CLEVELAND, OHIO – NOVEMBER 24: Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to wide receiver Odell Beckham #13 of the Cleveland Browns during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at FirstEnergy Stadium on November 24, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Baker Mayfield and the Browns regressed in 2019, but there are plenty of reasons to believe they’re ready to break out in 2020.
The Browns began 2019 with Super Bowl dreams but limped off the field with an ugly regular season record of 6-10. Baker Mayfield and his teammates had clearly been crushed under the weight of great expectations.
Naturally, that brought big changes to the organization in 2020. Credit the Browns front office for being proactive to fix the issues that plagued the team a season ago. They did not sit back and wait for internal improvement. Cleveland made bold offseason moves to improve their roster and coaching staff.
All of the changes make this season a make-or-break campaign for Mayfield.
5 reasons Baker Mayfield can lead the Browns to wins in 2020
5. Reduced expectations
Mayfield didn’t shy away from all the hype surrounding the Browns last season, but perhaps he should have. The weight of those playoff expectations didn’t do anything to improve his play.
Despite all of the big changes the Browns made in the offseason the team is still managing to fly somewhat under the radar. That’s a good thing for a quarterback who needs to put in serious work. If Mayfield doesn’t improve his accuracy this year then Cleveland may be looking for a new quarterback in next season’s draft.
The reduction in reporters surrounding Mayfield after every practice should be enough to allow him to relax in this offense. Look for his completion percentage to increase from last year’s mark of 59.4 percent to something in the mid-60s. That should do wonders to improve the efficiency of his offense.
A little time out of the spotlight should do Mayfield a world of good. It will be interesting to see just how long the Browns can manage to avoid the scrutiny of the national media in 2020. Any time out of the headlines will be good for Mayfield.