Baker Mayfield's Debut Sees Cleveland Browns Finally Win, Social Media Reacts

An impressive debut performance from Baker Mayfield saw the Cleveland Browns finally end a torrid run of 19 winless games Thursday night at the FirstEnergy Stadium.

The Browns were trailing the New York Jets 14-0 in the first half before Mayfield came on for the injured Tyrod Taylor and sparked a comeback. The 2018 No. 1 draft pick shredded the Jets defense with four scoring drives and it was his pass that found wide receiver Jarvis Landry which ultimately set up Carlos Hyde's game-winning touchdown.

Mayfield eventually ended the game with 17 of 23 passes for 201 yards as the Browns won 21-17 and were victorious for the first time since December 2016, ending the second-longest winless run by any team since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970.

Social media, especially all those connected to Cleveland — LeBron James, for example — promptly reacted to both the win and Mayfield's performance.

Some Browns fans were also treated to some free beer. Bud Light promised to open a special fridge of celebratory beers whenever the Browns would get their first win of the season. The chains were finally opened Thursday night.

Despite Mayfield's heroics, however, head coach Hue Jackson is not ready to name him as a starter for the next game against Oakland Raiders.

"I’m going to watch the tape and make the right decision, the best decision for the organization and for our football team moving forward," Jackson was quoted as saying. "That’s my job, that’s what I’ll do."

While many are wondering whether the Browns could have been 3-0 instead of 1-1-1 had Mayfield started all their games, there could be two reasons why Jackson made those comments as Larry Brown Sports speculated.

For one, Taylor suffered a concussion that saw him get taken off for Mayfield. Having started the season as the quarterback, it would not have been ideal for him to hear he's lost his place while recovering from a serious head injury.

In addition, it is possible Jackson doesn't have all the power when it comes to his decisions. Browns GM John Dorsey traded for Taylor before the Cleveland side drafted Mayfield with the hope of allowing the 23-year-old to slowly be bedded into the team with no pressure while Taylor took over starting duties.

Regardless, it will be hard to keep Mayfield out of the starting lineup even when Taylor is ready to return to action.