Cleveland Browns: 5 Bold predictions in Week 12 vs. Jacksonville

1. Mayfield throws three touchdowns

Quarterback wins are a stat. Unless they don’t jive with the narrative.

When it comes to players such as Lamar Jackson, Joe Flacco, Eli Manning, and many others, the number of wins a team has directly fallen on the quarterback. Why? Because people can use that as fuel to prove they are playing well.

However, when it comes to Baker Mayfield, quarterback wins are laughed off. His 7-3 record this season is being credited to everyone around him. The reason is simple — the narrative is that Mayfield is not a good quarterback. Using the team’s record could prove that theory wrong, so it’s shrugged off.

This isn’t to say 7-3 means Mayfield is perfect. Because he hasn’t been. It also isn’t an advocation for, or against, the whole ‘quarterback wins’ thing. What this can be seen as is a nod to Mayfield for doing his part in the 10-game stretch to lead the Browns to seven wins. No, not every win is because of him, but he’s doing what has been asked and is making some ket third-down plays in the process. He’s also limited the turnovers that have plagued him throughout his career.

Doing this has been key for the Browns’ success, especially during this stretch of nasty weather in Cleveland. Fans should be encouraged by this, as he has shown growth even if he’s not ready to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns.

With all that being said, we look ahead to Week 12. Mayfield will be on the field against a team that has struggled mightily on defense, which means he could be unleashed more than he has been in recent weeks. That brings us to the final bold prediction, which is that No. 6 torches the Jaguars defense to the tune of three touchdowns.

The most important thing will be a win, but in the process of securing that win, Mayfield will earn a few more believers.