Were you watching, Baker Mayfield?
By Steve King
Let’s hope the Browns – and especially Baker Mayfield – were watching the Cavaliers — and particularly LeBron James – on Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena
James did everything and anything – and then some – against the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the opening-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
But the most important thing James did was to make sure the Cavs won the game — and the series — to advance to the semifinal round against the top-seeded Toronto Raptors beginning Tuesday night. Had the Cavs lost the game – and the series – then everything LeBron did individually would have been forgotten. It would not have mattered – not one bit.
LeBron is the face of the franchise. When you think of the Cavs, you think of him. As such, it is on him – both personally and professionally – to make sure they win, and keep winning. That’s what faces of franchises are charged with doing.
It not important by how many points the Cavs win – on Sunday, it was just four points, 105-101. It is simply that they win. So mission accomplished.
Mayfield, of course, was taken on Thursday night with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. The Browns did so with the strong belief that he will become their franchise quarterback. If he does not, then all of the people who were responsible for choosing him, most notably General Manager John Dorsey, will be fired eventually.
But if Mayfield does become the franchise passer, then he will also become the face of the franchise. One goes with the other. In football, a quarterback must be the face of his franchise. If he isn’t – if he isn’t good enough to get that tag – then the team will eventually part ways with him.
To be good enough, a quarterback doesn’t necessarily have to throw for 350 yards and three touchdowns – though it doesn’t hurt. He just has to make sure his team wins the game. The other stuff is merely gravy – window dressing.
So Mayfield has been charged with resurrecting the Browns by winning – once, of course, the baton is passed to him, and it will most definitely be passed to him at some point.
Mayfield has a great example in LeBron of what needs to be done in that regard, and how it needs to be done. That was never more evident than with what happened on Sunday, so let’s hope that everybody in Berea was taking notes.
