Cleveland Browns: Studs and duds from dominant win vs. Giants in Week 15
Baker Mayfield leads the Cleveland Browns studs in a huge win over the Giants, but there were some duds.
Though it’s not official, the Cleveland Browns appear destined to make the NFL Playoffs for the first time in what’s been an eternity in the minds of fans. Baker Mayfield and his cohorts went into MetLife Stadium for a Sunday Night Football matchup with the Giants in Week 15 and thoroughly dominated New York from start to finish, picking up the 20-6 victory.
Sunday’s win moves the Browns to 10-4 on the season, their first time reaching double-digit wins since 2007. Moreover, head coach Kevin Stefanski’s team is hitting its stride at the exact right time as they’ve won five of their last six games with the lone loss coming in a shootout last week with the Ravens that could’ve gone either way.
It’s obvious to anyone who chooses not to turn a blind eye to it that the Browns are making a run as the playoffs approach. And to further examine that, let’s take a look at the studs and duds from the crucial win and thorough beatdown of the Giants in Week 15.
Cleveland Browns Stud No. 1: Baker Mayfield, QB
No one is denying that the Browns offense looks to establish the run but, against the Giants, that was taken off the table as Cleveland averaged only 3.5 yards per carry. That meant that quarterback Baker Mayfield was going to have to shoulder the load on offense.
He was more than up to the task. Mayfield played arguably his most impressive game of the season on Sunday Night Football, completing 27-of-32 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns on the night with only one or two throws that you could even call into question. He was decisive, he was precise and he was flat-out good.
Mayfield has been on a tear over the last month since getting out of ultra-windy conditions, throwing 10 touchdowns and only one interception over his last four games while averaging 308 yards per game. He’s looking like a No. 1 overall pick and franchise player — and it’s time people take notice.
Cleveland Browns Dud No. 1: Rushing attack
It was clear from the jump that the Giants were dead-set on stopping the Browns rushing attack. What was mildly alarming, however, is how successful New York was in accomplishing that. Cleveland’s dynamic running back duo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt were largely ineffective in primetime, which forced Mayfield into the starring role on the night.
Chubb carried the ball 15 times and scored but managed only 50 yards on the night, which is a far cry from the roughly six yards per carry he’s averaged for the season. Hunt was even worse, rushing for only 21 yards on seven carries.
More than likely, this was a blip on the radar. And when asked to carry the load, Mayfield delivered. But the fact that New York was able to effectively bottle up the Browns run game is something at least worth noting moving into the postseason.