It was a tale of two halves on Sunday as Baker Mayfield struggled early, but in pure Baker Mayfield fashion he rebounded and put together an excellent second half performance.
First Half – Baker Mayfield Struggles
Baker Mayfield only completed five of 13 passes for 46 yards and three interceptions. This is hardly the start the Browns needed. One interception was an ill-advised deep pass when Mayfield could have ran easily for a first down.
The other two occurred against a similar defense. The Texans knew the Browns would try to get Mayfield to throw the ball quickly. This is due to the fact that the Texans feature three premier pass rushers in J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus. Throwing quick passes can neutralize even the best pass rushers. Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel has been in the league a long time and knows just how to bait rookie quarterbacks into making mistakes, especially against a quick passing game. To counter the quick passes of the Browns, Crennel had the linebackers drop into coverage and Mayfield failed to see this. One interception was thrown on a slant pattern and the other on a comeback route. The Texans nearly had a third interception on an identical slant pattern. The Texans zone defense was proving problematic for the Browns offensive game plan coming into the game.
Second Half – Adjustments are made and Baker Mayfield is back
One of the most important factors in a game coming out of halftime is adjustments. The Browns adjusted their offense and ran plays to counter the Texans zone defense that was featured in the first half. Baker Mayfield went 24-30 for 351 yards and one touchdown. Mayfield should have had a second, however Antonio Callaway had the ball stripped going into the end zone. If Callaway runs toward the pylon instead of the middle of the field it is an easy touchdown. Instead Houston forced a turnover.
Now some of the success can be credited to Houston playing a softer defense late in the game. Although Mayfield still made some excellent throws downfield that attacked the defense. The throws were not all dump offs that typically occur in a game that is all but decided.
The Browns and Mayfield can use the success in the second half as something to build on. While some misinformed individuals will claim that Mayfield was exposed during the first half, in reality credit must be given to the Texans defensive scheme. Houston executed perfectly during the first half of Sunday’s game. Mayfield’s second half performance is exactly what was expected to start the game. While it did not happen instantly, the fact he bounced back and played well in the second half is good sign. Every quarterback will have a rough game, but only the best can rebound like Mayfield did.
Bouncing back after facing adversity is an important trait in a franchise quarterback. Baker Mayfield did just that and the Cleveland Browns have their franchise quarterback.
