Baker Mayfield Dilly Did It, Is He Now The Browns Starter?

CLEVELAND — As Cleveland Browns fans filed out of FirstEnergy Stadium on late Thursday night, celebrating a 21-17 win over the New York Jets, the team's first victory since Barack Obama was in the White House, they were chanting a name. They were shouting the name of the man that led their team to its first victory in nearly two years. If you listen closely, you can still hear those fans muttering that same name like a mantra — "Baker Mayfield."

The No. 1 overall draft pick, a Heisman trophy winner, a flag-planting, break dancing lunatic college quarterback and now...finally...Mayfield is a winning quarterback in the NFL. The bright lights of the big leagues didn't drown out his nova-level superstar charisma either.

After leading his team back from a 14-0 deficit, Mayfield went on-camera and asked, "Did they open the Bud Light thing?" (Spoiler: They most definitely did.)

Mayfield is now the brightest star in Cleveland's LeBron-less sports-celebrity constellation. He did what no one else could do in 636 days — lead the hapless Cleveland Browns to a regular season victory. Fans on social media even mocked up a Mayfield banner to hang across from Quicken Loans Arena — you know, where LeBron's arms-spread, back-to-the-city visage used to be.

Don't believe Mayfield is already a beloved hero to the Cleveland masses? Not sure fans have committed to the undersized QB from Oklahoma? Check out this video (we weren't kidding about them chanting his name after the game).

Mayfield's ascension to the sports throne in Cleveland isn't a comment on the popularity of Kevin Love or Francisco Lindor, both champions of the people in their own right. Cleveland is simply a football town. There's something blue collar and gritty about the gridiron dramatics that connects to Northeast Ohioans.

Heck, maybe it's the national media using the Browns as a bludgeoning stick to hammer Clevelanders about how feckless our community is. "The river may not catch on fire anymore, but the Browns sure are bad," has been a common and tired refrain for decades. Winning takes that crutch away from lazy commentators.

Mayfield represents a spark of hope for a beleaguered fanbase, a possibility of becoming a better, more reliably normal franchise. Plus, Mayfield's story is classic Northeast Ohio.

The diminutive pit bull quarterback was told he was too small to be great, not good enough for the NFL, needed seasoning as a backup quarterback. He wasn't composed enough off-the-field. He was a system guy.

None of that mattered. When he was given an opportunity on Thursday night, he seized it. Clevelanders like that. Clevelanders connect with that story on a visceral level.

Head coach Hue Jackson wouldn't publicly give the starting quarterback job to Mayfield after Thursday's win. That's understandable. Tyrod Taylor is a veteran who was forced out of the game against the Jets by a head injury. He deserves a private conversation with team leaders.

Hue Jackson doesn't have to publicly commit because Clevelanders already have. Northeast Ohio meet your starting quarterback, No. 6, Baker Mayfield.

(All of this stands until he loses a game.)

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Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images