DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2018 NFL Season Looking Back: Browns 21 Jets 17 Mayfield Era Begins!

Baker Mayfield plants his flag as the Cleveland Browns quarterback: Doug Lesmerises | cleveland.com
https://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2018/09/baker_mayfield_plants_his_flag.html

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- At 9:43 p.m. Thursday night, 147 days after the Browns chose him as the quarterback of the future, Cleveland welcomed Baker Mayfield as the quarterback of the present.

The Browns can't go back.

Facing the New York Jets at 1-32-1 in their last 34 games, yet favored by three in this one, the Browns were trapped in another cycle of their own incompetence, with a game plan that made it look as if they discovered minutes before kickoff Thursday that they weren't playing Sunday.

Thrust into this quagmire, the flag-planting star of own reality series took the field like he needed a spotlight and a theme song. Of course Mayfield was going to shine. But he didn't just bring energy, he brought a level of quarterback proficiency missing Thursday from veteran Tyrod Taylor, who held the ball too long, missed deep shots to Antonio Callaway and served as the square wheel on this broken down ox cart of an offense.

Hue Jackson can't go back.

Mayfield will make mistakes, and maybe lose the Browns some games as a rookie, but in his four-throw debut at the end of the first half after Taylor exited with concussion concerns, everything just looked sharper. Taylor was 4 for 14 for a sleep-inducing 19 yards while in the game for 28 plays. His longest completion went for 12 yards.

Mayfield's first three throws were completions for 14, 17 and 16 yards.

The receivers looked more open. The linemen seemed to block better. The cut-rate RC Cola in the stands tasted like Coke or Pepsi.

Jackson, who yo-yoed rookies Cody Kessler and DeShone Kizer in and out of the lineup in the previous two seasons on strings of desperation, needs to cut the line on this one. Taylor's time is over. Mayfield's time is here.

The fans can't go back.

The quarterback decision this season needed to focus first on what was best for Mayfield. The decision around him is a 10-year choice. The decision around the quarterback for this Browns this season is a one-year choice.

But if you were in FirstEnergy Stadium on Thursday night, the sense of dread as the Browns fell behind 14-0 just 23 minutes into the game meant you weren't worried about the next decade.

Just fix this. Now.

And honestly, two choices hung in the air.

Change the quarterback. Or change the coaching.

So unless the Browns had a No. 1 draft pick at coach in the building, it was gonna be Mayfield.

Standing 20 yards from the line of scrimmage during the first half, Mayfield watched Taylor and the offense with his helmet on, his eyes fixed. After Taylor came off the field following another third-down failure (the Browns were 2 of 9 on third down with Taylor in the game,) Mayfield started warming up as Taylor walked slowly following a big hit.

Taylor went into the blue injury tent, and Mayfield hit the bench, checking plays on a blue computer tablet. By the time the Browns prepared for a final series at the end of the half, Taylor was walking gingerly toward the locker room, where he'd be ruled out for the rest of the game. And Hue Jackson's decision was made for him.

Baker Mayfield can't go back.

When a Jets penalty on third down kept a Browns drive going in the second quarter, Mayfield was among the first on the Browns sideline to notice. Taylor was off the field and nearly toward the bench as Mayfield ran over and told him the drive as alive.

Mayfield, No. 1 draft pick, No. 2 quarterback, was locked in, living every play from the place he never wanted to be - on the sideline while his offense was out there without him.

As the Browns bogged down again, gaining 73 yards, scoring no points as Mayfield waited, you got the feeling Mayfield might just run on the field and insert himself into the game.

And then his time arrived.

His brief first-half appearance led to a field goal, after a third-down pass to Callaway missed on a back shoulder try. As Callaway talked to offensive coordinator Todd Haley after the play, Mayfield arrived and talked it out with Callaway, raised his fist in the air as the field goal went through, walked to the bench, fist-bumped Jarvis Landry, sat down, took a drink and owned Cleveland.

In the second half he kept plays alive with his feet, but ran to throw, with his eyes downfield. He got lucky a pass to the end zone wasn't picked, then on a later drive put a ball in a perfect spot for Landry to make a play. When that led to a touchdown, Mayfield looked ready to take off down the sideline for a 30-yard celebration, before realizing the Browns were going for two to tie. Then he caught the 2-point conversion on a trick play, and hit the sideline, waving his arm in the air and shouting into the night, looking like a man in search of a flag to plant.

On Sept. 9, 2017, Mayfield led Oklahoma into Ohio Stadium, beat Ohio State, launched his successful Heisman Trophy campaign and famously tried to plant an Oklahoma flag at the 50-yard line of the Buckeyes home turf.

On Sept. 20, 2018, Mayfield took the field at FirstEnergy Stadium and led the Browns to a 21-17 comeback victory over the Jets, their first win since Dec. 24, 2016. His 15-play, 75-yard, nearly 7-minute game-winning touchdown drive is how he planted his flag this time.

Baker Mayfield is the Browns quarterback of the future, and the future began at 9:43 p.m. Thursday night.

We can't go back.

This is the way forward.

Baker Mayfield's time has come for Cleveland Browns -- Terry Pluto | cleveland.com
https://www.cleveland.com/pluto/index.ssf/2018/09/baker_mayfields_time_has_come.html

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the Browns, there's no turning back.

They have to begin to build for the present and the future with Baker Mayfield.

That was the biggest message for the Browns game against the New York Jets Thursday night at First Energy Stadium.

Yes even bigger than the 21-17 victory, the first for the Browns since December 24, 2016.

It's far too early to know exactly how good Mayfield will be for the Browns...and for how long.

But it's time to find out.

The rookie quarterback entered his first regular season game late in the second quarter.

Starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor had a miserable evening taking several had shots and finally leaving the field with what later was diagnosed as a concussion.

Mayfield hit 3-of-4 passes during his first regular season drive. He covered 47 yards and set up a field goal.

At that point, most Browns fans knew -- it makes no sense wait any longer for Mayfield.

WHAT A NIGHT!

He is not the usual rookie quarterback wearing an orange helmet.

And this is the usual Browns game...it was a come-from-behind victory led by a rookie quarterback in his first game.

Now that's something to talk about over the 10 days before the Browns play in Oakland.

General Manger John Dorsey saw Mayfield play in person six times last season. By November, Dorsey was "90 percent sold" on Mayfield being the top quarterback in the draft.

This was before Dorsey was hired by the Browns. He been fired by Kansas City and was scouting on his own -- preparing for his next job.

Dorsey also was aware the Browns were interested in him -- and the top priority was finding a quarterback in the draft.

This Thursday night victory was an early return for the new general manager with his most important decision with the Browns.

CHANGING PLANS

Dorsey also wanted to take the careful, patient road. So he brought in Taylor to start while Mayfield could learn.

But circumstances changed that plan.

A Taylor concussion led to Mayfield on the field in a nationally televised game against the Jets.

He was ready.

Mayfield brought poise, confidence and fire into the game. He also has a strong, accurate arm.

It's obvious the rookie from Oklahoma has been preparing for this moment. He was in command of the offense and had a good idea what he could do against the Jets.

Mayfield is a rookie. He will make mistakes.

He held on to the ball too long on one play. He was hit, fumbled...but Browns guard Joel Bitonio recovered the ball.

He also nearly threw an interception in the end zone, the ball dropped by a Jets' defender.

But overall, it was an enticing debut.

The contrast between Mayfield and Sam Darnold was revealing.

Darnold was starting his third game with the Jets. Most draft experts believed he was the better choice for the Browns.

Dorsey had a far-higher grade on Mayfield than Darnold.

The Gregg Williams defense made life rough for Darnold. But the USC rookie also seemed to bolt from the pocket very early.

Darnold was 15-of-31 for 169 yards and two interceptions. He was sacked twice.

FUN TO COME

Meanwhile, most of Mayfield's passes were decisive and on-target. He developed an immediate chemistry with Jarvis Landry, who also made some superb catches.

If you're a Browns fan, the Mayfield-Landry combination will be so much fun to watch this season.

Landry caught eight passes for 103 yards. He also threw a pass to Mayfield on a deceptive 2-point conversion.

The Browns were behind, 14-0, when Mayfield entered the game...and at that point, the game began for the Browns.

Mayfield stayed in the pocket. He seemed to know where his first, second and third options were when it came to throwing the ball.

He has memorized the playbook like a veteran.

By the time Carlos Hyde had scored on a 1-yard run to give the Browns a 21-17 lead with 2:04 left in the game, Mayfield had completed 17-of-23 passes for 201 yards...and no turnovers.

Hyde also thrived with Mayfield. The running back from Ohio State bulled his way to 98 yards on 23 carries.

As the game ended, some Browns fans walked out of FirstEnergy Stadium chanting...BAKER MAYFIELD...BAKER MAYFIELD.

It was a long, long time since a Browns quarterback had this type of a debut.

With hardly any first team reps in recent times.

That is straight up amazing, the fact that he didn't even have the 1st team reps and it didn't even matter.

All I can say is WOW !!!!!

Tickets for the boat trip to the isle is never sold out. Come one come all !!
The water has never been nicer and the sun never so bright on the isle !!!

Dorsey is a genius. He picked the best QB.

Baker, ward and Calloway all had a heck of a game.....

Don't forget Landry.

Harrison too.

Totally!! I was thinking more Dorsey's draft picks butnlandry was a great pick up

Did anyone notice how the OL suddenly got better with Baker in the game too?

He didn't hold the ball forever, like Tyrod was.

Mayfield was 17/23 for 201 yards and had two huge drops too. Money.

It's mind blowing! Night and day the difference!

Remember this: if it wasn’t for 3 drops, baker mayfield would’ve gone 20/23 throwing tonight.

Smh. When is the last time we had something like that here....

Yea, we can't go back now. Mayfield has to start against the Raiders, right? Plus, Taylor maybe on concussion protocol so the point maybe mute.

Baker needs to start from here on out.

The future is now.

He drops back, picks a target and throws the ball. The diff between he and TT was .... obvious.

Post game presser Hue said TT still starter!








jk

Ogunjobi is on an All-Pro season

For those ready to jump on Hue Jackson for not naming Baker Mayfield the starter -- I think he is making the right move. Tyrod Taylor has a concussion, him finding out through social media that he's not starting anymore is horrible.

Nobody cares how he found/finds out.

I think he knows already.

I am all good with Mayfield. I saw enough to go forward.

It was a good evening, and we are much more competitive with him than without him..

https://twitter.com/FootBasketcom/status/1042991788661727234

(We really need to be able to embed these.)

I think the concussion was fake and he knew before the game started.

Because of Baker's instagram post about "feeling dangerous"

IMO, the kid played like he had been there before. All the talk about Darnold's poise was a mute point when Mayfield took the field.

It was weird, I never think we are going to make the long third down, or punch it in from the two, but I found myself feeling it was going to happen, something I haven't felt in years. Instead of thinking the worse, I found myself thinking, watch what he does here.

My friends, it is about time.

His accuracy tonight.... his commitment to a throw.... He doesn't hesitate, he throws it.
He is smart, too, has natural football acumen. I didn't even wanna draft the guy but he's the real deal-io.

Thanks for the memories Tyrod!

No need to continue wasting time with him.

Bake gives us HOPE ....

Diam send the boat out, I'm tired of swimming! I want to get there before those Bud Light coolers are empty.

The beer is plentiful on the isle !

Nate Ulrich's Browns analysis: No turning back on Baker Mayfield era after rookie leads 21-17 win over Jets in prime time - Sports - Akron Beacon Journal - Akron, OH
https://www.ohio.com/sports/20180920/nat...s-in-prime-time

CLEVELAND: One way or another, the Browns were destined to make a statement to the rest of the sports world under the bright lights of “Thursday Night Football.”

Either they would win and take a significant step toward becoming a relevant NFL franchise or lose and find themselves mired in all the misery of the same old Browns.

Fortunately for their tortured fan base, rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield came to the rescue and the Browns prevailed 21-17 in a nationally televised game against the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium, halting a 19-game winless streak and tasting victory for the first time since Dec. 24, 2016. They showed General Manager John Dorsey adding 33 players to the 53-man roster won’t go for naught and proved this year won’t be the same as the last two, when they went 1-31 under coach Hue Jackson.

The drumbeat to fire Jackson will soften, for now, because the Browns faithful can finally talk about a win after watching their favorite team go 634 days without one. The Browns avoided the second-longest winless streak since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

Boy, did they need this one, too, especially because they were three-point favorites against the Jets. They hadn’t been favored since Sept. 24, 2017, when they lost 31-28 to the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.

This time, with Mayfield leading the charge, the Browns (1-1-1) made enough plays to triumph.

Mayfield’s regular-season NFL debut began when he entered the game with 1:42 remaining in the first half and the Browns trailing 14-0 after quarterback Tyrod Taylor suffered a concussion. Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft, immediately gave the Browns a spark they desperately needed.

He finished 17-of-23 passing for 201 yards with a rating of 100.1 and took one sack.

There’s no turning back now. This is his team.

The offense struggled mightily against the Jets (1-2) with Taylor operating the controls. He went 4-of-14 for 19 yards for a rating of 39.6, rushed four times for 22 yards and took three sacks. He got up slowly after the last one by linebacker Avery Williamson, disappeared into the medical tent on the sideline and never returned to the action.

Mayfield, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, went 3-of-4 passing for 47 yards during his first series to help the Browns move into position for new kicker Greg Joseph’s successful 45-yard field goal, which trimmed the Jets’ lead to 14-3 with 23 seconds left in the second quarter. The Jets took the same lead into halftime.

The Browns cut their deficit to 14-6 with 5:21 left in the third quarter when Joseph made a 27-yard field goal after Mayfield’s pass into end zone was nearly intercepted but dropped by safety Doug Middleton. The score was set up by Browns rookie cornerback Denzel Ward forcing receiver Robby Anderson to fumble, recovering the ball and returning it 20 yards to the Jets 8-yard line with 6:19 left in the third quarter.

During the Browns’ next possession, Mayfield threw a 29-yard dart to wide receiver Jarvis Landry, and running back Carlos Hyde rushed for a 1-yard touchdown on the next play with 42 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Then the Browns executed a successful 2-point conversion to tie the score 14-14 when running back Duke Johnson took the snap, pitched the ball to Landry and Mayfield caught Landry’s pass in the end zone.

Mayfield then got fired up on the sideline and motioned to the crowd as it roared.

Led by rookie quarterback Sam Darnold, the third overall selection whom the Browns decided to forgo in April’s draft by picking Mayfield instead at No. 1, the Jets answered with a 12-play, 65-yard march and took a 17-14 lead when Jason Myers made a 28-yard field goal with 8:56 left in the fourth quarter.

Mayfield countered the scoring drive Darnold orchestrated with a clutch series. Hyde capped the 15-play, 75-yard march by rushing for a 1-yard touchdown with 2:04 left in the fourth quarter.

The next series, Browns middle linebacker Joe Schobert intercepted Darnold’s pass intended for receiver Jermaine Kearse at the Jets 43 with 1:21 remaining.

But the Browns punted to their opponent’s 6, giving the Jets one last chance. The Browns sealed the win when cornerback Terrance Mitchell intercepted a deep pass Darnold intended for Anderson with six seconds left.

Darnold finished 15-of-31 passing for 169 yards with two interceptions for a rating of 38.3 and took two sacks.

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his Browns coverage at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ByNateUlrich and on Facebook www.facebook.com/abj.sports.

you guys also know who liked baker mayfield?

enjoy lololol

nvm jr smithh is cussing in the video cant post it

Coolers? .... we had 500 kegs delivered this afternoon ....

CAP - give the man a beer .. or 20 ....

Oh man ...

Anyone that has rhe nfl network ... make sure u catch him and Joe on the set ...

Kids a PRO ....

So impressed ... prepared .. humble ... gave credit to everyone ...

Irving said now the expectations are through the roof .... rthe weight of the city is on U ...

OMG ... he said ... i didnt do it my self ... i had plenty of help from my teammates ...

Said he was so glad to do it for the fans of this city in front of them ... he asked if they opened the coolers ...

Kid looked like he’d been on tv and hosting a show for years ... he was completely at ease and fit right in ...

WOW ... it was as impressive as his play tonight ...

If u hav nfl network .... TiVo it .... its a great watch ...

#BoomerSooner

Exactly, hey Lincoln, take my name out of your mouth.

You worry about Lubbock, I'll worry about Cleveland.