BEREA, Ohio -- Rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield has never been one to hide his emotions or temper excitement after having success on the football field, and that exuberance has remained with him since he joined the Cleveland Browns through the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
During last Thursday’s 20-10 win over the New York Giants in the 2018 preseason opener at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Mayfield was seen saying, ‘This is fun, not gonna lie,’ and the first-year signal-caller explained his words prior to Tuesday’s practice.
“It’s a dream job,” Mayfield said. “Yeah, I’m working hard, but it’s a dream job for me.
“It’s something I’ve dreamt of for a long time, so when you go out there and you have a chance to do it, why not make the most of it? Why not put everything you have into it? When you have some success, football’s hard, so you better enjoy it. It doesn’t come easy. It’s a lot of work, so you’ve got to be able to enjoy it with the guys.”
There was plenty to be excited about during that preseason win over the Giants. In his NFL preseason debut, Mayfield found the mark with 11 of his 20 attempts, including seven of his last nine throws, for 212 yards and two scores.
With the Browns facing a second-and-goal from the Giants’ 10-yard line, Mayfield fired a pass to the back of the end zone, where despite heavy coverage from New York’s secondary, second-year tight end David Njoku pulled in the pass for the touchdown.
Njoku’s second receiving touchdown of the game gave the Browns a 13-3 lead over the Giants with 6:43 to play in the first half.
Before throwing the touchdown, Mayfield twice earned the Browns a new set of downs with his mobility, as he rushed for a six-yard gain on third-and-six from the New York 27-yard line, and then, scampered for five yards on fourth-and-two from the Giants’ 13.
Then, early in the fourth quarter, wide receiver Antonio Callaway caught a pass from Mayfield after running a slant route from the right side of the formation to the middle of the field and hustled past the Giants’ secondary on the way to a 54-yard touchdown.
Callaway’s scoring play gave the Browns a 20-10 lead over the Giants with 13:37 to play in regulation.
“I’ve always had kind of a one-day-at-a-time mindset, but for me, yeah, I do have that sense of urgency to get better,” Mayfield said. “Every opportunity I can get, I need to seize that day, so for me, it’s about taking it one day at a time, making sure I’m getting better every day.”
That dream has a chance to get a little sweeter on Friday, even though the Browns are still in the preseason, as Mayfield will take his first snaps in front of the Cleveland fans at FirstEnergy Stadium.
“This is a football town when it comes down to it, so it’s going to be exciting,” Mayfield said. “I can’t exactly put a picture on it, what it’s going to be like playing out there at home for the first time, but I’d say it’s pretty exciting.”
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