CLEVELAND — Over the course of his NFL career, Baker Mayfield has had many critics, including ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.
But it appears that Smith has finally come around on not just Mayfield, but Cleveland Browns as a whole, going as far as to proclaim that they're perhaps the biggest threat to the defending Super Bowl champions this season.
While the Browns lost to the Baltimore Ravens 47-42 on Monday night, many walked away from the contest impressed with Mayfield's performance in defeat. That included Smith, who had high praise for both the Browns and their quarterback on Tuesday's episode of "First Take."
"Baker Mayfield showed up and showed what he's capable of. That's the No. 1 overall pick we've been looking for. That's the guy that took Oklahoma to the College Football Playoff. That's the guy that won the Heisman Trophy. That's the guy that everybody's been looking for. He showed up last night," Smith said.
"And if he shows up and plays like that along with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt being able to run the football the way that they can run the football, I got news for you: Cleveland is going to be a big-time bonafide threat.
" As a matter of fact, we might have ended up sleeping on them. They might be the biggest threat to Kansas City because of their ability to run the football."
While Smith also said that the Browns defense would obviously struggle to defend Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, he noted that Cleveland's run-heavy approach would help limit Kansas City's offensive opportunities. Currently, the Chiefs lay claim to the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, while the Browns remain in pole position for the top Wild Card spot, setting up a potential Divisional Round matchup between the two teams.
Regardless of whether his analysis proves correct, Smith's take on Mayfield marks a drastic shift from his previous stance on the No. 1 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. As recently as Dec. 4, Smith proclaimed that no quarterback has done less with more this season than Mayfield and that the Browns won't be headed anywhere significant so long as he's their quarterback.
Two days later, Mayfield turned in his best game of the season in Cleveland's 41-35 victory over the Tennessee Titans. That showing prompted Mayfield's wife, Emily, to remind Smith of his analysis -- something that the ESPN commentator hasn't quite forgotten.
"I've got to give the Browns props here -- especially Baker Mayfield," Smith said on Tuesday. "If there was ever a day that Mrs. Baker Mayfield should be tweeting, it's this morning. Because that performance last night was spectacular."