QB Baker Mayfield (11.10.19)
QB Baker Mayfield:
On what was going through his mind during the game-winning TD drive, specifically with the team’s inefficiency in the red zone earlier in the game:
“Obviously, we did our trial and error early in the game of our red zone and our tight red zone. They are stiff up front in the middle. They do a great job of trying to make you win on the outside. They played it well. They had the PI calls, and once you look back on it, yeah, it is a penalty for them but they are making teams think, ‘Oh, if they are just going to foul us, we are going to have to run the ball. They did a good job of that, but the last drive, we had talked about it once we got back down there, we have specific plays we want to get to and we got to that one.”
On RB Kareem Hunt changing how defenses play the Browns:
“Anytime you get two backs in the game, it is tough for defenses play differently. You have to bring a guy down and you are worried about the receivers on the outside. You have to give different looks and kind of mix it up. We did a good job of having answers for everything they were doing. Obviously, Kareem is such a dynamic player. He is able to block or run the ball when he needs to. That last drive, he made a great cut block for (RB) Nick Chubb on an outside zone play that really sealed the deal for us to get into a good, manageable down and distance. He just does a lot of things well. He wants to win. He is able to sacrifice whatever it takes.”
On WR Rashard Higgins and Higgins’ game-winning TD:
“For him, it has been a frustrating year. Getting in there in critical moments and making plays like that can do a lot for someone’s self-confidence. I am hoping that carries over and continues to be a solid guy for us because honestly, everybody is going to say we have (WR) Odell (Beckham Jr) and (WR) Jarvis (Landry), but we are counting on like (WR KhaDarel) Hodge, (WR Antonio) Callaway, Higgins, (WR Damion) Ratley, whoever is in there to step up and be a guy in there that we can consistently trust. Higgins did that today.”
On Higgins saying he had a dream he would score a TD today:
“He said that to you guys? No, he did not tell me that.”
On what he was saying to his teammates on the game-winning drive:
“Just do your job. Stay focused. Within the few times during the drive that we got to huddle up and have a moment where it was not complete crowd noise, just do your job and focus in. That is what we have been harping on in the last few weeks is don’t try and do too much. Just focus on doing your job.”
On what kind of lift can the win give the Browns:
“I think it can be a great thing for us. We still didn’t play perfect by any means. We can still learn from the film, move forward and improve. Having a tight victory against a great team is something that we needed, especially at home. Kind of getting the monkey off our back with that one. The first win at home in Game 9 isn’t something that usually happens, but it can get us going from here.”
On reaction to the adversity of Callaway being inactive:
“Flush it. Be able to say next man up mentality. Things that I have said before. We are counting on somebody else to step up and make a play for us. Whoever that is, they need to know that. Obviously, he was going to be a part of the gameplan but things happen, and Ratley was able to come in, step up and be active for us.”
On overcoming red zone struggles in the first half:
“Good offenses are able to make corrections when they need to. We were able to adapt, fix things and make the plays when we needed to. That was a problem for us to be able to make a critical play when we needed it.”
On how much he has missed Higgins this year:
“I don’t miss him anymore. He caught a touchdown. He is back. Red carpet was open.”
On his chemistry with Higgins but yet not connecting with him as much this season following his injury:
“I think you answered your own question. He had not been healthy as much as he was last year. He hadn’t been in there. Just need a consistent third guy. He had not been in the whole time.”
On Landry’s long reception on the game-winning drive:
“It was something that we had practiced. We had the play-action, had guys barreling down on me but I knew it was one on one. Obviously, we trust our guys to make plays so I put it out there outside where if he is going to catch it, he is going to, and if not, nobody else will. He made an unbelievable catch once I saw the replay.”
On where he was hit on the play – high or low:
“Everywhere. All and in between.”
On Landry and if that play was to make up for his taunting penalty earlier in the game:
“No, Jarvis played great. That’s the passionate guy we are looking for in No. 80, a guy that is a leader on our team, not just the offense. He understands the game of football really well. He knows exactly what to do. He set the tone. Yeah, we don’t like penalties, but it did not hurt us this time. He is a guy that brings energy and passion to our team. He needs to continue to do that and make those plays. We trust him.”
On if this is a glimpse of what the Browns offense can look like:
“I do not think we played nearly well enough as we should have. Obviously, early on down in the red zone not getting touchdowns and just stalling out. A lot of room for improvement. That is the good thing.”
On if he was concerned the fourth quarter fumble would not be overturned to an incomplete pass:
“It is a pass for a reason. It is a quick, easy completion for me normally. It goes on the stat sheet.”
On if he likes Head Coach Freddie Kitchen’s call to go for it on fourth and goal prior to the false start:
“Yeah, we had already talked about what plays we were going to go with. We believed we had a good call. It was just our crowd noise seemed to be a little loud when we needed it to be quiet, which is strange at a home game.”
On if this win could be a spark to help the Browns turn things around, particularly with another home game on Thursday:
“Internally, yeah, I think we showed that we can come out within a critical game when it is a tight situation and be able to make the plays we needed to. We needed to have that. Moving forward, we know that we can do that. That goes a long way mentally for everybody in our locker room, but it is a singular focus. We are going to enjoy this win, but it is a short week. We are onto the Steelers.”
# # #