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Hue Jackson likes Baker Mayfield's fire, doesn't want him taking on too much for Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson likes Baker Mayfield's fire, but does not want him taking on too much, too soon.
Credit: Joe Robbins/Getty Images

CLEVELAND -- Rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield is not one to throw his teammates under the bus for their shortcomings on game day.

Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson loves the fact that Mayfield is willing to put the responsibility for the failures of the team on his shoulders, but does not want the rookie signal-caller to feel as though every mistake is his own.

“There are times when I have watched tape with him,” Jackson said following Wednesday’s practice. “He is very critical about the little things. I think that is where it is going to start for him. It is the little detail things.

“As I have said before, I do not want him taking all of it on his own. We have to help him. His teammates have to help him. He has to help himself. He has to continue to get better, but I do like the fire that burns in him.”

Despite suffering an ankle injury in the first quarter and a relentless pass rush that resulted in five sacks in the 38-14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday, Mayfield played the entire game and completed 22 of his 46 attempts for 238 yards and one touchdown, a late fourth-quarter throw to tight end David Njoku, against two interceptions.

Limited in his ability to escape the pocket, Mayfield rushed for just eight yards on two carries.

“Anytime that your quarterback takes that on, he wants to fix that,” Jackson said. “At the same time, I want everybody to take that on -- every unit, every coach and everybody take that on so that we can correct the things that we need to correct.”

Credit: Scott Galvin
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) drops back to pass against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.

Mayfield spent a good portion of his weekly Wednesday press conference talking about the importance of accepting check-downs when receivers come open underneath opposing secondaries, and Jackson believes that is a team effort.

“I think that he nailed it,” Jackson said. “There are some things that way that he can do better. We have to make sure that we are in the right spots for him all of the time, though. I think there were some opportunities there. As I said to our line coaches, we have to fight harder and longer, too.

“I do not want people hitting our quarterback. He has been hit way too much in my mind. We have to do everything that we can to keep the other team’s defensive line, linebackers and safeties off of our quarterback, and then, he has to get the ball out of his hand. I have seen some things where he can improve, but I have seen some things where the unit can improve more than anything.”

Credit: Ken Blaze
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.

Prior to Wednesday’s practice, Mayfield put the onus for last week’s loss on himself and took on the challenge of improving his play ahead of Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

“It is a combination of everything,” Jackson said. “We have to get open. Sometimes, he just has to say ‘Uncle’ and throw it away. You have to understand situational football and get better in that way. The best place to learn is under fire. That is where he is learning those things.”

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