A Memorial Day weekend look at how far the Cleveland Browns have come

2018: 7-8-1

With the first pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, Dorsey picked quarterback, Baker Mayfield from the University of Oklahoma. I could not have disagreed more with the pick, as I was all aboard the Sam Darnold train. I could not have been more wrong about that one.

Dorsey picked Mayfield, Denzel Ward, and Nick Chubb in this draft, three players who are a major piece of the current team.

The season started stale with a tie to the Steelers and blowing a lead to the Saints. In both games that starting quarterback, Tyrod Taylor should have won. The games were close, but fans were getting anxious.

Finally, on a Thursday Night game against the New York Jets, Mayfield replaced the injured Taylor and brought the Browns back for their first regular-season win since week 16 of the 2106 season.  The team was only 1-1-1, but man the city was excited and thought they had their savior in Mayfield.

There was plenty of coaching drama as offensive coordinator Todd Haley was fired early in the season, and then Jackson was fired halfway through the year, leaving defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams as the head coach. Running backs coach, Freddie Kitchens was left as the offensive coordinator.

The Browns were extremely competitive all year, and up until the final week of the season had an outside chance at the playoffs. Mayfield was leading the team down the field for a game-winning drive vs. the Ravens in Week 17 when he threw an interception.

Fans didn’t know it at the time, but the tie and loss in the first two weeks of the season ended up being a huge deal. Not to mention the overtime loss to the Raiders on a call that keeps me up at night to this day. The real fans will remember the non-fumble, ruled a fumble that allowed the game to go to overtime.

The season didn’t end as fans wanted, but there was a ton of excitement headed to 2019.