Gary Sheffield, Jr
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The Cleveland Browns beat Washington 34-20 on Sunday that puts them above .500 for the first time since 2014. All they needed to turn this thing around was to play Cincinnati and Washington! Unfortunately for them they play in the AFC North and still sit in 3rd place at 2-1. Progress!
.@NathanZegura recaps our 34-20 win over the Washington Football Team ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/P7pCEkptC6
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 28, 2020
Most of us aren’t Browns fans, but we are getting tired of hearing about tanking (for fill in the next first round quarterback). If you told us the 2020 Cleveland Browns were 2-1 heading into week 4, we would assume Baker Mayfield had a large part in that, but he hasn’t. Cleveland currently sits 31st (narrowly ahead of the NY Jets) in passing yards and that craps on OBJ’s parade.
Real tests are on the way as they prepare to play Dallas, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh that will make or break this team. This could be the moment the Cleveland front office is waiting on to determine if OBJ should stay. Who knows if Mayfield isn’t on a short leash either as Trevor Lawrence approaches the draft?
Fool’s gold
They’re winning games they frankly should be winning, but even THAT is progress in Cleveland. If the Browns are just now for the first time above .500 since 2014, that tells us they have NEVER won games they were supposed to. At this point winning meaningless games in September is all their fan base can ask for.
One problem with winning these games now is that it might cause conflicting feelings on Mayfield and it shouldn’t. No team makes a move for Odell Beckham Jr. to be 31st in passing yards and that alone should be a red flag. NFL analysts were a mixed bag after week 2’s win when Mayfield didn’t do anything special. I guess the expectations for the former #1 pick and this franchise are so low that 219 yards with 2 TD’s and pick is deemed successful.
The Cleveland Browns remaining schedule will sink this franchise back into hoping for Trevor Lawrence or float into unprecedented heights. At least this team will know what’s what as they sprint into the 2021 offseason.
Mayfield is doing better. The crappy coaching and offensive line play past year screwed him up a bit. He’s getting more comfortable and I think he will continue to improve. I still saw him leave the pocket too soon too often, but I expect that will settle down when he gains confidence in his line. The other major factor is their formidable ground game. I don’t see big passing numbers in this offense. Mayfield just needs to manage the game most of the time.
How bout that clown coach they had what was it 0-16 lol Baker threw some shade on him good for Baker
He completed 70% of his passes in 2 straight games in victories what else you want from him? Do you want him to throw 60 times and lose like Joe burrow? Hes running the offense that they brought Stefanski in to run because they have 2 of the top 5-8 backs in the league. So they wrack up 200 yds a gaame rushing and only need yo throw it 23 times. And even then the passing game is based more in getting 1st Downs and the occasinal deep shot but a lot of TE work to keep drives moving, eat up time possession and keep their defense off the field because their defense is pretty bad.
Mayfield had 2 TDs and 0 turnovers against a stout Redskins D. Dwayne Haskins also gave him the ball 4 times in very good field position so he did not need to rack up 300 yds passing to score 34 points.
And your point about the Browns beating teams they’re supposed to beat is the most important point you made! because that has never been the Browns MO, they have always been the team that you are supposed to beat. They brought in Baker and OBJ to win games and they have a winning record for the 1st time in years. Only week 3, but That shows how inept the franchise has been that they could not even have a 1-0 record or a 2-1 record like the have this year at any point in the last 6 years!
Browns look like a 9-7 maybe 10-6 kinda team. Baker also haf 60 more yards passing than Lamar Jackson in a Win not a loss😆