Colin Cowherd: Baker Mayfield Will Be Fired if the Browns Don't Make the Postseason

The saga of Colin Cowherd vs. Baker Mayfield continued on Thursday as the Fox Sports host discussed how the Browns have a fairly low over/under despite the immense talent on their roster. Cowherd pointed to how the ancient pair of Tom Brady and Drew Brees both have higher expectations based on their over/under totals and that it must be "maturity" that makes that so.

He then went on to say that if the Browns don't make the playoffs, Mayfield would be fired.

Cowherd is simply baffled that oddsmakers believe Cleveland is only an 8.5-win team despite having what he believes to be the most loaded offense in the league this side of Kansas City. Therefore, he reasons, it simply must be because Mayfield has had maturity issues, although he makes it a point to note that it's not his opinion, but rather that of Vegas.

I mean... Sure! Maybe. Or, and just hear me out here, this is very close to the same Browns roster as last year. They won six games. Mayfield took a big step back and the biggest change they made was to their coaching staff, bringing Kevin Stefanski on board. But Stefanski is an unknown quantity as a head coach. The 2019 Browns are living proof that a good roster is just names on paper until they can deliver on the field. I don't find it nearly as confusing that Vegas isn't giving Cleveland, of all franchises, the benefit of the doubt.

Cowherd also fails to mention in his comparisons to other teams that the quarterbacks listed are all better than Mayfield, which just might play a larger part in why Vegas is more optimistic about their 2020 outlook. Brady and Brees are indeed old and immobile, but also have resumes nearly as old as Mayfield to back up confidence in their performance. Patrick Mahomes would definitely win 12 games with the Browns' roster because he is the best quarterback in the league! It's not just "maturity" that separates them.

Not to mention that it would be insane for the Browns to move on from Mayfield if he doesn't make the playoffs in his third NFL season, which is only what I can assume Cowherd meant when he said Mayfield would be fired. He's 25-years-old and Cleveland invested a first overall pick in him. Mayfield would have to post the worst season by a quarterback in modern NFL history for Cleveland to even start considering a different option.

I cannot lie: it feels good to get worked up about a football take.