Baker Mayfield will play in the Cleveland Browns preseason opener at the New York Giants on Thursday night. The question that needs answered is how much will the number one pick play?
“I have not totally talked to the staff about entirely what I want to do, but I do plan on him playing quite a bit,” head coach Hue Jackson said. “Now what that looks like, I do not know. You know how games go. We will work through it, but I do what him to play.”
Mayfield should get plenty of action against the Giants. He won’t start but should make his first appearance no later than the second quarter. Tyrod Taylor is the starter. Taylor will likely play just the first few snaps depending on how the number one offense looks. Starters either don’t play or see a few snaps early in the first preseason game of the season.
“It’s a competition in everything you do.”#BrownsCamp is for learning on and off the field. Hue Jackson's here to help @bakermayfield do both.#HardKnocks on @HBO premieres at 10 p.m. ET on August 7 pic.twitter.com/1c8bh97fuG
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 7, 2018
The number one overall pick could play into the second half. According to Dianna Russini of ESPN, Mayfield could see an entire two quarters Thursday night.
Expect the Browns first team offense to play 1 to 2 series. This first preseason game against the Giants will be tons of Baker Mayfield. So get ready. Told the plan is to play him 2 quarters. #Browns
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) August 6, 2018
The preseason will go a long way in the development of Mayfield. He should see significant time not only against the Giants, but in the second and last preseason games. Mayfield should receive significant snaps in the Browns first home preseason game August 17 against the Buffalo Bills and the preseason finale at the Detroit Lions on August 30.
The Browns are featured on national television for their third preseason game on August 23 against the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Fox Sports would love to see the guy they produced a four part documentary on play significant snaps that night. However, preseason game number three is referred to as the dress rehearsal for the regular season. Taylor and the starters will play the majority of that game.
No matter how much game action Mayfield gets this preseason, he has to get the most out of it as he can. Once the season starts for real, Mayfield will start learning from the sidelines with a clip board in his hand and wearing a headset.
Scott Piker is the Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage Browns. So follow him on twitter @ScottPikerSport
