BEREA, Ohio -- There has been plenty of talk about Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield and the performance he put forth against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey last Thursday night.
But that talk has been in the media and among fans, as the Browns’ players are confident that after a standout performance of his own, veteran signal-caller Tyrod Taylor has earned the right to remain at the top of the depth chart.
“It’s not a situation for us,” wide receiver Jarvis Landry said. “We understand going into every game and going into the season that Tyrod is the starting quarterback.
“That’s not an argument that we’re having inside of this building, that’s not something that we disagree with. Both talented guys, both guys that can make plays, but, no offense, you guys make those arguments and come up with those opinions. For us, we trust our guys.”
Although Taylor had a limited amount of plays with the first-team offense against the Giants, he completed all five of his throws for 99 yards and one score against New York’s first-team defense.
That one score was a 36-yard touchdown pass to second-year tight end David Njoku. Taylor found Njoku with a 16-yard throw on the right side of the formation, and the emerging tight end sprinted the final 20 yards before diving into the end zone for the touchdown.
“We went no huddle there on our second series, and he’s comfortable back there,” Landry said. “If you look on the first play, on the pass that I caught down the sideline, he got hit in the face and he still … that’s a trust thing and I think that he’s feeling comfortable back there and it’s allowing us to make plays for him.”
Although the discussion about Mayfield continues to grow louder from outside of the Browns’ headquarters in Berea, teammates have not seen any change in Taylor’s approach or demeanor.
“It’s everywhere,” left tackle Joel Bitonio said. “It’s ESPN. It’s NFL Network. It’s you guys. It happens. Baker’s the No. 1 pick, so you’re going to hear some of those things, but like I said, Tyrod’s been in this situation, and he’s working, man. The way he comes to practice, it seems like he doesn’t hear any of it.”
During his seven-year career with the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills, Taylor completed 793 of his 1,271 attempts (62.4 percent) for 9,056 yards and 51 touchdowns against 18 interceptions. Of those 793 completions, 116 went for at least 20 yards and 22 more were 40-yard gains.
In his three seasons with the Bills, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Taylor completed 774 passes for 8,837 yards and 51 touchdowns against 16 interceptions.
“He’s been around the league going, I think, into year seven or eight, and he’s worked for everything he’s got,” Bitonio said.
“I think he understands, ‘Hey, eventually, Baker Mayfield is going to be the guy that leads this team, but right now, this is my team,’ and he’s earned it. He works hard. He’s a great leader. He’s a good quarterback, and he understands like, ‘Hey, I’m going out there and I’m leading this team right now,’ and I don’t think he lets the noise affect him.”
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