The Cleveland Brown are a disappointing 1-1 after two games. The Titans and NY Jets should have been two wins for a team which was favored to win the AFC Central. The Pittsburgh Steelers are on the ropes. The Bengals are the Bengals and going nowhere. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have replaced Baker Mayfield as the darlings of the AFC in two weeks into this young NFL season.
The Browns acquired OBJ in the off season to give Baker Mayfield and his offensive coordinator Todd Monken a home run threat to go along with Nick Chubb and Jarvis Landry. To date Baker and Todd Monken have not figured it out.
The axiom in the NFL is that the quarterback has 2.8 seconds to get the ball out his hands. This isn’t happening with Baker right now. He’s holding the ball too long. Like he’s over-reading or over thinking. Nick Chubb isn’t getting the ball enough. The tight end isn’t getting the ball enough to suit me. The offense looks like the second week of preseason should look.
I have no idea why this is a problem. I know this — the problem better get solved this week because the Browns next four games are against the LA Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, and Tom Brady. All four of these teams are 2-0 and appear to be playoff bound. Two of these teams were in last season’s Super Bowl. The Baltimore game one would think will be critical if the Browns are to be contenders instead of pretenders.
I would guess Todd Monken and Baker will pretty much be living together these next few weeks trying to get this offense on track.
I love Monken. Todd Monken was T Boone Pickens’ offensive coordinator on that 2011 O State Big 12 championship team when they beat OU 44-10. Monken went on to head coach at Southern Miss and last season was Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator. I’m pretty sure Todd Monken at some point would like to become an NFL head coach. I would think this next month will be as critical to Todd Monken as it will be to Baker Mayfield becoming the next Brett Favre.
2.8 seconds. Count it in your head. This isn’t the defenseless Big 12. An NFL quarterback has 2.8 seconds to pull the trigger and distribute the ball.
Baker Mayfield and Todd Monken have a big week ahead of them with the LA Rams killer defense as their next opponent.
I love both Baker and Todd Monken, but you have to call it as it is — they need to get it together in a hurry.