The Cleveland Browns finished the 2021 season with an 8-9 record and the 13th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. While there were just a couple of things that could have gone differently for the Browns to end up in the playoffs, they failed when it mattered the most.
Going into the 2022 season, as is almost always true in the NFL, much rides on the quarterback position. Can Baker Mayfield “bounce back” after shoulder surgery to be the 2020 version of himself? If so, is that good enough? Can Cleveland find a way to find their own Matthew Stafford-type trade to lead them to a Super Bowl victory?
ESPN released their early 2022 power rankings right after the Super Bowl finished on Sunday with the Browns squarely in the middle at #16:
These playoffs showed that elite quarterbacking is needed to have any hope of coming out of the AFC, now featuring Burrow, Mahomes and Allen, among others. After quarterbacking the Browns to the playoffs in 2020, Baker Mayfield struggled through an injury-plagued season, while finishing 27th in the league in QBR.
Most believed Cleveland had answered their QB question after the 2020 season. After the 2021 season, many believe the team has answered the question but in the opposite direction.
Mayfield is that important because the quarterback is that important. He will continue to be the focus of everything related to the Browns until he takes them to the Super Bowl or is no longer on the team.
Given the team’s talented roster, despite questions about Mayfield, ranking them 16th seems a little low. Free agency and the NFL draft could spike that ranking in the next few months.
