We need to talk about Baker Mayfield.
The Cleveland Browns may very well be heading toward the most impactful decision in the franchise’s recent history, and that is whether or not to stick with Mayfield.
The Browns are hovering on the edge of Super Bowl contention. They have plenty of talent at wide receiver, tight end and running back. They have a solid offensive line. They have a game-changing pass rusher in Myles Garrett. If the Browns want to be able to compete with this group of players, they need to figure out who Baker Mayfield is.
After each of the Browns’ first two losses this season, fans panicked about Baker Mayfield. In those two games, week one against the Ravens and week six against the Steelers, Mayfield threw for 308 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
To be frank, he was awful. However, those two games are not the games that worry me as a Browns fan. Those were games against two of the best defenses in the NFL, and Mayfield was set up to fail due to the fact that the Browns were unable to run the ball.
What worries me a lot more is games like this past weekend. Mayfield was not awful, but he needed to make a couple of plays to give the Browns a chance, and he did not. The Raiders’ defense ranks next to last in defensive efficiency this year, and the fact that Mayfield was not able to make enough plays to beat a defense that’s that bad worries me tremendously.
Quarterback is the single most important position in any team sport. In the NFL, it is impossible to win unless you have a quarterback who is, at the very least, decent. Most of the NFL’s elite teams have elite quarterbacks, but it is possible to construct a roster where all you need is a competent one.
However, I am not sure the Browns even have that. If the real Mayfield is close to what he was in his rookie season, the Browns have enough talent to compete for at least the next five years. However, if Mayfield really is the quarterback he has been for large parts of the last two seasons, the Browns will need to find a new one before they can bring glory to the NFL’s most cursed franchise.
The bottom line is that the Browns do not need Mayfield to be Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, but they need him to keep them in games and make a few important plays here and there. Unfortunately, I am not sure he can even do that.
Will Cunningham is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Will? Tweet him @willocunningham.
