DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2020 NFL Season Looking Back: Browns 49 Cowboys 38 Baker show me game

The answer is as varied as the situations. Some, he'll do fine, some he won't. It's quite simplistic, but... we'll win some and we'll lose some.

Year 1. The important thing is to live up to the catchphrases. Be better every week. Focus on going 1-0 every week, etc.... it's time to short-circuit the instant gratification mentality and grow the player.

Two good examples... I have a bad habit of forgetting stuff like that. I really think one reason is that I didn't really expect him to be "that guy" yet.

In this Baker re-building year we've seen tremendous red zone play and many clutch conversions on 3rd and long. That's been the extent of us needing him to "carry the team" and he's done well there.

The one game we lost this year, we could have had any QB that ever played the game and STILL have gotten smoked.

We haven't "needed" Baker to "win the game" yet this year. He's getting in-and-out of the huddle and getting the plays called. When we've needed him to deliver, he has done a very good job.

None of that means he WILL carry us to a W when we need him to...and none of his shortcomings to date dictate that he WON'T be able to deliver when we need him to carry the win.

Baker is leaving a ton of yards on the field by just not seeing things. Jake Burns apparently did a great breakdown of this after last week's game (haven't watched it yet, just read about it).

It's not a big deal because we are winning. It will become a big deal if we start losing because of it. It will be up to the organization to decide if patience is warranted or not.

Best case for the Browns is we keep winning even if Baker is average, the organization doesn't get antsy, and let's him keep growing.

We are not going to pluck a magic solution off the QB tree. Keep developing Baker. But make no mistake his play is currently below average. That's ok. Just keep winning and the rest will follow.

I agree. At some point, he will need to step up. I think we actually see him need to do that this weekend. Chubb is hurt and the Colts have a good run defense (how the hell did they lose to Jacksonville???). Phillip Rivers also knows how to pick apart a pass defense like ours to move the ball down the field (and be an ass while doing it). To me, this means Baker will need to step up this game.

Something seems to be going on with him, psychologically, that he is having trouble with. When I go back to his rookie year, you see games where he rose to the occasion, and picked the team up from deficits and either came back, or came close (Jets, Buccanneers, and Broncos). He had two 300+ yard games against the Ravens in his rookie year, too. He was a gunslinger.

Now, I feel like he's digressed into a QB who is hesitant and unsure of himself. We all heard Stefanski mic'd up, when he told Baker to trust his eyes out there. The only thing I can think of that logically changed after his rookie year is the fact he got married

He is in some sort of psychological rut, but the only person who can pull him out of it is himself. He has so many tools, like a great arm, a penchant for very accurate throws when his footwork is good, and a commanding presence. I just hope he can pull it together. I think he needs a game where he is top dog and puts the team on his shoulders in order to progress in his development. A game where he folds, however, is cause for disaster.

I think when/if Baker can get things like footwork and confidence in the pocket fixed and automatic, we can get a better prediction of his actual ceiling. Right now, with those things being a work in progress, his ceiling looks very very low.

Those Burns breakdowns are always an interesting read/watch.

I hear the phrase "trust your eyes" regarding BM quite a bit. I'm wondering if he's seeing it but not "seeing"/understanding/believing that that play is truly there.

I've seen in some breakdowns where BM appears to be looking at the player he should throw to (or in that direction anyway)...but doesn't pull the trigger.

I remember in the past plays where he should have taken the easy/better play but instead went for the bigger/riskier play. There is clearly work/improvement to be had there. I'm choosing to give him the benefit of the doubt until he's been in this offense for a half season or more before I get concerned.