Baker Mayfield: 'There's a New Standard' for Browns After Making Playoffs

The Cleveland Browns are headed to the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2002, and quarterback Baker Mayfield thinks this is just the beginning of a new era for the franchise.

"We were all brought here for a reason, and that's to reset the standard here," Mayfield said after leading the Browns to a 24-22 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. "We're getting back to what it needs to be—to a winning culture. That's a starting point. We're going to enjoy it like I said, because there haven't been playoffs here in a while. But there's a new standard here, and it needs to keep that way." 

The Browns concluded the regular season at 11-5. 

The Steelers nearly prevented the Browns from winning when Mason Rudolph and JuJu Smith-Schuster connected for a touchdown with less than two minutes remaining, but the two-point conversion that would have tied the score at 24 was unsuccessful. 

"It's a moment that I'll definitely never forget," Mayfield said, noting the volume of the crowd despite just 12,000 fans being allowed into FirstEnergy Stadium, which has a capacity of almost 68,000, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Browns posted their best record since 1994, when New England Patriots coaching legend Bill Belichick led the team to the same record. They haven't won a playoff game since then, when they advanced to the second round before being knocked out by the Steelers. 

While they still could have made the postseason with a loss, it would've taken a lot of help from other teams. An Indianapolis Colts loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars or a combination of a Tennessee Titans loss, Miami Dolphins win or tie and a Baltimore Ravens win or tie also would have punched the ticket for the Browns.

The two teams will get a chance to go at each other again in the first round of playoffs, this time in Pittsburgh, where a number of players who rested this week, including quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and linebacker T.J. Watt, should suit up for a rematch.