The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Stefanski: Mayfield ‘ready to ascend’
Baker Mayfield returned to practice with his teammates after being activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Coach Kevin Stefanski says Mayfield is pointing in the right direction.
The arrow is pointing in the right direction for Baker Mayfield, according to Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, and not just because of the quarterback’s improved health.
Mayfield was activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list early on the morning of Nov. 11 and practiced with his teammates later in the day at the training complex in Berea. The Browns are preparing for their game with the Houston Texans on Nov. 15 at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Mayfield was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Nov. 8 (the Browns were on their bye) as a protocol after coming in close contact on Nov. 7 with an unidentified staff member who did test positive for COVID. The designation caused the Browns’ starting quarterback to be quarantined, but he has not tested positive and is good to go.
“I was pretty hopeful that he would be back in the building today – pretty confident, I should say,” Stefanski said before practice Nov. 11.” He made sure that Monday and Tuesday he was spending a lot of time in meetings virtually, watching a lot of tape and preparing to play a solid game this week.
“I think Baker would tell you there are moments (in the first half of the season) where he was really good and moments that he wants to get better. I think that’s just a great focus for our guys moving forward. We can help him, I know that. We can help him for sure in some of the design and some of the play calls. I think he’s ready to ascend.”
Barring anything unforeseen, May field will start against the Texans. The outlook is also positive for running back Nick Chubb and guard Wyatt Teller, though Chubb’s situation is best described as “cautious optimism.”
Chubb suffered a right knee i njury playing the Cowboys in Dallas on Oct. 4 and is designated to return from injured reserve. He has not been activated yet. He practiced Nov. 9 and Nov. 11 wearing a brace and said on Zoom his knee feels fine, but he isn’t sure he’ll play against Houston.
“There’s a lot more to it than me just saying I feel great,” Chubb said. “It’s up to the doctors and trainers and coaches.”
Teller is back as the starting right guard after missing three games with a calf injury.
Mayfield has completed 137 of 223 passes (61.4 percent) for 1,564 yards with 15 touchdown passes and seven interceptions this season. He has been sacked 11 times.
Last year Mayfield finished with 21 touchdown passes, 22 interceptions and was sacked 40 times. The improvement in his numbers are a major reason the Browns are 5-3 and in the thick of the playoff race in the AFC. Likewise, Mayfield’s numbers a year ago reflected the 6-10 final record.
Fortunately for Mayfield and the Browns, his episode with COVID protocol occurred at the tail end of the bye week. He said the isolation wasn’t stressful because he was able to go about his normal routine in virtual meeting. Even that didn’t happen until after getting some important quality time last week with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.
“We looked at missed plays and turnovers and the reason why and were extremely critical of that and what we could have done better,” May field said on Zoom after practice. “For me personally, it was looking at the negative plays and seeing if it was a physical mistake or decision error and things like that.
“Like I said after the game with the Raiders — we’re not anywhere near where we want to be, and I think that’s the positive outlook on it. We’re going to continue to work and work. I think this bye week came at a very good time for us as a team and for players to get healthy.”
Mayfield is one of those injured players on the mend. He played against the Bengals and Raiders with a rib injury sustained while playing the Steelers on Oct. 18. He joked about how not getting hit on a Sunday helped the healing process.