CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield threw 20 incompletions in his first NFL regular-season start in last Sunday’s 45-42 loss to the Oakland Raiders at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum.
Despite several of those passes falling incomplete because of the receivers and tight ends struggling to hold onto throws, Mayfield accepted responsibility for the missed opportunities and is doing what he can to help turn those drops into completions.
“I have to put it in a better spot,” Mayfield said. “I think that I can put it more in their chest, more on their eyes and make it easier for them to catch.
“We just have to be more detailed. I keep saying it, but when you are playing on turf like that, it is a little more slippery. You have to have your shoulders over your toes when you are cutting. You have to do the right things. We talked about it. We just all have to be more detailed when it comes to stuff like that.”
On the sidelines following several of the drops against the Raiders, Mayfield was seen expressing support to his teammates in an effort to make sure the receivers and tight ends had enough confidence to rise above the issues and find ways of making plays later in the game.
“Drops are going to happen,” Mayfield said.
“Physical mistakes are going to happen. The mental errors are what we are trying to get rid of. Stuff is going to happen in a game. You are never going to be perfect. That is just human nature. We want to eliminate everything mentally so that we can just go out there and play.”
Rookie wide receiver Antonio Callaway was one of the players Mayfield did his best to work with throughout the game.
Callaway had several passes slip through his hands throughout the first three quarters, including one in the end zone on a two-point conversion attempt. However, Callaway caught a 59-yard pass late in the fourth quarter that led to a Carlos Hyde one-yard touchdown run and one-point lead for the Browns.
“Keep pushing him along,” Mayfield said. “That is the coaches’ decision -- playing time -- but any opportunity we can get to help him -- we talk about the details and anything like that -- getting on the same page, making sure he knows what we are trying to do and just letting him know that we trust him. We believe in him. He has a lot of talent, so we are going to be right there for him.
“It is never about one play. The most important one is always the next one. You have to keep pushing. Stuff like that, you’ve just got to continue to do your job no matter the situation of the game.”
Throughout the week of practice leading up to Sunday’s AFC North Division game against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium, Mayfield will continue emphasizing the little things that need to be done to help the Browns get back on track with a win.
“When you fine-tune the details, everybody realizes what we are trying to accomplish, where the ball needs to go,” Mayfield said. “A receiver, even if he might not be getting the ball, might run his route in a way to get somebody open. It is stuff like that, that we are trying to get accomplished, and I think we are heading in the right direction.”
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