Mayfield completed 17 of 23 passes for 201 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions after replacing Tyrod Taylor (concussion) in the second quarter of Thursday's 21-17 win over the Jets. He also lost two yards on his two rushes, fumbled once and completed a two-point conversion pass.
Taylor is highly unlikely to regain his starting job following the sharp contrast between his performance before injury and that of Mayfield once he entered the game with 1:23 remaining in the first half. The first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft was seemingly sharp from his first professional regular-season snap, which resulted in a 14-yard completion to Jarvis Landry. That initial late second-quarter possession resulted in a field goal, and Mayfield would go on to lead two impressive scoring marches that culminated in Carlos Hyde rushing touchdowns in the second half. The entire Browns offense looked exponentially more effective with Mayfield at the controls, leading to the team's first win since the 2016 regular-season finale. Mayfield will now have 10 days to prepare for a Week 4 matchup against the Raiders that he would appear a virtual lock to start irrespective of Taylor's status.