“That one was for you, 13,” Baker Mayfield said in an Instagram post after the Cleveland Browns‘ 37-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Of course, Mayfield was referring to Browns receiver Odell Beckham, who was later confirmed to have suffered a torn ACL in Sunday’s game. But despite Mayfield’s best individual performance of the season, in which he threw for five touchdowns and posted a passer rating of 135.6, the highest of any NFL quarterback on Sunday, his first thought was of his teammate.
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The Best of Baker Mayfield
In the last week, since Cleveland’s 38-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mayfield has been vilified by various pundits and journalists for his performance. Many have lambasted the former Heisman Trophy winner, claiming that ‘he’s not a number one overall pick’, that ‘he’s an average quarterback’, or even that ‘he’s not that talented.’
Baker Mayfield had the perfect response for his critics. Not only did he lead the Browns to another win, but also to a 5-2 record, for the first time in 26 years.
Five times, the Cincinnati Bengals took the lead against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. And five times, Baker Mayfield and the Browns responded. On the game-winning drive, with just over a minute remaining, Mayfield led the Browns 75 yards downfield in just 55 seconds. His last throw – a 24-yard strike – was perfectly placed, just over Bengals cornerback Darius Phillips and into the arms of Donovan Peoples-Jones for the win.
A Difficult Start
There were some early challenges in Sunday’s game for the Browns offense. Mayfield threw an interception on his first passing attempt, and Odell Beckham left the game early on with a knee injury. Later it was revealed that he had suffered a torn ACL.
The Bengals were impressive, as Joe Burrow, the first overall pick from this year’s draft, continued to lead his offense down the field on scoring drives. It was down to Mayfield to lead the Browns to victory.
With Sunday’s performance, Baker Mayfield may have won over at least some of his detractors. There are still some who will question his ability. Some will continue to question his status as a franchise quarterback. But he seems rather unfazed by his critics. This season, his football is doing the talking.
Walk On
In many ways, Sunday’s win was emblematic of Baker Mayfield’s career, and his journey to the NFL. A player who was doubted, written off, overlooked in college, he overcame so much adversity to make it to the NFL. His now-famous story of being a walk-on at both Texas Tech and Oklahoma has forged a resilient character, and a fierce competitor, who refused to quit in Sunday’s encounter.
Mayfield has been doubted throughout his career, and perhaps more so in the buildup to Sunday’s fixture than ever before. But maybe, that’s where you get the best out of the former Oklahoma Sooner.
The ‘Land:
With the Browns now at 5-2, only three of their remaining opponents currently have a winning record, as they make their push for the playoffs. They’ll have to do so without Odell Beckham, but with Baker Mayfield at the helm, it seems that they are still able to churn out wins, even with the odds stacked against them.
