1. Baker Mayfield, QB
Think Baker Mayfield gives a rip the Cleveland Browns have won just one season opener since 1999. Nope. Baker only moves in one direction, and that’s forward and what Charlie Frye did 12 years isn’t on the former Heisman winner’s radar.
So why’s it important for Mayfield to play well? If he does, the Browns likely win. Quarterback and coaching. That’s what wins in the NFL. It’s not rocket science, it’s football.
Mayfield does have some intrigue in this game as his most extended period of playing time during the preseason left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.
Against the Buccaneers, Mayfield was unusually inaccurate. Some of that had to do with dropped passes. A lot of it had to do with poor offensive line play.
The line, in particularly, must be strong up the middle for a quarterback like Mayfield, who at 6-foot-1, can’t see over the line as a taller quarterback wood. This isn’t a huge concern as Mayfield proved last year his height isn’t an issue.
That said, I’d like our quarterback to be able to step up and make a throw without getting drilled.
If the Browns are going to win Week 1 since the first time since 2004 when Jeff Garcia was taking snaps, Mayfield is going to have to play well. If his line continuously fails him, it’s hard to see the Browns ending the streak.