Much was made of Odell Beckham Jr.'s lack of production with the Cleveland Browns.
But two games removed from his last appearance in a Browns uniform, he remains Cleveland's third-leading receiver. And now he's not the only receiver who has caught passes from Baker Mayfield wondering where his targets have been.
Jarvis Landry spoke with Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot on Tuesday.
"I haven't been getting the ball so much either," Landry said. "But at the end of the day, I've been able to do with the opportunities I'm given."
#Browns Jarvis Landry doesn’t know why he’s not getting the ball more pic.twitter.com/uQsTEzZzrN
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) November 16, 2021
When asked why he hasn't been getting the ball, Landry told Cabot: "I don't know."
Not a 1,000-yard receiver in sight in Cleveland
Landry, who has missed four games with a knee injury, trails Beckham for fourth place in Browns receiving yards this season with 219 on 23 catches. Beckham tallied 17 catches for 232 yards before leaving for the Los Angeles Rams, a number that trails Donovan Peoples-Jones' 16 catches for 330 yards as the most productive Browns wide receiver in 2021.
Tight end David Njoku tops them all with 352 receiving yards on 22 catches. Meanwhile Mayfield is averaging a career-low 221.1 passing yards per game, a rate that has been on a steady decline since his 2018 rookie season produced 266.1 yards per game.
This year's Browns passing attack ranks 26th in the NFL with 209.7 yards per game, a number that pales in the face of expectations of a would-be explosive offense pegged with Super Bowl hopes. Mayfield is not getting balls to his wideouts on a consistent basis.
What's wrong with Browns' passing game?
The jury remains out on how much production Beckham has left in the tank. But the verdict is in on Cleveland's passing game as a whole. It's disappointing. And barring an unexpected resurgence in the second half of the season, it's going to leave the Browns' front office with a tough offseason decision on whether to extend Mayfield's rookie contract.
To be clear, Landry didn't throw his quarterback under the bus Tuesday. He acknowledged that Mayfield has been playing through injury and applauded him for doing so.
“He’s a tough man, and he’s doing all the things necessary to make sure that he can be out there with us," Landry continued.
The Browns didn't draft Mayfield No. 1 overall simply because he's tough. They drafted him to be a game-changer. Instead, for now, he's a quarterback who can't get the ball to his wide receivers.
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