Getty Images Baker Mayfield in his first start with the Browns.
Cleveland Browns Head Coach Hue Jackson is doing all that he can to stay grounded within the organization. While the Browns are visibly a lot better than they have been in recent years, nobody within the Cleveland locker room seems completely satisfied with the way everything is going right now. Especially Hue Jackson.
Just two weeks ago, Baker Mayfield got thrown in the game before halftime against the New York Jets when Tyrod Taylor got hurt. That’s when Mayfield lit the field on fire, and everybody bought into the hype. Just a few days after Mayfield led the Browns to a comeback victory, he was officially named the starter, and the Mayfield era in Cleveland would officially begin.
Last week, Mayfield started for the first time in his NFL career. Although the Browns lost in devastating fashion in overtime to the Oakland Raiders, Mayfield still shined throughout the day. He completed 21 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns.
It didn’t take long, but after one week of being a starter, there are people already comparing Baker Mayfield to the NFL legend, Brett Favre. And guess what? His head coach is not buying into the hype just yet.
Hue Jackson’s Response
Some would be confused as to why Hue Jackson wouldn’t buy into the hype regarding his franchise quarterback. The answer is simple. It’s evident that Hue Jackson wants to keep everybody humble and focused. Clearly, the last thing that the Browns want to do is have their rookie quarterback getting too cocky for his own good.
So far, Mayfield has handled the short-term success very well. And although the national media and opposing coaches are making some generous comparisons to the Browns rookie, Jackson is doing all that he can to make sure that it doesn’t get to anybody’s heads within the orginization. In the long run, this is the right thing to do for Mayfield.