Cleveland Browns Recap: Baker Mayfield takes over, leads to victory

An injury forced Tyrod Taylor out of the game and Baker Mayfield into action, and Mayfield led the Cleveland Browns to their first win in a year and a half.

Cleveland Browns fans got what they wanted when Baker Mayfield took over as quarterback, as he helped lead the Browns to a comeback victory over the Jets, as the Browns won 21-17 on Thursday Night Football.

Starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor suffered a concussion late in the second quarter, forcing Mayfield into action. And Mayfield did not disappoint, as he completed 17 of his 23 passes for 201 yards. Mayfield also caught a pass for a two-point conversion in a similar play to what the Philadelphia Eagles ran in the Super Bowl.

When Taylor was in the game, he was struggling to even complete a pass. He dealt with heavy pressure, as the Browns offensive line could not figure out where the Jets would be bringing pressure.

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Taylor completed only four of his 14 passes for 19 yards. Despite the pressure, Taylor struggled to get the ball to his receivers, even when he had time to deliver passes. Taylor also chipped in 22 rushing yards on four carries.

Once Mayfield entered the game late in the second quarter, the Browns offense seemed to pick up their energy. Mayfield was making throws that Taylor had struggled to make this season, which opened everything up for the Browns offense.

The passing game seemed to go to another level once Mayfield entered the game. But not only did the passing offense excel with Mayfield in the game, but the run game began to move the ball as well.

Browns running back Carlos Hyde finished the game with 99 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. Hyde seemed to find more running room once the Jets were not loading the box as often with Mayfield in the game.

The Browns defense continued to have a strong start to the season. Cleveland held the Sam Darnold led Jets offense to only 268 total yards. The Browns defense has been excellent at forcing turnovers this season, and they continued that trend against the Jets. Rookie Denzel Ward forced a fumble during the third quarter, one of the three turnovers the Browns created, which led to a Browns field goal.

Larry Ogunjobi led the Browns defense with eight total tackles, including two tackles for loss. Myles Garrett made three total tackles, including two sacks, and he once again made it difficult for the Jets offense to get anything going.

The Browns outscored the Jets 21-3 after Mayfield took over the Browns quarterback duties and led the offense down the field for points on multiple occasions.

The game was cemented when Joe Schobert intercepted a Darnold pass late in the game with less than two minutes left in the game, and then Terrance Mitchell intercepted a Darnold pass with 11 seconds left in the game, ending any hopes of a Jets comeback.

The Browns victory was the first win for the Browns since Christmas Eve in 2016, when they beat the Chargers. It snaps a 635 day losing streak.