QB Baker Mayfield (10.28.20)
QB Baker Mayfield:
On the Browns losing WR Odell Beckham Jr. for the season:
“Yeah, it sucks. You never want to lose guys. You especially do not want to lose them for that long. I just know how much he cares about the game and how much he cares about trying to win. It sucks for us, but you hurt even more just for him. No fun, but we have to be able to have guys step up and try and fill that void. Like (Head Coach) Kevin (Stefanski) said, it is not going to be a one-man job. It is going to take multiple people fill that.”
On the media theory that he ‘may better off without Beckham’ and why that is a ‘flawed argument’:
“No.1, I think it is just completely insensitive to a guy that just tore his ACL. I am not even going to comment on it. You never want to lose guys, and that is where I am going leave that one.”
On winning AFC Offensive Player of the Week:
“I have always thought individual accolades are a representation of the team and especially the offense. That one goes for everybody making the plays and what was necessary for us to win.”
On if the Browns offense already has everything needed to get the job done, if the team does not add another WR:
“Like I said, you do not want to lose guys – that is not fun – but we believe in the guys that we have. That is why they are here. We are going to expect them to step up and do what they are capable of, nothing more, nothing less. Just to go out there and do their job.”
On how opposing defenses will change their gameplan without Beckham on the field:
“You see a lot of cloud coverage and them rolling a safety over the top to his side. We just have to be able to adjust and adapt. Just like a gameplan, you might have something planned and then they come out and show a different look. You have to be able to adjust on the fly. We will see what happens, but until then, I can’t predict it.”
On the value of having prior reps with players like WR Rashard Higgins and TE David Njoku:
“Yeah, there is something for chemistry. You build up reps and experience seeing the body language in and out of routes. Obviously when you get more reps, you talk through certain things with guys. It might not have been a good play, but you can always learn from it. There is just that experience that dates back, like you said, that I think is helping.”
On Higgins’ long reception on the game-winning drive and where that stands for him with memorable plays this year, particularly given the significance of it:
“That one is a definite at the top of the list. The freeze-frame picture of him fully extended catching that and high-pointing the ball, that is a special play. That is one of those opportunity balls and just give the guy a chance, and he made an incredible play in one-on-one coverage. They wanted to bring blitz zero. Had the chance to protect it up and throw the ball downfield. A good play call and good execution by Higgy.”
On Higgins staying patient early in the season and being presented with an opportunity to showcase his skillset on Sunday and moving forward:
“Obviously, circumstances you never wanted to happen as to why he is going in, but happy for Rashard in the sense of he has been patient. He stuck to it. He has still been working so now he has a chance to go out and prove himself right to everybody else.”
On WR Donovan Peoples-Jones and his confidence to go to Peoples-Jones on the game-winning throw:
“For me, it started when some of those guys came down to Austin to get routes, get reps and stuff like that. He has just been locked in on terminology and learning the offense a lot quicker than most rookie receivers would be in terms of learning and the pace of that. He is just all about his work and all about his business. I said it after the game, I missed him on a go-ball shot on a third down where they lined up offside, and I told him I was going to come back to him. It just so happened to be that circumstance. I trust those guys, no matter who it is, to be where they are supposed to be, and he made an incredible play.”
On his 21 consecutive completions and if he believes in momentum impacting a game:
“Yeah, you can sense those moments when you are feeling it, you are putting the ball in the right place, you are going through your reads, your field of vision slows down and you are just executing well. That is also for everybody else on the field doing their job for us to be able to do that. That is an offense clicking and everybody doing their job.”
On if his performance on Sunday and how he played during his rookie season gives him confidence that the Browns offense can still be productive without Beckham:
“Like I said, it is just awful to lose a guy like that. We believe we have a great team so that is why we are going to ask these guys to step in and multiple guys to try and fill that void. We still are going to lean on this running game, we are still going to lean on this play action and trust these guys to make the one-on-one plays when they are there. Without him, there might not be as many one on one opportunities, but that means we just have to be more efficient in zone coverages and things like that to make those plays.”
On how his approach changes without Beckham on the field:
“Not just because we do not have him but teams are going to play us differently, like we hit on earlier, so I think it is about just understanding the looks we are getting and going through our offense based on the looks and just efficiently working through that.”
On the coaching staff, QBs and Browns offense making adjustments and if he feels they will be able to find a way to cope without Beckham:
“This is a savvy group that we have here. We are going to do whatever it takes to win. However that comes and however we adapt and adjust, this is a group that is willing and able to adjust to basically anything. In a year of uncertainty and ton of adjustments, we are capable of doing that. Even though it is not what you want, we just have to do it.”
On the confidence he gains from a game like Sunday:
“To me, that is what we expect to do efficiency wise and finding those matchups and executing. We know there are going to be a lot more ups and downs in games, but that is what we dealt with. We expect to be able to adjust and go. I would not necessarily say that it just builds a ton of confidence. To us, that is the expectation. That is why I had the comments after the Steelers game of how poorly we played. It reflects what we expect compared to what we produce.”
On takeaways from watching the Buccaneers-Raiders game last week and Buccaneers QB Tom Brady against the Raiders defense:
“There is always stuff to learn. There is some good film to watch. They played the Patriots, Saints, Bucs and obviously, the Bills. They played some good teams so they are a good defense. Like you said, I think there is always stuff to learn from watching some of these guys go up against them.”
On what it feels like when he is ‘locked in’:
“I would just say that one-track mind about the next play, the next series is always the most important, no matter what is going on. We had a lot of lead change there, but it is all about doing whatever it takes and having that focus for four quarters and three hours-plus, whatever it takes. I would say that is what it looks like.”
On if being ‘locked in’ this year feels different than it has in the past:
“No, I would just say the confidence that we had to go out and win that game, it just so happened the ups and downs of the game, we just stay focused and did not flinch.”
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