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sports Diahuebs 21 Januari 2021

Browns GM praises Mayfield, won't discuss plans for QB

(AP) — Baker Mayfield ed Sunday with a 22-17 loss sistent start, Mayfield threw
checked every box for the to the Kansas City Chiefs in 20 touchdown passes and
Browns this season: he the divisional round. ”That's three interceptions in his last
matured as a player, took something that’s a little more 12 games.
them back to the play- personal to me, the player
offs, solidified himself as and the agent. The Browns have until May
a leader. to pick up Mayfield's fifth-
Cleveland's long search “What I can tell you is re- year option, which is expect-
for a franchise quarter- ally I’d echo the comments I ed to be around $20 million
back appears to be over. had last week with Baker. He and will be guaranteed un-
did an excellent job this year, der the collective bargaining
“We're very, very pleased with right? He led us to the first agreement reached last year.
him,” general manager An- playoff appearance in eons.
drew Berry said Wednesday. He got 12 wins, played win- Assuming the Browns be-
ning football all year, devel- lieve in Mayfield, and there's
However, while praising oped a really strong relation- no evidence they don't, it
Mayfield's improvement ship with (coach) Kevin (Ste- would make sense for the
and growth in his third sea- fanski) and the offensive staff team to lock him up with a “You saw growth from him as lost in October. “Our of-
son, Berry wouldn't publicly and really grew before our multi-year contract. a player from the first game to fense evolved,” he said. ...
comment on the team's fu- eyes on a week-to-week basis Mayfield may not be an elite the last,” Stefanski said. "Re- Berry said star DE Myles
ture plans with the 25-year- both on and off the field. quarterback, but he's resolved ally pleased with his progress, Garrett doesn't need surgery
old. The Browns can pick up the biggest stumbling block and I think he recognizes that after suffering an oblique
Mayfield's fifth-year option "Look, we wouldn’t be where over the past two decades he has room to grow like we injury against the Chiefs. ...
this offseason and possibly we were at the end of the sea- for the Browns, who went all do. It is just having that Berry expects S Grant Delpit
sign him to a long-term ex- son without his performance. through 29 starting QBs be- mindset that he is going to (ruptured Achilles tendon)
tension. He had a really strong sea- fore they picked the 2017 constantly improve.” and CB Greedy Williams
son.” Heisman Trophy winner. (shoulder nerve) to be back
“I don’t think that this is re- NOTES: Berry said WR and healthy next season. “I’m
ally the appropriate forum to The No. 1 overall draft pick He's far from a finished prod- Odell Beckham Jr.'s rehab very optimistic and bullish
really talk about those deci- in 2018, Mayfield made bet- uct, but Mayfield showed this from knee surgery is going on their physical recovery
sions,” Berry said during a ter decisions on the field this season that he's determined well. He rejected the no- and their ability to play at a
Zoom call wrapping up the season and showed more ma- to get better. tion the Browns' offense high level for us,," he said.
Browns' season, which end- turity off it. After an incon- thrived after Beckham was

City breaks down Villa's resistance to win 2-0 in EPL

team to six matches. rus outbreak in the squad that
Villa manager Dean Smith led to the training ground be-
An end-to-end match in was sent off for protesting ing closed. Villa reported that
which City lost Kevin De against the awarding of the nine players contracted CO-
Bruyne and Kyle Walker to goal. VID-19 in that period but
injuries looked to be heading Smith was able to field a full-
for a draw, despite the home Gundogan wrapped up the strength lineup against City,
team’s dominance, when Sil- win in the 90th minute by with the squad only back in
va received a pass from Rodri converting a spot kick after training since Sunday.
and smashed home a shot Matty Cash raised his hand
from the edge of the area in to block a goalbound header Villa was on the back foot for
the 79th minute. from Gabriel Jesus. the entire match, however,
The win lifted City above only holding on thanks to a
The goal was awarded even Leicester to the top of the series of last-ditch blocks and
though Rodri had just re- league, although Manches- some fine goalkeeping from
turned from an offside posi- ter United can reclaim first Emi Martinez.
tion, with the officials seem- place by beating Fulham later Walker was substituted with
(AP) — Bernardo Silva Ilkay Gundogan’s penal- ingly feeling a new phase of Wednesday. an apparent leg muscle inju-
finally broke Aston Vil- ty sealed a 2-0 victory on play had started when the ry in the 27th minute, while
la’s resistance by scor- Wednesday that extended midfielder dispossessed Villa It was Villa’s first league De Bruyne hobbled off in
ing off Manchester City’s the winning run of the defender Tyrone Mings be- match since Jan. 1, after the 59th shortly after being
36th effort at goal before Premier League’s form fore releasing Silva. which there was a coronavi- fouled by Jack Grealish.

American teen Hoppe scores but Schalke loses 2-1 to Cologne

(AP) — American teenager Mat- fifth goal of 2021 in the 57th minute, Hoppe started up front for Schalke shortly afterward but was blocked at
thew Hoppe scored for the third nipping in to sweep home the equal- despite the club re-signing veteran close range by Schalke goalkeeper
consecutive Bundesliga game but izer after Amine Harit combined Dutch striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar Ralf Fährmann.
couldn’t prevent Schalke from with Suat Serdar. from Ajax the day before. A calf
slumping to a 2-1 loss to fellow problem prevented the 37-year-old
struggler Cologne on Wednesday. Hoppe is the third American to score forward making his second Schalke
in three consecutive German league debut.
Jan Thielmann struck in the third games after Eric Wynalda with Saa-
minute of injury time for Cologne to rbrücken in 1992 and Clint Mathis Cologne defender Rafael Czichos
end its five-game run without a win with Hannover in 2004. He already scored in the 31st after the home
and leave the relegation zone. Schalke has more goals this year than com- team failed to properly clear a cor-
remains in last place with seven points patriot Weston McKennie managed ner. It was Cologne’s first goal in six
at the halfway stage of the season. as Schalke’s top scorer with three in games.
2020.
The 19-year-old Hoppe grabbed his Kingsley Ehizibue almost made it 2-0