5 Studs and duds from Cleveland Browns Monday Night Football defeat

Stud: Baker Mayfield, Quarterback

While Baker Mayfield’s third-quarter interception was too much to overcome, that was his only bad decision of the night. Many gunslinger quarterbacks have made the exact same bad decision. They trust their arm strength and accuracy and then a linebacker makes a defensive back type play. While it cost his team greatly, his grit is the only reason they stood a chance at the end.

After a fast start, the offense sputtered. Receivers were locked down in tight coverage and Mayfield was clearly uncomfortable in the pocket and held the ball too long. With missed field goals and poor timing on the clock, Mayfield was asked to do a lot of heavy lifting in the passing game.

Mayfield had a lower completion percentage than you want to see, but he did eclipse 300 yards and led the team to three crucial touchdowns in the second half. Browns fans wanted to see consistency against good opponents, and he has done that in back to back weeks vs. tremendous opponents.

Fans like to jump all over the quarterback during losses, but I’m giving a pass this week as Mayfield played his heart out and once again proved that he just may be the long-term quarterback in a city that has been desperate for quarterback play for 25 plus years.