Baker Mayfield Will Be The Cleveland Browns' Starting Quarterback, No Matter What Hue Jackson Said

Baker Mayfield won the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback job Thursday night. It doesn’t matter what head coach Hue Jackson said following the team’s 21-17 victory over the New York Jets.

From the moment that Mayfield took the field for the first time in his NFL career, it became evident that the rookie would become Cleveland’s No.1 signal caller for the remainder of the 2018 season. Jackson probably came to that realization even before Tyrod Taylor was forced to leave the game late in the second quarter with a concussion.

“Obviously, I like to watch the tape,” Jackson told reporters after the game when asked if Mayfield is now the team's starting quarterback. “Baker did some great things. We do not play until next Sunday. We have some days. Let’s not get into those debates tonight. Obviously, what he did tonight was outstanding for the football team and his teammates and just the way he competed. I have to watch the tape, and we will go from there.”

Jackson saw the same game that everyone else did. He likely wanted a chance to speak with Taylor first before making an official announcement that the veteran had lost his job, especially since he had just suffered an injury.

Taylor was awful in the first 29 minutes of Thursday’s contest, completing four of 14 passes for 19 yards. He was sacked three times, holding onto the ball for too long at times and missing open receivers. Taylor’s ineffectiveness allowed the Jets to jump out to a 14-0 lead, and New York likely would’ve cruised to a win if a quarterback change wasn’t made.

The entire complexion of the game was altered when Mayfield went under center with less than two minutes remaining in the first half. The No.1 overall pick led a 39-yard drive that allowed Cleveland to get on the board with a field goal. The Browns scored on three of their four second-half drives before running the ball three straight plays to kill time in the final 90 seconds of regulation.

Mayfield was responsible for Cleveland’s first win in 635 days. He went 17-23 for 201 yards and a 100.1 passer rating, performing better than his numbers indicated because of a few dropped passes. The Heisman Trophy winner showed why the Browns picked him over four other quarterbacks that would be drafted in the first round. There’s no doubt he’ll get the start when Cleveland visits the Oakland Raiders next week.

“That is why we drafted him. We drafted him for that reason. He has that magnetism. He has it. He is still a young player. He has a lot of work to do. He has got to keep working. Tonight is his night,” Jackson said. “Baker did some good things tonight. He truly did.”

Cleveland went 0-1-1 in their first two games with Taylor as the quarterback. He now has the worst passer rating of any AFC quarterback that started in both Week 1 and Week 2.

Bovada.lv gives Mayfield 1/100 odds to start in Oakland. Taylor has 50/1 odds to keep his job.