OBJ, Mayfield frustrated over failing to connect

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Odell Beckham Jr. — limited to four receptions for 47 yards over the past two games — and Browns quarterback Baker…

BEREA, Ohio — Odell Beckham Jr. and Baker Mayfield expressed frustration at their inability to connect for more completions as the Cleveland Browns have sputtered to a 2-3 start.

Beckham has been limited to four catches for 47 yards over the past two games. That’s the lowest mark over any two-game span in Beckham’s NFL career, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

“I hate losing, period,” Beckham said Thursday, three days after the San Francisco 49ers throttled the Browns 31-3. “Any time we lose and I don’t feel like I did anything to help win the game, I’m gonna be frustrated. That’s just the bottom line. I’m a winner in my heart and I hate losing.”

The Browns made the biggest splash of the offseason when they acquired Beckham from the New York Giants to pair with Mayfield, their budding second-year quarterback.

But so far, the two have been unable to find a rhythm.

According to Next Gen Stats, Mayfield went just 2-for-6 passing for 27 yards when targeting Beckham in San Francisco, including a drop. Over the past two weeks, Mayfield and Beckham own the league’s worst reception rate, 30.8%, of any quarterback-receiver combo with a minimum of 10 targets.

Beckham also now has more passing attempts (two) this season than he does touchdown receptions (one).

“He’s frustrated when he is not getting the ball and we’re losing. Why not be? He feels like he could help us win if we get the ball in his hands,” Mayfield said. “It’s frustrating when he’s not getting the ball and we are losing. You can’t blame him. He’s one of the best receivers in the league, and when he’s not getting the ball, he always has it in the back of his mind of, ‘What if I did get the ball and changed this game?'”

Browns coach Freddie Kitchens has tried to get his top playmaker involved in other ways. For the second straight week, Beckham threw a pass off a trick play Monday. They also lined him up at running back and pitched him the ball. Late in the game, Cleveland even inserted him at punt returner, which ended with him fumbling the ball away.

“I just want to help. I was brought here to help. I felt like I was brought here to help this team win. That’s all I want to do,” Beckham said. “If it has to be handoffs, it’s whatever. Just finding ways to have successful plays, not just get me the ball to appease me or anything like that. It’s about having success within the game and within the team.”

Success hasn’t come when Mayfield has tried to force the ball to Beckham. Mayfield, in fact, has thrown into double coverage — at least two defenders within 1 yard of the receiver at pass arrival — twice as frequently as any other QB with 150 attempts this season, according to Next Gen Stats.

Half of those attempts have gone Beckham’s way.

“It’s tough. This is the NFL. Everybody here is good. It’s not like you can just beat two men and expect it every single time,” Beckham said. “It’s about finding ways to put us in different positions so they can’t use that same kind of scheme.”

That includes making defenses pay when Beckham is doubled, Mayfield said, as well as capitalizing on the plays when there isn’t double coverage.

“It’s frustrating when teams take him out of the game, but it’s also an opportunity for other guys to make plays,” Mayfield. “We have to do our job of getting him the ball as many times as we can. He is a game-changer. That’s why he’s here. He’s one of the best in the league … and if there are one-on-ones, we have to be able to take advantage of it.”

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