Colin Cowherd claims Browns will move on from Baker Mayfield with loss to Titans

Baker Mayfield still living rent-free in Colin Cowherd’s head

The Cleveland Browns are 8-3 and in control of the AFC’s first wildcard playoff spot, so naturally, Colin Cowherd has to get his name into the Browns news cycle somehow. This time, he’s claiming that the team will move on from quarterback Baker Mayfield if the third-year signal-caller struggles this week against the Tennessee Titans.

Did Cowherd offer any proof for his statement? Of course not. His reasoning is that since the Browns have been destroyed by the Baltimore Ravens (first game of the Stefanski era coming off the pandemic offseason and facing the best Week 1 team in the league) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (Mayfield played with bruised and ribs and without Wyatt Teller against a devastating pass rush) and were “manhandled” (which is accurate) by the Las Vegas Raiders, Mayfield is not a franchise quarterback.

It’s a non-sequitur, but there is some merit to his premise. The Browns did not show up against the Ravens and Steelers, and were dominated in the trenches by Las Vegas. They have benefitted from one of the easiest schedules in the NFL. But apparently, it’s a bad thing to beat the teams you’re supposed to beat. If Cleveland beats the New York Giants and Jets but loses in miserable fashion to Tennessee, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh over these next five games, then the only “good” team they’ll have beaten is the Indianapolis Colts, and can be labeled a “fake” playoff team, or one that has no shot at advancing.

He goes on to say that Mayfield should have a good game judging by Tennessee’s defensive rankings and injuries. He’s not wrong here; the Titans have one of the NFL’s worst pass rushes and will be without Jadeveon Clowney. Star defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons, one of the league’s best, is listed as questionable. The Browns should be able to score points this weekend, and they’ll need to, as Tennessee’s offense is a horrendous matchup for the Cleveland defense, especially without Denzel Ward and Ronnie Harrison.

Cowherd seems to think that despite the Browns record, Mayfield is playing poorly, which is simply not the case. Cowherd has apparently not been watching Mayfield over the past five games, in which he’s been very good. Yes, he’s missed some easy throws, which is unacceptable. But he’s also made a high number of big-time throws, and perhaps most importantly, is keeping the ball out of harm’s way; he’s gone 123 attempts without an interception, which is the second-longest active streak in the league.

The idea that the Browns of all teams, with an 8-3 record and a clear path to the playoffs, would give their former first overall pick a one-game ultimatum when he is under control for at least three more seasons is just asinine. The Browns very well could feel that Mayfield is not the guy moving forward, but they certainly wouldn’t base that off of just one game. Imagine if the Cleveland Indians judged Shane Bieber off his lone playoff start this past season. Smart organizations don’t make rash decisions off small sample sizes, and the Browns, yes, the Browns, are a smart organization now.

Cowherd ends his segment on Mayfield by telling the QB to “shut him up”. Mayfield can do just that by leading Cleveland to an upset victory this weekend against the 2019 AFC runner-ups and heading into a Monday Night showdown with the Ravens.