National Football League fans attending the New York Giants' preseason game against the Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night had the opportunity to place a legal wager on the game from inside the stadium.
It may have been the first preseason game, but that doesn't change the fact that at least some of the real gameplan made it into this one. "I had some rough practices down the stretch of camp", he said. That side of the debate could claim vindication after 2017 third-round pick Davis Webb completed 9-of-22 passes for 70 yards in a dismal performance. "It was the first time going on the road with a new team, first time in the NFL. I wouldn't say it was anything nerve-racking, but a lot of firsts today that I'm glad I got under my belt so I can get more comfortable as I go down the road". On the first series of the fourth quarter, he hit fellow rookie Antonio Callaway on third and four for a 54-yard touchdown pass. Last season coach Hue Jackson led the Browns to a ideal 4-0 record in the preseason.
The Browns let Mayfield play into the fourth quarter after he entered in the second.
Mayfield's final numbers (11-of-20 passing, 212 yards, 10.6 yards per attempt, two TDs, 125.4 rating, one sack) were nothing resembling those of a raw rookie trying to transition from college spread to pro-style, albeit against Giants backups playing vanilla schemes.
In three years at Penn State, Saquon Barkley racked up 1,195 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 5.7 yards per carry.