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Baker Mayfield has taken his share of criticism since September. Entering the season, some analysts were saying the team's goal was "Super Bowl or bust." The team has regressed compared to last year. However, Browns fans will be quick to point out the unreal list of injuries the team suffered in 2021, including the injuries Baker Mayfield suffered.
NFL analyst and former player Shannon Sharpe, however, isn't buying it. Speaking to his co-host Skip Bayless on FOX Sports' Undisputed, Sharpe said Mayfield is the true reason why the Browns are not flying high. He spoke about all the weapons the quarterback has had access to:
"Odell was a number one at the Giants. He was a three-time Pro Bowl player. He was a two-time second-team all-pro. Jarvis came from the Dolphins. He was a number one receiver. Now, all of a sudden, you got number one receivers. Baker Mayfield was supposed to elevate these guys."
He continued, saying that the narrative shifted to help Mayfield's case:
"Now Skip Bayless is telling me, Odell wasn't the number one. Jarvis isn't the number one, Amari Cooper everywhere he's been, Alabama, he was the number one. High school, he was number one. He goes to the Raiders. He's the number one. He goes to the Cowboys. He's number one."
Sharpe preemptively conceded, regarding Jarvis Landry's situation, before moving on:
"Now, all of a sudden, he's not a number one. At some point in time, Skip, we see a reoccurring thing. Now the problem that also we had with Cleveland is that Jarvis missed a lot of games last year because of his knee. His production dropped due to injury. Nobody made an excuse for that, but all I hear is somebody coming here every day and talking about oh! he had a torn labrum, and he broke his arm."
He went on to joke that Mayfield broke his arm to save his job. With him hurt, the Browns have almost no choice but to play it out for another year:
"He broke his arm to cash them checks from Progressive, Mr. Progressive... he ain't miss a paycheck. So I would hear about no injuries. This reflects very, very poorly, Skip. I don't really know how to tell you this, but he's not that guy. That's not him. He's not that guy. He's not that good. You know it, and I know it."
Baker Mayfield's recurring problem
This may have been the first year in which the Browns quarterback suffered multiple injuries serious enough to knock him out of the lineup, but the quarterback has fallen into a pattern. In 2018, he threw for 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. In 2019, he threw for just 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.
In 2020, he threw for 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. In 2021, he slipped up again, throwing for 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Put simply, Mayfield is falling into a pattern of recurring hubris. He rides high, lets himself erode, and slips. Once he realizes the issue, he refocuses, and his stats return. However, this is no way for an NFL franchise to run their business.
Will the Browns nip the problem in the bud now, or will they wait for him to bounce back next season only to slip up in 2024? Either way, it is clear which way Shannon Sharpe is leaning.
