Baker Mayfield’s stats were good. But perhaps the most important thing the Browns quarterback did in his debut won’t show up in a box score.
The No. 1 overall pick played well, for sure. But the 54-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Callaway in the second half might not have been possible without Mayfield getting his fellow rookie back on track.
Callaway, as you might have heard, has had a rough week. He was cited for an expired license and possession of a small amount of marijuana, which he said wasn’t his. His bosses scolded him (after promoting him to the starting lineup). Then he started the first half poorly, with two passes bouncing off his fingertips and dropping another.
Mayfield stayed in his ear, and in the second half Callaway caught three of his four targets for 87 yards, including the highlight-reel touchdown.
“I just kept telling him ‘fight through it, just keep going, keep pushing through it’ because I needed him,’' Mayfield said of Callaway, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “When you’re tired you’ve got to be able to focus. He’s a guy that we’re going to be counting on to play and so third and fourth quarter he’s got to be able to run those routes and execute it and make adjustments on the fly.’'
That’s the kind of steadying influence teams need at quarterback, and a strong indicator for Mayfield’s future. He went 11-of-20 for 212 yards and two touchdowns, posting a 125.4 rating in seven possessions.
“I’m not surprised by anything Baker does because I see him do it on the practice field,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said. “Obviously, the throws he makes, the poise he has, he demonstrated all of that in college so I’m not surprised by it. Again, this is his first opportunity and he will grow from it. There are things he will learn from and continue to get better at, but it was a good start for him.’'
The Browns are steadfast that Tyrod Taylor’s their starting quarterback for now. But they took Mayfield first overall for a reason, and the signs he showed in the first game indicate they got that decision right for a change.