Cleveland Browns: Baker Mayfield Won A Game, But So Did Johnny Manziel

The Cleveland Browns not only received the first pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, but they just secured their first win in almost two seasons with that top pick. Baker Mayfield rallied the lifeless Browns Thursday night against the New York Jets after starting QB Tyrod Taylor exited the game with a concussion. What this does is set up a hard decision for Hue Jackson going forward. Does he start Mayfield next Sunday or Taylor?

What Mayfield was able to carry out in his first regular-season action was nothing short of amazing. However, while the Browns’ faithful are still rejoicing in the win and calling for Mayfield to become the full-time starter, they must think back to their QB carousel. Most notably, Johnny Manziel.

Remember Johnny Football? He was drafted to lead the Browns to new horizons. During his time with the Browns, Manziel was a complete mess of a player. But one thing he did do was go 2-4 as the QB. So, if Manziel can win two games, why couldn’t Mayfield pull a rabbit out his a**? Is Baker Mayfield the next Johnny Manziel? No. Or at least Jackson and the Browns’ faithful hope he isn’t. But after one win, there is no need to start making a HOF bust just yet.

Don’t get me wrong. Any QB starting the game on the bench who comes in at home in a nationally televised game and throws for 201 yards on 17 completions deserves praise. What made this so special was that it showed how dangerous the Browns could be with a leader behind center. Taylor had done all he could do but the body language of the Browns’ players, not just on offense was a complete opposite when Mayfield stepped in. If they didn’t believe at first, by the end of the game, just like the rest of the football world, they do now.

Now comes the hard part for the Cleveland Browns. Who will they go with? If Taylor is their guy and he’s cleared protocol, then he deserves as shot. But if he isn’t 100 percent ready, then Jackson has to go to Mayfield. Will there be a QB battle in practice? Probably so, but the Browns will have to be careful here.

Baker Mayfield has given new life to the Browns but they’ve felt this way before. There was a time when Manziel was leading the charge.

Mark Wilson

Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.