The 2019 NFL campaign did not turn out like Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns had hoped.
Instead of contending for a Super Bowl like many expected, the Browns won just six games and did not even make the playoffs, concluding their season with an embarrassing loss to the lowly Cincinnati Bengals.
The disappointing year resulted in mass firings, from head coach Freddie Kitchens to general manager John Dorsey.
Now, Cleveland must look to fix this mess, and Mayfield must look to get better moving forward.
Here are the three main takeaways from 2019 for Mayfield.
3. The NFL adjusted
Mayfield had a terrific first season in 2018, setting the single-season rookie record with 27 touchdown passes. This year, he threw 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, a stark drop-off from his rookie campaign.
Obviously, defenses have adjusted to Mayfield, and now, it's up to Mayfield to adjust to those adjustments.
The sophomore slump is a real thing, and it was always a possibility for Mayfield heading into this season. With a full offseason to prepare for him, defenses were going to be ready, and they certainly were.
In spite of having more weapons at his disposal, Mayfield was not even close to as effective as he was a year ago, just more evidence to demonstrate that you should never jump to conclusions after just one season.
2. He needs to be more judicious
It wasn't until Week 9 that Mayfield finally had an outing where he threw more touchdowns than picks, and over the course of 16 games, he only did that six times.
That is not nearly good enough.
On top of that, Mayfield completed just 59.4 percent of his throws.
Clearly, the 24-year-old has to learn to be more careful with his passes, both in terms of accuracy and not forcing throws into tight areas where the ball can easily be picked off.
Maybe the Brett Favre comparisons got to his head, because Mayfield developed a gunslinger mentality this season, and both he and the Browns paid for it.
The difference is, Favre was good enough to compensate for his recklessness. Mayfield has not yet reached that point, and I'm not sure he ever will.
For that reason, Mayfield needs to pick his spots much more carefully in 2020 and beyond.
1. He needs to be a better leader
The burden of the Browns' failed 2019 campaign fell mostly on the shoulders of Kitchens, and that's fair, because, as the head coach, he was supposed to be the leader.
But Mayfield needs to bear some of that responsibility, as well.
Yes, he's still just a kid, but he's also old enough to know how to act maturely, which is something that Mayfield has yet to prove he can do through two NFL seasons.
Whether it's engaging in arguments with fans, calling out players through the media (Duke Johnson) or ripping the team's medical staff, Mayfield failed as a leader this season.
There is still plenty of time for Mayfield to learn from his mistakes and right the ship, but at this point, it's obvious that Mayfield is not ready to be a legitimate leader under center.
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