Rex Ryan was the rare coach who didn’t hold back. Baker Mayfield is the rare player cut from the same cloth.
Upon the Browns quarterback being informed that the former Jets coach called him “overrated as hell,” the Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick brushed aside the critique as irrelevant, coming from a twice-fired head coach turned ESPN analyst.
“Whatever. In the wise words of Freddie Kitchens, ‘If you don’t wear orange and brown, you don’t matter,'” Mayfield, quoting his coach, told reporters. “Rex Ryan doesn’t have any colors right now for a reason, so it’s OK.”
One of Ryan’s criticisms, which came on “First Take” on Monday morning, was that the 24-year-old is currently a “one-read quarterback.”
“No, he is not,” Kitchens said. “That is asinine to even say.”
Last year, Mayfield led the Browns to their best record (7-8-1) in 11 years, while throwing for 3,725 yards, 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, completing 63.8 percent of his passes. After a summer’s worth of hype, Cleveland has opened 1-2, with Mayfield completing 56.9 percent of his passes while throwing for three touchdowns and five interceptions, prompting Ryan’s attack.
“I know he’s overrated as hell,” Ryan said. “Look, I bought into the dang hype. I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah!’ But not to the point where everyone’s saying he’s going to be the league MVP. … Here’s a guy right now that’s a one-read guy, and then he’s going to improvise.
“He’s gotta realize that you are one of the slowest guys on that field when you take off with it. The ball’s not coming out in rhythm. He’s staring down guys, and you’re not that accurate down the field.”
Perhaps Kitchens would care if Ryan was still coaching.
“I appreciate his opinion and all that, but he is not in our building,” Kitchens said Wednesday. “He has no idea what we are doing. I would answer that with that.”