Scouts
Tyler Flechtner
From bust to breakout
February 12, 2021
Mr. Weaver
JAGS Pillar: Communicate ideas effectively with diverse audiences, bridging geographic, linguistic, ideological, and cultural barriers.
Artifact:
From Bust to Breakout
The 5 part story on Baker Mayfield’s success in the NFL
With the first pick of the 2018 NFL Draft the Cleveland Browns Select: Baker Mayfield Quarterback Oklahoma. At the end of the 2017 season, the Cleveland Browns had an embarrassing record of 0-16. Everyone viewed Cleveland as the laughing stock of the NFL. With this draft pick, he was going to turn the franchise around.
September 20, 2018
That was the night everything changed. With 2:55 left in the 2nd quarter, former starter Tyrod Taylor went down with an injury. The next drive changed Browns history forever. Baker Mayfield took the field with a cheering crowd watching. On his very first snap, he threw a 14 yard pass to receiver Jarvis Landry. That pass gave hope to Cleveland. Mayfield led the Browns to their very first win since 2016 with a final score of 21-17. Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns finished the year 7-8-1. An improvement since the last 5 years. Then the offseason hype came. With the trading of OBJ, many people thought Cleveland was a super bowl contender.
That was an overstatement.
With star pass-rusher Myles Garrett getting suspended after hitting Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph in the head with his helmet, rumors that star players wanted a trade out of Cleveland, and one of the hardest schedules in the league. They finished the season 6-10. Mayfeld was the one to blame with more interceptions than touchdowns, the 2020 season was a make or break season for Mayfield. He started to look like all the other past QBs of Cleveland.
Then 2020 said “I really don't like earth”...
and bombarded the planet with terrible events happening every month. People thought the NFL wouldn't play. But they found a way and did it. After starting the season with an embarrassing blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Everyone knew it was the “Same Ol Browns”. Everyone except the loyal Browns Fans. After that loss the Browns looked like a whole different team. They were winning football games! Going into week 6 of the season the Browns were on fire. Plagued by injuries, they had a painful loss to the Steelers, and of course the scapegoat was Mayfield. Why? Because he was injured and shouldn't have played that game. The Browns bounced back next week after an exciting game came to an end when rookie Donavan Peoples-Jones caught the game winning TD. With this win, the Browns were surly on their way to the playoffs, perhaps even further.
COVID-19 Strikes Again
The Browns could have clinched their first playoff berth since 2002 with a win over the New York Jets and a Steelers win over the Indianapolis Colts. Unfortunately, the coronavirus had other plans. The night before the game, Cleveland got news that all 4 of their wide receivers were deemed close contacts and had to sit the game out. The Browns had a heartbreaking 16-23 loss. “I failed this team,” said Mayfield, who answered one question during his postgame Zoom call and left. “I put three balls on the ground, two of them that they recovered and the other on fourth down — just hold onto the dang ball. Plain and simple. I have to hold onto the dang ball.” It wasn't all Mayfield’s fault though. It was the league's lack of decency to even think about delaying the game. With that loss the Browns had to win and they were in.
PLAYOFFS!!
Pit 22 Cle 24 4th 1:09 3rd & 1. All the Browns had to do was get a first down and they are in the playoffs. Mayfield took the snap. He runs to the right sideline. HE'S GOT IT!!! FIRST DOWN CLEVELAND!! They will go to the playoffs for the first time since 2002. And of course they would have to face the Steelers again. The Steelers receivers got a little too cocky though. JuJu Smith Schuster called the Browns “Nameless Gray Faces”. That backfired. After a bad snap on the first play of the game, the Browns were already up 7-0. By the end of the 1st quarter the game was basically over with the Browns up 28-0. With a final score of 48-37, the Browns just won their first playoff game since 1995. They play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The hype around this game is unimaginable. All the players for the Browns are healthy and off Covid lists. I would expect this to be a close game and I think that the Browns will keep their underdog mentality going and they might even make it to the super bowl if they keep playing the way they are right now.
Written By Tyler Flechtner
Life Scout Troop 927
For more Browns news and articles visit https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/ or espn.com/nfl
Reflection:
Requirement 7c of the Communication Merit Badge for the Boy Scouts of America states: “Use desktop publishing to produce a newsletter, brochure, flier, or other printed material for your troop or crew, class at school, or other group. Include at least one article and one photograph or illustration.” I just had a few requirements left until I got my Eagle Scout. This article knocked another one off the list.
Putting this artifact under the pillar of communicating ideas is just too good to pass by. There is more to communicating ideas than talking. Words, audio, and videos all play a part in communicating ideas. Some people have found ways to effectively communicate, while others can struggle.