CLEVELAND — The endless, exasperating search for a franchise quarterback can cripple franchises until they find one, and the Jets and Browns serve as case studies.
Sam Darnold will be playing quarterback for the Jets on Thursday night and Baker Mayfield will be on the Browns sideline watching him, and after all the Mistakes by the Lake and off Broadway, both franchises believe they finally got it right.
Of course, they have believed in too many saviors who weren’t right.
Look no further than franchise quarterback to understand why this is the 50-year anniversary of the Jets’ one and only Super Bowl championship, why the Browns have never brought home the Lombardi Trophy.
The list of Jets quarterback misses — excluding Christian Hackenberg — pales in comparison to the sorry lot the Browns have trotted out over the years. From 1999 through the start of the 2018 season, the Browns had 29 different players start at quarterback, including Tim Couch, Charlie Frye, Colt McCoy, Brandon Weeden, Brian Hoyer, Brady Quinn, Seneca Wallace, Cody Kessler … enough already, right? Wait, one more: Johnny Manziel.
Maybe in the privacy of his apartment, Darnold was sticking pins in Browns GM John Dorsey. Maybe Darnold had this game night circled on his calendar the moment Dorsey spurned him and drafted Mayfield with the first-overall pick.
Darnold had no reservations about playing in Cleveland and attempting to resurrect an 0-16 team and a city that is desperate for someone, anyone, to end its relentless, merciless quarterback curse.
Mayfield is on the bench, behind Tyrod Taylor, when Darnold has his first chance to show Dorsey what he missed out on.
Just because Mayfield isn’t the starter yet doesn’t mean Dorsey made the wrong call. That will take years to determine.
Darnold didn’t have a young veteran like Taylor standing in his way. He had a clearer path to the starting job, and he dashed to it with inspiring and precocious speed.
Darnold’s even-keeled demeanor is perfect for the New York market.
Mayfield’s feistiness and swagger would undoubtedly have made him a J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS fan favorite.
Mayfield is fire.
Darnold is ice.
Mayfield wears his emotions on his sleeve. In a Philip Rivers kind of way.
Darnold never lets them see him sweat. In a Joe Montana kind of way.
A tweet can set Mayfield off.
A pick-six on his first NFL throw left Darnold yawning.
Darnold is adept at blocking out the noise.
Mayfield’s combativeness — he is fueled by slights — would have made his media sessions more entertaining.
Mayfield would have embraced a Broadway Baker moniker.
Darnold is content being nestled around Florham Park.
Mayfield, with his Napoleonic quarterback complex, carries a forever chip on his shoulder the size of the Empire State Building.
Mayfield does a dead-on imitation of Dorsey.
Consider it highly doubtful Darnold does an imitation of Jets GM Mike Maccagnan.
Mayfield eased concerns for most during the draft process that he might be a mischief-making brat capable of pulling a fire alarm.
Darnold has eased concerns about an elongated throwing motion and a lack of experience with his preparation and anticipation.
Darnold is mature beyond his years.
No one was saying that about Mayfield even when he was winning the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma.
Joe Namath loved Mayfield before the draft.
He has grown to love Darnold now that he has seen more of him.
Darnold and Mayfield both love football. They both are gym rats. They both can make something out of nothing with their legs. They both can make all the throws. They both are gamers.
You will know it when Mayfield walks into the room.
You might not know it when Darnold walks into the room.
Browns fans dream of Mayfield becoming The Next Drew Brees instead of The Next Manziel.
Jets fans dream of Darnold becoming The Next Joe Namath.
Maybe both franchises got it right this time.
Just no guarantee this time from Namath.
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