Cleveland Browns: Studs and Duds from heartbreaking Week 1 loss

Who stood out as studs and duds for the Cleveland Browns in Week 1?

The Cleveland Browns faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, a rematch of the AFC Divisional round matchup in 2020 that saw the Browns narrowly lose. In this rematch, while the Browns held a lead for most of the first half, in the end, they squandered their lead and let the defending AFC Champions off the hook with a 33-29 come from behind victory.

During the game, there were many ups and downs for the team. While there are rarely moral victories in the NFL, the Browns still proved why many are calling them a Super Bowl contender this season.

With that being said, here are the players whose play stood out on Sunday afternoon, and those whose play is more likely to blame for this loss.

Cleveland Browns Stud: Baker Mayfield

On Sunday afternoon, Baker Mayfield picked up exactly where he left off in 2020, where he played incredibly efficiently during the second half of the season. Mayfield led the Browns to scores on each of their first three drives and finished the game completing 21 of his 28 pass attempts for 321 yards.

Mayfield didn’t find the end zone, but time and time again found players in space, connecting several times with rookie wide receiver Anthony Schwartz and tight end David Njoku to open up the offense. His great play throughout the game set up chances for running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt to execute and made himself look every bit the first overall selection that he was a few years ago.

While Mayfield did have the one huge mistake that ended any chances of the Browns completing a fourth-quarter comeback, throwing an interception while being dragged to the ground and just trying to throw the ball away, he played an overall exceptional game. It’s clear that his understanding of the offense has improved even more during the offseason, and that means big things for the Browns and all of their faithful fans.