So, what exactly is wrong with Baker Mayfield?

Baker Mayfield isn’t nearly as dangerous as we thought he’d be, so what is going wrong?

Expectations couldn’t have been higher for the Cleveland Browns entering the 2019 season. They were routinely mentioned as an AFC contender who had an outside shot of making a Super Bowl run if all of their new pieces meshed together.

But sitting at 2-5 through seven weeks, the Browns are arguably one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL. While they’ve battled a difficult schedule, the Browns look like one of the league’s most dysfunctional teams, struggling with turnovers and penalties. But one of the biggest reasons the Browns have started the season of slowly is due to the play of quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Heading into the 2019 season, there weren’t six quarterbacks in the league with a higher ceiling than Mayfield. He was dynamic in the second half of the 2018 season, leading the Browns to a 7-7 record in his 14 game appearances. He finished that season with a passer rating of 93.7 as he looked and played like a star. Unfortunately, Mayfield hasn’t been able to find the same level of success this season. In fact, it hasn’t even been close.

Through seven weeks, Mayfield has the third-lowest passer rating (67.8) in the NFL, just ahead of fellow first-round picks from 2018 in Josh Rosen (52) and Sam Darnold (62.2). Mayfield has thrown only six touchdowns to 12 interceptions and three fumbles. But many of the interceptions from Mayfield are his fault? Take a look at this compilation video below to decide for yourself how many throws were unlucky or should be held against Mayfield:

Obviously, Mayfield is pressing some as he is trying to make throws he has no business attempting. However, a few of those interceptions have been just bad luck as passes have bounced off receivers’ hands into the arms of the defender. These plays are flukey and hard to predict, but there is more to be worried about in regards to Mayfield’s performance.

While turnovers remain a big concern for Mayfield and the Browns, the more significant issue is his accuracy down the field. Take a look at his passing chart through the first seven weeks of the season via the NFL’s Next Gen Stats:

Despite the addition of Odell Beckham Jr., Mayfield is struggling to find any rhythm or consistency when targeting the sideline. When you combine that with his lack of success in the middle of the field, it’s not hard to see why the Browns’ offense is bogging down. Most of their passing offense is within 10-yards of the line of scrimmage and defenses are starting to figure that out.

As you can see from the image above, Mayfield already has nine interceptions that have come within 10-yards of the line of scrimmage. Defenses know where the majority of his targets will go, and they are starting to game-plan for that.

If the Browns are going to get things turned around on offense, they are going to need to become a better passing team. That means Mayfield is going to have to improve by leaps and bounds. The best way for that to happen is for the Browns to take more shots down the field. According to 360sportradar.com, Cleveland is averaging just 3.8 air yards per passing attempt, which is slightly below league average.

The Browns have a ton of explosive playmakers on offense, and it would be wise to see them target players such as Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, and Rashard Higgins down the field. If not, they will never be able to fully unlock the potential of this offense despite all of their talent.

Despite the slow start, Cleveland has all the pieces on offense (and on defense) to make a run over the next two months. The schedule gets easier, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see a team make the playoffs at 8-8 or 9-7 in the AFC. But for that to happen, the Browns have to get better on offense, specifically, Baker Mayfield.

This is too talented of a team to be 2-5 and the Browns have to know that as well. The final two months of the season are going to be a massive test for Mayfield and the Browns, but expect them to get on a roll, starting this week against the Broncos.