Will a healthy Tyrod Taylor will go back under center or will he switch roles with Baker Mayfield as back-up?
The Browns ushered in the Baker Mayfield Era in grand fashion.
Cleveland snapped a 19-game, 635-day winless streak by defeating the Jets 21-17 on Thursday night.
And Mayfield’s NFL debut was nothing short of a fairy tale. He replaced an injured Tyrod Taylor with 1:42 remaining in the first half with the Jets in front, 14-0. The Browns offense was putrid up to that point. Taylor was ineffective, going 4-14 for only 29 yards.
Mayfield’s entrance energized the offense and the crowd. On his first drive, Mayfield completed 3 of 4 passes as the Browns drove into field goal range and scored on a 45-yard kick by Greg Joseph with 45 seconds to play.
Joseph hit another field goal in the 3rd Quarter to make it 14-6. Then, later in the 3rd, Mayfield made a highlight reel connection with Javis Landry, a catch that led to a Carlos Hyde 1-yard TD plunge. The play of the night followed–a Landry-to-Mayfield tw0-point conversion that knotted the score at 14.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaBLfSEd-OA
Darnold and the Jets responded with a scoring drive that resulted in a field goal and a 17-14 lead with 8:56 remaining in the game.
But that’s when Mayfield showed fans why the Browns selected him #1 overall in this year’s draft. The Browns went on a 15 play, 75-yard drive that ate up nearly 7 minutes of the clock. Cleveland scored on Hyde’s second 1-yard run of the night.
New York had two more chances, but each ended in interceptions. Browns win!
In a word, Mayfield was magnificent. He completed 17-23 for 201 yards on the night for an impressive 100.1 QBR. His passes were sharp. He exhibited a keen sense of field awareness and an ability to decipher the Jets’ defensive setups.
But Mayfield didn’t do it alone. Landry had 8 receptions for 103 yards. Hyde contributed 98 rushing yards and two TDs.
On the other side of the field, Darnold had a lackluster performance, going 15-31 and 169 yards with three picks.
Make no mistake about it: Baker Mayfield was the story of the night. The only issue now is whether a healthy Tyrod Taylor will go back under center or switch roles with Mayfield as the back-up.
The Browns’ have an off-week before traveling to Oakland for a Sunday, September 30 contest. Can we dare say two wins in a row for the Browns?
