Is Baker Mayfield playing tonight vs Steelers in Week 8?
The Cleveland Browns and Baker Mayfield are playing in a must-win game in Week 8. The Pittsburgh Steelers are one game behind them in the AFC North standings and are on a two-game winning streak.
Baker Mayfield will be playing with a torn labrum in his left shoulder since Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings. Mayfield only had to miss one game, and that was last week against the Denver Broncos.
The Browns desperately need Mayfield in the starting lineup to win against the Steelers. But is Mayfield's shoulder going to cooperate and allow him to play?
Baker Mayfield is playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Browns announced Friday that Mayfield is playing Sunday despite his injury. Mayfield was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday.
But he managed to practice fully Friday, which gave the Browns the confidence needed to announce him as the starter.
Source: #Browns QB Baker Mayfield received medical clearance last night to play and is expected to start Sunday, despite a torn left labrum & shoulder fracture. With full range of motion in his shoulder & his strength back, the medical decision was made. The fracture is healing.
The Browns' offense will look to score more points with Mayfield than the 17 they did with Case Keenum against the Broncos. Mayfield led the Browns to 30 points in the first two games of the season.
He did it again against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 5. But in his other three starts, the Browns have scored 26, 14, and 14. Mayfield has the chance to do so against a Steelers defense that isn't as much of a juggernaut as it was the last time they played.
The Steelers gave up 22 points a game, which ranks 12th in the league. They rank 15th in passing yards per game allowed and 14th in passing yards per play allowed.
This might also be Odell Beckham Jr.'s last game as a member of the Browns. Beckham is one of the likelier players to be traded at the deadline.
Baker Mayfield will play, but how well will he play?
Mayfield will start, but it's hard to know how good he'll be. Since suffering the injury, his yards per attempt have gone down to an average of 7.63.
In the first two games, his average was 10.77.
This is just like the harness #Browns QB Baker Mayfield will be wearing to prevent him from moving his shoulder recklessly in the heat of the moment. After all, as OC Alex Van Pelt told me: “It’s hard to coach the dawg out of someone.” https://t.co/5P5HsNyds1
Mayfield will have Nick Chubb back in the lineup after missing the last two games due to injury. This is the first game of the season that Mayfield, Chubb, Beckham, and Jarvis Landry will play together.
WIll it be enough to defeat their division rivals? The Browns certainly hope so as they try to go 5-3 on the year.