Browns: No concerns about Mayfield
After quarterback Baker Mayfield's admitted "piss-poor performance" Sunday set social media on fire, Browns free safety John Johnson III tried to tamp down the flames.
“On the sideline and in the locker room you could tell he was a little frustrated, but we kept him up, and we told him we'll get the ball back for him and we trust in him and stuff like that,” Johnson said.
In Sunday's 14-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium, Mayfield completed 15 of 33 passes for 155 yards and was sacked three times. His quarterback rating of 59.5 was his lowest since a 38-7 loss at Pittsburgh on Oct. 18, 2020, when he posted a 54.9.
Entering the weekend, Mayfield's 73.8 completion percentage ranked fifth in the league and was the highest ever by a Browns quarterback through the first three weeks of a season. Sunday's performance dropped his percentage to 65.5, 18th in the NFL.
So as his team improved to 3-1 heading into Sunday's road game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski tried to dispel the notion that Mayfield hasn't been the same since he injured his left shoulder in Week 2 against the Houston Texans.
Asked if that is affecting Mayfield's accuracy, Stefanski said, “I do not think so, based on what I see at practice.”
On Sunday, Mayfield himself pointed out it was his non-throwing shoulder that had to be popped back in and said, “It's attached. I'm all right.”
Perhaps more troubling was Mayfield hitting Odell Beckham Jr. just twice for 27 yards on seven targets. The issue loomed largest when they failed to connect on a third-down deep ball, forcing a Browns punt with 1:08 remaining.
Mayfield and Beckham worked oneon-one on the side extensively during training camp and Beckham went to Mayfield's hometown of Austin, Texas, in the offseason. Stefanski said he believes that time together will soon bear fruit.
“That is not really a concern of mine or ours,” Stefanski said of the Mayfieldbeckham chemistry. “When you throw the ball deep, you are not going to hit all of those.”
Nick Harris to miss at least three games.
The Browns placed backup center Nick Harris on injured reserve and signed guard Hjalte Froholdt to the active roster, swiping him off the practice squad of the Houston Texans.
A native of Svendborg, Denmark, Froholdt started playing football during his sophomore year of high school as a foreign exchange student in Warren, Ohio.
The Browns announced those moves at the same time as their decision to terminate the contract of backup linebacker Elijah Lee.