New Baker Mayfield Looks an Awful Lot Like Classic Baker Mayfield (Update: Benched)

The Cleveland Browns came into their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday looking like a legitimately good team. They started the season 4-1, their best start, maybe since football was invented. Still, is anyone surprised Baker Mayfield threw an early pick-six and the Browns fell behind 24-0 in the first half?

Is this a one drive / one quarter / one half / one bad game thing? Or did the Browns just beat up on bad teams for a month? The Colts fell behind 21-0 to the 1-3-1 Bengals, who lost to Cleveland. The Browns put up 49 and nearly blew their game against the Dallas Cowboys, who have one of the worst defenses in the league. And they beat Washington so...

Maybe the Browns have turned back into a more seasonally appropriate pumpkin. Mayfield started the game against the Steelers completing four of 10 passes with two interceptions. He was able to add a touchdown on a blown coverage at the end of the half, but this certainly sounds a lot more like the guy we've been hanging out with on Sundays since 2018. A couple of weeks ago we thought they had unleashed Odell Beckham Jr. Today he has one catch for 12 yards on two targets.

Now the Browns look like the Browns. And Baker Mayfield looks like Baker Mayfield. It just feels more natural.

UPDATE: After getting roughed up for most of the third quarter, Mayfield was replaced by Case Keenum. His final line was 10 of 18 for 119 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He was sacked four times.