It wasn’t quite the start to the season that everyone had expected. But the Cleveland Browns brought their A-game in Week 4, and Baker Mayfield wants the same energy from his teammates. It’s likely he will, now that the team has had a gigantic boost in morale from that 40-25 win against division rival Baltimore Ravens.
Baker Mayfield Wants Cleveland Browns to Maintain Same Energy From Week 4
Cleveland fans, and many others, had expected the Browns to reach spectacular heights just based on their roster alone. It just took four weeks to bring expectations to reality.
Mayfield faced criticism in the leadup, especially after a mediocre performance in Week 3. But he, Nick Chubb, and the entire team (even the offense) worked their magic the following week. The rest was all but forgotten.
Mayfield and the Offense Are in Sync
Mayfield was back to his 2018 self, engineering an offense with the confidence of a quarterback with years more experience. He drove the offense with a distinct rhythm that would lead not just to a victory but an annihilation of their opponents.
The Browns’ second possession was the beginning of the end for the Ravens. It was also a rekindling of the hope fans had of this team being a playoff contender.
Confidence Is Back
Until this week, it didn’t seem like the Browns were a threat this season at all. But they did things right within all three phases of the game. Mayfield could finally be satisfied with his own performance and the team’s. “We know how good we can be, but it’s like I said earlier as well, that’s the frustrating part about how we started. We knew how good we could be… just needed to do our jobs, and that’s what our guys did this week; focused, heads down and worked.”
Mayfield achieved a lot individually. It was the second time he managed 300-plus passing yards. And it was the first time in 2019 he earned a passer rating over 100.
The True Starting Line
Chris Hubbard’s return to the field was an advantage to the entire offense. They benefited from his presence. As Nick Shook of cleveland.com pointed out, Mayfield was safer in a pocket that seemed more consistent across all five blockers. Chubb and Dontrell Hilliard reaped the benefits too, combining to rush 26 times for 192 yards and four touchdowns.
Chubb’s Breakaway Speed
Chubb’s lightning speed was a huge factor in the Browns victory. If he keeps this up in the future, he will take the team far. Mayfield gave insight into Chubb’s magic. “He can roll. I think people underestimate his speed… once he gets to that second level, he’s got true break-away speed. People say he’s a power back, which he is, it takes more than one guy to bring him down. But he’s got that speed to make a play like that.”
The Browns Are Capable of Producing the Big Points Now
From the moment the Browns added Odell Beckham Jr. and Kareem Hunt to their already stacked squad, everyone expected an explosion. With the type of talent collectively, points should build up quickly. It took a while for the team to warm up but we’ve now seen this happen.
Greater Mismatches
Star power means the Browns have begun creating so many mismatches, opponents should struggle to cover everyone in the future. It already happened. When the Ravens focused attention on Beckham, the rest of the offense thrived. Jarvis Landry really came into his own. Everything just clicked for the entire team.
“The win is great, but I hope everybody keeps the same energy,” Mayfield said. “Threw us in the trash. We won’t forget it.” If the Browns can produce a four-score, then anything less is not just possible. It’s expected.
