Browns: 3 good and 3 bad things from the Bengals rematch

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CINCINNATI, OHIO – OCTOBER 25: Harrison Bryant #88 of the Cleveland Browns scores a touchdown in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals during the third quarter at Paul Brown Stadium on October 25, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

The Good

Baker Mayfield

After a brutal 1st quarter, Baker Mayfield did not miss another pass the rest of the game. Yes, technically he did when he spiked the ball on the second to last play, but that shouldn’t count. Mayfield completed 21 straight passes, setting a new franchise record for most consecutive completions. Mayfield also tossed 292 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. Not a bad day considering so many people bought the weak-Colin Cowherd-argument that the Browns were winning in spite of Mayfield, not because of him. Let’s be clear, Mayfield single handily won the Bengals rematch for the Browns. It’s time to sit down and stop clamoring about Mayfield not being “good enough”. He clearly is. He might not turn into Peyton Manning, but if that’s the bar you need to clear for a franchise quarterback, you’ll always be looking.

Mayfield is now tied for 6th in the NFL in touchdown passes.

The Step Up Crew

That’s what the trio of Harrison Bryant, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Rashard Higgins will be dubbed going forward, especially if they keep playing this way later in the season. Truthfully, Higgins and Bryant’s big day wasn’t surprising but the arrival of Peoples-Jones was. Peoples-Jones looked lost and made some boneheaded plays early on in the season, but his ability to catch a picture-perfect pass from Mayfield in the final seconds of the game will live on as one of the most iconic images from this season.

The two stars on defense

Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward did their jobs and earned their paychecks. The rest of the defense looked lost, but Garrett and Ward showed up. The talks of Garrett being a real MVP is pretty far fetched but against a bad Bengals offensive line, Garrett did exactly what was expected of him. Garrett had two sacks, two tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, and a QB hit. See how much of a difference it makes when you actually make a play, and not just “pressure”? Ward for his credit had six tackles and three pass deflections, and each play he made was needed because no one stepped up beside these two.

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