Browns win, break streak
Rookie No. 1 draft pick Mayfield steps in to lead Cleveland past New York
By The Associated Press
For the first time in 635 days, the Cleveland Browns found a way to win. Baker Mayfield showed them how.
The No. 1 overall pick replaced injured starter Tyrod Taylor and sparked the Browns, who got two 1yard touchdown runs from Carlos Hyde and beat the New York Jets, 21-17, on Thursday night for their first win since Dec. 24, 2016.
And so ends Cleveland’s 19-game winless streak, the NFL’s second-longest since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
The Browns (1-1-1) trailed 14-0 in the first half before Mayfield came in for Taylor and led four scoring drives while winning an unexpected matchup against Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold.
Cleveland passed on taking Darnold in the draft and instead chose Mayfield, the Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma.
Mayfield finished 17 of 23 for 201 yards in a little more than a half after coming in after Taylor suffered a concussion.
Eagles
Carson Wentz has been waiting for this moment since he tore up his knee last December. No. 11 will be back under center for Philadelphia against the Colts Sunday after watching his teammates win the Super Bowl without him in February, and missing the first two games this season. “It’s been a long time coming,” Wentz said. “It’s been quite the grind of an offseason. There’s a lot of excitement, a lot of builtup almost anxiety over when it was going to be that time, and almost relief finally being cleared to get back out there.”
Bengals
Cincinnati has put up 34 points in back-to-back games to open the season, although quarterback Andy Dalton said they haven’t played a perfect game. “We left some stuff out there,” Dalton said. “We can definitely improve and get better. [But] if we’re saying that and scoring 34 points, that’s a good thing.”
Patriots
Tight end Rob Gronkowski is dealing with an ankle issue as the Patriots prepare for their Week 3 matchup with the Lions. Gronkowski was a limited participant in practice after participating in Wednesday’s workout.
49ers
Linebacker Reuben Foster said it was like a holiday when he rejoined his team following a twogame suspension for violating the policy on substance abuse and personal conduct. The 49ers will be counting on Foster this week when they face a potent Kansas City offense.
Jaguars
Running back Leonard Fournette practiced in a limited capacity for the second day in a row and feels “a lot better, like way better” than he did a week ago. Fournette strained his right hamstring in the season opener at the Giants. Fournette said his playing status is “up to the coaches at this point.”
Rams
The Rams and the Chargers will meet at the Coliseum Sunday for the first time since they both moved to Los Angeles. They will share a stadium in Los Angeles in 2020.