Baker Mayfield enters career limbo: How did the former Heisman winner get here?
Baker Mayfield is currently playing some of the worst football of his career at the worst possible time. The former No. 1 overall pick finds himself in the middle of a QB battle on arguably the worst team in the NFL. How did it get to this point for the former Heisman winner?
Baker Mayfield: A game manager's curse
Baker Mayfield's approach to playing QB is that of a pocket passer. Mayfield isn't a threat to run; he prefers to sit in the pocket and deliver darts to playmakers. He is accurate and has a capable arm. Today, this QB approach works better in college than it does in the pros.
In the modern NFL, QBs are meant to be playmakers. When things go off-script, the best QBs make an absurd play to move the chains (Josh Allen hurdled a man). The days where a QB could viably outsource the playmaking burden to other positions and remain a success are a thing of the past.
Looking at his past, it's easy to see how Baker Mayfield has only thrived with a healthy, reliable offensive line and weapons around him. If these are not present, Mayfield's play begins to nose dive.
Most turnovers since 2019:
Jared Goff 53
Baker Mayfield 52
Daniel Jones 51
Matt Ryan 51 https://t.co/97p7YBV2Fe
Baker Mayfield, when asked to play off-script, is capable, but the play usually comes with interceptions and sacks that mess up the offense's flow.
Another interception for Baker Mayfield #Browns https://t.co/cbu63881sW
The Browns wanted to limit these turnovers, so they forced Mayfield into a safer approach, to that of a game manager. The team shifted the team's offensive identity away from Freddie Kitchens-Baker Mayfield to recently hired run game guru Kevin Stefanski and Nick Chubb/Kareem Hunt.
A game manager does not have the trust of the offensive staff. All playmaking is scripted. The QB is encouraged to throw the ball away or just take the sack rather than risk anything off-script. The offense starts to feel like it's playing with one hand tied behind its back.
The Browns eventually got tired of such a strict and rigid offensive approach and traded their former No. 1 overall QB. The Panthers seem like a lost cause that is not even invested in building such a detailed and structured scheme for Baker Mayfield.
Baker Mayfield-Lincoln Riley: A lost connection
CeeDee Lamb and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown were receivers. Mark Andrews was the safety blanket tight end. Rodney Anderson and Trey Sermon were the lead running backs. The Sooners had a tremendous group of playmakers. Theirs was a blueprint the Cleveland Browns tried to follow soon after drafting Mayfield. They stacked their roster with offensive talent throughout Mayfield's rookie contract, but they missed the key part of why Mayfield was a success -- elite coaching.
As an Oklahoma Sooner, Mayfield worked under one of college football's most celebrated offensive play callers in Lincoln Riley.
Lincoln Riley's 5 years as Oklahoma's HC
• 55-10 overall record
• 4x Big 12 Champion
• 3 CFP appearances
• 2020 Cotton Bowl win
• Baker Mayfield Heisman Trophy
• Kyler Murray Heisman Trophy
• Jalen Hurts Heisman runner-up https://t.co/QPESOPBwSE
It was Lincoln Riley's scheme that freed playmakers and not Baker Mayfield's pocket-passer approach.
Under this scheme, Mayfield simply had to deliver the ball to an array of elite playmakers that were open across the field.
An example would be to look at the current situation in New England. Please believe that it is new starter Bailey Zappe making the difference week in and out for the Patriots and not Bill Belichick's coaching ability.
Elite offensive play calling is not a benefit Mayfield has enjoyed at the NFL level, especially since he has gone through multiple offensive coordinators in his short career.
Some trickeration from the Sooners. Baker Mayfield with the receiving touchdown!
https://t.co/P1tLIWNuIK
From Everything To Nothing
As a Sooner, Mayfield was in QB heaven. He had a stellar offensive line, a dependable run game, playmakers at receiver and a budding genius offensive play caller. He simply had to run the scheme and deliver the ball into able playmakers hands who would do the rest.
As a Panther, none of the above is present. The head coach was recently fired because the team was that awful.
Baker Mayfield's future
A spell on the bench seems inevitable for Mayfield. The Panthers also seem headed in a new direction. If any career redemption happens, it will probably happen on a new team.
Mayfield can be a playmaker in the right scheme. He needs to work under an elite offensive play caller who needs an accurate QB to deliver the ball into playmakers hands (a la Jimmy Garoppolo).