Sooners in the NFL Playoffs: For Mayfield and Browns, future is about 'getting to the Super Bowl'

The Browns' third-year quarterback won over his teammates immediately and soon won over his city, but now he'll focus on taking Cleveland to the next level

It’s no secret that Baker Mayfield entered Cleveland on a mission to turn the franchise around.

Before Mayfield, three things were certain: death, taxes and the Browns losing. Now, they just finished the 2020 season with their first playoff appearance since 2002 and advanced after the wild card round for the first time in 26 years.

The Browns’ fan base made a major adjustment bringing in a quarterback who had already caught a lot of attention during his college days at Oklahoma. From obscene sideline gestures at Kansas to planting the OU flag at Ohio State to a drunken arrest caught on police video in Arkansas, Mayfield had to gain trust in order to lead the franchise.

So, how has Cleveland taken to their bundle of personality?

Pete Smith, editor for the SI network website BrownsDigest.com, gave his insight on how the franchise and fan base have reacted to Mayfield during his three seasons by the lake.

“When Mayfield was brought in, he took the challenge to make it his own,” Smith told SI Sooners. “He actively advocated for the Browns to take him (in the draft) that year. He wanted that challenge. He had no issue with going to, what was at that time, a bad team. He didn’t let any of that bother him and used that to give him an advantage. Through his time at Oklahoma, he’s obviously made it a point to use his underdog status as something he takes pride in.”

There is no questioning Mayfield’s work ethic. He went from being a walk on (twice), to a Heisman winner, to the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft — all while showcasing himself as one of the most entertaining quarterbacks in college football history. When he landed with the Browns, there was no doubt a sudden culture change was coming.

It was as though everyone else had to keep up.

“His teammates have always loved him and admired how hard he works and how dedicated it is,” Smith said. “It’s the extra stuff. Some people endured them. Now he is beloved here. The team didn’t have to adjust to him, the fan base did. I think a lot of people misjudged him for being brash or cocky and never owning any of his failures. Even watching him this year, it seems like he was being cast as finally owning his mistakes. He clocked back at critics, he enjoyed proving people wrong and perhaps, too much for some people’s liking. But when he failed, he was always the first guy to say, ‘It was my fault.’ So from that standpoint, the team loved him instantly.”

In the 2020 season Mayfield had a total of 3,563 passing yards and 26 touchdowns. He led the Browns to an 11-5 regular-season finish, the most wins since 1994. Considering the rusty start and the disruptions in preseason preparation in 2020, this upcoming year will be surrounded by higher expectations.

Expect Mayfield to grow from Sunday’s 22-17 loss to defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs in Kansas City.

“It sucks, to be quite honest with you guys,” Mayfield said after a game that included a handful of razor-thin plays that might have produced a different result if they’d gone the other way. “It sucks because so many people have sacrificed so much during this process and this very strange season and overcome adversity. … It sucks because we believed in it.

“But trying to find the positive out of it, we are setting a new standard here. … We are going to be back. It sucks when you come up short, but you get that taste of it and you realize you learned lessons. For now, it is definitely going to sting.”

It helps to consider the big picture and the perspective around what Mayfield and the Browns did this season.

“The Browns proved to be a contender this year but they were not expected to win the Super Bowl, at least anyone realistic did not expect them to be a real contender,” Smith said. “They needed to get to the playoffs and get some experience. Now they have all kinds of assets and the means to get better this next year and now it becomes how far can it go. I think these next few years, it’s about getting to the Super Bowl. That is the expectation. We have at least gotten to a point where they can be a team that consistently threatens to be in the Super Bowl.”

Here's how the other Sooners did in the Division Round of the NFL Playoffs:

Baltimore Ravens

(17-3 L, Buffalo)

TE Mark Andrews: Played 65 of 78 snaps as a backup on offense. 11 targets, 4 catches, 28 yards.

WR Marquise Brown: Played 68 of 78 snaps as a starter on offense. 7 targets, 4 catches, 87 yards.

OL Orlando Brown: Played all 78 snaps as a starter on offense and 3 snaps on special teams.

OL Ben Powers: Played all 78 snaps as a starter on offense and 3 snaps on special teams.

Buffalo Bills

(17-3 W, Baltimore)

OL Daryl Williams: Played all 57 snaps on offense as a starter and 5 snaps on special

teams.

Cleveland Browns

(22-17 L, Kansas City)

QB Baker Mayfield: Played all 64 snaps as a starter on offense. Completed 23-of-37 passes for 204 yards, 1 touchdown. 3 rushes for 11 yards.

Kansas City Chiefs

(22-17 W, Cleveland)

James Winchester: Played 6 snaps on special teams. Perfect on 6 long snaps.

Los Angeles Rams

(32-18 W, Green Bay)

OL Bobby Evans: Played all 53 snaps as a starter on offense and 2 on special teams.

LB Obo Okoronkwo: Played 8 of 75 snaps as a backup on defense and 6 on special teams.