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Baker Mayfield threw four touchdown passes in Cleveland's win over the Bengals on Sunday. He's now nine against a single interception in three games since Hue Jackson was sacked from his Browns head coaching position. (Frank Victores / AP)
The Cleveland Browns will pick a new coach at the end of the season, but a new coach has to pick them first. There are only 32 NFL head coach positions, so every time a position is opened, it will be a must-see. Even with limited availability, as Brown knows from extensive recent experience, there is a certain degree of attractiveness. The Browns will be far from the only team to hire a new coach and, to be able to choose, a franchise in the misery on the ground will have to sell to his favorite candidate.
The Browns only need to start with rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield following the expulsion of former coach Hue Jackson. Mayfield, the first overall pick last spring, had highs (breaking the Browns' no-win streak in his first appearance) and lows (20 sacks, six interceptions vs. 78.9) in the six games he played under Jackson's orders. Since the three matches since, Mayfield has revealed the full extent of its sparkling potential and has made Cleveland – no, really, Cleveland – a destination of choice for coaches.
"We still have the same players," said Mayfield at a post-game press conference. "We just had to play better. You can play your own role. We have people we believe in calling games now. "
[Baker Mayfield and the Browns give Hue Jackson a frosty reception in win over Bengals]
In his last three games, which followed the dismissal of Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley and the restart by Freddie Kitchens, Mayfield has completed 73.9% of his passes for 771 yards and nine touchdowns, while making only a few. interception and taking only two bags. . The Chiefs, Falcons and Bengals, opponents of Cleveland in these three games, are among the most generous defenses of the league. Nevertheless, Mayfield proved that he was not only capable, but that he was a potential star at the most critical position of the sport.
Nothing can be concluded from a sample of three games, but three games can be the fairest and most eloquent measure of Mayfield's fledgling career in the NFL. Mayfield survived a circus during the first half of the season, as much as he was running in an NFL offense.
After Sunday's win, Mayfield joined the midfielder and met Jackson, who joined the Cincinnati team as a defensive coach. Jackson should have known the strengths and weaknesses of the Browns better than anyone, but his defensive contribution did not help Cincinnati; Mayfield threw four touchdowns. When Jackson attempted to kiss his old quarter, Mayfield offered only a superficial handshake.
"He said good job, good game," said Mayfield. "It was brief. I did not want to talk. "
Pressed further, Mayfield specified that it was he who had allowed the shortest possible exchange.
"He left Cleveland and went to Cincinnati," said Mayfield. "It's someone who was in our locker room, asking us to play for him, then who goes to a team we play twice a year. Everyone can react, but that's what I feel.
Mayfield had reason to prefer to stay distant. Jackson and Haley quarreled all season, engaging in a power struggle over who called the plays, who was credited and who was charged. It was a disturbing incubator of Mayfield's talent and threatened to delay his development. Early signs under interim coach Gregg Williams – a long-time defensive coach who himself has little experience helping Mayfield play in today's game – indicate Mayfield is out of action. malfunction without this staining.
For potential coaches, this should make Cleveland an attractive job, perhaps the most attractive available. The chance to work with Mayfield, a unique talent with a moxie to spare and a modern offensive spirit, would be attractive on its own.
[NFL defenses need to make their own big plays]
The Browns also have a pair of defensive building blocks in defensive end Myles Garrett and cornerback Denzel Ward, respectively first and fourth overall in the last two selections. Rookie Nick Chubb will be in the middle and sensational middle distance. Jarvis Landry is a Pro Bowler who will perfectly compliment another star on the outside. The talent of the Browns, especially in defense, is legitimate.
If the list was the only consideration, Cleveland would probably be the most attractive destination for any potentially available head coaching position. The Packers would be another obvious competitor if Mike McCarthy did not survive in Green Bay. The coaches were crawling through hot embers for the chance to coach Aaron Rodgers. But the Browns probably have a better overall talent, and Mayfield is a rookie while Rodgers is in his mid-thirties.
But the Packers are one of the franchises of the jewels of the league, a model despite their small market. The work of the Browns loses its luster when the attention turns away from the field. Owner Jimmy Haslam oversaw only turnover, chaos and losses during his six years at the helm. At any time, you need an almanac to determine who is leading the football operation. John Dorsey, the executive who built much of the Chiefs' lineup against the Super Bowl before losing his job and coming to the Browns, could help stabilize the front office.
Browns will need to assure candidates that they can competently manage an organization. But there should not be a lot of selling to do. The first thing every coach needs is a quarterback, and Cleveland has one. The Browns do not need their next coach to rely on an unknown future. The proof now, in the form of Baker Mayfield.
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