Browns’ Alex Van Pelt liked Baker Mayfield coming out & is eager to coach him after the QB beat his Bengals 3 times

Alex Van Pelt

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, right, and quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt, left, meet on the field before facing Baltimore in September. AP

CLEVELAND, Ohio — New Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt was impressed with Baker Mayfield as a college prospect and is eager to work with him after watching Mayfield go 3-1 against Van Pelt’s Bengals.

“Playing against him for the last two years, you see the type of competitor he is,’’ Van Pelt, 49, said in a release provided by the Browns on Monday. “The type of player he is on the field, loves the game, plays it with passion, those are all the things you're looking for in a great player.’’

In Van Pelt’s first of two seasons as Bengals quarterbacks coach in 2018, Mayfield went 2-0 with seven touchdown passes without an interception. The seven TDs helped Mayfield set the NFL rookie season record with 27, breaking the mark shared by Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson.

Last season, however, Mayfield faltered against the 2-14 Bengals, throwing no touchdowns and two picks en route to a 38.9 rating in a 27-19 victory. In the season-ending 33-23 loss, Mayfield threw three TD passes and three interceptions.

But the Browns still have faith in Mayfield and are excited about him rebounding under this new coaching staff.

“Obviously, I was a part of drafting Baker in 2018," Browns GM Andrew Berry said in his introductory press conference. “I can tell you there was kind of an organizational consensus with selecting him with the first overall pick. I still have a lot of belief in Baker as a quarterback, his talent and what we think he can become in the NFL. I’m looking forward to seeing what Kevin [Stefanski], Alex and his staff do with Baker this spring and into the fall."

With Stefanski and Van Pelt, a former NFL quarterback, having so much experience coaching the position, Stefanski might forgo a quarterbacks coach. They’ll also have former Broncos QB coach T.C. McCartney, recently hired as offensive assistant, assisting with the QBs.

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Van Pelt, who brings 10 years’ experience as a QB coach, developed great working relationships with Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Bengals QB Andy Dalton. A former running backs coach as well, Van Pelt espouses Stefanski’s marriage of the run and pass, and understands the important of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.

“It all starts with the run game and the play-action off it and the keepers that come off from the action,” Van Pelt said. “Obviously having Nick is huge and Kareem, those two are two of the best in the league. The outside receivers are tremendous players. To be able to come in and put an offense together with two 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,400-yard rusher is pretty exciting as a coach.”

Van Pelt noted that coaching running backs in Green Bay for two seasons before tutoring Rodgers was invaluable. He’ll also still have running backs coach/run game coordinator Stump Mitchell to help in that endeavor.

“It's definitely helped, there's no question,” Van Pelt said of coaching backs. “That was a great opportunity for me to learn more about offensive football and how the running back mind thinks. That was huge and beneficial. Also, he allowed me to coach receivers for a year when I was coaching the quarterbacks. To have that group in the room, it broadens your perspective of offensive football.”

Stefanski also values Van Pelt’s experience mostly as a backup quarterback for the Bills from 1995-2003. Originally drafted by the Steelers in the eighth round of 1993 out of Pitt, Van Pelt signed with Buffalo as a free agent in 1995 and spent nine years (1995-2003) there. In 11 starts and 31 total appearances, he threw for 2,985 yards passing and 16 touchdowns.

“I think so highly of Alex from that regard because he played the position at a high level collegiately and in the pros,” Stefanski said. “When you're a backup quarterback, there's so much that goes into that from a preparation standpoint. It's no surprise then that a lot of those guys become great coaches because they understand what it takes to prepare for an NFL game from that position when you're not getting any reps oftentimes. I just think that's made him a better coach.”

Stefanski will solicit input from his assistants in formulating his scheme. Unlike last year under Freddie Kitchens, he’ll have it down before the players show up for the offseason program April 6, a week earlier than teams without a new head coach.

“We were looking for a guy that could come in here and really work together with the offensive staff that's in place, work with me as we all talk about our vision for what we want our offense to look like,” Stefanski said. “Just be able to bring this all together, be able to take the great ideas from the offensive staff and mold this thing into the Browns offense, Browns system.”

Van Pelt, who may or may not call plays, takes over an offense that underachieved in 2019, finishing 22nd in points scored. Stefanski will incorporate plenty of play-action, and a lot of running out of a wide zone scheme. But Van Pelt will bring ideas from stops in Buffalo, Tampa, Green Bay and Cincinnati.

“To have the opportunity to come in and help build an offense from the ground up is exciting,” Van Pelt said. “The most important thing now is to get this system in place and make it as easy and friendly for the players so we can get off the ground and start rolling.’’

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