The Cleveland Browns fell well short of expectations in 2019, going just 6-10 and missing the playoffs entirely in spite of Super Bowl aspirations.
One of the biggest criticisms levied against the Browns this season was the fact that they did a little too much talking without backing it up with production on the field.
Back in September, ESPN analyst and former NFL head coach Rex Ryan specifically named Baker Mayfield as someone who was running his mouth, and on Friday in a face-to-face meeting between the two parties, Mayfield agreed that he should have just kept quiet:
“Let’s just be honest, I put my foot in my mouth a lot this [season],” Mayfield told Ryan. “I have to be me, but I don’t need to reply to the stuff on the outside.”
After a scintillating 2018 campaign in which Mayfield set the single-season rookie record with 27 touchdown passes, Mayfield gave new meaning to the term “sophomore slump” this year, throwing for 3,827 yards, 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions while completing 59.4 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 78.8. He admitted the turnovers were a big problem:
“I’ve never turned the ball over so many times,” Mayfield said. “You can’t win like that. That falls back on me.”
Mayfield and Ryan then shook hands at the end of the interview.
Perhaps Mayfield's disastrous 2019 season will serve as a critical learning experience. After all, he is still just 24 years old, and he just got his first taste of what the NFL is really like once there is a target on your back.
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