Expectations are high for Baker Mayfield; can he deliver?

Baker Mayfield enters the 2021 NFL Season with huge expectations on his shoulders but can the Cleveland Browns quarterback deliver?

A year ago, some, including myself, were questioning Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield’s upcoming season and whether it would be “boom or bust” for the young potential franchise quarterback of the Browns. Mayfield had shown flashes of greatness in his previous two seasons, but could that greatness be more consistent?

We found our answer this past year, as Mayfield had a great season and helped lead the Browns into the NFL playoffs for the first time in over eighteen seasons.

I had my doubts though, a year ago, but I also saw a quarterback, despite, the coaching circus and upheaval of a dreadful previous season, that was on the cusp of being the long-term answer to the Browns quarterback woes of the past.

The numbers weren’t great a year ago, especially in the touchdown to interception ratio, but we were watching a young player grow more every game by literally playing in more games. We hadn’t had a quarterback in recent memory, that had played two consecutive seasons. That, in itself, was a major accomplishment.

But then the Browns brought in a new, inexperienced head coach in Kevin Stefanski and you recognized immediately that our young quarterback would have to learn a whole new playbook and perspective on the game from a new coaching staff and that only enhanced the shadow of doubt on Mayfield’s “boom or bust” season ahead.

And yet, in the end, all those question marks were answered, and we now know we have our guy.

But with that, come a whole new set of high expectations placed on Mayfield and his team to go even further into the playoffs and a run at the Super Bowl after what we all just witnessed as fans.

Are those expectations too high, considering that we are only a year removed from that dysfunctional team of 2019? That team had many of the same players, especially on the offensive side of the ball that this year’s team has.