Trent Dilfer’s Baker Mayfield, Joe Burrow comparison is confounding
Former Browns quarterback and current NFL analyst Trent Dilfer recently weighed in on Baker Mayfield, bizarrely comparing him to Joe Burrow, and stating there’s not “not much different from a talent stand point.”
My eyes may not match the wealth of Dilfer’s NFL experience, but my optometrist tells me they do work. I’ve seen Burrow take down Pat Mahomes down in the fourth quarter, something Mayfield’s failed to do the last two times they’ve played.
Dilfer appeared on 92.3 The Fan, where he shared his opinion, and while I don’t agree, it’s certainly an interesting take.
"“You can say Trent Dilfer is an idiot. I can tell you right now, I’ve been doing this for 30 years. Very, very similar horsepower. Very similar in talent. Basically clones, as a player. One has embraced who he is (Burrow), One plays differently than who he is, Baker Mayfield.”"
The most glaring stat comes down to measurements. Burrow is 6-foot-4, and can make plays from the pocket. Mayfield, listed at 6-1, does not. I believe it was Mike Tomlin, who said after the Steelers and Browns played on Halloween, that the plan was to make Mayfield make plays from the pocket. Tomlin was right, of course, Mayfield failed.
Baker Mayfield doesn’t make plays from the pocket
Mayfield struggled mightily to get the ball out of the pocket in the Steelers and Browns most recent meeting, getting four passes knocked away at the line of scrimmage. He has 11 passes knocked away this season, according to pro-football reference. Burrow has eight. He has 84 “poor throws,” compared to Burrow’s 54.
Again, I bring to your attention the drive engineered by Nick Mullens against the Raiders. The guy hadn’t played a game all year, but even he could hang in the pocket long enough to find Harrison Bryant for what should’ve been the game winning touchdown.
Mayfield seemingly seems to eager to run, or takes a bad sack.
Dilfer completed his take by saying that Mayfield can be successful when he finds “peace” with who he is as a player.
The idea of a healthy Mayfield returning in 2022 is growing on me, because we’ve seen Mayfield be a great quarterback, which he was for the final half of the 2020 season. It’s need to be pointed out that a lot to things went right for the team during that stretch, though.
dark. Next. Fed up Baker calls Mary Kay report "clickbait"
Let’s hope Mayfield is right, because he’ll be the third best quarterback in the division when the 2022 season kicks off in September.