3 best memories Baker Mayfield provided Browns fans during his rollercoaster tenure in town
There was a point in time when Baker Mayfield was seen as the future of the Cleveland Browns. He was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in 2018 and made waves as a rookie, inspiring hope of great things to come.
Alas, the team has moved on after four years in favor of Deshaun Watson. The ongoing breakup is messy and is an unfortunate end to what was once a promising tenure.
Current storylines distract from the fact that Mayfield did provide some great memories during his time in Cleveland. A few moments stand out above the rest.
3 best memories Baker Mayfield gave Browns fans
Cleveland #Browns defeat the New York #Jets 21-17, to snap a 19 game winless streak. Carlos Hyde rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield entered the game for the injured Tyrod Taylor towards the end of the first half. https://t.co/FnCGta3qtl
#1 - Ending the losing streak
Mayfield was drafted No. 1 overall in 2018, yet opened the season behind Tyrod Taylor. As fate would have it, Taylor was hurt in a Week 3 primetime matchup against the New York Jets. The rookie was thrust into action and never lost the job until this past season.
He led the team to its first win in close to two years. The rookie quarterback even hauled in a pass for a two-point conversion to get the crowd fired up and excited about the new era in Cleveland. He engineered a victory, got the Browns to 1-1-1 on the year, and proved Hue Jackson made a mistake by not starting him in the team's first two games.
#2 - Clinching a playoff berth
The 2020 NFL season was a journey for fans and players alike. For the Browns, it all came down to the final week of the season to clinch a playoff berth. The team matched up against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had already clinched and had Mason Rudolph in at quarterback.
This was not Mayfield's best game by any means. But it was one of his most meaningful because he did enough to get a victory and get Cleveland into the playoffs for the first time since the 2002 season.
He tossed a touchdown and, most importantly, didn't turn the ball over in a nail-biting 24-22 win. The victory came in front of a small crowd as COVID regulations led to limited attendance but was easily the most important regular-season game in two decades for the franchise.
Browns 1st Playoff win since 1995✅
Browns 1st win in Pittsburgh since 2003 ✅
https://t.co/MrkjRiROgP
#3 - The playoff win
The top moment comes just one week after the playoff-clinching win and once again features the Steelers. The Browns headed on the road to take on their division rival, this time with Roethlisberger under center.
This ended up being Mayfield's shining moment with the Browns. He tossed three touchdowns and did not take a sack or throw an interception. The Cleveland offense exploded in what ended up being a 48-37 victory.
This was the team's first playoff win since the 1994 season and seemed to officially usher in a new era of Browns football. That should continue to be the case, just without the quarterback who once seemed to be the answer.
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