OC says shoulder has affected Mayfield passing
BEREA — Amid the Odell Beckham Jr. saga, Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt made a subtle yet noteworthy admission about Baker Mayfield.
While discussing the troubles of the passing game, Van Pelt said, “I think where we need to be is more explosive with our ability to push the ball down the field.”
It needs to happen for the Browns (4-4) on Sunday when they visit the Cincinnati Bengals (5-3) for a crucial AFC North game.
But can Mayfield be consistently accurate with deep passes despite the injured left, non-throwing shoulder in which he suffered a completely torn labrum and a fractured humerus bone?
“I think he will be. I have no doubts,” Van Pelt said. “My confidence in Baker is big. He’ll work through that as he goes. The harness, he’ll continue to get used to that the more reps he gets with that. I don’t see it as a concern. We just have to find ways to make the plays down the field.”
Mayfield suffered the injury Sept. 19 against the Houston Texans and exacerbated it Oct. 17 versus the Arizona Cardinals. It it sidelined him Oct. 21 against the Denver Broncos. He has been wearing a shoulder harness since Week 2, but he donned a new one in Sunday’s 15-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Between the Texans and Cardinals matchups, Van Pelt publicly downplayed Mayfield’s shoulder injury, saying he hadn’t seen it or the harness affect the player’s accuracy in practices. Van Pelt changed his tune this week and even praised Mayfield for his footwork, essentially eliminating it as a root cause of inaccurate passing.
A former NFL quarterback, Van Pelt has suffered a torn labrum in each of his shoulders. Van Pelt conceded there is “a balance” he tries to strike while evaluating Mayfield because there are high expectations for the QB, but he’s also playing hurt.
“When it comes to grades, I grade hard on him,” Van Pelt said. “If he misses a ball, it’s a minus-throw. Even if it’s a drop and it’s high, it’s a minus-throw. Regardless of the circumstances, production has to still be there — obviously, understanding the circumstances.”
Many of Mayfield’s passes were high against the Steelers, and he has been off-target way more than he would like this season. He has completed 66.7% of his passes in seven games this season for 1,699 yards and six touchdowns with three interceptions for a rating of 96.