QB Baker Mayfield (11.29.20)
QB Baker Mayfield:
On WR Jarvis Landry’s performance:
“Critical. We are not always going to try and find throws to all of our guys. We have so many weapons. Just letting the ball and the coverage dictate where it needs to go. Jarvis had an incredible day. Not only that, but there were a lot of tight windows and contested catches that he made. The guys is unbelievable. I have said that. He is a great player, a great teammate, and he just continues to always put the team first no matter what. We have seen that week in and week out. For him to have a day like this, we are very happy for him.”
On if he expected a crazy gam after a challenging week:
“No, I really feel like we left a lot of points up on the board. I truly do. There were a ton of missed opportunities just from my perspective, a lot of missed throws. There are only two things I hate more than missing throws, and that is lying and skim milk, and skim milk is just water lying about being milk. I have to make those throws.”
On his overall performance and missed throws in the end zone:
“I went on the Higgy (WR Rashard Higgins) one from high to low instead of high to low. I should be putting that ball on Higgins early instead of going from (TE) Harrison (Bryant) to him. Just late in the progression. I just need to put it on him earlier. The one to the left, the rollout there to Jarvis, just get it down. Plain and simple. I have made that throw 1,000 times. There are a lot of throws today that I make consistently so it is about making them. We found a way to win and that is the most important thing, but I am always going to be critical of myself.”
On the TV broadcast airing him saying ‘that was f-ing cute guys’ after the Jaguars defense shifted pre-snap on a play:
“I do not know what you are talking about.”
On RB Nick Chubb’s performance today and Chubb converting on the third-and-12 screen play:
“The guy consistently makes plays when we need him to. He runs extremely hard. We lean on him, especially late in these games where we need these critical yards and these tough yards, to earn them. We have two great backs, but having those guys in our backfield is a blessing for us.”
On how tough the week was with the changes to the practice schedule and if that had an impact on how he played today:
“We still got in as an offense and got our work in so there is no excuse for me on that one. Yeah, it was a different week, but we have said that we adjust and adapt and the best teams this season will have to. I just have to be better. I feel like I left a lot of points on the board.”
On how important it was to get Landry going heading into the final stretch of the season:
“Getting him the ball early just gets him in a different frame of mind. Once that balls in the air, it is his and his only. He is about to turn it on, and we know he can do that. He has done it consistently always so we are going to lean on him, but we have a lot of great weapons. He is just the cherry on top.”
On how he feels about the Browns offense going into the final stretch of the season:
“We are continuing to do whatever it takes to win. I know I overheard somebody asked (G) Joel (Bitonio) about it. We still have not played our best ball yet, and I truly believe that, but I feel like we are improving at the right time. For us to continue to improve and find ways to win at this point in the year I think is the most important thing from a big picture mindset, but we just have to be better next week.”
On if it was in his mind that the Browns offense would need to take the pressure off of the defense today:
“We knew everything going on – we were the only half of the team going into practice – that it was going to be a little bit different. I would not say it is any added pressure by any means, but we knew that this is a game that we were expecting to have a lot of success. That is why I am being critical in the fact that we left points on the board. No added pressure. We just expected to be a lot better today.”
On how he has seen the team grow during his three seasons in Cleveland, given the team’s ability to win close games and adverse circumstances:
“I would start by saying it is just a completely different team personnel wise and obviously staff wise. We talked about building a culture and a foundation of winning early on in the spring and having to do that over Zoom meetings. I think that foundation is coming in clutch when these close games happen. The things we talk about and the important situational football moments, we were able to capitalize on those and so I would account that to those moments.”
On the series where the Browns were ultimately stopped short on fourth-and-inches:
“We just have to convert on those critical downs. I have to make that throw. We have to keep the chains moving and put the game way. The defense getting back out there and having a penalty called that was a little iffy, but they did everything they could and stopped the two-point conversion so we were able to get back out there. Always the most important play is the next one, and that continues to be true as the season goes on.”
On making pinpoint throws on some plays and missing wide open players on others:
“I would say if you asked any quarterback, the hardest throws are when guys are just standing there by themselves. Sometimes you overthink it in split seconds. Those are just routine throws when you throw on air that you always make so there is no reason to overthink it. You just have to make it the next time.”
On S Andrew Sendejo making multiple big plays today, given others externally have been critical of Sendejo’s season:
“Dejo is a veteran. He is a guy that blocks out whatever heat is on the outside because it truly does not matter. What matters is in this in this building, even though we are not at our facility, but within this franchise. He comes and he leads. He is leading a young group of guys and continuing to show up for us. Whatever added pressure on the outside, he blocks that out and does a good job with that.”
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