Baker Mayfield leads Browns to first win since 2016 in NFL debut

CLEVELAND – Thursday night, football has become a Baker's special for the Cleveland Browns.

Rookie Baker Mayfield entered the NFL at the end of the second quarter and brought the Browns back from a 14-0 deficit to win 21-17, ending a 19-game winless streak. since the 24th of December 2016 635 days.

When Joe Schobert intercepted a Sam Darnold pass with 1:21 left to seal more or less the win, Browns supporters stood up and cheered as if they had won the Super Bowl. When Terrance Mitchell intercepted Darnold with 11 seconds left to seal him completely, Mitchell ran 65 yards to jump into the Dawg Pound at the east end of the FirstEnergy stadium.

First choice of this year's draft, Mayfield entered the game late in the first period after Tyrod Taylor left the game with a concussion. He played 17 passing yards at 17-for-23 and scored a remarkable two-point conversion that tied the game at 14 with 42 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

It was a sweet relief and the end of a long nightmare. Only 10 players from the Browns team were on the team's list the last time they won a match.

Mayfield provided the spark. He followed that two-point conversion by guiding a 75-yard, 75-yard touchdown that ended with a 2:04 lead in the second touchdown of Carlos Hyde. On the way, Mayfield completed 6 of 8 passes for 60 yards, both of which were drops from Browns receivers.

Mayfield did not look like a rookie who had never played. His passes were clear and precise, he quickly got rid of the ball and did not seem confused about his orientation. He was decisive and he frustrated the jets that frustrated Taylor by quickly getting rid of the ball.

Browns' post now belongs to Mayfield, much earlier than planned or considered by the Browns. And he'll have a few more days before what will surely be his first start when the Browns play Oakland on September 30th.

Taylor suffered a difficult match. He finished with four passes of 14 passes for 19 yards and was fired three times as the Jets frequently brought in free rushers. He left the game after being sacked by linebacker Avery Williamson with 2:55 left and was excluded from the concussion at halftime.

The conversion took place after the compensatory penalties gave the Browns a second try after a failure. Mayfield lined up in the slot on the left. Come back Duke Johnson took a direct snap, ran right and pitched to Jarvis Landry, who opened Mayfield in the left side of the end zone to tie the game at 14.