Cleveland Browns: Baker Mayfield’s mettle will be tested

Coming off a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, in which he did not play well, the Cleveland Browns will find out what kind of quarterback they have in Baker Mayfield.

The Cleveland Browns have not been in this position in a long, long time. At any other time since the franchise came back in 1999, if a quarterback played poorly, the answer was simple. Bench the starter and put in the backup. Well, not this time.

Baker Mayfield is the present and the future. The Browns and their fans are going to be riding this roller coaster right along with Mayfield, all the way to the end.

It’s easy to forget that Mayfield is a rookie. After all, the Browns have had veteran after veteran come in to play quarterback that were all incapable of leading the team. Besides the mental and physical requirements of playing the position, the most immeasurable attribute is: Are you a leader of men? Mayfield absolutely is.

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Of course, there were reasons outside of Mayfield’s control that attributed to his poor play. The receivers, all three of them, were not making plays and dropping passes. The  offensive line, the right tackle, in particular, did not pass block well. Todd Haley’s play calling was also consistently putting Mayfield and the offense behind the sticks.

On top of those factors, Mayfield sprained his ankle in the first quarter running for the first down. To add insult to injury, he was just short on the play.

After Mayfield tweaked his ankle he was visibly hampered, but he stayed in the game and fought. He could have easily folded, but that is not in his nature.

At his core, Mayfield is a competitor. His performance did not translate into a win, but it did add to his checklist. Learning to play hurt is something he had to go through. Let’s hope it’s not a recurring theme.

Playing a rookie quarterback is a risky proposition. Inconsistent play is to be expected, but what can’t be inconsistent is his mentality.

Mayfield’s mettle will be tested many times this season, and how he handles himself when everything is against him will shape the quarterback he is going to become. I like his chances.