10 NFL quarterbacks feeling the most pressure in 2020

2. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns stole all the headlines last offseason. More specifically, the team’s quarterback Baker Mayfield was the topic of the majority of those. He certainly did not shy away from saying what he felt, and that seemed to irritate a lot of people.

After a great rookie season with 3,725 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions, Mayfield took a large step back and regressed in 2019.

Mayfield and the Browns were pegged as “back.” With the talent on both sides of the ball, such as stars like Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry on offense, many people were quick to buy into the roster former general manager John Dorsey built. Until the season began.

Freddie Kitchens proved to be a terrible choice as a head coach, and he has since been replaced by Kevin Stefanski. The Browns were an undisciplined team in 2019, and they finished 6-10.

One of the biggest concerns was Mayfield. He never looked comfortable in the offense, and he saw his touchdown numbers drop and his interceptions rise. He went from 27 to 22 scores and jumped from 14 to 21 picks.

Looking at Mayfield’s passing chart from Next Gen Stats, he was essentially a below-average passer last year. According to the chart, he was only above-average in two grid sections.

Now, Mayfield appears to understand he needs to focus more on winning on the field. He seems to understand the pressure he will be under in 2020, and how imperative it is that he does not replicate what he did last year.

The Browns are still a team poised to compete, and Mayfield does not want to become the reason why the team does not do that. Rather, he wants to be the reason they win a ton of games and make some noise in the AFC. This season looms large for the third-year signal-caller.