he admitted “I lost myself” in 2019 and “I wasn’t able to be who I am” for the franchise while he regressed after a promising rookie season.
So leading the right way has been a huge focus for Mayfifield this season, and nowhe’s attempting to do it amid success rather than the failure of last year’s 6-10 flflop.
“I saw a quote of somebody from Tampa talking about [Buccaneers quarterback] Tom Brady that it doesn’t matter how good he’s playing or if it’s not going well. He’s always the same person ,” May fifi ed said Wednesday on Zoom. “That’s important to be a leader. During the good stuffffffffffff, they’re always looking up at you.
During the bad stuff, they’re going to look at you aswell. It’s key to find thatmedium.
“That’s something that I tried to learn early on. Obviously, I wasn’t able to do that last year, but that’s very important. You don’t want to change. You want to be the same leader each day.”
In the buildup to the Browns playing an important game against the Tennessee Titans (10-4) on Dec. 6, Mayfield said he needed to raise his level of play and “seize the moment” in the playoff push.
Since then, the Browns have defeated the Titans 41-35, lost to the Baltimore Ravens 47-42 on Dec. 14 and defeated the New York Giants 20-6 on Sunday night. Mayfield has completed 80-of-112 passes (71.4%) for 974 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception for a rating of 117.9, rushed for one touchdown and taken just one sack during the stretch.
First-year head coach Kevin Stefanski saidMayfield has been the“same guy every single day” despite lighting up each of the last three defense she has encountered.
Mayfield’s teammates agree.
“He has not let the highs get too high, and he has not let the lows get too low,” linebacker B.J. Goodson said. “So I think that’swhywe’ve seen him be able to be successful.”
“He has been the same guy and been a great leader for us,” two-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb said. “It’s paying off for him now.”
The Browns will visit the New York Jets (1-13) on Sunday and can clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2002 if one of the following scenarios unfolds:
■ Browns win and Baltimore Ravens (9-5) lose to or tie the Giants (5-9) onSunday
■ Browns win and Miami Dolphins (9-5) lose to or tie the Las Vegas Raiders (7-7) on Saturday night
■ Browns win and Indianapolis Colts (10-4) lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3)
■ Browns tie and Ravens lose
■ Browns tie and Dolphins lose
A Browns win and a Steelers loss would also set up a showdownbetween the two teams for the AFC North title in the Jan. 3 regular-season finaleatFirstEnergyStadium.
Stefanski said the possibilities don’t increase the difficulty of sticking to his onegame-at-a-time mantra, and he doesn’t think his players will struggle with focusing, either.
“We can’t control whatever happens (with other teams),” Mayfieldsaid.“Obviously, we knowwhat’s going on, on the outside, but we just have to take care of business this week.”
Inotherwords, theBrowns can’t look past the Jets, not even to peek at their rematch with the Steelers, who are on a three-game losing streak but pummeled the Browns 38-7 onOct. 18 in Pittsburgh.
Fortunately for Stefanski, there are examples fromthis season and previous ones of bad teams upsetting good ones. The Jets just earned their only win of the season SundaybydefeatingtheRams (9-5). Jacksonville (1-13) gave the Browns a scare on Nov. 29. The Browns won 27-25.
“(The Jets) play really hard,” Mayfield said. “They fly to the ball. You can tell that theywant to bully you, and theywant to play physical ball. It was very apparent when you put on the Rams tape.”
And Mayfield doesn’t believe the Browns will listentopraise frommedia and become full of themselves.
“This team didn’t listen to itwhen everybody threwus in the trash, so no,” he said.
Mayfield was written off by many pundits earlier this season, too, especially after the blowout loss to the Steelers. He is obviously playing with more confidence lately.
“I have seen the countless hours he has spent at the facility and how hard heworks every day,” Chubb said. “I’m extremely happy for him. Have to keep it going.”