Baker Mayfield had an opportunity to showcase his preparedness when Tyrod Taylor left Thursday night’s preseason game in the first quarter with an injury, and the rookie failed to capitalize on it. He proved with his postgame comments that he is well aware of that.
Mayfield got an unexpected chance to play with the first-team offense, and his three series ended with two punts and an interception. One of the drives resulted in a total of -1 yards and a field goal attempt after Cleveland recovered a fumble.
“Not my best game by any means,” Mayfield told reporters, per Steve Doerschuk of the Akron Beacon Journal. “Disappointed in myself. … I got in there with the first team and — I’ve got to get the ball out quicker.”
Mayfield said the Eagles played off for much of the game and tried to force the Browns to throw underneath, and he was critical of himself for not taking advantage of those opportunities. He took a big hit on his interception and wanted to go back in, but he said the coaches and trainers decided against it.
Jackson has maintained throughout the offseason that Mayfield is not ready to start at the NFL level, and you have to wonder if the way DeShone Kizer performed last year soured the coach on starting rookie quarterbacks. Either way, Mayfield helped prove on Thursday why the Browns are fully committed to Taylor in Week 1.
