Baker Mayfield's Improved Passing Adds Another Dimension to Browns Offense

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has his detractors, and he has certainly deserved criticism at times this season. However, he was simply superb against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, putting together a historic first half and helping to prove that the Browns are more than just a run-first and run often team.

Mayfield and the Browns unloaded on Tennessee's lackluster pass defense, building a 38-7 halftime lead and surviving a second-half flurry by the Titans. Anyone expecting this to be a grind-it-out game between two rushing teams was sorely disappointed.

At 9-3, Cleveland now has a very good chance of making the postseason, and Mayfield is going to be the key to finishing strong down the stretch. Why? Because he and Browns are proving that they can be multi-faceted on offense and can win in a variety of ways.

Cleveland can be more than just a playoff team in 2020. It can be a dangerous one. The Titans found that out the hard way on Sunday. Here's what else we learned from the Browns 41-35 victory.

Mayfield, Browns Beginning to Show This Isn't a One-Dimensional Offense

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The Titans have a poor pass defense and were missing one of their best defenders in defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons. Let's go ahead and get that fact out of the way. It's not like Mayfield just carved up the '85 Chicago Bears.

However, Mayfield's first-half performance was nonetheless remarkable. No Browns quarterback has thrown for four touchdowns in the first half since Otto Graham did it in 1951.

"Baker was on fire," running back Nick Chubb said, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

As Mayfield systematically torched Tennessee's defense in the first half, it became clear that the Browns weren't going to be stopped. He barely threw the ball in the second half but still finished with 334 passing yards, five rushing yards, six receiving yards and four touchdown throws.

Future opponents had better take notice. While Cleveland's offense still runs through Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt and the running game, Mayfield can make opponents pay when they gear up to stop the ground game.

Arvis Landry's Resurgence Coming at the Perfect Time

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Mayfield got a big boost from wide receiver Jarvis Landry for the second consecutive week. The LSU product caught eight passes for 62 yards and a touchdown a week after racking up 143 yards and a score.

Since losing No. 1 receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for the season back in Week 7, the Browns have lacked a go-to pass-catcher. They've been winning ugly with the ground game—aside from that Week 7 Cincinnati Bengals game, in which Mayfield tossed five touchdowns—but Landry is now providing that top option.

Before last week, Landry was largely just another pass-catcher in Cleveland's inconsistent passing attack. This was partially due to lingering issues related to his offseason hip surgery. However, Landry has appeared to be at 100 percent over the past couple of weeks and now could be set for a late-season surge.

"I feel like I am in a sense just getting started, so I am excited," Landry said, via the team's official website.

Landry's resurgence couldn't come at a better time, as the Browns will need to finish strong to ensure they reach the postseason. A 10-6 record won't guarantee a playoff spot, but if Cleveland can go 2-2 down the stretch, it will likely be in the postseason for the first time since 2002.

Kevin Stefanski Makes Case for Coach of the Year

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There's still a month of football to be played, but Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has to be considered one of the front-runners for 2020 NFL Coach of the Year. The Browns haven't had a winning season since 2007, have been to the playoffs just once this century and went winless just a few short years ago.

Cleveland is now 9-3 and owns wins over playoff-caliber teams in the Titans and the Indianapolis Colts. The Browns have taken a huge step forward under Stefanski's guidance, and a franchise that seemed destined to never win is stringing together victories in bunches.

Stefanski's coaching prowess was on full display on Sunday. The Browns defense—missing safety Ronnie Harrison and cornerback Denzel Ward—wasn't great, but it held Derrick Henry to just 60 rushing yards. The offense repeatedly saw wide-open receivers breaking loose in the secondary.

"Kevin Stefanski is running a clinic today," Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweeted during the game.

Stefanski had a clear game plan for an opponent that many viewed as a superior team. While Cleveland may not have more talent than Tennessee, it was the better team on Sunday because of Stefanski's scheming and decision-making.

Cleveland won just 14 games in the four seasons before Stefanski arrived. If they amass double-digit wins in his inaugural season, reach the postseason and maybe even win a playoff game, it will be hard to point to a better coaching job in 2020.