QB Baker Mayfield (10.3.19)
QB Baker Mayfield:
On what he admires most about RB Nick Chubb:
“I think it is hard to pinpoint one specific thing about him. I kind of saw some of the stuff that (Head Coach) Freddie (Kitchens) said. He is just an all-around [good] guy of who he is. He puts his head down and goes to work. You have to talk to him and dig to get information and get a couple of words out. He is a great guy overall. He really just cares about winning, and he is a great teammate.”
On the impact WR Odell Beckham Jr. has on opposing defenses:
“It is stuff that he can do to effect a defense that I think we did not expect until we really saw it. Now, we really know how we need to gameplan, how we need to format things and try to get him the ball and get him involved. It has been a learning process, but it is definitely something that was eye-opening for me.”
On how much Beckham’s presence opens opportunities for other players:
“It is unbelievable what he can do. The vertical stretch and just the body presence on the backside of drawing two defenders. Knowing that, we have to take our shots with him when he is one on one.”
On if it is great when opponents double team Beckham:
“Yes and no. Yeah, we want to get him involved because we know exactly what he can do and help us out in certain ways. Yeah, it opens up opportunities for everybody else and that is what I told some of these guys is you should be licking your chops at the opportunity to have one on ones.”
On if he was under center more last week:
“Any time you have an offensive line that is playing like that and the run game gets going, it helps you out. When you do that, it opens up the play action game and then also it keeps the defense on their heels when you are staying ahead of the chains like that. Getting explosive runs helps us out tremendously.”
On the 49ers defensive front:
“You just look at the guys that they have up front. You can look at them – five out of six are former first-rounders. They let them play. They are similar in the Rams to where they do not have to pressure as much just because they are trusting those guys to get home because of how talented they are. That is the thing about it is it allows the rest of their defense to play free. Just looking at their front, overall, they are very good.”
On WR Antonio Callaway returning to practice today:
“It was great to have him back out there today. He is a speed guy, somebody that I felt a rapport with him last year. He looks great right now. He is running around fast.”
On if he senses a hunger from Callaway after to missing the first quarter of the season:
“Yeah, you can tell that he has been itching to get back out there. There is no doubt about that. It was good to have him out there for the first day getting live reps with everybody else.”
On TE Ricky Seals-Jones and having trust in Seals-Jones as a receiver:
“We have seen things in him. He had not been here very long, but in practice, it was set to where it was building trust to where we will call those things in the game. Obviously, it is just going to continue to grow, and the more reps that he gets I think that is just as much better he is going to get, as well.”
On if there is much of a drop off in athleticism from TE David Njoku to Seals-Jones:
“They are different in the sense of Ricky has been a receiver in the past. I think route-running wise it is something that he is a little more natural in, and David is more natural in just ability. To each their own, but they both create somewhat of the same mismatch problem.”
On if he noticed Beckham getting frustrated against the Ravens, specifically for repeatedly being held down the field:
“I think we sent in some of those plays to be reviewed. That is the frustrating part, but that is what teams are going to do to him – try to take him out of the game, frustrate him. If people are worried about that, they are worried about the wrong things. That is why guys like (WR) Jarvis (Landry) and Chubb had a great day. They can focus on what they want. That is why I continue to say it is a mismatch game and a matchup game for us. We need to pick our poison.”
On if Beckham is fine when not getting the ball early and if he talks with Beckham touches during games:
“We definitely try to get him involved with whatever we have, but he understands that there are certain looks and some things that a defense does that there is no way that he can get the ball. That is the frustrating part for him. It is on us to form that stuff, get him the ball and get him involved.”
On balancing taking chances to target Beckham with taking what the defense offers:
“I think if I would have done what I did against the Ravens previously in those weeks, it would have been a different story. Now, I think teams are going to have to play us a little different. Just based on the fact that we have a guy out there that we are throwing the ball or when it is a tight end split out, we are able to format things different like I keep saying. We are going to see what happens.”
On if he enjoyed watching Beckham’s pass against the Ravens:
“He is one of the most naturally talented guys I have been around, if not the most naturally talented guy for him to squeeze through those two guys and launch it – an accurate ball at that. I know he wanted to have that completed.”
On if the Browns offense has ‘righted the ship’ after Sunday’s win following a rocky start:
“In the sense of I think offensively we kind of found our identity, yeah, but we are definitely not satisfied. I would not say that we are right where we want to be. We have to continue to get better. I think the best part about this team is it continues to focus on the next opportunity to get better.”
On if the Browns offense will be able to maintain its identity:
“Absolutely. I think we set the standard in how we have success and obviously, starting up front. You talk about football, it starts up front with the offensive line and getting the run game going. That allows the receivers to have open lanes and play action. Anytime you can give Nick Chubb the ball like that, he is going to make a lot of plays. We have set the standard on what we need to do and how I need to play.”
On significance if Landry can’t play on Monday:
“Obvious, Jarvis had an incredible game. It would hurt us to not have a guy in there. He makes great plays in the pass game, but his communication about getting people lined up and getting people to see the same things when he is just out there, especially in the run game, he does not get a lot of credit for his run blocking ability. He is a guy that sticks his nose in there day in and day out. It helps us out. It would hurt, but we are expect the next guy up to come back. We will see.”
On the importance of stacking consecutive wins together:
“It is huge to stack wins in a row, especially two road wins in a row. I think for us to carry that in to a short week coming back home would be huge. We are just taking it one week at a time, though. Building on the momentum. We set the standard and we need to continue to improve.”
On if the mentally and character of the team helps them on the road:
“We are all in it together – I think we realized that when traveled to Indy to practice against the Colts in camp – how close this team was with each other and what we will do for each other.”
On if he saw the same daylight on Chubb’s 88-yard TD following the pitch:
“I did. As soon as I saw him get through the hole, a different angle for him, but it reminded me of the run against Atlanta last year with just how open it is. Like I said after the game, people underestimate his speed so he was taking that one all the way.”
On if his top speed clocked at approximately 19 miles per hour on the long TD run, compared to Chubb’s 21+:
“No, I have to open the legs a little bit more. I have more in the tank.”
On the identity of the Browns offense now:
“Playing well.”
On if the identity of the offense is based on Chubb and blocking:
“Everybody doing their job. I think everybody did their job, and that needs to be our identity. To have success, everybody has to do their 1/11th. Going out there and being focused.”
On if it felt like Kitchens was getting back to more of his style from last year by calling trick plays:
“I think it comes back to, like I said of the Rams game, we did our job. Anytime you put a play caller in position to where he does not confidence in plays, it is not very fun for him. Everybody did their job, and that is why some of those plays work.”
On how much fun he has when running down the field for a big score:
“Obviously, it is a lot of fun when you are scoring, but sometimes I regret running all the way (laughter). A little bit out of breath. It is my conditioning.’
On the Ravens website posting a video and article stating Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey did not choke Beckham:
“I did not even know they did that. I thought otherwise, but alright.”
On challenges with time and day of games changing frequently in the Browns’ schedule:
“It has been a little bit difficult to get in to a routine. I think the staff has done a good job of when we have an extra day on the week or a shorter week they are doing a good job of keeping us somewhat in the routine. If we have to take the pads off do a slower tempo and get more mental work, they are doing a great job of that. After we get past this Monday, I feel like it is going to be smooth sailing besides that Thursday game. We are one week at a time focus so that is why we are having success.”
On if it makes it easier for him to trust the Browns OL when it plays as strongly as it did on Sunday:
“Absolutely. When they are blocking like that and I can be comfortable in the pocket and I am doing my job, it makes my life easier.”
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