Cleveland Browns: 5 questions surrounding key players

Can Baker Mayfield return to form?

It’s expected that Baker Mayfield will return to form in 2020. Most experts agree that forcing Mayfield to throw a lot wasn’t the right call. Yet, he actually did quite well when he threw 30 times or more in a game, going 5-6 as a starter and putting up 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The problem is twice he threw three interceptions when asked to throw more than 37 times in a game.

Mayfield’s struggles came when the gameplan was changed around and he couldn’t find a rhythm. That’s when he truly struggled. When he threw under 30 times a game, he completed only 42% of his passes, threw only three touchdowns, and a whopping seven interceptions across a three-game span.

The story of Mayfield’s 2019 season is one of a lack of consistency on both Mayfield and Kitchens, but the numbers clearly show that Mayfield can hawk the ball downfield and be productive. He does well with high-volume passing. The loss to Arizona in week 15 saw him complete 70% of his passes on 43 attempts. If the defense hadn’t collapsed in the fourth quarter, then this team would’ve at least been close in defeat; if not had won the game.

Mayfield needs to find that rhythm early in a game. He’s very much that type of player, and if head coach Kevin Stefanski will let him find it, this team will be very successful with Mayfield throwing the ball.