By: Parnell Saint-Preux

It has been 10 years since the Pittsburgh Steelers won a Super Bowl and 8 years since they’ve been to a Super Bowl. Currently, the Steelers do not resemble as the team they’ve once was. Offensively, they are elite as anybody in the NFL. Nonetheless, their weakness element is the defense side of the football.

Presently, the Steelers defense is ranked 25th in total points, 29th in total yards, 29th in passing yards, and 17th in rushing yards.

After their disappointing loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC divisional round last year, this would be the year for the Steelers to come out the AFC.

Sadly, that is not the case for the Steelers and fans. Steelers are 2-2-1 this season. They are ranked last in the AFC North.

Certainly, not the way Steelers fans anticipated. They would anticipate that they would finish in the top 2 in the AFC and compete in the AFC Championship against the New England Patriots and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Unfortunately, they are picking up where they finished last year.

Heading into the off-season, Steelers All-Pro running back, Le’Veon Bell thought that the Steelers would compensate him for his tremendous on the field contributions. Bell has skipped OTA”S, minicamps and training camps until he has a long-term contract.

Ironically, after Bell mentioned on social media that he was going to come back for the first week of the NFL season, and later was a no-show, some of his teammates took the time to criticize him for his absence.

“What do you do? Here’s a guy who doesn’t give a damn,” guard Ramon Foster said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I just hate it came to this.

“He’s making seven times what I make twice as much as (left tackle) Al (Villanueva) is making and we’re the guys who do it for him.”

Maurkice Pouncey, who anticipated that Bell would show up on Wednesday to Steelers facilities, had this to say about Bell’s absence.

“Honestly it’s a little selfish,” Pouncey said, per Tim Benz of the Tribune-Review. “I’m kinda pissed right now. It sucks that he’s not here. we’ll move on as a team. It doesn’t look like he’ll be in the game plan at this point. Conner looks great. We’ll worry about him in Week 2.”

So far, back up running back James Conner has been an adequate replacement for Bell. Conner is averaging 4.1 yards per rush, with 342 total yards rushing and 5 touchdowns.

Throughout the past couple of years, Steelers legendary quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger has been a roller coaster. In the past five games, Roethlisberger has thrown 6 INT’s, which is 5th in the NFL for most interceptions, despite being 3rd in the NFL in passing yards, and 9th in QBR (quarterback ranking).

After the Steelers disappointing loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game in 2017, Roethlisberger expressed what his mindset was heading into the off-season.

“I’m going to take this offseason to evaluate, to consider all options,” Roethlisberger said. “To consider health, and family and things like that and just kind of take some time away to evaluate next season, if there’s going to be a next season. All those things. I think at this point in my career, at my age, that’s the prudent and smart thing to do every year.”

After a 30-9 loss against the Jaguars last season, in which he threw for 5 INT’S, Roethlisberger even expressed his own doubt. “I don’t think so, but maybe I am. Maybe I don’t have it anymore. I’m not playing well enough. ”

During the 2018 NFL Draft, when the Steelers selected Mason Rudolph in the 3rd round, Roethlisberger took issue with the selection and suggested an alternative.

“I was surprised when they took a quarterback because I thought that maybe in the third round, you know you can get some really good football players that can help this team now,” Roethlisberger said. “Nothing against Mason; I think he’s a great football player. I don’t know him personally, but I’m sure he’s a great kid. I just don’t know how backing up or being a third [string] — well, who knows where he’s going to fall on the depth chart — helps us win now.

“But, you know, that’s not my decision to make. That’s on the coaches and the GM and the owner and those kind of things. If they think he can help our team, so be it, but I was a little surprised.”

Keep in mind, Roethlisberger has mentioned he wants to play for another 3-5 years.

Then we get to the issue of superstar wide receiver, Antonio Brown. Following the Steelers 42-37 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs, Brown skipped a Tuesday’s practice after a tweet from a former Steelers PR man hinting Brown wouldn’t be an elite receiver without the contributions of Roethlisberger. Brown’s response, “Trade me, let’s find out.”

Currently, Brown is dealing with a lawsuit, discomposing allegations of him throwing furniture along with other items from a 14th-floor apartment in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. Ophir Sternberg, the man who is suing Brown claims that Brown tossed furniture from his 14th-floor balcony, and nearly dangered his 22-month-old son.

Sternberg professes Brown was “extremely agitated, acting aggressively, and yelling at security personnel when [police] arrived to the scene.” Also, Sternberg mentions that his 22-month-old son is suffering from emotional distress and trauma.

According to TMZ Sports, a police report filed on April 23, with Brown telling police that he was missing $80,000 and a nine-millimeter handgun.

Brown has been asked about the allegations and has totally denied them.

“It has now been made public that two lawsuits containing false claims have been filed against me,” Brown said in a statement to the Post-Gazette. “The facts will soon come out that prove my innocence. My focus will remain on football and I will not let the cases serve as a distraction.”

It’s obvious that Brown has had issues whether on or off-the-field. Practically two years ago, fresh off from a playoff victory against the Chiefs, Brown infamously did a Facebook video in the locker room with head coach Mike Tomlin discussing with the team in the background.

Finally, there comes Tomlin. Since he became the head coach for the Steelers in 2007, he is 118-62-1, with 2 Super Bowl appearances, and one championship.

With those credentials, there’s no question that Tomlin is proven to be one of the best coaches in the NFL.

However, the Steelers are not what they once were, especially when it comes to defense. Before he was the head coach of the Steelers, Tomlin was a defensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings in 2006. Some people in the media are not fans of Tomlin, particularly current NFL on Fox analyst and illustrious quarterback from the Steelers, Terry Bradshaw. While doing an interview for ‘97.3 The Fan”, Bradshaw criticized Tomlin because of what he believes that players do not fear Tomlin.

“I played for a tough sucker, and I was afraid of him, and we played our ass off for him because we feared him. I don’t see that with this guy,” Bradshaw said. “He’s chest bumping and all that. I’m the head of the corporation, I’m the CEO, I’m the chairman of the board, I’m talking to the stockholders telling them here’s how we’re going to do at the end of the quarter. I’m selling this thing. And I’m not delivering the goods, which is championships. You’ve got to face the criticism. I’m sorry, but he’s not my kind of coach. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again.”

On top of that, Tomlin was fined $25,000 for blasting NFL officials. Tomlin went as far as calling the officiating ” a joke.” “We’ve got to get better as a National Football League,” Tomlin said on Sunday. “Man, these penalties are costing people games and jobs. We’ve got to get them correct. So, I’m pissed.”

Furthermore, the Steelers need to get some urgency and firepower. They face the upcoming Cincinnati Bengals on the road, followed by a bye week, and future games against the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, and Jaguars.

Considering these oncoming games, and how dysfunctional the team is, the likelihood of the Steelers making the playoffs is slim to none. Ultimately, how exactly does this historic franchise whose epithet for winning championships and great defense resemble?

More importantly, will there be some dramatic changes for the Steelers moving forward? That remains to be answered. In the end, Steelers are clearly not themselves and things might get from bad to worst in Steeler Nation.

By: Parnell Saint-Preux

Ever since Los Angeles Lakers superstar, LeBron James decided to take his talents to Southern California this offseason, the likelihood is that he would run away with the league MVP. According to most, James is considered the best basketball player in the NBA and still continuing his level of greatness as he approaches his 16th year in his career.

Last season, James averaged 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 9.1 assists, while shooting over 54% from the field. James finished the season with his eighth consecutive appearance in the NBA Finals, followed by being the runner-up for MVP behind Houston Rockets star James Harden.

However, let’s not ignore the fact that James is facing elite competition in the quest for MVP. New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo would say otherwise. Presently, both Davis and Antetokounmpo are recognized as the top 5 players in the NBA and have the potential eclipse James as the best basketball player in the near future.

In 2017, Davis averaged 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, and lead the league in blocks, contributing 2.6 blocks per game. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo scored 26.9 points, along with averaging 10 rebounds. The two of them are generational, transcendent talents who have the capability of winning numerous individual awards.

Let’s not forget Harden, after what he what accomplished by carrying the Rockets to the number 1 seed in the Western Conference. After multiple years finishing second in the MVP race, Harden eventually got his shine by winning his first MVP, combining 30.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists. Even with the acquisition of Carmelo Anthony, who will take somewhat of the scoring load from Harden, nonetheless, Anthony is coming off the bench. Also, anticipate Harden having another tremendous in the scoring category, while he and the Rockets are still the team to compete against the Golden State Warriors in the West.

Lastly, what about Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard? Leonard, along with Danny Green were traded to Toronto in exchange for Demar DeRozan and Jakob Poltl. Rumors emerged that Leonard demanded a trade from the Spurs. This is a perfect opportunity for Leonard to revitalize and reestablish himself as the versatile, extraordinary player we once knew. Leonard only played 9 games last season after suffering and rehabbing from a right quadriceps injury. However, the competition in the Eastern Conference won’t be as familiar to Leonard, considering how the Eastern Conference is much-improved, compared to previous years.

In addition, Leonard could receive a huge max contract with the Raptors for his on the court contributions. Although reports circulated that Leonard would like to move to Los Angeles and play for either the Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers, it would extremely complicated for him to pass up a potential max contract.

2018 will be an exciting year for fans around the world to see some of the greatest players play. The NBA season kicks off on October 17th. However, one will end up victorious capturing the MVP award at the 3rd annual NBA Awards ceremony in June 2019. There are a lot of interesting choices that already been mentioned and perhaps more. In the end, we will never know, until we see.

Some of the products that are placed within Season 5, Episode 1 of “30 Rock” program are the Life Alert Systems and the CBS logo displayed on Kenneth’s red blazer during the tote bag scene with Tracy Morgan and Kenneth.

“30 Rock” navigates product placement differently than some programs I watch. For example, I was watching one of my favorite childhood shows like “The Fresh Prince of Bel- Air”, some of the product placements I noticed on the show were the Nike Brand “Air Jordan” sneakers, worn by the Will Smith character. In addition, Will Smith often wore the JanSport Backpack. Other examples of product placements found in “Fresh Prince” include Will drinking Coca-Cola from the can and afterwards, he says “how refreshing”.  Hilary (Will’s cousin) wears Louis Vuitton and Yves Saint Laurent purses. Carlton wears many Ralph Lauren sweaters. Uncle Phil sports Rolex watches on his wrists and drives a Volvo and a Mercedes Benz.

I believe “30 Rock” navigates product placement differently than “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. “30 Rock” used the Life Alert product placement which was somewhat divided from the story and awkward. The Life Alert product is designed mainly for sickly senior citizens and I do not believe sickly seniors are the ones most likely to watch “30 Rock” because of its strange humor and usage of modern or popular culture. “30 Rock” flashed the CBS logo on Kenneth’s blazer. CBS is a major competitor of NBC.  In contrast, the product placements seen on the “Fresh Prince” are the typical kinds of things viewers would and should expect to see for that storyline and those particular characters. Will comes from West Philadelphia with a hip-hop background and persona and with limited financial means. On the other hand, his rich and affluent relatives in Bel Air live in a luxurious mansion leading lavish lifestyles. The product placements are reasonable for the program and are not too distracting because the viewers expect to see those products for that genre.

In Einhart’s article, she finds the product placements annoying, on “30 Rock” but understandable. She believes one cannot necessarily blame the show for the position they take because money is very important and this is a way for the show to be profitable. There is mention that the show continues to struggle with ratings.  The program, “The Office” although it has more product placements than “30 Rock”, I believe it is not as distracting. Another interesting point Einhart makes is there are so many people using different platforms like Hulu, Netflix and bouncing commercials, nowadays, product placement is here to stay. Instead of watching commercials or advertisements, viewers can see the products directly from shows like “30 Rock” or from other television shows or movies.

In my view, I find the lack of subtlety in product placement in “30 Rock” somewhat annoying because the products are not really connected to the storyline. I find those particular product placements distracting because I prefer to concentrate on the complicated humor and plot of the show and not spend time thinking about products that are not connected in any meaningful way.

Finally, I find the product placements in the “Fresh Prince” entertaining because they do not interfere with the story or the comedy, even if the product placements are not subtle. In other words, the product placements somewhat flow naturally with the stories and thus enjoyable.

By: Parnell Saint-Preux

Ryan Fitzpatrick or better known as new nick-name “Fitzmagic” came to an end as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by the score of 30-27. Fitzpatrick finished the game with another 400-yard performance 3 TD’S and 3 INT’S.

At halftime, Buccaneers were trailing 30-10 before scoring 14 unanswered points. With 11:06 left in the 4th quarter, Fitzpatrick connected on a 4-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin and subsequently a 36-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans, with 5:43 remaining. Evans also finished the game with 6 receptions, 137 yards, and a TD.

So far, Fitzpatrick is performing at a level most critics did not anticipate. In three consecutive games, Fitzpatrick became the first player in NFL history to throw for over 400 yards. If Fitzpatrick replicates another 400-yard passing performance, he will tie both Dan Marino and Peyton Manning’s record for most games with 400 + passing yards in a season.

Ultimately, the Buccaneers need to make a decision by giving Fitzpatrick another opportunity to start or handing the job back to Jameis Winston.

Winston is back after serving a 3 game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy by allegedly groping an Uber female driver, going back to March of 2016.

Buccaneers head coach, Dirk Koetter has not made a decision on who will be starting quarterback for the Buccaneers upcoming game against the Chicago Bears.

“I hope everyone can appreciate that it doesn’t do us any good to tell our opponents what we’re going to do,” the coach said Tuesday, per Jenna Laine of ESPN. “So that will work itself out as the week goes on. But we do have a plan and both guys are aware of it.”

As well as Koetter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jason Licht said it would not be a guarantee Winston would the immediate once he comes back.

“I don’t think it’s fair to say right now that he’s going to be the guy,” Licht said on the WFLA broadcast of the Bucs preseason game Thursday night, per ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine.

“[If] Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Griffin, whoever it is, is playing lights out, I don’t think it’s fair right now just to say, ‘Yes, automatically, [Jameis] is going to be the guy,'” he added. “Now, he may be. Dirk and I—Dirk in particular—he’s got some time to think about that.”

Koetter is stuck in a dilemma on who should be the starting quarterback this Sunday. Although Fitzpatrick has had exceptional moments with the New York Jets in 2015 which he threw for 31 TD’S and 15 INT’S, along other moments with Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans. Nonetheless, his record as a starter is 50-70-1 with zero playoff experiences.

On the other hand, Winston’s record is 18-27 as the starting quarterback for the Buccaneers since 2015.

Winston has dealt with numerous off-the-field issues, going back to his days at Florida State. In December of 2012, Winston was accused of raping a former female student, followed by in 2014 being issued a citation for shoplifting crab legs and in that same year being suspended one game against Clemson for jumping on a table and making offensive remarks.

Buccaneers have picked up Winston’s 5th-year option, which will give Winston $20.9 million.

Last year, Buccaneers had huge expectations to challenge the NFC South and be a legitimate contender in the NFC. Winston was also facing huge expectations to elevate towards elite status. Buccaneers spent their due-diligence in the off-season by acquiring Pro-Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson and drafting mid 1st round pick O.J. Howard, from Alabama, to compliment Evans and tight end Cameron Brate.

Yet, Winston failed to those expectations and the Buccaneers finished 5-11.

After serving his suspension, Winston was asked on he would deal with being the potential back-up to Fitzpatrick, as well as his support for Fitzpatrick.

“The most important thing is the success we are having,” said Winston. “I’m just happy to be back, man. I’m happy that I can be a part of that. I’m not watching from a distance. I can be here with my teammates” per ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine.

“I’ve seen the beards. When a guy throws for 400 yards three games in a row, you’ve got to love that. And as a community, we’ve gotta get behind this team, because when we’re winning, when things are going good, we’ve gotta capitalize on that,” Winston said, per ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine.

It’s still early in the season and the Buccaneers need to make a decision sooner than later,. Either they want the 35-year-old Fitzpatrick from Harvard or do they want to go with the 4th year quarterback from Florida State along with serious off-the-field baggage?

By: Parnell Saint-Preux

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott’s struggles continue to transpire as the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Dallas Cowboys 24-13. Prescott finished the game going 19-34 for 158 yds, TD and 2 INT’S. In addition, he had a QBR (from 0-100) a 14.3 After the game, Prescott took some accountability for his play. “I’ve got to be more accurate, I’ve got to be more consistent making throws … it starts with me,” Prescott said.

Of course, Prescott does deserve culpability for the Cowboys loss, however, is it really all his fault Dallas is not what they once were in 2016? In 2016, Prescott and All-Pro running back, Ezekiel Elliott helped the Cowboys to eleven consecutive wins. Keep in mind, this was when Prescott stepped in once Cowboys perennial Pro Bowl quarterback Tony Romo suffered a fraction bone in his back. Since then, Prescott has not had the success he once had.

In the past 11 games, Prescott has thrown for over 200 yds twice. Last time Prescott threw for over 200 yds was last December against the New York Giants, in which he threw for 332 yds and 3 TD passes.

Defensive coordinators and players know that the blueprint in defeating the Cowboys is containing Elliott and forcing Prescott to beat them in the pocket. While Elliott was serving his six-game suspension, Cowboys managed to go 3-3 and Prescott was at his worst. At one time, there was a strong debate between Prescott and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, Carson Wentz, who last year threw for 33 TDs to 7 INT’S. So far, that is no longer the conversation. Not only Wentz, but Prescott is also not in the same discussion with other young quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff, and Deshaun Watson.

However, what do most of these young quarterbacks have in common, great talent around them. First, let’s look at Watson. In Houston, Watson has a solid running game in Lamar Miller, with deep threats like Will Fuller V and Bruce Ellington, not to mention a number one wideout and All-Pro wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins.

Then in Kansas City, Mahomes has Kareem Hunt, who led the NFL in rushing, as well as Sammy Watkins, which the Chiefs picked up during the free agency and signed Watkins to a 3 year/$48M contract, explosive Tyreke Hill and All-Pro tight end, Travis Kelce.

Finally, Jared Goff has All-Pro running back, Todd Gurley, who was the runner-up for NFL MVP, Brandon Cooks, that the Rams acquired, and Robert Woods. Additionally, unlike Prescott, Mahomes, and Watson, Golf has an elite defense, led by the All-Pro defensive tackle and reigning defensive player of the year, Aaron Donald.

Not only do Watson, Mahomes, and Goff have exceptional players, but also exceptional coaches. After a struggling rookie season, Goff was on the verge of being an all-time bust. Suddenly, the Los Angeles Rams took a shot with the former offensive coordinator for Washington Redskins, Sean McVay. Since McVay has been the orchestrator for the Rams, he has revitalized Goff, plus transformed his career. In 2017, Goff threw for 3,804 yds, 28 TD’S, and 7 INT’S. Moreover, Goff made his first appearance in the Pro Bowl. McVay would end up winning AP NFL Coach of the Year.

When the Chiefs took Mahomes with the 10th pick in the draft, there was a mixture of positive and negative. Some thought it was too risky to draft Mahomes because of the gimmicky style offense he ran at Texas Tech. Meanwhile, some felt otherwise and based on arm talent and mobility, compared Mahomes to legendary quarterback Brett Favre.

Luckily for Mahomes, he was mentored by former Chiefs, now current Redskins quarterback, Alex Smith. Like Favre, Mahomes was mentored by head coach and quarterback guru, Andy Reid By spending time observing what Smith established in 2017, Mahomes has figured out how to go through his progressions and protecting the football.

Finally, there comes Watson. Heading into the draft, Watson was considered second or third round pick. Even after a remarkable career in Clemson, which led to two consecutive national championship appearances, and a national championship against Alabama, some were not convinced that Watson would be a franchise quarterback. Luckily, Houston Texans felt otherwise and traded up in the draft to pick Watson with the 12th pick. Before suffering a torn ACL that kept him out for the remainder of last season, Watson was on pace to win offensive rookie of the year and a top MVP candidate. Despite the fact the Texans are 0-3, so far, Watson has a chance to correct the team’s record while putting up astronomical numbers.

Ultimately, what it comes down to is the owner and general manager Jerry Jones making the final call for Dallas. Jones has not provided the sufficient talent and coaching staff around Prescott in order for him to be successful. After the departure of Cowboy greats Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, Cowboys have not found success. Truthfully, that would explain why Dallas has not received the level of triumph they once had.

Jones did a weekly radio interview on 105.3 and discussed on whether he should or should not make any substantial changes for the team.

“I like our players,” Jones said, via the Dallas Morning News. “I like our coaching staff. I think we’ve got players that we’ve seen play at those level. … When you lose a game and you come in on Monday, it’s never as bad as it seems, as far as the players doing some of the things you do, you can always find some bright spots.

“I think your question is, have I hit the panic button? The answer is no.”

If Jones believes that the Cowboys can go as far as fans want them to go, he’s sadly mistaken.

Offensively, Cowboys are ranked 30th in total yards, 31st in total points and 31st in passing yards.

Bottom line is under Jones stewardship, Cowboys will plummet. Jones had an opportunity to land problematic wideout Josh Gordon or veteran safety Earl Thomas. Sadly, Jones failed to fulfill his due-diligence and land a well-known talent.

Furthermore, Jones has yet to give Prescott the respect that he’s earned. During Prescott’s outstanding rookie season, Jones still made comments about Romo, plus his biggest disappointment.

“Tony is really good,” Jones said on his weekly radio show on 105.3FM. “I’ve said this, and I want to restate it: If he should go through a career with the Cowboys and not have knocked on the door one — I’m going to go as far as say won a Super Bowl — it would be my biggest disappointment having owned this team. He is a quarterback that can win Super Bowls. He is a franchise quarterback. …He’s who I want as opposed to a choice throughout the league.”

Apparently, if Romo were available, Jones would be glad to have Romo back on the roster. One could make a legitimate argument that Jones views Romo like a son. Matter of fact, Romo did name his third son, Jones Mccoy Romo. Most people believe it’s not a coincidence Romo named his son after Jones, primarily due to their wonderful relationship.

Here is a suggestion for the Cowboys, particularly one Jones. Once the regular season is completed, why not practically spend the entire off-season evaluating wide receivers to build around Prescott. Key-wide receivers to look at this upcoming draft are AJ Brown from Ole Miss, N’Keal Harry from Arizona State, and Anthony Johnson from Buffalo. All three wide receivers are projected to be selected in the first round. What better way to develop Prescott by acquiring talent who can bring contributions to a franchise.

Regardless of Elliott’s tremendous talent and value, at some point, Prescott will be demanded to throw the football and lead. More importantly, this is the next step for Prescott to take. The main question is that needs to be answered, does Jones truly care about Prescott being the franchise quarterback for Dallas, or contemplating for a new young quarterback moving forward? One thing is for sure, Cowboys go as Elliott goes. Until Prescott receives the support from the organization, He will never get the recognition, credit, and respect he deserves.

By: Parnell Saint-Preux

Number 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield accepted the challenge and helped the Cleveland Browns defeat against the New York Jets, 21-17. Last night was the Browns first victory since Christmas Eve against the current Los Angeles Chargers, back in 2016. Mayfield finished the game completing 17-23 (73.9%) for 201 yards and a QBR, (grading from 0-100), a 94.9.

During the first half, Browns were trailing 14-3, while Tyrod Taylor was the starter. Throughout the game, Taylor struggled, ending the game going 4 of 14 (28.6%) 19 yds and a QBR of 5.6. Most of the fans were booing and finally had enough of Taylor’s performance. Once Taylor was diagnosed with a concussion, Mayfield got his call. Browns fans were ecstatic and chanted for Mayfield to step on the field.

Coming into the draft, some people were skeptical about Mayfield being the first overall pick. Most draft experts thought he was too small and unathletic to play the quarterback position, fresh off of winning the Heisman. Some went as far as analogizing Mayfield to another former Heisman Trophy Winner, Johnny Manziel, due to off-the-field issues. However, others put Mayfield in the same sentence with Drew Brees and Russell Wilson. Nevertheless, it didn’t hesitate the Browns organization selecting Mayfield with the first overall pick.

Mayfield established a unique ability to throw inside the pocket. Mayfield stood tall in the pocket, and able to throw in tight windows. Athletically, Mayfield is not the purest nor explosive athlete in the world, nonetheless, he is more than mobile to extend the play while eluding pass rushers. And last but not least, his arm strength. Mayfield has enough arm strength and velocity to make the requisite throws, whether in the pocket or on the run. One of the main reasons that Mayfield was the first quarterback drafted ahead of Sam Darnold and Josh Allen was his accuracy. Throughout his career in Oklahoma, Mayfield completed 68.5% of his passes, while throwing for 131 TD passes and 30 INTS. Meanwhile, Allen finished his career at Wyoming completing 56.2% of his passes. On the other hand, Darnold struggled last season protecting the football and was top three in turnovers.

If Cleveland wants to be a legitimate contender making the playoffs, they should give the keys to Mayfield. After all, they drafted him with the first overall pick to be the franchise quarterback and CEO. Taylor has proven he can be a starter, but somewhere else. Unquestionably, the Browns should have been 3-0. In the end, this is Mayfield’s time. Unfortunately for Browns fans, Head Coach Hue Jackson feels otherwise. When asked about whether he would commit to Mayfield being the starter, Jackson’s response: “I’m going to watch the tape and make the right decision, the best decision for the organization and for our team going forward,” Jackson said, via USA Today “That’s my job, that’s what I’ll do.”

Jackson needs to come to the realization of what is transpiring in Cleveland. In the past two seasons as the head coach for Cleveland, he is 1-31. This is a big year for Jackson because if he can’t get this roster to win at least six games this season, his future as a head coach is in serious jeopardy. In fact, that might be the case right now.

All that Browns fans know is that Mayfield is their guy. Not only the fans know, but also their players know, too. Star wide receiver Jarvis Landry gave high praise about Mayfield’s preparation, heading into the game. “He was so ready for this moment,” Landry said. Said Landry: “I promise you, it’s just a testament to how hard he’s worked since he stepped into the building and not having that backup mentality.”

Landry also discussed Mayfield’s confidence and personality.

“I don’t think there’s a coach or a player who has doubted him or felt like we were at a disadvantage when he came on the field,” Landry said. “That’s something you’ve got to love about him. That’s why he’s the first pick. That’s why he’s the Heisman Trophy winner. You saw it tonight, firsthand.”

Hopefully, with performances that Mayfield showed will be a sign of great things to come for Cleveland.