PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania -- The year of frustrations continued for Baker Mayfield and the Browns offense on Sunday. They were once again held under 200 yards passing for the fifth time this year, and the struggles with protection and communication were once again present.

The prolonged struggles happening in 2019 are a direct contrast to Mayfield's rookie year.

The question remains why? What is prohibiting Mayfield from unleashing havoc on opposing defenses like we saw last year and how does he fix it?

We have analyzed his eyes going to the wrong places off the snap and often to one read, his tendency to leave the pocket early and often right side, and how the scheme is doing him few favors. We are searching for all the answers we can find about how he has taken a step back in 2019, and how this offense has failed to take off.

It also doesn't take a trained eye to see his offensive line, particularly his tackles, have struggled for the majority of the season. That was no different on Sunday. Mayfield needs better protection to ever find sustained NFL success. The Browns have to fix that issue when the time comes.

However, Mayfield can also simply make the game easier on himself. A way that will eliminate risks, give his athletes the ball in open space, and counter what so many defenses have been throwing at him this year. Mayfield has to take the checkdown, and he has to do it regularly.

The Steelers continued the trend of heavy zone drops and the running backs were open for advantageous gains frequently on Sunday. Let's check the opportunities missed, and how Mayfield must find these options when presented.

Checkdown No.1

It's 3rd and 14 for the Browns and the Steelers are playing a form of safe coverage built on 2-man. They have two safeties bracketing the first down markers. Mayfield never has a chance to sit in and throw downfield here, but what he does have is what the Browns offense provided him all day: his running back off his chip/release responsibility.

In long down and distances , Pittsburgh would often play this quick bail coverage meant to protect the long gain needed for the first down. They left the first level empty quite frequently and Mayfield still felt compelled to drive the football down field. This aggression has its advantages, but allowing your running back to make a play in space is also logical and helps keep the ball moving forward. And perhaps the back makes a play in space to get that first down.

Checkdown No. 2

Before the half, the Browns made a couple big chunk gains on the ground and decided to throw the ball to see if they could get in field goal position. Logical considering the time left and timeouts still on the board. Again, the Steelers used deep safety help on Odell Beckham Jr., who Mayfield targeted twice, and he missed easy underneath throws that could have resulted in quick gains. Those underneath throws can often be one tackle from becoming a big gain.

Check Kareem Hunt, to Mayfield's right, on the Texas route. Give him this ball off the break and he has running lanes. Easy throw and catch that can become a bigger play.

Checkdown No. 3

The very next throw, where Mayfield injured his hand, the Steelers again presented Mayfield with the same underneath throw. The scheme sent Beckham on a corner/post into double coverage but once again provided Mayfield with a checkdown where his running back, Hunt, is one-on-one up the sideline for a nice gain. Perhaps even getting them to field goal range.

The hook defender checks late, but again you can see the space for Hunt to operate should he get this ball and he's one defender away from a big gain.

Checkdown No. 4

Into the second half now as Mayfield's fumble comes with an option he could have pursued. This is no easy task as he is being heated up quickly due to Chris Hubbard missing Bud Dupree's inside spin move. But this is where I have concerns Mayfield is cognizant of where his back will be releasing should he need him. He has Hunt chip/releasing to his right side but Mayfield panics left despite the left guard helping inside. If he can slide and stay calm, he has his back on the release for an easy dump-off. Not easy, but it is what the best in the game are doing currently.

Again, not an easy play but if Mayfield can slide right and create time, he can give his back plenty of room to operate on an easy throw.

Checkdown No. 5

Another situation where Mayfield just has to be able to handle as he grows in the league. His left tackle is abused off the snap and Dupree has a clear shot. Now, Mayfield does a nice job escaping the pressure stepping up, but if he has to know where his checkdown will be after he makes the pocket movement.

Hunt is releasing into an out route from his left alignment role and he beats Mark Barron off the cut. Once Mayfield steps up he can make this throw if he has a calm about the situation in chaos. Instead he never keeps the eyes downfield and runs into a sack here.

Checkdown No. 6

Mayfield can also benefit from occasionally using his backs in the red zone as well. As things shrink in small space, backfield routes can be unique challenges for defenses, and especially those that replacing zone dropping linebackers. The Browns are running a seam route by Demetrius Harris couple with an underneath Texas route from Nick Chubb.

I don't have a problem with Mayfield deciding to throw the seam since Harris is running with the MIKE linebacker in trail, but if Mayfield is making life easy on himself, he should know that linebacker is vacating the zone Chubb will immediately be replacing. The middle of the field opens up perfectly for a nice gain on second down.

Checkdown No. 7

The final drive it becomes tough to watch as the Steelers were giving up free yards to easy checkdown throws. They were playing a form of Cover-9 with three deep players and a down corner to the boundary. Once the nickel corner hauls to the hook zone in this coverage to the field, Mayfield needs to know his tight end will be open to his right with no defender in the immediate flat responsibility.

These are the easy throws defenses playing bail zone will give you and Pittsburgh was no different. They knew Mayfield would want to drive the ball downfield without taking the easy throws that add up. Minkah Fitzpatrick drives on Landry's dig here and it could have very easily been intercepted. Instead he could make life easy and throw this to his tight end for a nice catch and run situation.

Checkdown No. 8

On the play previous to this one, first down, Mayfield dumped it down to Kareem Hunt on the checkdown. Notice how amped up Mayfield is on the throw and how hard he drives in the short route. No touch, just a bullet. Something he is clearly not comfortable doing.

That five yard gain meant the Browns now had it with plenty of time and just second and five. Short down and distance. The problem is, Mayfield once again set his mind to driving the ball downfield without considering the holes the defense was leaving his running backs and tight ends working the shallow parts of the field. Taking what the defense is giving him. We covered the fact that this interception, and the miscommunication within, is not on Mayfield but the need to force it downfield does his margin for error few favors when he has the easy dump-off to his running back wide open.

Hunt easily collects the first down here and perhaps even more with the vacated hole over the middle. Pittsburgh was quite fine with allowing these routes short because they knew Mayfield wouldn't want to consistently drop it off.

The best quarterbacks use the checkdown

The NFL's elite who are pocket quarterbacks, much like Mayfield, use the checkdown effectively and allow their running backs to make plays in space for them. High success rate, easy throws, and plays that keep the chains moving.

Brady is one of the league's best with checkdowns and he uses them when he knows there is a matchup advantage and defenses vacate chasing receivers.

Drew Brees does the same and will allow Alvin Kamara, and his backs over the years to catch those short throws and make plays in space for him. Both off drop back and play-action.

Even Aaron Rodgers, whose mobility and tight window throws have made his career special, knows when to use the checkdown for easy yards. Mayfield will need to develop this trait.

Throwing off the HOT read

Do not confuse checking the ball down with throwing off the hot read in pressure.Mayfield does a nice job of this for the most part. He knows when his running backs are the designed answer when the blitz happens post-snap. He has always been solid in these situations and Sunday was no different. He hit Chubb on the left side flat route when Pittsburgh overloaded the left side with pressure here.

He also gave Hunt a chance off the delayed pressure late in the fourth quarter. It was the right read, and if Hunt makes one man miss, he is off to the races.

Also, on the touchdown Mayfield is reading the his Texas route from Hunt within the first read, so this doesn't qualify as a checkdown, but it was a great read nonetheless.

Final Thoughts

Look, I just want to make the game easier for Mayfield and I am sure he does as well. He feels the weight of the world in this offense and he certainly feels like he needs to make the driven throws downfield to save his team. But he has to change his frame of mind on the checkdown and understand how it can easily help his game.

Mayfield loves to push the ball downfield. It has been his tendency since his days at Oklahoma. Chasing the big play, and using his strong arm to fit throws into windows sometimes unseen and prolonging protection for his lineman. The problem is at the NFL level, the athletes improve and those windows shut quicker and those deep shots are less prevalent.

Mayfield has to find this balance in his game. It is truly imperative to his long-term success in this league. He wants to make the big throws. It's in his DNA, but he has to understand that the NFL gets compressed and defenses will gladly keep giving up underneath answers if he doesn't show the willingness to check the ball down and take the easy yards.

There is no doubt he has been playing better in the second half of the season, but the use of the checkdown will take his game to another level if he is willing to trust its impact and put faith in his athletes in space. The Browns will hope it clicks for Mayfield at some point in these last four games or in the 2020 season.