The Baker Mayfield Era is Upon Us!

“Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb” by Erik Drost is licensed under CC BY 2.0

By Joel Deering

 

The Cleveland Browns have won a game! Repeat, the Cleveland Browns have won a game! Before last night’s victory, the Browns had gone 635 days without a win. Now the long drought has finally come to an end after they beat the Jets 21-17. In addition to waiting on a victory, Browns fans have been waiting for something else, the emergence of QB Baker Mayfield. This wait has been much shorter than waiting on a win, but now both waits are over.

Baker Mayfield got his first real NFL action last night against the Jets, and boy did he make the most of it. Mayfield entered the game in the first half after QB Tyrod Taylor went out with an injury. Although the injury to Taylor was the reason Mayfield got in the game, it seemed like it wouldn’t have been much longer for Mayfield if Taylor hadn’t been hurt. Before leaving the game, Taylor completed 4 of 14 passes (29%) for 19 yards and 0 TDs. He never even led the Browns to a score, putting Mayfield in a 14-0 hole to dig his way out of.

Fans were getting restless after being disappointed drive after drive. This led to chants for Baker Mayfield going through the stadium. Baker Mayfield did not disappoint. Being down 14-0 didn’t seem to phase the rookie QB, as he led the Browns to four scoring drives, and most importantly, a win.

 

Baker Mayfield’s Performance

In relief of Tyrod Taylor and on his way to being the Browns’ hero, Mayfield went 17 of 23 for 201 yards. His 74% completion percentage should have been even better if it weren’t for three drops on perfectly placed balls. Mayfield didn’t throw any TD passes, although he did catch a ball for a two point conversion, but that’s not what’s important. What’s important is that Mayfield showed Cleveland and the entire NFL that the Baker Mayfield era is upon us.

Mayfield was thrown in the game, but it didn’t seem to phase him one bit. He looked poised the entire time, even in the games’ biggest moments. I know it was only a little more than half a game, but Baker Mayfield showed exactly why I said he’s the best QB in this rookie class. You can read my article as to why I’ve always thought so here. You can also read an article I wrote right before the NFL Draft asking the Browns to draft Mayfield.

With Baker Mayfield leading this team, Browns fans should be excited to watch every single game. Trust me when I say their next win isn’t 635 days away. I can see their next victory coming as early as next week against the Oakland Raiders. The Cleveland Browns finally have something to be excited about. I’m not a Browns fan, but I loved watching Baker Mayfield come in and lead his team to a win. I was excited for the Browns. I’m excited for their future. Baker Mayfield has already made his mark in Cleveland, and don’t expect him to stop anytime soon.

The Cleveland Browns have won a game!