What comes to mind when you think of the Cleveland Browns? A terrible football team most likely. Perhaps even the worst football team. This is for good reason as well, because the Browns have not won a game for 635 days. That is, until last night. Last night the city of Cleveland felt the joy of something they have not felt for two years: a win. The article, “Baker Mayfield is the Mayor of Cleveland” by Jason Gay dives deeper into this historic game, and the man that led the charge for the Browns, Baker Mayfield. The controversial quarterback surprised some, and pleased many with his performance in the Thursday Night Football game. But there is more to the story when it comes to the Browns newest commodity.
Mayfield has been a hot topic of discussion ever since the Browns shocked many by drafting first overall in 2018. This was a surprising move, Cleveland, who was fresh off of a historic 0-16 season gambled on Baker who had just gotten a partial suspension for grabbing his crotch at the opposing team while playing for his alma mater, the University of Oklahoma. This was not isolated incident either, Mayfield also drove a flagpole into the center of the field at Ohio State, angering thousands of Buckeye fans.
The quarterback was seen nationwide as a risky move not only because of his flaring temper and unpredictability, but also because among the other quarterbacks of the NFL, Mayfield’s size and athleticism just weren’t super impressive. Critics deemed him too short to play at a high level and warned against selecting him high, yet the Browns gambled, and in Week Three of the 2018 NFL season, we got a sneak peak of Mayfield’s future and the new-look Browns.
The Browns came into the game on September 20th against the New York Jets with high hopes and expectations, they tied the Steelers back in week one which is a major feat if your team has lost every game they’ve played for the past two years. Despite the positive mindset going into the game, the Browns quickly found themselves down 14-0. Dragging them down was none other than starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who was an abysmal 4 for 14 with 19 yards nearing the end of the first half. So when Taylor went down late in the second quarter and left the field with concussion-like symptoms, the crowd rejoiced (sorry Tyrod).
Mayfield stepped in and absolutely took over the game. He finished with a stellar 17 of 23 for 201 yards in just 32 minutes of football. These numbers were enough to blow away the Jet’s opposing rookie quarterback, Sam Darnold, who put up an uninspired 161 yards on 15 completions. This incredible showing by the rookie gave Browns fans something that they have not had in a while: hope.
Many are quick to jump to the conclusion that Mayfield’s performance on Thursday was an anomaly or beginner’s luck. However, this undersized, underrated quarterback has more grit and grind than most, and I believe he will turn out just fine in the league.
MVP Insight 