QB Baker Mayfield (9.23.20)
QB Baker Mayfield:
On how tough it was to see the number of significant injuries across the NFL on Sunday:
“It is never good to see injuries. You never wish that upon anybody. You never want that for anyone around the league – division rivals or anything like that, it does not matter. You want these guys to be healthy. It was pretty sad to see all that going on. All you can do is pray and hope for speedy recoveries and just hope for the best for those guys. It is tough to see. We got lucky so we just have to move on.”
On if he thinks the lack of a full offseason program and preseason games may have contributed to the number of injuries on Sunday:
“Not having the preseason games, I think, your body is not used to getting hit, and also, just being on the field. You can say that is why and I think that might have helped be the reasoning for some of that, but I do not have the answer for that.”
On facing the Washington defense that leads the league with 11 sacks and Washington DE Chase Young:
“They are really good up front. That is the challenge for us. The game starts up front. We have to bring the intensity. They have great players. Obviously, Chase Young, a high draft pick, but he is playing like it. He is proving why they chose him so high. They have guys all around. It is not just him. We have to find completions, get the ball out, establish the run game and not let them be the game wreckers.”
On Washington sacking Eagles QB Carson Wentz eight times:
“They had a really good game that first game. This weekend, (Cardinals QB) Kyler (Murray) got away from a couple just with his quickness and getting the ball out quickly. We have to approach it with the idea and the mindset of not letting them affect the game too much.”
On what he wants to build on from the team’s offensive performance in Week 2:
“First, carrying over the mindset of finding completions and establishing that run game. Like I said after the game, that is the standard that we are trying to set and the expectation for us. Have to come out firing and executing early on. You have those first 15 plays that you want to come out and get going, and we need to do that again.”
On if he has found a sense of normalcy with his weekly routine following adjustments to the offseason and training camp:
“Absolutely. I think we are all into a routine now that works for us. It helps to have the Thursday game and to have a little bit of extra prep. We do not have a lot of film to watch, except the Eagles and the Cardinals game. Yeah, we found routine. I think everybody has, but especially speaking for myself, I have.”
On the Browns OL’s protection this year:
“I feel really great. I hit on that after the game last week, we had no sacks and over 200 yards rushing. They played extremely well. We are going to lean on those guys and trust them to do that week in and week. We know it is a different opponent this week, but we have to carry the same mindset to go in there and execute.”
On the Browns using more pre-snap motion in Week 2:
“We have some of those motions in there for indicators on what they are doing – man, zone tells and just certain run plays getting looks and getting the leverage. It helps a lot, but when it comes down to it, no matter what play is called, we have to go out there and execute it.”
On G Wyatt Teller’s performance this season:
“I think Wyatt took advantage of the long offseason and being able to get his body right, something I can relate to. He put on a ton of muscle mass. We have a great O line coach in Bill Callahan. I think Bill is extremely hard on those guys, but I think Wyatt has learned a lot from him just from the short time he has been with him, and you can see it in the production that he is having.”
On the interception on Thursday night:
“Coming off of the play-action bootleg game, having somebody in your face you want to obviously find a completion or find an incompletion. No negative plays when you have someone in your face like that. As I am coming out, there is somebody right there and I see (TE) Harrison (Bryant) win on (Bengals S) Jessie Bates on the corner post, but because I stepped up and had to stop and did not have my eyes on the backside corner, that is where the interception happened. When it comes to that stuff and I can’t see the whole field or the perfect look that we need for it, just check it down or find an incompletion.”
On if there are similarities between the Washington DL and the 49ers DL the Browns faced last season:
“I think just what they are trying to do, let those guys go make plays. San Fran had where they put the five bigs in the game and said one on one, somebody is going to win. We are not seeing that with Washington. That does not mean they can’t show up and do that because they have the personnel. It is just different schematically, but yes, talent-wise, very similar.”
On if his long TD with WR Odell Beckham Jr. can give the pair momentum:
“Yeah, I think so. We had a few more completions last Thursday so just continue to build that, get the ball in his hands and let him make plays.”
On if it is tough at times for him to stick with the gameplan with all of the Browns’ offensive weapons and wanting to get all of the team’s playmakers opportunities:
“No. I would say yes but that is something in the offseason just knowing to trust the system, go through my reads, not try and force the ball, get it in those guys hands and trust that we have everybody around the field that I can trust to do that. They can go out there and make plays. That is why they are all here so I have to trust that, go through my reads and put that on the coaches. AVP (offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt) and (Head Coach Kevin) Stefanski have said many times to trust that their play calling will get the ball in guys’ hands to get them going, and I just do my job.”
On how Stefanski’s offensive system fits his skillset and how comfortable he is rolling out of the pocket:
“I am very comfortable doing it. It does not just help me, though. It helps the O line move in the pocket where we are not just dropping back and letting teams tee off on us and having them having to react. It helps our run game out. When they have to worry about us pulling the ball and throwing passes and rolling out, that means they have to be a little hesitant on the backside, which opens up holes for some of those cutback runs, not that we had any last week because there were a lot of gashes front side. It just helps everybody out. It makes us more versatile, and teams have to prepare more for that.”
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