The brilliance of Baker Mayfield: 2 plays that made me a believer

[Lomax to Green 84]

I must admit to being a traditionalist when it comes to quarterbacks. Give me the measurables: 6’5” 235 lbs and cannon arm. When the college season began I was only interested in Darnold, Rosen, Allen, and Rudolph. All 4 checked off the boxes nicely. I chuckled when fans talked about the flamboyant, short QB from Oklahoma. In my mind, he was just another spread offense dink and dunk QB from a no defense conference who would never translate to the NFL.

I was so wrong!! Last night I watched Mayfield play and tried to reserve judgement. I left convinced he could be a more mobile Drew Brees. 2 plays made a believer out of me. The first was a scramble where he made a subtle fake making the defender think he was going to slide and he blows by the guy. It was brilliant. The 2nd play was an amazing awareness of the blitz and the ability to complete the pass with defenders all around. The play occurred in the 3rd quarter. Oklahoma was facing a 3rd and long way back toward the end zone. TCU brought the house, Baker calmly side stepped the blitz and delivered a perfect pass. It once again was brilliant, dare I say Kurt Warneresque!!

I am really happy to be proven wrong!!

 

[Harry]

Beating the blitz was Warner’s specialty for a couple of reasons. First he learned the hard way not to hold the ball. When he saw a blitz coming he mostly got rid of the ball before even being touched.

He was able to do the above and complete so many passes against the blitz because no one ever read the D better than Warner. He was brilliant. He seemed to always know where the void would be. He simply threw the ball there and the Cards’ group of receivers knew to head to those voids. Teams usually play man when blitzing but try to move defenders to hide the uncovered receiver. Warner would always figure it out and just float it ahead of that receiver and let him run under it. It drove defenses crazy. Some of them simply stopped blitzing Warner.

Actually on the play you mentioned, Mayfield reminded me more of Palmer. When I noted the similarities earlier everyone jumped in to tell me how much more mobile Mayfield was: not the point. Rather than getting happy feet and running, Mayfield shifts in the pocket, keeping his eyes downfield. If you watch film of Palmer in his best Cardinal years, that was his trademark. By ducking and stepping up or sidestepping he beat the blitz and then threw deep. Mayfield can run, but he’s so much more. He’s got a great deal to learn about reading defenses, but he’s got the moves in the pocket.

 

[Chopper0080]

I hate drafting for the exception vs the rule, but Mayfield is showing some things in college that you have to take seriously.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

I'm on the Baker Mayfield Train...hope Cards can get him; reminds me of Favre.

 

[AZCrazy]

Wait, wait, wait...... how tall was Kurt Warner? That's what matters.

 

[Jetstream Green]

Mayfield is the the guy I want the Cards to draft. I want the Cards to move up in the draft as far as they can to assure getting the guy

 

[Crimson Warrior]

Leads the nation in pass-efficiency against blitzing defenses.

He shredded, and I mean SHREDDED, the #6 defense in the nation last night. TCU came into the match up allowing 13.7 points per game, OU scored 38 in the first half with Mayfield at the helm. He already had 300 yards passing at intermission.

He's your 2017 Heisman trophy winner.

But, go ahead and keep doubting him. He's been doubted all his life. He had to walk on at texas tech, where, as a true freshman, he eventually started and played well for Kilff Kingsberry. But Kingsberry wasn't impressed enough to offer him scholarship.

So he left TT, and again walked on, I repeat, walked on at OU, even though Trevor Knight had just been anointed the second coming Jesus after leading OU to a victory over Alabama in a bowl game.

Because that's how much he believed in himself.

Obstruct Baker Mayfield's path at your own peril gentlemen.

 

[Jetstream Green]

Leads the nation in pass-efficiency against blitzing defenses.

He shredded, and I mean SHREDDED, the #6 defense in the nation last night. TCU came into the match up allowing 13.7 points per game, OU scored 38 in the first half with Mayfield at the helm. He already had 300 yards passing at intermission.

He's your 2017 Heisman trophy winner.

But, go ahead and keep doubting him. He's been doubted all his life. He had to walk on at texas tech, where, as a true freshman, he eventually started and played well for Kilff Kingsberry. But Kingsberry wasn't impressed enough to offer him scholarship.

So he left TT, and again walked on, I repeat, walked on at OU, even though Trevor Knight had just been anointed the second coming Jesus after leading OU to a victory over Alabama in a bowl game.

Because that's how much he believed in himself.

Obstruct Baker Mayfield's path at your own peril gentlemen.

I agree about Mayfield but you can take that Sooner 'rah rah' lying under the dusty trail of your lecture and burn them chuck wagons Crimson... yup, still not happy about losing to our Red River rival lol

 

[Krangodnzr]

I want Baker Mayfield to play on the Cardinals. He's like a bigger, Russell Wilson.

 

[Buckybird]

I've been driving the Baker the Touchdown Maker train for nearly 2 years now, but we need to hope he doesn't win the Heisman. It's basically the kiss of death of being a great NFL QB

The kid is phenomenal!!! Accurate as hell, mobile, a very strong arm & reads defenses. If he was 6-3 nobody would be questioning his draft status!!! Nobody

 

[kerouac9]

I want Baker Mayfield to play on the Cardinals. He's like a bigger, Russell Wilson.

Do you feel as good about him as you felt about Johnny Manziel?

 

[Crimson Warrior]

Do you feel as good about him as you felt about Johnny Manziel?

How dare you sir?!

How dare you even mention Johnny Football in the same breath as Baker Mayfield?!

You'll be hearing from my attorneys!

 

[cardinals]

brass tax.. dont bother with Baker Mayfield. Since the invention of tv,there are no Famous/great QBs, with names that stupid. I'm not joking

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Here's the problem with Mayfield, the odds are against him because of his height. Russell Wilson, Brees, and Manziel are who he has compared to in this thread and that's fair. Wilson and Brees are rare exceptions. Manziel was more the norm. Just ask former Heisman winners and college stars Troy Smith, Doug Flutie(probably Mayfield's most accurate comparison), and Charlie Ward.

The thing about Wilson and Brees is that they both have very long arms, which helps offset their lack of height by getting a higher release point. Plus, Wilson is the very rare exception(and I still don't like him much as a pocket passer) because he has a very bad throwing motion. It's very 2016 Bortles-esque.

Mayfield may become a good/great pro but history shows smaller QB's have a much tougher time. In the NFL, guys 6'4+ are as good of athletes as the small quick guys in college.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Do you feel as good about him as you felt about Johnny Manziel?

I'll match you Manziel, and raise you Larry Fitzgerald (I remember how much better you thought Roy Williams was).

We are all wrong at times, but it's often the unknowns that cause players to bust.

 

[Southpaw]

The Magic Man

 

[kerouac9]

I'll match you Manziel, and raise you Larry Fitzgerald (I remember how much better you thought Roy Williams was).

We are all wrong at times, but it's often the unknowns that cause players to bust.

I thought Roy Williams was a better fit for what we needed in the offense at the time, and that was true. I’m pretty sure I liked both of them.

This isn’t a situation like your analysis of Taylor Lewan.

 

[BigRedArk]

brass tax.. dont bother with Baker Mayfield. Since the invention of tv,there are no Famous/great QBs, with names that stupid. I'm not joking

What's in a name?

 

[oaken1]

What's in a name?

lol...seems to me most of the greats have odd names.

is there a Bob Jones in the HoF? James Smith?

Peyton Manning......Baker Mayfield....similar

Brett Favre...odd, maybe not if you are from the region I dunno

seems Tom Brady and Jim Kelly have the most "normal" names of HoF QB's

 

[cardinals]

lol...seems to me most of the greats have odd names.

is there a Bob Jones in the HoF? James Smith?

Peyton Manning......Baker Mayfield....similar

Brett Favre...odd, maybe not if you are from the region I dunno

seems Tom Brady and Jim Kelly have the most "normal" names of HoF QB's

All the greats have short American-like, first names
Jim,John,Johnny,Joe,Steve,Dan.

or creative cool names
Brett Favre,Bart Starr.
Warren Moon,
Baker Mayfield may as well be Browning Nagle.

no QBs are named Dombrowski or Lipschitz or Goldstein. And they dont look like they played with an iron on their face.

Baker Mayfield sounds like frolicking through Daisies

 

[Brak]

Brak has jumped aboard the Mayfield train. Finally saw him play a couple of times, and I like everything about him except his height, but I've learned over 50+ years of watching football to be wary of getting caught up in measurables. I was in the Bay Area when Joe Montana came out of Notre Dame, and we know what happened with that 3rd round pick - he was the cornerstone of one of the great NFL dynasties of all time. Joe was short, skinny, average arm, generally average (or worse) measurables - but he was a proven winner at Notre Dame, was tough as nails despite his spindly frame (Jerry Rice even nicknamed him "Bird Legs"), and he had that "it" factor of just being a winner everywhere he'd played. I see many of the same traits in Mayfield. Sign me up - draft that m'fckr somehow and let's see what he can do at the next level. Darnold? Rosen?? Those guys look like stiffs and major busts in the making!

 

[splitsecond]

Mayfield is absolutely a Russell Wilson / Drew Brees smaller but with undeniable intangibles type. I would be happy with the pick.

 

[Lorenzo]

Not a fan...but he’s having a good year.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

Arians and Kiem do not like QB's like Mayfield, they like guys like Logan Thomas, big arms, big bodies and dumb, because "heck we can teach them." The league is changing quickly, D. Watson is a great example of the type of NFL QB of the future, not a great arm, tradition mechanics issues, but plays the QB position well and moves within the pocket. Arians and Kim live in the old world where offensive linemen played in a pro style offense, they will pass on him and reach for a large QB like Rudolph.

I think Kiem even said he wouldn't have the balls to draft Wilson, I doubt he would deviate from his belief that you have to be big, throw hard and if you're smart like Andrew Luck then that's just a bonus.

 

[cardncubfan]

Arians and Kiem do not like QB's like Mayfield, they like guys like Logan Thomas, big arms, big bodies and dumb, because "heck we can teach them." The league is changing quickly, D. Watson is a great example of the type of NFL QB of the future, not a great arm, tradition mechanics issues, but plays the QB position well and moves within the pocket. Arians and Kim live in the old world where offensive linemen played in a pro style offense, they will pass on him and reach for a large QB like Rudolph.

I think Keim even said he wouldn't have the balls to draft Wilson, I doubt he would deviate from his belief that you have to be big, throw hard and if you're smart like Andrew Luck then that's just a bonus.

I believe he said he didn't have the guts to draft him at the time but wouldn't make that mistake again.