NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Sunday was absolutely huge for the Cleveland Browns. They secured their first winning season since 2007, Baker Mayfield made franchise history with a monster first half and the Browns finally recorded their first, real statement win of 2020 with a 41-35 victory over the Tennessee Titans.
Absolutely everything went right in the first half for Cleveland. The Browns outscored the Titans 38-7, and Mayfield completed 20 of 25 passes for 290 yards and four touchdowns, which made him the first Browns quarterback since Otto Graham in 1951 to throw four touchdowns in the first half of a game. Something Mayfield was seemingly more proud of, however, was the six-yard, toe-tap reception he caught on third down to extend the Browns' second drive of the game.
"Every morning, I wake up and toe-tap and get out of bed before I get into the bathroom," Mayfield said when asked how much he works on sideline catches. "Before I brush my teeth, I toe-tap."
Mayfield completed 25 of 33 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns in the game, but despite his incredible performance and the fact that he had just improved the Browns to 9-3 with a dominant win over another AFC contender, he didn't tell reporters that he "woke up feeling dangerous," or chastise the media for having the wrong idea about his team. In fact, he wouldn't even say the Browns were one of the elite teams in the AFC just yet.
"I have not watched everybody else to know what the complete team is," said Mayfield. "We are just trying to improve week in and week out. That is all we are worried about."
The Browns came into this matchup boasting the No. 1 rushing offense in the league, but Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt combined for just 113 rushing yards and one touchdown. This Sunday was about Mayfield and his ability as a passer. While his performances this season have been marred by inconsistencies, Week 13 was different. His play-action fakes had broadcast cameras and reporters in attendance confused where the ball was, and he was patient in the pocket and deliberate with his decision-making. All four of his touchdown passes went to different players, and the offense under his guidance could virtually score at will.
It was a wild Sunday in Week 13 and there's a lot to go over. Will Brinson and the Pick Six Podcast Superfriends break down every game; listen below and be sure to subscribe for daily NFL goodness.
Mayfield's performance today paired with what we already know about Chubb and Hunt probably has fans excited for what this team could potentially accomplish in the playoffs this year. But when asked if he had a sense for how Browns fans are feeling after this huge win, Mayfield responded saying that he hopes they aren't close to satisfied just yet.
"I would hope they would feel exactly how I do. We are going to be happy about this win until we wake up tomorrow, and then we are on to the next," said Mayfield. "This is not the end of the season. This is not what we set out to do. We did not set out to be 9-3. There is a lot of ball left, and we hope that way so job is not finished."
Cleveland's victory over Tennessee was a statement win in the sense that the Browns proved they are capable of offensive explosions that come in ways other than the ground game. Jarvis Landry caught his second touchdown pass in as many weeks, rookie wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones flashed his potential as a home-run hitter and Rashard Higgins served as a consistent and reliable target for Mayfield. Yes, there is still football left to be played, but the Browns proved on Sunday that maybe we should be taking them just a little more seriously.
