Baker Mayfield did a lot of things well in his NFL preseason debut Thursday night against the Giants, including prove to his many lazy Johnny Manziel-comparing doubters that he's a lot more pro-ready than they think. The one thing the No. 1 overall pick didn't do? Make any case to start at quarterback for the Browns right away over Tyrod Taylor.
Given how many times coach Hue Jackson has been asked about his starter for 2018, and how he has consistently answered with Taylor, there's enough for a "Hard Knocks" spinoff show. There's no doubt that topic will come up again after Mayfield used the Giants to add to the dazzling highlight reel that made him a Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma.
Yes, Mayfield hung in well in the pocket against the first NFL pass rush he faced. Yes, he employed his feet well to buy time to throw and used his legs to scramble for a first down. Yes, he looked like a seasoned veteran as he went through his progressions and delivered an end-zone bullet through traffic to tight end David Njoku for his first unofficial NFL passing TD.
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Mayfield was drafted first over the other top QBs in the 2018 class because of the attributes he showed Thursday: confidence and downfield accuracy even when on the run. He showed the right mix of decisiveness and deliberation with his delivery.
Mayfield provided the best highlight of a very productive offensive night for Cleveland when he sprinted to the sideline to extend a play until wide receiver Antonio Callaway, a fellow rookie, came back to be open for a diving 24-yard gain in the third quarter.
What a catch, Antonio Callaway!#CLEvsNYG pic.twitter.com/NHlsAB9wgO
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 10, 2018
The Browns let Mayfield play into the fourth quarter after he entered in the second. Before he left, he hit Callaway with another dart on a slant that the speedy fourth-rounder turned into a 54-yard catch-and-run score.
Mayfield's final numbers (11-of-20 passing, 212 yards, 10.6 yards per attempt, two TDs, 125.4 rating, one sack) were nothing resembling those of a raw rookie trying to transition from college spread to pro-style, albeit against Giants backups playing vanilla schemes. At the time he exited, Mayfield was also tied for the team lead in rushing yards (13, on three attempts).
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While that was all well and good, Mayfield's showcase came after Taylor completed all of his pass attempts (5 for 5, 99 yards) in posting a perfect passer rating (158.3) and had the more impressive TD connection with Njoku. Even though Taylor has heard time and time again from Jackson that he's the one come Week 1 when it counts, there probably was a sense he had to be beyond stellar to keep from cracking open the window for Mayfield.
Taylor has done more to earn the job than Mayfield in his first offseason in Cleveland, including being a seasoned leader who just helped another NFL team make the playoffs — something with which Mayfield can't compete.
The Browns are used to having their QB situation be a mess. Taylor is looking great as the starter for now and Mayfield is looking fine as the starter for later. That's a good problem they should enjoy, for a change — and they should continue to avoid creating an unnecessary problem.
