It’s been a long time since the Cleveland Browns were a legit playoff team. Browns fans have suffered through years and years of bad football. Coaches, GMs and quarterbacks of varying degrees of ineptitude have come and gone.
It’s been hard on the fans. Years of any hope for even achieving mediocrity are often dashed on the Lake Erie break walls before September ends. So the fan skepticism in the 9-3 Browns is understandable. It’s still palpable in social media comments and sports talk radio callers.
Baker Mayfield, one of the progenitors of the Browns’ resurrection to relevance, thinks it’s time for the reluctant fans to embrace the success. In an introspective, encouraging answer to a well-conceived question about his own goals and the outlook for growth.
Mayfield is ready for fans to believe in the team as much as they believe in the progress they’re making as a team.
“I think we are definitely trending in the right direction. I would be lying if I said otherwise,” Mayfield said. “One of my best friends played fullback at (Lakewood) St. Edward’s, fullback and linebacker, and I went to school with him at Oklahoma, so I heard about the Cleveland Browns ever since 2014 and how much it means to this place (Northeast Ohio). I truly did not believe him until I really got here. It means a ton to the city.
And then I realized when I got here, I was like, ‘Wow. This is real. This is a passionate fan base that lives, breathes and dies football, and Cleveland Browns football at that.’ I think it means a lot to them, but they need to reset their expectations because we all need to reset the standard.
This is what I have been saying, there is a new standard and there is a foundation you have to continue to build on and improve. That is just the way we need to handle things.”
Mayfield’s own play of late has helped many more fans buy into the success not being a flash in the pan. He hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 7 and is coming off a historic week in beating the AFC South-leading Titans.
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