Baker Mayfield rarely feels frustration when the Browns win, but he couldn't help but feel the emotion as he jogged off the field following a 13-10 win Sunday over the Lions.
Mayfield was certainly pleased his team still managed to win. He didn't, however, feel as though he did enough to help them attain it. His performance, 15-of-29 for 176 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, wasn't up to his standards, and he wished he could've done more to ensure the Browns' win wasn't achieved by as narrow of a margin.
"I'm not going to make every throw — no one does that," Mayfield said Monday, "but I was very frustrated with where I was going with the ball compared to how the results were. That's very frustrating. I've always been an accurate guy. That was not the case yesterday."
Mayfield still took time in the locker room to celebrate the win with his teammates, whom he credited for picking him up and ensuring the Browns escaped a wet afternoon at FirstEnergy Stadium with a positive result.
But he knows he must be better to help the Browns stay in the playoff hunt. At 6-5, the Browns are within reach of all of the goals they set this season, but their remaining six games — four of which are against AFC North opponents — won't be easy. The division is arguably the most competitive in the league, and all teams have at least five wins and are two games or less behind first place.
The output from the offense might've worked for a win Sunday, but it won't always do the trick against the stout defenses and high-powered offenses in the division and the rest of the AFC.
"We watched the film as an offense and watched the whole game together," Mayfield said. "We talked about all the things that are hurting us. It was one of those meetings where you own up to your mistakes and own up to the plays where we have to be better."
Mayfield said his displeasure in his performance stemmed from an inability to complete throws he believes he should make. Injuries to his shoulder, knee and foot haven't helped, and he acknowledged that a hit in the fourth quarter Sunday aggravated the pain a bit further.
"At that point, we were in 4-minute mode and were just getting guys lined up operationally," Mayfield said.
The Browns and Mayfield both believe he's still capable of leading the offense and playing through pain. The Browns will closely monitor Mayfield's status throughout practices this week but are confident he'll be ready to play next Sunday in Baltimore.
"We will always defer to the medical staff and make sure that a guy is ready to go," coach Kevin Stefanski said. "Obviously, you have discussions with the players in that same vein. We won't put guys out there who cannot protect themselves. To say that Baker is not battling – I think you all know that – but he's ready to play and ready to help the team win, but we will always have those conversations week to week."
Mayfield feels as though he's healthy enough to be on the field, which means he's going to do all he can to turn the offense around from its recent slog of low-scoring performances. The Browns have mustered 17 or less points in five of their last six games, but the group knows how potent it can be when all facets of the playbook are clicking.
The one exception in that period of games — a 41-point outburst in a Week 9 win over the Bengals — is evidence of just how high the group can go.
"It's about putting it all together," Mayfield said. "When we do our job and we do it well, we're a really good team."
Mayfield knows the Browns must be at their best for the Ravens, who are the opponent for the Browns' next two games and will come to Cleveland after the Browns take their bye week in Week 13. It's a crucial part of the season that will have strong playoff implications, and Mayfield feels as though the offense is ready for the challenge.
"I feel good about our plan of attack, everybody being on the same page and where we are right now," he said. "I feel positive about everything that we are doing."
