Cleveland Browns: Has Baker Mayfield been better than Lamar Jackson in 2020?

It sounds crazy, but Baker Mayfield vs. Lamar is closer than you think

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield had a sensational rookie season, but didn’t improve as many had hoped in his second year. Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens had the opposite start to his career; his rookie campaign wasn’t anything special, but he won MVP in his sophomore season. Heading into 2020, there was a massive divide between the two signal-callers, and the Ravens were once again Super Bowl contenders because of Jackson’s elite play.

Mayfield has been very inconsistent in 2020, but Jackson hasn’t been a whole lot better in that department. His Ravens are 6-2, but there was always going to be some sort of regression for Jackson, and we are seeing that happen now. Last season, insinuating that Mayfield and Jackson were even close to each other would have been met with pitchforks and torches. But now, it’s a different story.

The old eye test isn’t good enough, so we’ll be comparing the two QBs in a variety of ways; basic and advanced stats, Pro Football Focus passing grades, the competition faced, and we’ll be factoring in the scheme played in as well as coaching and continuity. Right now, the Ravens likely wouldn’t trade Jackson for any player in the league, save maybe Patrick Mahomes. They fully committed to reshaping their offense to best fit his skillset, and given that he is now 25-5 as a starter in the regular season, that commitment has paid off. Mayfield has had almost the exact opposite experience, but that will be addressed later on.