Browns' Baker Mayfield: Much smoother in Week 2 win

Mayfield completed 16 of 23 passes for 219 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the Browns' 35-30 win over the Bengals on Thursday. He also rushed three times for six yards.

After a fairly dismal season-opening performance in a thorny matchup against the Ravens, Mayfield was set up nicely for a bounce-back effort in Week 2, considering the significant step down in competition. The oft-maligned quarterback mostly maximized his favorable circumstances, helping the Browns jump out to a 14-3 lead via a 43-yard touchdown connection with Odell Beckham. Mayfield subsequently capped off another second-quarter scoring drive with a six-yard toss to Kareem Hunt, and although he did throw an early fourth-quarter interception, it came on a deep downfield pass into Bengals territory. The numbers Thursday weren't markedly different for Mayfield than his 189-yard, one-touchdown, one-interception performance against Baltimore, but the fact he went 7-for-9 when targeting his top duo of Beckham and Jarvis Landry offers reason for optimism. Mayfield will look to keep his momentum going in a Week 3 home date against the Washington Football Team on Sunday, Sept. 27.