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Baker Mayfield and overreaction are par for the course

By John Suchan

Cleveland Browns. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland Browns. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Cleveland Browns Baker Mayfield
CLEVELAND, OH – SEPTEMBER 20: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after making a catch on a two-point conversion attempt during the third quarter against the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 20, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Baker Mayfield: A historical review can make things clearer

Before Baker Mayfield started as the Browns quarterback in 2018, in the previous 50 games, the Browns were 4-45-1. With Mayfield, the Browns are now 26-23. Many younger Browns fans have never seen a winning team until last season when they went 11-5 in the regular season. Before last year’s great run, it had been 1994 when the Browns got off to a 6-1 start and finished 11-5 only to lose in the playoffs.

Over the past 20 years, Cleveland has been soul-searching for a starting quarterback. A quarterback that would be that consistent franchise-changing successful player. Finding the right one out of the previous 30 other quarterbacks that walked through those doors as a Browns starting quarterback was quite the challenge for this organization. Some will stop here and suggest we are still searching.

The organization isn’t looking any longer and maybe it’s time for you to stop the search as well. Can you not appreciate the stability that Mayfield has brought to the Browns?

One of my favorite Browns of the past was quarterback Brian Sipe.

I like studying statistics and so I wanted to compare Sipe’s career to Mayfield’s current path with the Browns. Sipe was with the Browns for about a decade. The Browns had several decent seasons under Sipe, with the 1980 season being the best at an 11-5 record. That season Sipe threw for over 4,000 yards, completed 61 percent of his passes, and had a 91 QB Rating.

In Mayfield’s last season, he finished with a bit over 3,500 yards thrown and a QB rating of 93. Mayfield has a QB rating of 96 and a completion percentage of 63 for his career.

Sipe finished his career with only a completion percentage of 57. The Browns only went to the playoffs once (1980) in Sipe’s decade-long run with the Browns. But they had five winning seasons of the eight that Sipe was the starter. Currently, Mayfield’s completion rate is at 62 percent and the Browns made the playoffs in only Mayfield’s third season.

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