David Richard/Associated Press

Russell Wilson, Seahawks Rally to Beat Baker Mayfield, Odell Beckham Jr., Browns

Adam Wells

The Seattle Seahawks continue to roll after Sunday's 32-28 victory over the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium.   

This marks the first 5-1 start for the Seahawks since 2013. That season culminated with the franchise winning its first Super Bowl. Quarterback Russell Wilson has put himself squarely in the MVP conversation with his performance in 2019. 

There were some positive signs for the Browns, but the end result was more of the same for this team. Baker Mayfield started out well before fading in the second half, culminating with his third interception late in the fourth quarter right after Seattle took a 32-28 lead. 

Notable Fantasy Stats

   

Poor Play-Calling Limits Browns Offense

Among the many problems for Mayfield this season is his tendency to force throws that shouldn't be made and his desire to scramble outside the pocket in an attempt to create spectacular plays rather than accept what defenses give him. 

For all the criticisms about Cleveland's offensive line, NFL.com's Next Gen Stats showed that Mayfield received an average of 2.95 seconds to throw per play entering Sunday. Only Kirk Cousins (2.99 seconds) and Ryan Fitzpatrick (2.97 seconds) ranked higher than the Browns quarterback. 

There were times early in this game that made it clear why head coach Freddie Kitchens wants to turn Mayfield loose:

After starting the game 9-of-11 for 136 yards and two total touchdowns, Mayfield fell into some of the bad habits that have grown to define his season.

The former Heisman winner threw interceptions on back-to-back drives, including one in the end zone intended for Jarvis Landry that led to Seattle scoring a touchdown and cutting the Browns' lead to 20-18 at halftime. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport summed up the 2019 Browns through six games:

Meanwhile, Cleveland ignored the running game that was having plenty of success. Nick Chubb opened the game with a seven-yard touchdown run on his second carry and broke off a 52-yard run to set up the Ricky Seals-Jones touchdown catch in the second quarter. 

The Browns' best win of 2019—a 40-25 triumph over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4—coincided with Chubb running for a season-high 165 yards and three touchdowns. 

Kitchens had a baffling series of events in the fourth quarter with his team at Seattle's 1-yard line and trailing 25-20:

After the Seahawks took over on downs backed up into their own end zone, Cleveland's defense briefly bailed Kitchens out by forcing a three-and-out. Seahawks punter Michael Dickson's kick only made it to his 24-yard line, setting up the Browns' go-ahead score two plays later. 

Their ultimate ceiling this year will be determined by Mayfield's ability to make plays like he did down the stretch in 2018, but right now their best offensive strategy is feeding Chubb to take pressure off the second-year quarterback. 

   

Russell Wilson's Late-Game Heroics Lift Seahawks Again

The Seahawks have a knack for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, due in no small part to their star quarterback. 

Seattle's five wins this season have come by a combined total of 22 points. Factoring in their 33-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Seahawks' only game decided by more than six points was a 27-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals. 

Sunday was a microcosm of everything the Seahawks have done to succeed in 2019. Wilson was once again masterful, particularly on the game-winning drive that took nearly six minutes off the clock. He found Tyler Lockett for two key completions, the second of which set up Chris Carson's one-yard touchdown run. 

In addition to Wilson's masterful performance, this was the most complete game played by the Seahawks all season. Carson's 124 rushing yards set a new career high and gave him three straight games over the century mark. 

The defense, while not at the Legion of Boom level, took advantage of sloppy play from the Browns to create four turnovers. 

Seattle's formula for success is to keep games close until the fourth quarter and then rely on Wilson to push his team over the top. The strategy has worked to perfection thus far with five wins, and he appears to be in control of the NFL MVP race at this point. 

What's Next?

The Seahawks will wrap up the AFC North portion of their schedule against the Baltimore Ravens at CenturyLink Field next Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Browns are off next week before traveling to Gillette Stadium for a matchup with the undefeated New England Patriots on Oct. 27. 

   

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