Baker Mayfield after the Browns finished 3-0 in preseason: ‘I know our guys are ready’

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. 

For the Browns, it’s “Kansas City, here we come.”

The Sept. 12 rematch of last season’s AFC divisional playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs is now on the clock after the Browns closed out a 3-0 preseason with a 19-10 win against the Atlanta Falcons.

The dress rehearsal to coach Kevin Stefanski’s second season went off well except for two players.  

Guard Drew Forbes left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury. And Chase McLaughlin might have squandered his golden opportunity to open the season as the Browns’ kicker.

McLaughlin, the only kicker left after Cody Parkey was released from injured reserve, banged the crossbar on an ambitious 57-yard field goal attempt and then missed a PAT badly to the right.

McLaughlin did make two short field goals and a PAT, but his roster status is shaky as roster cuts to 53 loom Tuesday.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield and assorted other starters got essentially two series of work in their first preseason appearance and looked ready to go.

Without held-out starters Nick Chubb, Jarvis Landry and JC Tretter, Mayfield was sharp on his two drives. The first expired at the Falcons’ 9 with three incompletions, as Stefanski eschewed a chip-shot field goal, and the second resulted in a pretty, 21-yard TD toss to KhaDarel Hodge while bootlegging to the left.

Mayfield praised Hodge, “He made a great play, a great route and a great catch to finish it.”

Defensively, the Browns held out ends Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney, and cornerback Denzel Ward, yet had little trouble defending a Falcons offense without many offensive starters. Quarterback Matt Ryan and starting receivers Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage, and left tackle Jake Matthews did not play.

“I know our guys are ready,” said Mayfield (6 of 10, 113 yards, one TD, 132.5 rating). “They’ve been itching to go. We can feel that, how close it is. Ever since we lost to the Chiefs in January, we’ve been working to get ready. But we have more work to go.”

Stefanski said Mayfield “wanted to be out there” after sitting the first two preseason games.

“I thought Baker was sharp. He was really sharp in warmups. He was excited to play,” Stefanski said.

The first order of business now for Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry is to cut the roster from 80 to 53 by Tuesday at 4 p.m. Some may be announced on Monday.

“Approaching these cuts is the real tough part of this business,” Stefanski said. “I just told them I appreciate how they work. We’ll see how it all shakes out. It’s the business of football.”

Besides McLaughlin, a big mystery surrounds Hodge.

The third-year player has emerged as a dependable receiver beyond his previous role as a core special teamer. But with the addition of rookies Anthony Schwartz, who played his first game at receiver and had a catch for 6 yards, and utility offensive spark Demetric Felton, who had a 37-yard kickoff return and a 15-yard run from scrimmage, Hodge might be deemed expendable because of a $2.1 million salary.

In an interview on the Browns radio network pre-game show, GM Andrew Berry said trades are "absolutely" a possibility in getting down to the 53-player initial roster.

Hodge had two catches for 42 yards, including his second TD in two games but also had a potential TD ball skim through his hands. Nevertheless, he was happy with his full body of work in this camp and preseason.

“Anytime you get in the end zone, that’s just what you play for as an offensive player,” Hodge said. “I think my confidence now is through the roof.

“I don’t really worry about [what happens now], man. My job is to go out and play football. I let the media, my agent and everybody else worry about where I end up. Could be here or somewhere else.

“I’m comfortable. I felt like I did what I needed to do. I put it on tape. It’s the NFL. Talent is everywhere. Of course, this team is loaded. It’s hard to get on anybody’s roster.

“I’m a completely different guy from my rookie year and my second year. I’ve grown mentally and physically, my hands have gotten better. I’ve grown a whole lot.”

The Browns return to work on Tuesday and will practice through Friday before taking the weekend off. They come back on Labor Day to introduce the first week of regular-season practice for the season opener in Kansas City.

Other players on the roster bubble who had a big night was defensive end Cameron Malveaux, tackles Malik McDowell and Sheldon Day, and tight ends Jordan Franks and Kyle Markway.

Malveaux had two of the defense’s four sacks and also a third quarterback hit.
McDowell and Day shared a sack. Tackle Jordan Elliott who had had a quiet camp, enjoyed a tackle-for-loss and recovered a fumble.

Franks and Markway, a late pickup, are competing for the fourth tight end position, and certainly pulled away from Johnny Stanton, who reverted to his backup fullback role.

Franks was a favorite receiver of backup quarterback Case Keenum with four receptions on six targets for 45 yards. He also chased down Atlanta cornerback Kobe Jones after a Kyle Lauletta interception and knocked the ball free to maintain possession for the Browns.

Markway was Lauletta’s favorite target with five catches on eight targets for 54 yards.

Lauletta, who tossed two interceptions, atoned with a 10-yard TD throw to NFL suspension-bound receiver Davion Davis.