What a fun game. I knew it would be. I just wanted to do a little comparison because I heard many Browns fans were dogging on the Texans and their quarterback. Baker is a good young quarterback. He was worth the number one pick, in my opinion. He's got a good arm, and is very accurate. He's got the "it" factor tonan extent. He's a great leader. He needs to learn the cerebral part of the game as he's learned to rely too much on his arm talent. That was exposed today, and will be exposed more and more as his career goes on until he learns. He needs to start using his legs more, though. I really like him. Baker does not have the level of "it" factor that Deshaun has, though. Deshaun has an "it" factor akin to a Brady, Peyton, or Rodgers. Deshaun has molded himself into a pocket passer that seems to know exactly when to take off from the pocket. For God's sake, the kid needs to learn to throw the ball away, though. Deshaun has the uncanny ability to improve every week and is a natural leader, much like Baker. Deshaun is a more Houston Texans-type leader though. Baker has a great offensive line, and gets frazzled under a blitz. Deshaun shines when he's blitzed and is an all-pro quarterback with a second team all-district offensive line. Watson is the quarterback that Mayfield should strive to be. He's just better all around than Mayfield. So, for you Browns fans, as a tl/dr: thank you for trading us a pick that enabled us to draft a better quarterback at 12 than you were able to get at 1. Yes, you got a decent quarterback, and I hope these two can battle it out over the next ten years, but Deshaun Watson is the better quarterback. So, in the ultimate Browns way, you found your quarterback, but you found him at a time when there are four better quarterbacks in he league that are the same age.
Mayfield put up stats against **** defenses in Cincy and Atlanta and in garbage time against the Texans. When this game was competitive, he played like trash. He is also playing with a great O-line.
I like Mayfield's competitive nature. He will be a really good QB a few years from now. Looking at the stat sheet after a game like today is not the way to do it. Who dominated when it was a game? Watson. Deshaun's pre snap ability is really good.
Deshuan's maturity for his age is amazing. He knows that he can take over a game, but he lets his team win for him, and only tries to do something magical when he has to. He's very Brady'ish in this regard. Playoff fourth quarter Brady only shows up when he has to.
Deshaun does not get credit for the cerebral part of his game, both pre-snap and post snap. For various reasons. But it's one of, if not his best, assets.
Mayfield can't hold Deshaun's jock. That being said, Deshaun can't hold a lot of people's jocks either.
Mayfield is an excellent young QB, he just me the Defensive Chess Master in Romeo and a defense that played its butts off. Reid needs to be considered a Defensive Rookie of Year candidate--amazing play on saving that TD.
Baker has a chance to continue his development into a Drew Brees lite. Watson can chart his own path.
I dont like comparisons like this. Too many variables that you cant account for. Let them be who they are.
Agreed with this. Also, I don't really understand the OP's unprovoked shade towards Mayfield. He's a rookie. It's far too early to think this is Mayfield's peak. I would even say he's outperformed expectations. Granted, he was the #1 overall pick, but the draft class this year has been pretty bad. But someone had to go #1, and it turned out to be Mayfield. I'm not sure anyone could predict that he'd be the best QB from the draft. Ironically though, the QB who looks really great right now, is Lamar Jackson, and he was drafted behind Mayfield / Darnold / Allen. If Jackson learns to throw, Flacco is donezo in BAL.
I don't think there's shade in his post. What was said was true about Baker and his decision making against what is becoming an elite defense. Deshaun ran into those problems in his rookie season as well. It's also true that both are 23 years old, one was drafted way higher than the other, and the Browns essentially passed on Watson, which in turn forced them to draft Mayfield at #1 this past draft. Right now the advantage of playing with a great defense is what is boosting Deshaun's efficiency. He may not be throwing 3 TDs a game, but that also means he's less likely to throw 2-3 INTs per game to boot.
Watson is the 2nd best player under 30 in the league after Mahomes. Baker is “overrated as hell” as the great Rex Ryan said. I think he had talent and will be good for the browns but on Watson and Mahomes level? Get out of here. Those 2 guys are generational QB and have a chance assuming health to go down as top 10 QBs of all time. Baker doesn’t have that type of talent. But he’s still a baller and I’d take him if we didn’t have Watson.
Baker got more HYPE because of skin color, and that he is an *******. You see the commercials he got in the offseason, even more than Mahomes. Great WHITE HYPE. The NFL will promote the white stars over black stars, all things being equal. It is a fact. Explains how Peyton Hillis got a Madden Cover after 1 above average year. What happened after that one year? LOL.