BAKER'S BOYS
Mayfifield has the Browns believing the dark days are over.
CLEVELAND— The losinghas slowed, but hasn’ t stopped for the ever-rebuilding Browns. They’re in the midst of yet another coachingsearch, and the NFL playoff ff ff ff ff ffs are likely to come and go without them again this season — the 16th straight post season since their most recent appearance.
But as Cleveland hit its bye week, and with six games left in another season going nowhere, optimismabounds around a franchise that has had little to celebrate over the past 25 years.
The dark days of despair are dwindling.
Baker Mayfifield is making them go away.
The fearless rookie quarterback with the contagious personality, touchdown-making skills and trash-talking bravado, has the Browns — and their l on g-su ff ff ff ff ff ff e ring fans — believing.
“It’snot everything, but it’s everything,” guard Joel Bitonio said with a smile when asked about Mayfifield’s magnetism and positive inflfluence. “You’ve got to have a quarterback to win in the NFL and it hasn’t been perfect, but to have himout therewith you, there’s always thathope that, ‘Hey, wehave a chance to win this game.’”
The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, Mayfifield is changing the Browns (3-6-1) with his action son and off ff the fifield. He’s already endured years ofchaos injust 10games as Cleveland has changed coaches, traded its top playmaker ( Josh Gordon) and leading rusher (Carlos Hyde), su ff ff ff ff ff f fe red numerous injuries and a few of those punchin-the stomach losses that the Browns have seemingly mastered.
But every time the Browns have taken a hard hit, Mayfifield has respondedwith one of his own.
“We’ve got a quarterback who knows how to fight,” said defensive end Em manuel Ogbah. “You want to play for a guy like that who inspires you. He comes to the defensive side of the ball like, ‘Hey, we’re still in this. Just giveme onemore chance out there.’ Guys on defense love that. They love a quarterbackwho can go out there and make a promise and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got your back.’”
Mayfifield, who has gotten better everyweek, hasn’twon
the respect of his teammates. He’s earned it.
The Browns didn’ t hand the starting job to Mayfifield, who began the season in a backup role before starter Tyrod Taylo rsu ff ff ff ff ff f fe red a concussion in Week 3 against theNewYork Jets on national TV.
Mayfifield came in and led the Browns to their first win since 2016, snapping a 19-game winless streak and providing a preview of bigger things to come.
Ithasn’t beenperfect sofar. Mayfifield has made his share of rookie mistakes, forcing passes, holding onto the ball too long, missing open receivers. But in the past four games, Mayfifield has completed 69 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Despite winning the Heisman Trophy and going 33-6as a starter atOklahoma, Mayfifield wasn’t considered the topprospect inthis year’s ballyhooed rookie QB class, which includes SamDarnold, Josh Rosen and Josh Allen. Mayfifield was too short, too cocky, toomuch a product of Sooners coach Lincoln Riley’ s system.
Well, Mayfield has outperformed the other rookies across the board.
“He’s developing asa quarter back ,” said Browns general manager John Dorsey, them an who went out on a limb and picked Mayfifield. “He is still a rookie quarterback. He has demonstrated certain things during the course of a game that get you excited. I think that if you would ask him as a person, he still has a lot more football to master the position that he plays. I think he will continue to do that.”
Last week, after being encouraged by interimcoach GreggWilliams and his teammates to “cut it loose and play,” Mayfifield delivered the signature performance and victory of his fledgling pro career.
He completed his fifirst 13 passes, fifinished 17 of 20 with three touchdownpasses and outplayed Atlanta quarterback and 2016NFLMVP Matt Ryan as the Browns ended a four-game losing streakwith a 28-16 win.
Following the game, Mayfifieldsmiled and saidhewoke up“feeling dangerous” before de-feathering the Falcons, who had their playoffff hopes severely shaken.
The commentmight have come off ff as cocky to some, but it was Mayfifield at his playful and bragging best, displaying the swagger that made him a college superstar and has endeared him to his Cleveland teammates.
Make nomistake, at 23 and only 10 games into his NFL life, May fifi el dist he Browns’ undisputed leader, the tone-setter.
“He’s taken the role headfirst, never looking back,” saidrookie running backNick Chubb, who rushed for 176 yards in the win. “He brings that energy and burst that we need. This team will followhimanywhere. He is just a great leader, and you know no matter what is going on around us or outside noise just the bad stuffff that has not gonewell forus, he is going to give us all 100 percent and he is not going tole tit a ff ff ff ff ff f fe ct him.
“We like that in our quarterback and our leader, and he is fiercely competitive. He gives 100 percent every play. Just being on the team with him, everyone just likes it and loves him and loves who he is.”
Thepraise fromChubband others fuel him.
“To me, there is nothing better than that,” Mayfifield said. “As a quarterback, and as somebody that wants to be a leader of this team, it doesnot get better thanthat.”
In Cleveland, things are getting a lot better.