CLEVELAND, Ohio – Baker Mayfield beat Patrick Mahomes twice in college, but hopes to match his NFL record against him to 1 to 1 on Sunday in the divisional playoff round in Kansas City.
“He took me this far in the league, so I have to see what I can do,” said Mayfield.
Mayfield was referring to the Chiefs ’37-21 victory over the Browns on November 4, 2018, in Freddie Kitchens’ first game, as responsible for the move after Hue Jackson and Todd Haley were fired.
It was Mahomes’ first triumph over Mayfield, after losing to him twice when he was at Texas Tech and Mayfield in Oklahoma, 63-27 in 2015 and a record 66-59 Sooners victory in 2016, in which the two QBs combined 1,279 passing yards, most in the history of college football.
“To begin with, you could examine the physical attributes that Pat has – he has everything you could possibly want,” Mayfield said on Wednesday. “The strength of his arm is unbelievable, but only the different angles of the arm and the things he is able to do – I know people talk about his passes without looking and all that – but to be able to change the angle of the arm, you can see why he was an incredible athlete in baseball and basketball too.
“He is capable of doing things that many defenders cannot. He was left out for almost the entire first year of debut and just assimilated everything. Patrick is extremely smart and intelligent in learning this system. You can simply say that the guys want to play Patrick, but when he is at the top of his game as if he is mentally, it pushes these guys even more. “
Going into Sunday’s rematch, Mayfield acknowledged that Mahomes’ performance in that epic 66-59 shooting was the best he has ever seen for a QB. Mahomes completed 52 of 88 attempts for 734 yards and 5 TDs.
“Honestly, no, I don’t,” said Mayfield. “Just efficiency and spectacular moves, it was fun to watch. It was always fun to accompany Pat. “
He knows he will probably have to do just that again on Sunday to defeat the Chiefs, who went 14-2 this season and finished first in the total attack. They were also No. 6 in points scored and Mahomes finished third in the NFL with a rating of 108.2, throwing 38 TD and only 6 INTs.
“We had to score all the goals in the second half to win that game, ” said Mayfield. “I know we scored just before the break. I did a half bootleg to the right, played a touchdown for (ex-Oklahoma WR) Nick Basquine just before the break. We had to score all the hits in the second half just to win, because Pat played the ball 80 and so many times and had 800 all-purpose yards alone. It was an incredible game and an incredible atmosphere. Just coming and going is something I will not forget. “
While Mayfield seeks to match the NFL record, Mahomes – 1-2 in head-to-head since 2015 – is heading for the overall draw.
“Obviously, it’s cool to play against him in such a big game, in the playoffs and things like that, ” Mahomes said in his presser on Wednesday. “I’ve known him for a long time since the last year of high school and being able to play on this stage will be special. I mean, he went to Oklahoma, I went to Texas Tech, so he got the better of me in college, so I’m going to try to do my best to win in the NFL. “
The Chiefs’ tight end and Cleveland native Travis Kelce revealed that Mahomes spent his farewell week studying cinema to prepare for who they could play and was ready when the news came.
“You can tell he’s been doing his homework for a week and a half,” said Kelce. “Sure enough, as soon as we found out who we were playing on Sunday, he was there and had a whole notebook ready for the Cleveland Browns. We are currently trying to figure out the game plan. As I said, what Pat does best is to communicate what he is seeing and how he feels that we need to attack the defense. All of these conversations are extremely relevant during the game. “
Baker Mayfield “has no problem” with Sammy Watkins’ seemingly disrespectful observation
Denzel Ward, activated on the COVID-19 reserve on Wednesday, knows what he will face in Mahomes on his first return game after two weeks off.
“He is obviously an exceptional talent,” he said. “He has the strength of his arm. He can make all moves on the field. He is smart. He’s everything you want in a quarterback. “
Ward will be on the lookout for impossible shots, but will also try not to see ghosts.
“He did some things that you don’t normally see in the NFL, just the kind of pitches he’s doing, without looking back and everything,” he said. “He is a great player.”
With Mayfield changing control in the second half of the season, Sunday promises to be an exciting duel for defenders. In his last nine games, he launched 14 touchdowns and an interception, and was automatic in the red zone, scoring TDs almost 75% of the time. In fact, profootballfootballfocus.com ranked him higher than Mahomes since week 9.
“Baker is the leader of our football team, and we are all coming together behind him,” said Ward. “We believe in him and he believes in us, so we are all playing for each other.”
Mayfield was dynamite during Sunday’s 48-37 victory over Pittsburgh, taking the team to 13 points in the second half after Ben Roethlisberger reduced it to 35-23 in the third quarter.
“I think [it’s] his passion for football, and the guys feed on it, ”said Ward. “They obviously see it through their game, through their excitement with other guys scoring and making plays and just the love for the game.”
Chubb was generous in his praise for Mayfield, his 2018 classmate.
“Baker has always had this underdog mentality, and I’m sure that’s on his mind now,” said Chubb. “He wants to go out and prove himself even more. He’s the winner. That is your mindset. He’s intense. He loves the game. He’s also a nice guy. You can talk to him about anything, and he is very down to earth. He’s just a lovely guy. Everyone wants to be close to him. He’s just like that. “
Chubb acknowledged that Mayfield’s fiery nature is contagious.
“It’s fun to be around,” he said. ”It makes it fun to come and train, even at times when training is not fun. You look at him and he’s going to be the same guy, the same leader, the same person and the guy you need him to be at that moment. ”
Andy Reid knows that Mahomes may have his departure on Sunday.
“He’s a great player,” Reid said in a conference call with Browns music writers. “He did a great job in college. He’s motivated. He wants to be great, and that’s how he does his business. He sure does a good job with that. He made great strides and I just like his attitude. “
He is not in the least concerned about four of Mahomes’ six picks this season in his last three games, including three in a victory over the Dolphins.
“He had a couple there, I know, and I’m not too concerned about that,” he said. “He’s probably just trying to make some things happen right there. I can’t be too detailed about that. We are well. I’m not too concerned. “
Kevin Stefanski was equally effusive in praising Mahomes, the 2018 NFL MVP and the Super Bowl MVP last season.
“You all saw it,” he said. “We all saw it. He’s a special player. He can do all the moves and can do it from his pocket or out of his pocket and can move around in his pocket and save time. A very good athlete. He’s a special player. Again, I think anyone who is a fan of this game recognizes this. “
It may not be a 66-59 shooting, but linebacker BJ Goodson anticipates a tremendous show of the two QBs.
“Both are two great competitors,” he said. “So I see that it’s a competition from start to finish, especially between those two guys.”
–
Browns playoffs shirts, hats for sale: This is where Cleveland Browns fans can order shirts and caps celebrating the team’s qualification for the 2020 NFL playoffs.
More Browns coverage
Can the Browns defeat the Chiefs? Seed number 1 lost 30% of playoff games after a week of farewell since 1995
The Cleveland Browns and Ohio State Buckeyes: 32 hours watching, winning, losing, showering and playing football
Joe Burrow says he plans to return to Week 1, hopes to play again in February: NFL news summary
Browns puts Michael Dunn and Robert Jackson in the injured reserve
Should ‘Browns is the Browns’ become the team’s new slogan? (vote)
It’s time for ‘An Act of Contrition’ after my choice in the game Browns-Steelers – Terry Pluto
Sample of Browns vs. Chiefs: why Cleveland suits the Super Bowl champions well