In surprise twist, Baker Mayfield faces Sam Darnold, and No. 1 pick wins Round 1
Sam Darnold looks to pass against the Browns Thursday night. Credit: Getty Images/Joe Robbins
CLEVELAND — It turned into Sam Darnold vs. Baker Mayfield after all.
Even if that’s not the way it was supposed to be.
In the end, it was Mayfield who electrified a Browns team that hadn’t won a game in the last 635 days, leading Cleveland to a 21-17 comeback win Thursday night before a raucous crowd at FirstEnergy Stadium.
The Browns had hoped to bring along Mayfield slowly, allowing him to learn behind veteran starter Tyrod Taylor. But after Taylor suffered a concussion late in the second quarter, Mayfield walked onto the field to a tremendous ovation from Browns fans starved for a winning quarterback.
The Browns went with Oklahoma’s Mayfield over Darnold, the renowned USC quarterback, with the first pick of the draft last April, giving the Jets a shot at Darnold at No. 3. Darnold earned the starting job in training camp. Mayfield never had a shot at unseating Taylor.
Until now.
And if things play out the way the Jets and Browns hope, this could be a years-long rivalry between this year’s top two rookie quarterbacks.
For Darnold, this was the third game in an 11-day stretch to start the season, a daunting challenge for any quarterback, no less a 21-year-old who became the youngest rookie quarterback to start on opening day since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
It was an up-and-down first two games for Darnold, who played brilliantly at times after starting off with an interception returned for touchdown in a 48-17 drubbing of the Lions in the Monday night opener. He was decidedly less impressive in last Sunday’s 20-12 loss to the Dolphins with two interceptions, and there were more mixed results against the Browns.
Cleveland’s high-pressure defensive scheme gave Darnold and the Jets’ offensive line problems through much of the game, and Darnold didn’t have the time to set his feet in the pocket on many of his throws. He was just 5-for-12 for 45 yards and no touchdowns in the first half. On the positive side, he didn’t have any interceptions, although one of his passes should have been picked off by linebacker Joe Schobert.
“I’ve just got to play better," Darnold said. "That’s on me. Not acceptable the way I played. Take it like a man. I feel responsible for the stagnant offense. Have to continue to find completions.”
He added: “I know Baker’s a great player. They rallied around him. At the same time, I have to do better.”
It was a special teams play that gave the Jets their first scoring opportunity, as Britton Colquitt’s punt was blocked by Kevin Pierre-Louis to give the Jets the ball at the Browns’ 28. The Jets scored five plays later, as Isaiah Crowell scored on a seven-yard run around left end to make it 7-0.
They went up 14-0 on their next series, with Darnold completing a short pass to Quincy Enunwa, who turned it into a 16-yard gain to Cleveland’s 11. Crowell ran three times from there and scored on a two-yard run.
Taylor had been ineffective before getting hurt, going 4-for-14 for just 19 yards and being sacked three times. Even if he hadn’t gotten hurt, it felt like Mayfield might get a chance just to spark the offense.
He did just that on his first drive, completing three passes to help the Browns get on the board with a 45-yard field goal just before halftime.
The Browns got to within a score, 14-6, with 5:21 left in the third quarter, and Mayfield then drove the Browns to a touchdown with some superb play on a seven-play, 69-yard drive to get the Browns even.
But Darnold put the Jets into the lead again, 17-14, driving them 65 yards in 12 plays in 6:46. 28-yard field goal by Jason Myers with 8:56 to play in the fourth quarter.
And Mayfield came right back with another impressive drive, leading the Browns on a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive by shredding an increasingly tired Jets’ defense. Carlos Hyde finished off the drive with a one-yard run to give Cleveland its first lead of the game, 21-17, with 2:04 to play.
By the end, Darnold had failed the Jets. After a clutch fourth-down completion to Jermaine Kearse, he panicked and tried to force a pass to Kearse that was intercepted by Schobert and doused the Jets’ final hopes. Darnold had one more chance in the final minute, but couldn't get it done after taking over from his own 6 in the final minute. His final pass of the night was intercepted by Terrance Mitchell on a desperation heave to Robbie Anderson.
Game over.
Advantage Mayfield.
Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”
