Getty Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield
The Sunday Night Football Twitter account posed a simple question: Which QB will reach 2,000 passing yards first in 2019? The only problem is that they left off a key contender, something Cleveland Browns safety Damarious Randall was quick to point out.
“Uhhhh I’ll take Baker Mayfield,” Randall wrote on the photo, which featured Ben Roethlisberger, Patrick Mahomes, Matt Ryan, Jared Goff, Philip Rivers, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, Kirk Cousins and even Eli Manning.
It’s safe to say that Mayfield belonged in a graphic featuring the top half of QBs in the league. After all, who’s voting for Eli Manning in the poll, especially with his previous top weapon in the passing game — Odell Beckham Jr. — now in Cleveland.
The Cleveland Browns official Twitter account backed up Randall saying, “Same.”
Baker Mayfield Has Already Made a Name For Himself
What’s egregious about leaving Mayfield out is that he’s not just some middling second-year QB that the team is hoping can run the show. Mayfield proved that he was a legitimate star after taking over for Tyrod Taylor as the Browns starter in Week 3.
The Heisman winning QB quickly made it apparent that he was worth the Browns No. 1 overall pick. He threw for 3,725 yards and had 27 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. In just just 13 starts, he broke the record for touchdown passes in a rookie season and was terrific down the stretch when the Browns reeled off a five wins in their final seven games. Mayfield ranked third in touchdown passes (17), fourth in passer rating (108.4) and first in yards per attempt (8.86) among those with 200-plus passes during the stretch.
Baker Mayfield is an MVP Favorite
GettyCleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield
Mayfield is listed among the top 10 candidates to take home the NFL’s top honor, coming in at 25-1 in the latest odds released by Westgate SuperBook. The Browns’ second-year quarterback is tied with Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger and Falcons signal-caller Matt Ryan.
NFL.com’s Adam Schein had previously listed Mayfield as one of his MVP favorites — behind only Philip Rivers and defending MVP Patrick Mahomes. He said that if the former No. 1 overall pick leads Cleveland back to the playoffs and to an AFC North division title, it will help Mayfield get an edge in the voting. The Browns haven’t won the division since reentering the league in 1999 and the team’s playoff drought dates back to 2002.
“Mayfield won’t fail. He can’t fail. He has the talent, moxie, work ethic, accuracy and leadership skills to push the Browns to the playoffs,” Schein wrote of Mayfield. “Mayfield will get extra credit for driving Cleveland to an AFC North title, fighting against both a tough group of division rivals and the Browns’ long, established history of dreadful, misguided ineptitude.”
Damarious Randall and the rest of the Browns seem to believe the same.
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