QB Baker Mayfield (9.30.20)

QB Baker Mayfield:

On if this game has special meaning with him returning to play in Texas: 

“Austin is the best city in Texas (laughter). I will have plenty of people there – friends and family, loved ones and all those good people there – but I have to treat it like any other game and have to go do our job.”

 

On Cowboys QB Dak Prescott’s and the Cowboys’ offense’s performance and if he anticipates it will be an offensive shootout on Sunday: 

“I think Dak is a great player. A tremendous amount of respect for him, the leader and the person he is. When it comes down to it, we are playing the Cowboys defense and we have to do whatever it takes to win. If that is a shootout, then great, and if it is another game where we have to control the clock, then we will do that. Whatever it takes to win.”

 

On playing in AT&T Stadium again: 

“It is always fun to play there. Growing up, seeing the high school state championships there and then playing there a couple times in college, it is a great stadium, and like I said, I am going to have a lot of friends and family there so it will be a fun one.”

On if it is extra meaningful for RB Nick Chubb to compete against another top RB like Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott: 

“Probably not to be honest with you. Zeke is a great back, but Nick just does his job. It does not matter who he is playing against, if it is on air or if it is against 30 people on the field, he is going to do his job every time and he is going to be extremely focused. That is why we love having him on our team.”

On if Chubb ever asks to be fed the ball in the huddle: 

“No.”

On if he has a comfort level going to all the Browns receivers at this point in the season: 

“Yeah, I think that is what I have been trying to do is trust and listen to my feet, go through the reeds and not force any balls but just get the ball in the playmakers’ hands and let them do what the are paid to do. We have a great skill group, and need to trust those guys.”

On the balance of the Browns offense, given he targeted eight different receivers in the last two games: 

“Right now, we are just distributing the ball, not letting teams take away one guy and panic. Try and get the ball out, trust my guys whoever it is to get the ball in their hands and let them do the work and distribute it. Some games are going to go definitely than others, but it is going to happen that way sometimes, and sometimes a game might have more receptions for one guy than the other. It is just the flow of the game, and we have to be ready to adapt.”

On what stands out most about the Cowboys defense: 

“Their front. They have a great front, some great players that have been doing it for a while back. (Cowboys DE) Aldon Smith, it is good seeing him back and playing well. (Cowboys LB) Jaylon Smith, an unbelievable player and his range and what he can do sideline to sideline coverages is pretty special. They have some great guys, and they are mixing the secondary around a little bit. We just have to go up there with the same mindset when we played Washington, attack that front and go from there.”

On what he feels best about from his play so far and where he can improve: 

“I think distributing the ball. and then I think when we have our shot that we have drawn up we have the right look, taking advantage of those opportunities. Like the one the other day with (WR) Odell (Beckham Jr.), the ball just came out of my hand funky. I would like to just put that ball on the back pylon and let him run up and make a play under it. He had a shake round on the sideline and just kind of air mailed it and did not have my feet in the right spot. When we have they plays that we have scripted up for the right looks, taking advantage of those, but I think the best part of what I have done so far is just listen to my feet, distribute the ball and recognize and react.”

On his memories of the Cowboys as a kid growing up in Texas and if he had a favorite player on the team: 

“I was actually a Packers fan because of (Pro Football Hall of Fame QB) Brett Favre. I remember the one and only NFL game I ever went to before playing in a game, the Cowboys were playing the Giants I think in a Wild Card game and (Pro Football Hall of Fame QB) Troy Aikman was still playing. My dad’s friend got us on the field, and I got to meet him down there – there are no pictures to prove it; that is a family internal issue (laughter) – but that was the one only time I was in there and that was in the old Cowboys stadium on the Astroturf.”

On if AT&T Stadium does not feel like a football stadium, given its intricacies: 

“Not to take it for granted, but because I have been in there quite a few times throughout high school and college… That screen is pretty breathtaking. It is an extremely nice facility. Up until I think the new L.A. stadium, it was the nicest one in the country. It is quite the facility.”

On holding himself to a high standard and being critical of his play this year: 

“I just think I need to play it the best I possibly can. That is some of those pre-snap things that I know I can handle better and some of the footwork and all that. I can do that better compared to what I did against Washington so I just need to be able to execute. Yeah, that is holding myself to a high standard, but like I said earlier, doing whatever it takes to win.”

On the Cowboys defense giving up a few deep plays in the passing game last week and if that is something the Browns will look to do: 

“Not to keep reiterating myself, but whatever it takes to win. If they have safeties down and we have one-on-one matchups, we are going to take those shots, but if they are going to take away that, then we need to be able to complete balls underneath and hand the ball off.”

On if this game will be special for DE Myles Garrett, who is a native of Arlington: 

“Yeah, I think it is just another huge opportunity for us. I know Myles knows what is on the line for us. Like I said after the game, split the season into four quarters and this is the final game in that first quarter. It is a huge one for us, and Myles is going to have opportunities to change the game for us. I know he is looking forward to doing it in front of friends and family, as well as I am.”

On Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb and if he expected Lamb to be this effective early in his career: 

“CeeDee is extremely special. Just from the time when he stepped on campus as a true freshman, I knew he was going to be special. He just has that ‘it’ factor. It is something you can’t teach and can’t coach it. He is a dog when he steps on the field. He has that mentality, I have said it before, and it stays true. He is who he is, and he will do whatever it takes to win, and that is why I know the Cowboys are probably loving having him on their on their team.”

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