Baker Mayfield Has Been Surprisingly Good Since Browns' Bye Week

There have been many narratives to follow recently with the Cleveland Browns, and not many of them have been good.

However, one bright spot that has slipped under the radar is the newfound competency of quarterback Baker Mayfield. Since the Browns had their bye week, Baker has been on a tear, completing passes at a 64% clip and throwing nine touchdowns against just two interceptions.

Baker has been extraordinary in the last 14 quarters he has played, and most of those games came against top defenses. The Steelers, Bills and Broncos all play very good D, with the Steelers having two NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidates in TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Part of the uptick in performance can be attributed to a surge from wide receiver Jarvis Landry in recent weeks. In his past four games, Landry has 29 catches for 339 yards and five touchdowns. Mayfield has been searching for a third key weapon alongside Nick Chubb and Odell Beckham Jr., and Landry is filling the role nicely.

Even so, Mayfield just had his best game of the season against a Dolphins team that can be charitably called terrible. However, the Browns schedule is looking a lot easier down the home stretch of the season. Two matchups with the Bengals are included, with three out of five games total coming against teams with losing records.

If the Browns can find a way to beat Pittsburgh again, the Browns may be able to fight for a playoff spot against AFC favorite Baltimore in Week 16.