Baker Mayfield has always been known as a bright-lights player. A quarterback who is at his best when the lights are brightest. Mayfield is 4-1 on Thursday Night Football games, and his ability to step up in prime time has set him apart, especially when comparing him to other quarterbacks who have struggled in the same light. Kirk Cousins is one such quarterback, his well-documented struggles in prime-time games show a big contrast to Mayfield’s success.
Mayfield posted some of his best Thursday nights starting in 2018, his rookie season, when he replaced an injured Tyrod Taylor against the New York Jets. However, he made history when he managed to lead the Cleveland Browns to victory to end the 635-day winless streak making him a hero among the Cleveland. Since that sensational performance, Mayfield has consistently given good performances when it counts. In his Thursday night career, he has 1,080 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and a single interception, his passer rating is 95.6.
Thursday night wins have been very dramatic. One of which was thrilling in 2022 when Mayfield led the Los Angeles Rams to beat the Raiders after joining the team just two days prior. Mayfield didn’t have much time to study the playbook before the game, and yet, he completed 22 of 35 passing attempts, 230 yards, and a touchdown scored in this game. Such a performance in this type of game situation has only enforced Mayfield as a fighter or perhaps as a ‘prime-time’ player.
Baker Mayfield’s Thursday Night Winning Drive
Kirk Cousins Struggles in Prime Time
On the other hand, Kirk Cousins has cultivated a whole career around the story of underachievement when it comes to prime-time games, especially Thursday night games. With a 13-21 record in prime-time games overall, Cousins feels he has not been at his best when on the national stage. On Thursday night he played reasonably well, accumulating 3,101 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 10 games, but his 4-6 record in those contests has made us believe that Cousins failed to perform well under the pressure of Thursday Night Football.
Some of Cousins’ worst games have come in prime time, although his numbers in these games are much worse than Mayfield’s he still can perform well. Another factor with the subject that has continued to follow him throughout the duration of his career is the narrative of inconsistency. Cousins has had a roll coaster of stats throughout his career. Meanwhile, Mayfield, despite his ups and downs throughout his career, has always had a way to play big on Thursday nights.
Mayfield wants to extend his primetime winning streak with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: he possesses both the mental and championship toughness to thrive in these situations. Cousins, on the other hand, is going to have to work through his past problems and throw away the script. Both quarterbacks are talented, but Mayfield’s Thursday night record is a testament to his ability to make clutch plays. It will take a “You like that?!” moment from Kirk Cousins to rewrite his primetime record.
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