Cleveland Browns: 3 key matchups for Week 7

1. Baker vs Burrow

While it’s true that neither of these players will be on the field at the same time, until the final whistle, it’s undeniable that Baker Mayfield and Joe Burrow will be engaged in a head to head matchup this Sunday.

From a standpoint of accolades, Mayfield and Burrow share numerous distinctions. Both are Heisman Trophy winners, both were selected with the first overall pick of their respective drafts, and both quarterback intrastate rivals in the same division. The two will always be compared to one another for as long as they are in direct competition.

Burrow does have the perception advantage of being the shiny new toy, just as Mayfield was during his rookie campaign. Even though Burrow has a formidable group of skill players surrounding him, the rookie is not being tasked with winning right now. That is what separates him from Mayfield.

Winning alone is not enough for Mayfield. The third-year quarterback is not only being judged by his ability to stack wins, but also his ability for being the reason for Cleveland’s success. It’s a tough situation, even before his current rib injury, because the offense he operates in does not lend itself to gaudy stats for the quarterback.

In the fantasy football world, we are currently living in, Mayfield will be viewed as not doing enough to justify where he was drafted. However, his success should not be measured by statistics compiled, but instead by consistency and efficiency. But even by those metrics Mayfield has come up short in the last six quarters he has played.

But the NFL, as it always has been, is a bottom-line business and to the winner goes the spoils. Thus, the quarterback that wins this game also wins this matchup, regardless of stats.