UD’s nonleague slate lacks marquee foes
The only marquee opponent playing the Flyers basketball team in Dayton is Mississippi State, which ranked 55th.
Baker Mayfield BEREA — has no plans to let off the gas as the rookie quarterback progresses faster than the Browns anticipated he would and increasingly avoids “oh, crap” moments.
Mayfield appreciates the public praise he received from Browns coach Hue Jackson after four training camp practices but insisted it won’t alter his approach. Jackson’s messages can be boiled down to this: Mayfield has exceeded the team’s high expectations for the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft. Yet Jackson remains adamant Tyrod Taylor is the starter.
“That’s exciting to hear [I’ve exceeded expectations], but that does not mean I’m satisfied,” Mayfield said Monday before the fifth practice of camp. “I set my own expectations, set my own standard, and I have to live up to that. I’m not done working.”
A play in the first practice of camp perfectly illustrated Mayfield’s improvement. He stood in the pocket during a goal-line period, and instead of scrambling to the right when he began to feel pressure like he had frequently in spring practices, he stood his ground and delivered a touchdown pass. The moment stuck in Jackson’s mind, and Mayfield attributed it to him gaining a better understanding of the offense.
“[In organized team activities], I’d go through one read, maybe two, and then if he wasn’t open, it was kind of like an ‘oh, crap’ moment, [get] flustered and get out [of the pocket],” Mayfield said. “But now I’m trying to put those pieces together to where I go through those reads, I’m settled in the pocket, I trust my protections, I’m trusting my guys to get to where they’re supposed to be. So that’s the difference.”
The scoring strike was one of many Mayfield has thrown in camp. Perhaps even more impressive, he hasn’t thrown an interception through five practices.
“That’s kind of the No. 1 rule of playing quarterback,” Mayfield said. “You take care of the ball and you put your team in a good position to win.”
Mayfield is also focusing on calling the right protections and consistently releasing his passes at a rapid pace.
His strides and Jackson’s compliments suggest Mayfield could push Taylor if this trend continues. But Jackson pumped the brakes after Friday’s practice and reiterated the Browns plan to enter the season with Taylor starting.
“I don’t have temptation [to start Mayfield],” Jackson said. “Baker Mayfield’s doing great. Tyrod Taylor’s doing great. This thing’s going to play out just like I told you it would. I’m not changing.”
Meanwhile, Mayfield, who has practiced exclusively with the No. 2 offense while Taylor has worked with the first unit during camp, isn’t rocking the boat with his comments.
“I wouldn’t say [I’m] closing a gap [on Taylor],” Mayfield said. “... It’s about the Cleveland Browns and the 2018 season. We’re trying to push to be whole lot better than it’s been here in the past.”