Baker Mayfield's Brilliance Leads Browns to Win vs. Bengals, Ex-HC Hue Jackson

The Cleveland Browns are on the verge of completing one of the NFL's best single-season turnarounds after Sunday's 26-18 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Coming off an 0-16 record last season, the Browns are 7-7-1 and can finish with a winning record for the first time since 2007. The last team to have no more than one win in a season and finish over .500 the next year was the 2008 Miami Dolphins. 

Baker Mayfield continued his outstanding play by putting up 284 passing yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Nick Chubb had a strong game on the ground with 112 rushing yards on 19 carries. 

Jeff Driskel overcame a slow start to finish with 133 yards and two touchdowns for the Bengals. 

Mayfield's Rapid Rise Will Make Browns AFC Contender in 2019

The Browns' slim playoff hopes were dashed Saturday when the Tennessee Titans beat the Washington Redskins, but the fact they were still alive heading into Week 16 speaks volumes about where this franchise is headed. 

In particular, Mayfield has made an enormous difference in Cleveland.

The rookie has been mistake-free in the red zone:

The only other quarterbacks with at least 15 touchdowns and no interceptions in the red zone coming into Week 16 are Drew Brees, Deshaun Watson and Kirk Cousins. 

Once Cleveland's front office figured out head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley were holding Mayfield back, the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner took off. 

Since Week 9, the Browns' first game after firing Jackson and Haley, Mayfield has completed 71 percent of his attempts and is averaging 268.3 passing yards per game. 

Beyond the raw stats Mayfield is putting up, his accuracy on throws like this first-quarter touchdown to David Njoku highlight how far he's come in his first professional season:

Even though the Browns will miss the playoffs for the 16th straight year, their outlook for 2019 is bright. Mayfield is a budding superstar at the age of 23. 

The AFC has been in a state of transition this season, with teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans rising to the top of the conference. The Texans and Chiefs have reached this point with second-year quarterbacks, Watson and Patrick Mahomes.

Heading into his second year in 2019, Mayfield will have the Browns challenging the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers atop the AFC North. He'll be working with a coaching staff that has faith in his playmaking ability and can help him tap into areas that have yet to be unlocked. 

It took 20 seasons for the Browns to find a quarterback capable of making them a legitimate contender. Mayfield has proved to be the answer they needed. 

Bengals Making Mistake Letting Marvin Lewis Decide Future

Never was Lewis' power with the Bengals more apparent than when he hired Jackson as a special assistant two weeks after the Browns fired him.

In November, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported Jackson could take over as Bengals head coach if Lewis retires or transitions to a front office role. 

On Sunday, ESPN's Adam Schefter used telling language about Lewis' status to describe another head-coaching candidate the Bengals could have interest in. 

"If the Denver Broncos part ways with head coach Vance Joseph, he is expected to emerge as a candidate for the Cincinnati Bengals' defensive coordinator job and potentially even their head-coaching job when Marvin Lewis decides he has had enough of coaching, a league source told ESPN," Schefter wrote.

How many teams wouldn't consider firing their coach after three consecutive losing seasons? That's not to mention Lewis' 0-7 record in seven playoff games dating back to 2003. 

He is also prone to making baffling in-game decisions. For instance, after the Bengals cut the deficit to 26-18 with 2:50 remaining and no timeouts, they kicked the ball deep instead of attempting an onside kick. 

The Browns got two first downs and were able to run out the clock to seal the win. 

Even though the Bengals aren't the laughingstock they once were, they are starting to become a punchline in an AFC North that looks like it will have three tough teams heading into 2019:

Meanwhile, the Bengals went 6-9-1 in 2016, 7-9 in 2017 and are 6-9 with one game remaining in 2018. 

Until owner Mike Brown recognizes his organization has stagnated under Lewis, the Bengals are going to fall further behind the pack in a loaded division. 

What's Next?

The Bengals will wrap up their 2018 season on Dec. 30 against the Steelers at Heinz Field. The Browns will finish the year traveling to M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 30 for a showdown with the Baltimore Ravens.